Or who have things happen that are unexpected and completely outside of their control.
And that, too, really does happen.
Here's why you wear a seat belt with ROPS system
- Thread starter i7win7
- Start date
Or who have things happen that are unexpected and completely outside of their control.
And that, too, really does happen.
MNVikingsGuy
Active member
Equipment
LX3310, FEL, 60" bucket, 60" grapple, 60" box blade, 60" flail, LX2980 blower,
One clear case not to wear seatbelt is if in a open ROPS tractor with the ROPS folded down. Not saying operating with ROPs down is a good thing - but if circumstance find you in that situation, then NO seat belt is the safe choice, otherwise your head is the role bar. Pretty sure my new LX3310 manual even pointed this out.
After reflecting on the thread title over the last few days, I concluded it really should have been:
"Another Example Of Why The Darwin Awards Evolved..."
"Another Example Of Why The Darwin Awards Evolved..."
I haven't upgraded to a paid membership in here yet, otherwise, my sig would say "Darwin was RIGHT!".After reflecting on the thread title over the last few days, I concluded it really should have been:
"Another Example Of Why The Darwin Awards Evolved..."
nbryan
Well-known member
Equipment
B2650 BH77 LA534 54" ssqa Forks B2782B BB1560 Woods M5-4 MaxxHaul 50039
After reading this thread last week I was out using my box scraper as a trail snow groomer, hanging it about 4" off the actual ground and skimming the fresh snow smooth. Was at about 2000 rpm in 1st gear almost full speed on the hst pedal.
Then the boxblade caught a frozen solid tree stump, BOOM, and the machine stopped instantly.
Without that seat belt on I would have had a nasty steering wheel imprint somewhere in my lower gut area. I clearly felt the belt around my hips lock me to the seat.
Wear it.
Then the boxblade caught a frozen solid tree stump, BOOM, and the machine stopped instantly.
Without that seat belt on I would have had a nasty steering wheel imprint somewhere in my lower gut area. I clearly felt the belt around my hips lock me to the seat.
Wear it.
Of course it's a personal choice. Nobody suggested otherwise.
There are good personal choices and there are bad personal choices.
There are good personal choices and there are bad personal choices.
i7win7
Well-known member
Equipment
BX2370, B2650 grapple, tree puller, trailer mover, 3 point hoist, mower, tiller
Mississippi DOT published several roll-over videos 8 months ago
MNVikingsGuy
Active member
Equipment
LX3310, FEL, 60" bucket, 60" grapple, 60" box blade, 60" flail, LX2980 blower,
If it was not for the freedom of personal choice, the Darwin awards would be short of nominations
No, there will always be plenty of material. Like the guy that used his car to launch his jet ski and drowned, WHILE WEARING HIS SEATBELT.If it was not for the freedom of personal choice, the Darwin awards would be short of nominations
The more I read of peoples issues tractoring in general, I agree most of you should wear a seatbelt. Many of you should also look into air bags of some sort as well.
Most of the time I choose not to wear it, there are some instances where I choose to put it on. Depends on what I'm doing. Roll overs are Never caused by wearing or not wearing the belt, they are caused by poor choices on weight distribution/operating speed/slope aspect/etc.
But when a rollover DOES occur, seatbelt + ROPS makes the difference between "rescue" and "recovery"
Not to the guy the OP posted. He ran away. Might have died wearing a belt, hard to say.
In 1967 at the ripe old age of 21 I had a brand new 4 speed 289 Mustang. Of course I did things you only do when you are 21 and never heard of Darwin. I wore a seat belt though. I always did.
Good thing too, because one rainy night I slid off the interstate at speed and was going backwards when I hit a culvert. The car flipped end over end backwards. 1-1/2 times and landed on its roof. The car was totaled. I bit my lip.
I always wear a seat belt on the tractor.
Good thing too, because one rainy night I slid off the interstate at speed and was going backwards when I hit a culvert. The car flipped end over end backwards. 1-1/2 times and landed on its roof. The car was totaled. I bit my lip.
I always wear a seat belt on the tractor.
I had a sweet Mustang 71 fastback. Oct 1986 leaving a Hurricane Gloria party to go to another party.
I came around a corner to a tree across the road.
Thinking fast, I did a e-brake Chitwood and instead of coming around, it slid on the leaves straight off the road into a utility pole, which in turn hit a tree and caught it on fire.
So I'm standing in the pouring rain waiting for Public Service and the cops to show up.
After a quick look at the scene, the cops start interrogating me - WHO WAS DRIVING THE CAR? Who was driving the car - they kept asking me over and over. I kept telling them I'm alone and I was driving.
Finally the cop took me over to the car and said "well then, explain how you are walking?" Looking into the drivers side of the car you could see the front DS tire pushing the seat in a few inches. They kept at it claiming I was not driving. Then it dawned on me and I asked them "well did you see a paralyzed individual walking your way"? They actually laughed at that and let it go. I wish I had pictures of it.
Both cops said multiple times "You were lucky you didn't have your seatbelt on or you would have lost your legs".
I have been in two accidents in my life. Both times I was told I would have lost my legs if I had a seatbelt on.
In case any of you are wondering, NH does not have a seatbelt law.
NCL4701
Well-known member
Equipment
L4701, T2290, WC68, grapple, BB1572, Farmi W50R, Howes 500, 16kW IMD gen, WG24
Life is short. Life is hard. It’s harder and shorter if you’re stupid. Safety devices are usually good things but there is no substitute for vigilance, knowledge, and wisdom.
Only thing I don’t like about ROPs and seatbelts is sometimes they can embolden the operator to take chances they wouldn’t but for the seatbelt and ROPs.
I’ve put a couple hundred hours on my Kubota in the past year but the vast majority of my tractor hours overall are still on a Ford 9N and Farmall H. No ROPs, no safety switches, no fenders on the H, no PTO cover on the PTO that runs constantly on the 9N (unless you throw the hydraulic pump out of gear and kill the lift), brakes have always sucked on the 9N, H is tricycle row crop with center of gravity about 3’ from the ground. Didn’t start driving until about 8 years old and had the maturity to run such dangerous equipment. Actually I was a big enough kid I could jump off the seat of the 9N, land on the clutch and right brake, and was heavy enough to stop it so it was time to drive.
We also had guns in various places around the house, all full magazine, hammer down on empty chamber except for the Ithaca double barrel which was always loaded and had an iffy safety. After about 30 minutes of instruction was allowed to shoot the .22 whenever without supervision. None of that has really changed other than I don’t have a breach loader with a busted safety.
We probably did a bunch of other crap that would be considered child abuse or endangerment now. Amazing how many of us lived to adulthood.
Still when on the Kubota, I’ll leave the ROPs up all the time and wear a seatbelt if I’m doing anything that is on or adjacent to slopes. Except when I’m beside the pond because if it goes in the pond I’m not going to be tied to it.
Still drive the 9N and Farmall once in a while. They’re still both firmly in the safety last group.
Only thing I don’t like about ROPs and seatbelts is sometimes they can embolden the operator to take chances they wouldn’t but for the seatbelt and ROPs.
I’ve put a couple hundred hours on my Kubota in the past year but the vast majority of my tractor hours overall are still on a Ford 9N and Farmall H. No ROPs, no safety switches, no fenders on the H, no PTO cover on the PTO that runs constantly on the 9N (unless you throw the hydraulic pump out of gear and kill the lift), brakes have always sucked on the 9N, H is tricycle row crop with center of gravity about 3’ from the ground. Didn’t start driving until about 8 years old and had the maturity to run such dangerous equipment. Actually I was a big enough kid I could jump off the seat of the 9N, land on the clutch and right brake, and was heavy enough to stop it so it was time to drive.
We also had guns in various places around the house, all full magazine, hammer down on empty chamber except for the Ithaca double barrel which was always loaded and had an iffy safety. After about 30 minutes of instruction was allowed to shoot the .22 whenever without supervision. None of that has really changed other than I don’t have a breach loader with a busted safety.
We probably did a bunch of other crap that would be considered child abuse or endangerment now. Amazing how many of us lived to adulthood.
Still when on the Kubota, I’ll leave the ROPs up all the time and wear a seatbelt if I’m doing anything that is on or adjacent to slopes. Except when I’m beside the pond because if it goes in the pond I’m not going to be tied to it.
Still drive the 9N and Farmall once in a while. They’re still both firmly in the safety last group.
I don't run 90mph on my tractor, everything is really slow. When you get to a tipping point you can feel it gradually coming on and it's easy to avoid tipping by adjusting steering or implement or even moving your body weight. I've tested the limits of my tractor and I can feel when the rear wheels are gonna lift, I do it on purpose sometimes for fun. I know what slope and angles I can run on because I've creeped up on the tipping points to find them without rolling over. Grab a heavy bucket full of something and try to get it to balance on just the front tires, it's fun. Point is, tractors don't just flip over instantly, they are controllable. In most situations, I'd rather have the option of bailing on my own terms than to be strapped into it. I'd rather learn to do stupid balance tricks with it than to just hope I don't exceed the tipping point and rely on a seatbelt to keep me safe. Luckily there is no tractor seatbelt laws so you can wear it all the time and I can choose when I want to and when I don't. To say it's safer to always wear in all situations every time, well that's just not reality for me. Good thing we all have choices.
Whether or not you wear your seatbelt or not, that's your choice. Just remember that they are called accidents because you don't do it on purpose, and even the most experienced operator can make mistakes.
From the National Ag Safety Database (NASD) https://nasdonline.org/7232/d002442/tractor-overturns.html
DID YOU KNOW...
Tractor overturns are the leading cause of fatal injuries on US farms, resulting in an average of about 130 deaths each year.
1 in 10 operators overturn a tractor in his or her lifetime.
80% of deaths caused by tractor overturns involve experienced operators.
Tractor overturns are costly.
ROPS reduce the risk of injury or death in the event of an overturn.
Also from NASD:
ROPS are 99% effective in preventing serious injury or death when used with a seatbelt.
And more:
“I will be able to bail out or jump off if I sense I’m in trouble.”
From the National Ag Safety Database (NASD) https://nasdonline.org/7232/d002442/tractor-overturns.html
DID YOU KNOW...
Tractor overturns are the leading cause of fatal injuries on US farms, resulting in an average of about 130 deaths each year.
1 in 10 operators overturn a tractor in his or her lifetime.
80% of deaths caused by tractor overturns involve experienced operators.
Tractor overturns are costly.
- 1 in 7 farmers involved in tractor overturns is permanently disabled.
- 7 of 10 farms will go out of business within 5 years following a tractor-related fatality.
ROPS reduce the risk of injury or death in the event of an overturn.
Also from NASD:
ROPS are 99% effective in preventing serious injury or death when used with a seatbelt.
And more:
“I will be able to bail out or jump off if I sense I’m in trouble.”
- It takes less than 1 second for a tractor to overturn backwards.
- It is impossible to react quickly enough to jump clear of a rolling tractor. If an operator isn’t struck by the tractor when he or she is thrown off, it is likely they may be struck or crushed by the equipment or load hitched to the tractor
Sorry, this post is so full of what NOT to do that I'm almost left speechless. Almost..
Yes, it's easy to feel it coming, until you don't. As far as your belief that they don't jutt flip over instantly, there are lots of people that would disagree with you if they could, but it's too late for them. Scare tactics aside, under perfect conditions, with 100% mental focus 100% of the time, yes, it's not hard to avoid a rollover. But sometimes, conditions aren't perfect. Sometimes you will not have 100% mental focus. Even something as simple as an unseen dip in an overgrown field can lead to a rollover. You may have mowed that hillside a 100 times without issue, but all it takes is one mistake, one missed detail, one good rain and so on.
Yes you are free to make your own choice, as you should be. I hope others ignore your advice.
Good summary.
I fall in the 1 in 10 category. It was a VERY slow tip over, but it did happen. About 3 seconds start to finish.
No way I could personally dispute anything you have written here...Other's may, but not me!