ANSWERED-Thanks Safety Questions 2023 L3902 HST

[Alan_Retired]

Just reading the manual and a couple of safety cautions caught my eye.

"Always sit in the operators seat when starting the engine or operating the levers or the control....Never start the engine when you are standing on the ground"

I've started the engine and raised the FEL up and down (no load) before. I don't see the safety hazard. I did some internet searches and the only reason I could find about the starting the tractor is that it might be in gear and it might be a manual transmission. Any thoughts as to the reasonfor this instruction?


- - - - - - -
"Attach pulled or towed loads to the drawbar only" I am planning on using a tow cable to pulldown a cut tree that is hung up in the canopy. I thought I would attach the cable to the drawbar's sleeve/bracket directly using a D shaped shackle. I'm perfectly willing to use the drawbar, I'd just like to understand the reasoning. Any thoughts?

Thanks for reading!

 

[mcfarmall]

Question 1, this is a boilerplate warning for any pice of equipment and had its origins back to the invention of the electric start tractor. I do what I want. Purely CYA for Kubota.

Question 2, Why would you attach the shackle to the drawbar bracket and not through the existing hole in the end of the drawbar? Essentially the drawbar bracket bears any vertical load (tongue weight) and the drawbar itself bears all the draft forces. (At least in a perfect theoretical world)

 

[ken erickson]

"Attach pulled or towed loads to the drawbar only"

I think the main point here is that you do not attach a cable/chain/rope higher than the drawbar height to eliminate/reduce the chance of pivoting around the axle with a higher attachment point and doing a "wheelie" that has caused many deaths and injuries.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

re: #1 it is possible to start a machine while in gear(only a couple of faulty switches are needed...).THAT can have bad results.

 

[The Evil Twin]

I start it out of the seat more often than in the seat.

 

[TheOldHokie]

I start it out of the seat more often than in the seat.

L3901 HST - first start of the day is always from the ground. Usually a few more before the dsy is done.

Dan

 

[The Evil Twin]

L3901 HST - first start of the day is always from the ground. Usually a few more before the dsy is done.

Dan

Just curious as to why?
For me, it's usually because that gives it a couple extra minutes to warm up while I open the shop door, grab a bottle or two of water, drop headphones on, etc.

 

[TheOldHokie]

Just curious as to why?
For me, it's usually because that gives it a couple extra minutes to warm up while I open the shop door, grab a bottle or two of water, drop headphones on, etc.

Exactly. I was always lazy and now that I am dragging O2 around I am definitly not going to expend the effort of climbing up if I am not going to drive right off.

Dan

 

[NCL4701]

The reason for the admonition to start only from the seat is if it starts in gear and you’re just in front of the rear wheel, it will run over you. Not likely to happen, but it has happened to numerous people with tractors that either didn’t have transmission safety switches (really old) or those safeties were no longer functional. Tractor I spent the most time on growing up was like that. It started in gear just as reliably as in neutral. Consequences of being run over by a back wheel are severe. I have been involved with several such incidents: always old guys who’ve been operating tractors for many decades. Nothing against old guys, just the couple dozen such incidents I’ve been involved in cleaning up were all elderly victims. Not an activity in which I care to participate.

And yes, I sometimes start mine while standing on the ground. I stand beside the rear wheel, not directly in front of it, and reach over to start it. Or sometimes I’ll step up on the loader frame so if it lurches somewhere I’m along for the ride. Both of which are probably bad procedure; just being real about it.

 

[GrizBota]

Mainly CYA, I suspect. But I’m surprised Kubota doesn’t require the seat to be occupied or a brake/clutch pushed in. My B (HST) starts if I turn the key, seated or not. My Grand L (HST) requires the clutch to be pushed in to crank. Both shut down if the PTO is engaged and the seat gets too light.

 

[The Evil Twin]

Mainly CYA, I suspect. But I’m surprised Kubota doesn’t require the seat to be occupied or a brake/clutch pushed in. My B (HST) starts if I turn the key, seated or not. My Grand L (HST) requires the clutch to be pushed in to crank. Both shut down if the PTO is engaged and the seat gets too light.

That's interesting. My L with HST requires the clutch to be pushed.

 

[TheOldHokie]

That's interesting. My L with HST requires the clutch to be pushed.

Definitly not the case with the L3901 HST.

Dan

 

[Runs With Scissors]

When I was a kid, we were up at my grandparents cottage and I was helping the kids next door split wood. I was standing in front of the rear tire talking with them and the older brother started it without the clutch being depressed and it ran me over up to my chest.

Luckily the kid on the tractor was fast enough to hit the clutch and reverse it.

I was scared sh!tless, but only had some tire marks on my chest and legs.

This was in the late 70's and it was an old tractor then, so maybe 40's or 50's ish?

I'd imagine this is why they say #1

Ironically though, I also shot guns without hearing or eye protection, never used a car seat, nor seatbelts till I was 20ish and everyone smoked in the house, and we all played with fireworks and "bumper hitched" buses after snow storms so safety back then was ......well.......different I guess.

However, with that being said, my L with HST does require the clutch to be pushed in; So in keeping with my Evil Knievel lifestyle, I frequently hit the clutch with my hand and turn the key to start while standing on the ground.

 

[TheOldHokie]

When I was a kid, we were up at my grandparents cottage and I was helping the kids next door split wood. I was standing in front of the rear tire talking with them and the older brother started it without the clutch being depressed and it ran me over up to my chest.

Luckily the kid on the tractor was fast enough to hit the clutch and reverse it.

I was scared sh!tless, but only had some tire marks on my chest and legs.

This was in the late 70's and it was an old tractor then, so maybe 40's or 50's ish?

I'd imagine this is why they say #1

Ironically though, I also shot guns without hearing or eye protection, never used a car seat, nor seatbelts till I was 20ish and everyone smoked in the house, and we all played with fireworks and "bumper hitched" buses after snow storms so safety back then was ......well.......different I guess.

However, with that being said, my L with HST does require the clutch to be pushed in; So in keeping with my Evil Knievel lifestyle, I frequently hit the clutch with my hand and turn the key to start while standing on the ground.

One of Ford's better ideas was the mechanical transmission interlock on the old N-series. That dates back to 1939. The transmission has to be in neutral to unlock the starter button. Other than that you can start the tractor standing on your head if you have the athletic skill to pull it off

Dsn

 

[PoTreeBoy]

One of Ford's better ideas was the mechanical transmission interlock on the old N-series. That dates back to 1939. The transmission has to be in neutral to unlock the starter button. Other than that you can start the tractor standing on your head if you have the athletic skill to pull it off

Dsn

My uncle's Case, to start you turned the key on then the shifter had a spring-loaded position in the shift pattern for the starter. You had to be in neutral to get to that position.

 

[Bmyers]

Mainly CYA, I suspect. But I’m surprised Kubota doesn’t require the seat to be occupied or a brake/clutch pushed in. My B (HST) starts if I turn the key, seated or not. My Grand L (HST) requires the clutch to be pushed in to crank. Both shut down if the PTO is engaged and the seat gets too light.

My Grand L (HST) doesn't have a clutch and can be started from the ground. The PTO shuts off if the seat becomes to lite, which is never an issue with me in the seat.

 

[old and tired]

...my L with HST does require the clutch to be pushed in...

That's the only safety switch that I made a jumper for.... Frankly didn't see a need for it! Super easy to do, just make a loop, the plug is easy to get to. (or was in the early models of Standard Series.)

We called it "Skitching" instead of.... "bumper hitched"

 

[GrizBota]

My Grand L (HST) doesn't have a clutch and can be started from the ground. The PTO shuts off if the seat becomes to lite, which is never an issue with me in the seat.

I “think” the 60 series Grand L got rid of the clutch in the HST versions when they moved the brakes fro the right (wrong) side to the left (correct) side. Use if cutting brakes on an older Grand L HST requires two right feet.

I think the newer Standard L HST models also have no clutch and the 01 series (or is it the 02 series?) put the brakes on the correct side as well.

I’m not sure why the HST has a clutch, other than for softening the PTO engagement. It’s surprising to me that the brakes were actually ever on the wrong side of the HST models.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

We called it "Skitching" instead of.... "bumper hitched"

Man I remember the bus drivers trying to catch us.

Now that was funny sh!t.

50 or 60 year old broads trying to run down 4 or 5, 12 years old kids running through the snow,.... and half of them had a Marlboro Red hanging out of their mouth......OMG.....LOL...... they never had a chance....