Why No Seat Belt Interlock?

[DS524]

That makes complete sense for a tractor with a folding ROPS. Guess that would require another sensor.

Gee...thinking about it, the lawyers permit a folding ROPS!!!???

They must be slipping!

At least a "ROPS DOWN" warning light on the dash, lol. Kinda like the seat belt warning light in a car. A little pic of the operator getting crushed.

I guess we shouldn't be giving them any ideas.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

no, they'ed make if 'if ROPS is down, NO start or run..... then add a 'bypass' to allow 'temporary' use of tractor with ROPS down, say to load/unload from a trailer of get INTO a normal garage....

I'm waiting for the implantation of an RFID chip so that only the owner could operate the tractor.
oh yeah, you have to take a 'safety' course before they chip you....
hmmm THAT would slow down car thefts.......

 

[Henro]

it is not required by government thus kubota ain't spending more money to install it, UNLESS it gives them a competitive advantage in sales which I can't see. But what do I know? I'm just a dumb grease monkey.

Sage knowledge and understanding...

 

[GeoHorn]

Spoken like a true narcissist.

Yeah,,, YOU are the authority here...

 

[doublebass73]

There are more safety measures learned by word of mouth than by any stickers or worded warnings ever provided. Think about it, a kid puts her finger too close to a lit candle. She gets burned. Her siblings learned from that mistake and they tell their friends how stupid their sister was. Everybody laughs at how stupid the little girl was for getting too close to the flame. Lesson learned by all. No sticker or written warning required.

Well said sir. A guy who used to live down the road from me is dead now because he was too lazy to put the ROPS up on his Kubota before operating. I learned way more from that than any sticker. Word of mouth is the best advertising.

 

[Old_Paint]

As far as the stickers are concerned, it's probably a good idea not to remove them if you ever plan on selling the tractor or equipment, or make sure you replace them before you transfer the ownership of that equipment. Do what you want, and whatever makes you think your machine looks better, but when it comes time to sell it, those stickers really need to be in place. That's EXACTLY why they're offered as spare parts on most outdoor equipment, with diagrams to show where they belong. The manufacturer has protected themselves with that documentation. If you remove the warning labels, you have removed manufacturer's warnings about the dangers of operating the equipment, thereby hindering the ability of the new owner/operator to detect those dangers (assuming they were actually going to read the labels). Here in the States, a removed sticker is a manufacturers lawyer's wet dream.

 

[NHSleddog]

As far as the stickers are concerned, it's probably a good idea not to remove them if you ever plan on selling the tractor or equipment, or make sure you replace them before you transfer the ownership of that equipment. Do what you want, and whatever makes you think your machine looks better, but when it comes time to sell it, those stickers really need to be in place. That's EXACTLY why they're offered as spare parts on most outdoor equipment, with diagrams to show where they belong. The manufacturer has protected themselves with that documentation. If you remove the warning labels, you have removed manufacturer's warnings about the dangers of operating the equipment, thereby hindering the ability of the new owner/operator to detect those dangers (assuming they were actually going to read the labels). Here in the States, a removed sticker is a manufacturers lawyer's wet dream.

This will vary by state.

Do you have a single example of someone receiving liability for removing a sticker on a tractor they sold?

I have had attorneys involved in sales before and in our state if you have a signed BOS that stated the buyer was buying AS IS/AS SEEN he would find it nearly impossible to sue you back. No brakes, no motor, no windows, no seats, NO STICKERS/PAINT/EMBLEMS etc.

One of the lawyers said not to include the owners manual and to state on the BOS that the manual was not included and should be sought by the buyer. He had case examples and basically said the manual will show the unit and features as new, not how you sold it.

This is like the ROPS police discussions. I have never heard of a person being back-sued for a ROPS modification after an AS IS / AS SEEN sale.

 

[Henro]

As far as the stickers are concerned, it's probably a good idea not to remove them if you ever plan on selling the tractor or equipment, or make sure you replace them before you transfer the ownership of that equipment. Do what you want, and whatever makes you think your machine looks better, but when it comes time to sell it, those stickers really need to be in place. That's EXACTLY why they're offered as spare parts on most outdoor equipment, with diagrams to show where they belong. The manufacturer has protected themselves with that documentation. If you remove the warning labels, you have removed manufacturer's warnings about the dangers of operating the equipment, thereby hindering the ability of the new owner/operator to detect those dangers (assuming they were actually going to read the labels). Here in the States, a removed sticker is a manufacturers lawyer's wet dream.

I am not disputing anything said, but wonder if you sell the tractor "as is" with "no warranty offered or implied," if not having labels is really a concern.

The stickers could have fallen off over time. Claim could be that the manufacturer used poor adhesive for a tractor that may spend its life out in the weather. It never ends does it?

I do not know, and I am simply asking this as I am curious.

 

[random]

IMO A slimy enough lawyer with a whiny enough client will always be able to find SOMETHING to sue over. And they'll always go after the deepest pocket they can find...

 

[NHSleddog]

IMO A slimy enough lawyer with a whiny enough client will always be able to find SOMETHING to sue over. And they'll always go after the deepest pocket they can find...

In our state that slimy lawyer's client would be paying my lawyers fees. These things really do vary a lot by state.

 

[Old_Paint]

IMO A slimy enough lawyer with a whiny enough client will always be able to find SOMETHING to sue over. And they'll always go after the deepest pocket they can find...

THAT was exactly my point.

We live in a world these days where we must make every effort to cover our butts and protect ourselves from frivolous suits.

All it takes is ONE precedent case. Whether such exists or not, I don't know. But I'll continue to operate on the premise that there might be, or could be by the time I sell the hardware. I'm not going to spend all my time watching civil courts in every jurisdiction to see if it happens. Putting the label back on makes sure I don't have to.

 

[Henro]

THAT was exactly my point.

We live in a world these days where we must make every effort to cover our butts and protect ourselves from frivolous suits.

All it takes is ONE precedent case. Whether such exists or not, I don't know. But I'll continue to operate on the premise that there might be, or could be by the time I sell the hardware. I'm not going to spend all my time watching civil courts in every jurisdiction to see if it happens. Putting the label back on makes sure I don't have to.

Point well taken, but what if you are the third owner of a tractor and decide to sell it. How do you know what labels might have been there to begin with?

There must be some limit to this worry...somewhere...

 

[Ktrim]

Point well taken, but what if you are the third owner of a tractor and decide to sell it. How do you know what labels might have been there to begin with?

There must be some limit to this worry...somewhere...
[/QUOT

It all boils down to common sense. If your afraid of a piece of equipment don't use it. Use the equipment with respect of possible consequences. If you don't know what your doing pay someone to do it for you.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

re: If you don't know what your doing pay someone to do it for you.

just make SURE they are QUALIFIED ! I've seen 'know-it-alls' cause a LOT of damage.......

 

[Old_Paint]

Point well taken, but what if you are the third owner of a tractor and decide to sell it. How do you know what labels might have been there to begin with?

There must be some limit to this worry...somewhere...

The first thing I do with anything I buy is get every shop manual, parts manual, and operating manual for it that I can find. I'm a tinkerer, engineer, and more curious than a cat. I like to know how things work. That's how I generally find out what labels belong where, and probably whether or not they can still be had. I can't fix everything, and I accept that. But I'm old school, and like another said, if I don't feel like I can do something safely, I'm hiring someone with better equipment and more know-how. If I can't get the label, I'll either make my own or do something to draw attention to or guard a pinch point or dangerous (but necessary) part. I've had 40 years engineering experience in heavy industry (any kind you can think of and some you probably can't imagine), and yes, I'm probably a little more overboard with safety than some. I also grew up in the 60's and 70's, out on a farm, so I probably have a lot more walking around sense than some of the engineers I have worked with, too. There is a balance, but it is definitely smarter to err on the side of caution. It keeps lawyers out of the picture.

Is there an end to this? Well, yeah, probably, when lawyers have all the money and there's no more to get, and no one manufactures anything any more. Hang on, did I just figure out why so much industry is leaving this country? Sadly, some intelligence to operate a product and maintain control of it is no longer a requirement for ownership or operation. And it's ALWAYS the machine's fault when something goes wrong for anyone born after 1990. They could NEVER be at fault. The more preferable end would be that stupid people deepen the gene pool by doing themselves in, and taking a few lawyers with them. "Hey y'all, holmubeer and watchiss!" There's your sign. Ya just can't fix stupid. Where you draw the line is completely up to you. You and I probably don't have the same threshold for risk tolerance.

Remember, people in born in the last 30 years eat laundry detergent for a challenge. I can't say I've EVER wanted soap in my mouth, especially when I was a kid and that was the consequence of using four-letter-words that are not in a grammar school dictionary. I'm just glad the children's home I spent my childhood in didn't buy Palmolive. Oh fudge!

 

[D2Cat]

Old_Paint, I agree with you 100%.

Your avatar reminds me of the time, as a youngster, I looked into the end of a large hollow oak tree and saw a bunch of young skunks!

 

[Henro]

Remember, people in born in the last 30 years eat laundry detergent for a challenge. I can't say I've EVER wanted soap in my mouth, especially when I was a kid and that was the consequence of using four-letter-words that are not in a grammar school dictionary. I'm just glad the children's home I spent my childhood in didn't buy Palmolive. Oh fudge!

LMAO! We must be of the same vintage!

 

[Old_Paint]

Old_Paint, I agree with you 100%.

Your avatar reminds me of the time, as a youngster, I looked into the end of a large hollow oak tree and saw a bunch of young skunks!

The missus got a new fisheye lens for her camera several years ago. We laughed so hard at that photo, I decided to use it for my avatar on most anything I do online. I was so close to the camera that it made me cross-eyed too, so that along with my nose looking like it's the size of a football just made us giggle till we couldn't stop. I probably make more fun of myself than anyone else possibly could.

The flashlight and camera on a smartphone are about the only reason I carry one anywhere except at work. Sure solves sticking one's nose where they will regret it. Yes?

 

[Old_Paint]

LMAO! We must be of the same vintage!

I didn't know Ivory soap could have so many different flavors. I was practically a connoisseur, but not necessarily by choice.

 

[armylifer]

There was only one "flavor" of Ivory soap when I was growing up.