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Gee guys, I hate to be a dumb butt, but if a tractor seat fails, and you fall backwards off the tractor (as with many makes and models) at any speed you don't have very good odds of avoiding serious injury. This including a suicide wrist band lanyard / kill switch. Now if you add any impelment or any road gear I think the wife would be doing the Google for Funeral homes. I have personaly never given a thought to seat failure, but I can sure guess it would be a very short time frame from start to finish. I am usualy the one who points out a potentual saftey issue, and many times answered with --WELL when it's your time, its your time mentality. I most times think to my self that maybe all the stupid ones are not in jail. I kind of wonder if perhaps a saftey forum would serve a very good purpose. Just off the top of my head -- alllll right -- I do stand corrected--the top of my bald head-- numerous saftey issues that just about caused, or indeed caused serious injury. The first is a AC WD that had a pin that held the universal joint in the steering drop out due to wear and age. Another is a AC WD 45 that the snap coupler under the tractor failed and disconected as the mounted plow was droped in the ground, thus making the lift latches a hinge point. Thus bringing the back of the plow out of the ground and tipping it against the driver / steering wheel. A JD 4020 (could be any tractor) dragging logs in the timber with chains on. The chain spun over the end of a 3" x 15 ft stick. It brought the stick up around behind the driver, smashed the fender & back of the seat, pinning the driver against the steering wheel. A JD 60 that broke the snap ring like thing a ma jig behind the fly wheel, thus locking the engine tight. The operator was in high gear wide open, and on new pavment not open for trafic yet. The rear tires made for good traction on the new saw cut finish concrete, thossed the operator over the front mounted 4 row cultivator. Another farmer going up a hill road with lots of layers of solid lime rock on the surface. He was dragging a log chain at a pretty rapid speed if I know this farmer. The log chain drug the dirt out of a crack in the rock as he drove over the layers of solid rock. The crack was centr line of the tractor. The chain after cutting the dirt out of the crack wedged the end hook in the groove as well. The hook only got a few inches into the crack, put the front end of the tractor sky ward, stopped the tractor and broke the chain, making a very sturdy slig shot when the hook broke off. Another farmer was jerking a log chain pulling a fallen tree. Everyone knows you should hook to the drawbar and not up on the 3 point. Now don't get ahead of me here, the chain was not hooked directly in the center, but accidently off to the side of the tractor by mistake. The chain broke and shot beside the operator hitting his left foot as it shot by. No serious injury. Although I did not make the EMS call, another farmer wrapped a 3/8" log chain around his head as it broke from jerking it. Pretty bad but not a long term injury. Gollley geee I could go on for hours on end, give it some thought everyone.
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