Aren't these thing dangerous?

Thanks, DB

That's what is dangerous!

Tommy D.

Like the rest of the folks here, I can't resist responding to the question of safety. Walking is inherently dangerous and putting wheels on anything exponentially increases one's chances of getting hurt or causing damage. Now let's put a motor on this contraption and we'll power it with an explosive liquid. Now there's some real potential for injuries.

If someone is going to get sued over the design of an 8N tractor the name should be obvious. It's on the hood in an oval and his first name was Henry. If you want to know where he is check Marv Baumann's website. There's a picture of his grave on it.

Al Capone started the insurance business, attorneys have refined the marketing techniques.

Now that they can advertise, outta see the full page ads there, and the back cover, and inserts with pull out tabs. Love back injuries and auto wrecks. Tell how they'll pay your bills and all. No pay till you win..... course they don't take the cases they aren't pretty sure of winning. Watch the fine print. They get a large chunk of the settlement that they are pursuing because YOU are in need..... you are in need but who gets the relief?

Just had jury duty Monday. Sitting there, looking at the defendent who had to have a lawyer to defend him; seems he is uncapable of determining just what is written into the law. And the lawyer, I was thinking, what other profession has the elements (laws in this case) made by him, for him, and with him.

Sitting there listening to the prosecution tell us what the "rules were(Law was)" and the defense telling us how they were going to wiggle out of them. Right and wrong had nothing to do with it. It was how fancy pants and clever one was vs the other determined the outcome of the trial. Justice? Where.

Mark

BTW isn't this was John Edwards does? Seems proud of it too.

Oh well, live and learn

Mark

• Scholastic Study of Tractor Roll-Over, 8N-Tractor vs John Deere

Link

The top link is the key to the prevention of back flips. It actually forces the front of the tractor DOWN when an implement being pulled hits an obstruction. What happens is the implement tries to pivot about the lift pins since the “stopping force” is below the lift pins. That forces the top link forward against the tractor. The lift arms being lower than the top link pull on the bottom of the tractor differential while the top link pushes on the top. This creates a rotational force that pushes the front wheels down, even though the rear wheels are trying to lift the front.

I have run into rocks/heavy clay plowing and you can actually feel the tractor squat down as the front is forced down and rear tires are compressed as the lift tries to pull the plow up out of the ground to get past the obstruction.

I am sure that I could argue very effectively that the Ford/Ferguson tractor was designed with safety in mind, more so than other tractors of that day, as some of the guys have indicated.

Regards,
Larry

I'm afraid that with all the warnings and labels required on everything today, it has dulled our common sense - if it ain't labeled, it's safe. Not so. As with all machinery, tractors must be operated with caution and the constant knowledge that they have no mind of their own, they simply respond to the demands of the operator.

Be safe...John A(Va)

Lawyers would "thin out" if whinny fools stopped looking for someone else to blame [read collect money from] when they screw up.

Another way to thin the crop would be for juries to stop awarding seven figure verdicts just cause somebody got hurt and some B.S. engineer with twenty twenty hind sight figured out that things could go wrong this way.

No lawyer can do it by himself/herself. They need co-conspirators.

Your mileage may vary

A guy stands up and says "Sir I take extreme offense at that remark".

The first guy says " Why, are you a lawyer"

The second guys says, "No I am a Jerk"

now original version had much saltier language, but i cleaned it up for all of you with more delicate dispositions and for the naughty word filter!

• Here's a sample of some litigation

The real 'flipsters' are the narrow front tractors.. like trikes.. JD's AC's, and IH's.

There was a study done a while back.. can't remember the details.. but they had two tractors run sideways down a slop and turn ( remote controlled ).. one unit was an N.. it did not flip.. but the other tractor did. There were some nice screen shots of both tractors.

In any case.. these tractors were ahead of their time interms of safety features. The interlocked starter was a great idea. I have tractors from the same era as the N and much later that don't have this feature. For instance.. my 1950 JD 'B ( trike ) has no safety starter.. you stomp on the switch and it kicks over.. if the tractor's in gear.. the tractor starts to move. Same with my 1966 IH cub. It's starter is strong enough to start the engine with the tractor in gear, and the pto/belly mower engaged, and take off down the pasture with absolutely no problems at all.

Just about any injury involving a tractor I've ever seen involved an operator doing something he shouldn't have.. or he modified the tractor, or did not maintain it.

I don't see how you will be able to prove a manufacturing defect on a 50+ year old piece of equipment, and be able to show that it was truly a manufacturing defect, and was not instead caused by simple age, wear/tear/use/abuse incorrect repair.. etc

There were almost a million of these N series tractor made. At one estimate, last I heard, there may be as many as 40-50% of them still in existance and at some level of use. That is a testament to its a solid design.

Soundguy

Are you baiting us, or are you for real? Nearly ANYthing can be dangerous if you aren't careful. I've never even come close to tipping either my 2N or 8N over in the twelve years I've been using Ns. They'll slide sideways on a hill before they'll tip over, at least in my experience. Do they have all the safety features of current models? No. Could they be abused and made to cause accidents? Of course. The brakes have been known to be a little weak, but that can be compensated for. They are a delightful tractor to use, maintain, and restore--much cheaper to operate than any other brand of antique tractor I've had experience with, and parts are readily available.

Ron

Anything is dangerous if you do dumb or careless things with them.

Certainly not the 9N,8N, 2N if you operate them sensibly.

- Peanut