Tractor Flip Question

Is anyone aware of any products for sale specifically to guard against this?

I'm by no means a tractor expert, but it seems to me that a couple of specially designed mercury switches in the ignition/coil circuit would provide some real protection; go beyond a certain point of level and voltage to the coil is killed instantly.

Maybe Zane can invent this.

While I would not say, "a cut out switch is usless", since I think it sounds like a good idea to kill the engine if you do flip, I am afraid that there is too much inertia in the drive train. This inertia would keep the engine spinning even after it was killed. To test this, stop your engine while running in, say 2nd gear, WITHOUT pushing in the clutch or disengaging the tranny. See how far you move forward from the turn off point. That is the enertia that would have to be disipated when a cutout switch kills the engine. Add thenumber of degrees the rear wheel turns in your test to the cutout angle. If total is over 90 degrees, over you go!! AND if you are going up an incline, it's angle adds to the total, making it even larger.

Cutout is OK, BUT RPOS is only sure protection!

My opinion only, it is your life you are risking.

Be safe,
Larry

A ROPS is not a licence to turn your brain off. It is no more then the safety on a gun. People die all the time from guns with safeties on. And people die with ROPS attached.

Make no mistake, ROPS are *not* a sure thing.

The goal of the RPOS is to prevent the tractor from ending up on the operator. Of course there is always the chance that something can stick thru the RPOS and hit the operator. Was overlooking that, shouldn't have.

I like the approach of treating your tractor like a rattlesnake. They can be safely handled IF you have the right equipment and do it right. BUT it just takes a moment of carelessness to be fatal.

Regards,
Larry

Would an engine kill switch prevent flips? I rather doubt it, with one possible exception.

If you're working across a steep slope and roll down hill, turning the engine off would do nothing to prevent that rolling.

If you're working say alongside a creek, and have the embankment cave in or such, not only wouldn't turning the engine off help you, it might hurt you by eliminating your chances of being able to power away. I know I've powered away from some potential rolling type situations by immediately driving the tractor to a different angle of attack.

It might (and only might) help prevent a rearward rollover from trying to pull stumps from the top link, or forgetting in the winter to start moving in reverse first. Then it could be possible to prevent the flip by having the engine shut down at say a 45 degree angle.

Personally, I rather like the idea of a mercury switch, and some day will probably install one on my N. They're cheap from Radio Shack, and work quite well.

Another device that I'd like to install on my machine eventually is a clinometer. So I can see what tip angle I'm actually leaning at when operating.

But above all else, the safety lies in your brain. Think first, think during, and think afterwards. Think, think, think. Pay attention, be aware, slow down, etc. There's been plenty of times that I've had to shut down and go contemplate the situation I've gotten myself into. Like a fella said, sometimes you'd better drop that hog where she sits, and drag it out with a chain. Been there, done that. And when I've gotten into trouble, it's always involved excessive speed. And sometimes I was in first gear!

I guess the moral of my tale there is that if you're going to count on a safety device to save your hide, you'd be better off selling the tractor. A gun safety is nice, but it doesn't excuse walking around with your finger on the trigger.

By the way, I don't think a motor that is shut off in mid flip would have enough resistance to stop a tractor pointing straight up. More likely the spinning tractor would turn the dead motor over as well as the driver. (Or was Butch just pulling our legs?)

John

But even if it didn't disconnect until you were vertical it would probably save your life; since the tractor is in gear (probably 1st or 2nd) it would freeze instantly, nose to the sky.

After all, it's avoiding the second 90 degrees of flip that really counts.