Tractor Fatalities

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GAonmymind

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My brother called and said one of the guys at work was killed over the weekend in tractor accident. He stated this was the second fatality in a few months. The last one he said the guy put it in neutral and then got under the tractor to fix something (tractor engine still on) and it slipped out of neutral and rolled over guy - killing him.

Read that there are over 800 tractor fatalities a year in the U.S. Problem is a lot of the time when there is an accident involving a tractor the person involved does not survive to tell you the mistake he made - if any. Data shows that a lot of the drivers of said tractors are older, white, males with experience farming. That was no surprise since that is what the pool is primarily made up of.

Read up on some of the tractor safety rules but they were pretty generic. A lot of knowledge on this forum. Any thoughts or info to be shared?
 
Familiarity breeds neglect. Bring some city slicker out, and let them stand by a hay roller or combine while it's running. They'll tell ya right quick how dangerous it is. We've seen it so much, it doesn't look like a man killer to us.
 
Treat all equipment like a poisonous snake that'll bite you if you get too close
 
Most here are roll overs. Had an amishman last year get caught by a pto shaft running an auger I believe. That had to be a horrible sight for the family to find.
 
there's been a few accidents around here.. some involving alcohol, neighbor had a zero turn mower roll over on him and darned near paralyzed him, another one was a rollover killing the man... and that's not even counting the close calls

Some machines are just more dangerous than others... I think MF165's are horrid in that aspect.. light, grabby/jamming brakes, multipower that doesn't provide engine braking, hydraulically engaged PTO that can be halfway between engaged and disengaged.. The MF255 we have is much safer.. heavier, sensitive, strong, but predictable brakes, no multipower, and a gear engagement PTO.
 
Older Olivers are well known for that going into gear on their own trick. A previous owner of this farm was killed when his jumped into gear while he was in front of it. Loader basicly cut him in half against a big (40 inch DBH) oak.
 
It seems way too common around here. I know way too many over the years killed pulling logs. They get hauling a22 pulling logs through the field when the log catches and flips the tractor in the blink of an eye.
In the last year two people I knew were killed. One a high school friend of mine and another was a coworker. Both killed when dealing with trees. One was pulling a stump out of his front yard with his daughter helping him, flipped the tractor over on himself right in front of his daughter. The other pulling trees over when the tree fell on the tractor knocking him off or he jumped and got ran over by the rear wheel.

Local Congressman James Traficant was killed a few years ago backing a 9N Ford into his barn when it flipped and killed him.
 
Just reminds me of what my dad used to preach at us... Machinery Does Not Feel Pain, only You Will!! We were taught at an early age to respect equipment. I'm sure most of us on this forum could tell you horror stories involving farm equipment... most of them could have probably been avoided. Respect the equipment and know your limitations.
 
I was dragging a log and had hooked the chain pretty far from the end. Was zipping along pretty well, the end caught on a chynk of limestone and the tree flipped over and came down between the tractor seat and the fender. Wouldn;t have been too bad excet for a couple of staubs . On ecause me in the lower back as I leaned over to duck the log. Broke a couple of vertebre and the transvers process' in my back. That along with the stenosis is why I take oxy several times a day.
 



Here's the aftermath of a IH684 that drove off a road (DUI).. don't know how the guy made it out alive. His dad is the one that got killed when a tractor rolled over on him that I mentioned earlier
 
Dun I have to say that tractor pulling a log with a chain is something the husband and I do OFTEN. Usually with him on the tractor and me attaching/unattaching chain and following on the utv. Until your post, I would have said it was one of the easiest and safest things to use a tractor for.

You don't know what you don't know I guess. Beginning to think the comment about treating a tractor like a poisonous snake was spot on.
 
If you have ever met on of those people who always asks "why/how" that is me. Brother called back with the information I requested.

The guy that works with him that died over the weekend was NOT killed on a tractor. He and wife were on a kubota UTV. Came to a gate on a hill. He got out to open gate. She hit gas rather than brake. Pinned him between kubota and gate. Airlifted him from scene but he died anyway.
 
GAonmymind":wy2e51um said:
Dun I have to say that tractor pulling a log with a chain is something the husband and I do OFTEN. Usually with him on the tractor and me attaching/unattaching chain and following on the utv. Until your post, I would have said it was one of the easiest and safest things to use a tractor for.

You don't know what you don't know I guess. Beginning to think the comment about treating a tractor like a poisonous snake was spot on.
I have drug hundreds if not thousands of logs that way. If the top would have still been on the tree it wouldn;t have been light enough at the trailing end to flip. As it was a 30 plus footer I sure didn;t expect it to be able to flip like that. Sure made me drag them a lot slower after that.
 
It probably happens every day...

Tragic loss of my Father (Longhorn Tannery)
I am posting this to TBH because I know some of you have had dealings with my father, Alvin Emmel through his business Longhorn Tannery. Both my brother Brian (huntinaddict) and I have been a part of the TBH community for a long time. I want to thank each and everyone of you in advance for your thoughts and prayers.

My family lost a great man yesterday, very suddenly and unexpectedly to a tragic accident. While going to rake hay at a place I'll he has been on for over 25 years he got off the tractor to open the hay field gap. He was using a tractor he has been on 100s, if not 1,000s, of times. Upon getting back on the tractor the gear lock slipped, Dad lost his balance as the tractor began to roll. Tragically he fell beneath the wheel, killing him instantly. He will be truly missed! Please say a prayer for my Mom and the rest of our family and friends.

If you are interested below are the funeral arrangements;
Rosary is on Friday 8/18 at Hubbard Funeral Home in Weimar.
Visitation 4-6:00, Rosary starting at 6:00.

Funeral on Saturday 8/19 at St. Michael Catholic Church in Weimar.
Visitation 10-11:00; Mass at 11:00.
Burial to follow at the Ijams Cemetery off FM 2434.
Lunch to follow at The Veterans Hall in Weimar.
 
We lost a local farmer last month to a farm accident. His father also died in a farm accident. And now the son - grandson is taking over the farm which is all he ever wanted to do anyway. But he was forced to go off to college to learn not to farm. It's really weird how somethings in life alter your way.
 

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