Tractor drivers w/ kids on tractors

We had a serous accident in a nearby community a few years ago with a grandfather was riding his 5 year old grandson his tractor. They stopped to let the kid off the tractor, and as he was getting off the tractor, he tripped over his granddads left foot that was on the clutch pedal. Tractor was in gear with motor reved, and blades spinning. Very tragic loss. The child was killed when bushhog ran over him. Granddad had to sell the farm. He could not live there anymore.

We do want our kids to have fun and great memories on the farm. However we need to always ask ourselves what is the worst thing that could happen if I allow a kid to ride on the tractor or what ever activity he is doing with us.

Do any of you feel the same as I do? Any thought’s on getting the word out?

Thanks
CT

That said, I think all of us have ridden on tractors with our parents or grandparents at some time or another. My riding was carefully supervised and usually when going to and from the field only, not when someone was mowing, baling, chopping corn etc. I did ride a lot when gramps was plowing.

I started off "pickin rocks". This was using a small industrial MF with a loader. My father or uncle or cousin would get it in low gear and a small amount of throttle and then get me on the seat and let me go. There would be 2 men (my father one of them) walking along picking up rocks with dung forks and putting them into the bucket. The tractor would be going so slow that they would have to wait for me to catch up. But it was great learning on how to drive a tractor.

Now with all that said, I was never allowed to even be near the tractor when the brush hog was being used.

As many of the guys have said below, you have to choose when it is approriate for a child to be around tractors. But I think that it is VERY important that children are around equipment at a younge age. When they are around it and shown the dangers and how to be safe around it they are much less likely to have an accident.

I totally disagree with people who put and age limit on being around equipment. I have seen some people do this and say "you can't help on the farm til you are 15." Then the kid turns 15 and they have to learn everything in a matter of months and are given tasks that they don't understand. This is how kids get hurt.

I was always with my dad, ecept when the task was to dangerous. And even then dad would show me the dangers and discuss with me the proper way to use this equipment. He would then give me a safe and simple task to do while he did the dangerous one and then include me in his chore once the dangerouse part was complete. This meant that I felt apart of what was going on and learnt valuable safety lessons without being put in harms way.

Farm safety is a big topic but I think it has to start younge and contiue for a life time.

I liked the way you teach folks to drive a tractor.

I can remember being a young boy when my dad gave me my first driving lesson on a Ford 8 N
He showed me all of the controls. Had me go through the stop and start motions with the motor off. It was pretend driving.

Then he had me start it up. And at slow idle I would put it first gear and drive as he walked beside the tractor. He would hold his hand up and I had to stop. Which meant pushing the clutch in and putting my foot on the brakes. We did this about 50 times until it was an automatic procedure. Then he let me drive around the pasture in 2 gear. His watchful eye was still on me, but just a greater distance.

Personally I think that no-one should ride on a tractor other than the driver when it is in use. Death or serious injury is always the worst which could happen and does - too often.
Btw, I grew up driving tractors as a kid. Started by tripping plough in and out on a fordson standard, at age about 7, while my brother (2 years older) aimed and steered it. I was also responsible for putting the governor rod back on when it came off (quite often), next to the fan, with the engine running flat out! Moved on to Oliver 90 before I could properly control clutch and brake in all situations and can remember tractor running down-hill through a bumpy gateway and giving me a big fright (at about age 9?). I learned to select a low gear before going downhill after that! But that was 1950's and things have changed since then.

:)

--->Paul

I grew up on a working farm, and still run it. I stood on the axle of the 300, 88, H, and sat on the fender of the 960 for many many hours every year, from the age of 7.

Just how it is. Everyone needs to be thinking all the time.

--->Paul

My Dad grew up on a farm and he shown me how to operate a tractor safely . He insisted that I buy an overrunning clutch before I ever even got a bushhog .

My son is 7 and I do not let him ride on the tractor with me or anyone else . It just takes a split second for something to happen . I don't care how careful or experienced you think you are .

When he is old enough I will teach him safe operation of a tractor . Until that time , I will teach him to respect machinery .

This will probably tick off some of you guys but is giving a kid a ride worth the chance of a lifetime of grief from cutting short a precious life ?

Ford Man

CT

1. Farming is one of the most dangerous occupations there is. Everyday farmers are around moving shafts, pulleys, sprockets, etc not to mention animals that can accidentally maim or kill.

2. Many farmers are now part of the generation that is lax in discipline for children. Rather than swat a kid good on the rear, they put them in time out. The kids fuss about not being able to ride with dad and so dad gives in.

3. Operating farm equipment is like operating any piece of equipment, practice makes perfect. I don't know how many times I would try to back up a 4-wheel wagon before I got it down half way acceptable to my dad.

4. Last but not least - safety is just plain old common sense. Use it.

The guy I bought my 323 picker from collected the money with one hand and one stub. Life long farmer.

However, there is still a pretty basic rule in operation here. If it has one seating place for one backside, it carries ONE person.

O.K., so most of us have been guilty at one time or another of either allowing another person to ride on a machine with us without a seat or riding on some-one else's machine without a seat. The fact that we may have been guilty of doing it DOES NOT make it any less dangerous. Even if you have an enclosed cabin with reliable doors, SHUT, it still does not guarantee COMPLETE safety, only an approximation thereto. It only takes one bump to throw the machine around a little unexpectedly or a moment of in-attention on the part of you or your passenger and you could have a head slammed against a window or panel.

I don't want to rain on anybody's parade but I also don't want to see anybody hurt either. That grandfather's second biggest mistake was NOT putting the tractor into neutral and setting the brake before allowing the child to dismount.

Re getting the word out: Dunno, Mate. Some people can be notoriously hard to edumacate. Having said that, I still think the answer lies with education rather than with legislation. And that means education, not only of tractor USERS but also of the manufacturers. See the link below.

It is sometimes said that any changes we want to see in the world, we ought first to make happen within ourselves. Seems like a good idea to me, then maybe the example will rub off on others.

Hopefully.

You have a wonderful day. Best wishes. Deas Plant.

• Chamberlain Champion.