Terrible baler accident a couple of days ago.

Anonymous-0 · Oct 10, 2008

The man went out to bale hay and he did not come home when it got dark so his wife rode out to the tractor and found it and the baler running with the man inside the baler. This happens way to often. There should be a way to disable these balers so you could not leave the tractor cab with them running.

ericlb · Oct 10, 2008

there is, rule is if your going to dismount a tractor turn the machine off first, as well as any self powered equipment,

Anonymous-0 · Oct 10, 2008

The problem is that there are people ignoring the "rule" and have been doing so since balers were invented.

Andy Motteberg · Oct 10, 2008

That does not sound good

He should have turned off the power to the baler before getting off of the tractor.

buickanddeere · Oct 10, 2008

Quote"
There should be a way to disable these balers so you could not leave the tractor cab with them running.
Unquote"

Tragic yes. Accident no.

b.t.w. There are no accidents. Dead dude left the baler running and got off the tractor on purpose.
Some people here scream and wail about how they don't need a rops on their tractor. And how they are too smart,fast and strong to ever suffer and incident. And how they don't want the government to force safety equipment after the alarming statistics are seen.
Think now about suggesting safety equipment to those tractor operators who don't/won't use computers.Even more anti safety mentality among those people.

Traditional Farmer · Oct 10, 2008

I've worked around some very dangerous equipment
in my life and its not the gadets,shields or whatever that keeps you safe its being aware of the equipment,what its capable of and having a healthy respect for it.No amount of saftey equipment will keep some people from getting hurt or killed they just need to stay away from equipment of all types.

whizkidkyus · Oct 10, 2008

Where did this happen at ? Also when you say baler are you talking about a regular size square baler that farmers used to toss on a wagon by hand , or the big square balers that takes a tractor to pick up , or a big round hay rollers ,that take the three prong forkes to pick up ? I've heard all of them being called a baler . I hope the guy was just pinned and maybe had an arm caught in the machine like a guy did around here long ago . But judging from the way you talk about him being in the baler , I take it that he died ?

Anonymous-0 · Oct 10, 2008

there should be a way to disable these balers so you could not leave the tractor cab with them running???? answer is it's called the PTO engage and disengage leaver in disengage the baler will stop.this is whats wrong it is people that don't know what they are doing or are just plane careless. just like a riding lawnmower they have to have a switch to shut the blades off if you get off the seat and some it kills the engine.

Anonymous-0 · Oct 10, 2008

we had the same accident happen here many years ago, he did not come home and was found inside the round baler. traditional farmer summed it all up.just too bad they dont stop and think.

old · Oct 10, 2008

Its like this. Most of the time to know what the problem is you need to leave the machine running to see what is going on, but you also need to be smart enough to stop the PTO and or the tractor engine before you try to fix the problem. When doing most farm jobs the only real safety device it the one between a mans ears and its sad that few people are smart enough to use common since. I bring back a lot of dead machines and have to have them running to find a problem but I also make sure I watch out for what is going on and NEVER put my hands or any other body part into a macine when its running
Hobby farm

bison · Oct 11, 2008

It.s very sad these things happen at all, I am just wondering if this happened in the same rate with the older balers where the pickup and baleforming activity is fully visable from the tractor,as the vermeer D and C and JD 510 ,to name a few.Compared to the newer versions that resemble a shoe box with the pickup underneath,and no way of telling what is happening inside.
Unplugging a pickup with the baler running is like playing russian roulette with a full magazine.
It baffles me why people even try.

Dan in Ore · Oct 11, 2008

An accident here several years ago. A man in his 70's went out baling and didn't return. Someone went to check on him and found him crushed under the baler.

He had got under the baler to rethread the wire and a tire blew out.

Just can't be too safe.

Anonymous-0 · Oct 11, 2008

To He// with safety devices if the operater is dumb enough to get off the tractor with PTO running they will figure out a way to get in trouble. I was 13 and using an M with an AC combine. My Father told me if he ever caught me off the tractor with the pto in gear all HE// would happen so i NEVER got off any tractor with pto in gear that includes mowers,corn pickers, balers and so forth. This new generation cant seem to do anything without roll bars live power power steering and so forth then blame the builders of the device like taking a 50yr old tractor and loader trying to move 1500lb bales. It just goes on and on.

Bob · Oct 11, 2008

"There should be a way to disable these balers so you could not leave the tractor cab with them running."

There already IS such a system.

Modern tractors have "operator prescense systems" that shut off the PTO when the operator leaves the seat.

DAMNED ANNOYING things, they are!

Anonymous-0 · Oct 11, 2008

You are right about the stuff between the ears.
I worked on a farm with a guy who had lost one hand and the index finger of the other in machinery accidents. I saw this guy one day brushing corn into a running auger with his remaining three fingered hand! I told him that was a good way to end up with two stumpy arms. He said "oh I won't get caught". He didn't....that day.

Nebraska Cowman · Oct 11, 2008

Just be careful guys. I've been there. You think you are safe then your foot slips or you step in a hole. Life is full of calculated risk.

TX656 · Oct 11, 2008

You have to turn the tractor engine off if you are going to place your body near the baler intake. I used to trust the PTO disengage idea...until one day when I had the round baler hooked up to the Farmall 656 and I operated one of the remote valves for the twine or rear door circuit...and THE PTO ENGAGED BY ITSELF AND THE BALER STARTED CHURNING as a result of a pressure change in the hydraulics caused by operating one of the rear remotes. (On Farmall 656 the PTO clutch is engaged hydraulically but with a lever far from the two I was operating.) Obviously something a little odd was going on inside the tractor that day and it hasn't happened since but it's just like a gun, you CAN'T trust the safety.

Steven f/AZ · Oct 11, 2008

After we have had a couple of tractors malfunction the PTO - the 1256 PTO wouldn't turn off unless you held the lever just perfect, and another tractor we couldn't turn off the PTO at all (both were fixed within a few days) - I won't get near the implement unless the engine is off and the tractor is in park.

Again, I won't go near an implement unless the tractor is off and in park. Common sense should tell a person to do this to minimize their risk of injury.

Dave from MN · Oct 11, 2008

Two causes of avoidable injuries. Unsafe actions, unsafe conditions. Both can be avoided or corrected. I feel for the person's family. I know myself i have, and have seen countless times of kicking the hay/straw into the pick up and similar things. I am lucky I am here. I have learned alot in the last 20 years. My kids all know, Lock it out and shut it down.

Walt Davies · Oct 11, 2008

Many time when baling I have to go back and make an adjustment or correct something or just trip the baler tie can't do this with the baler shut down. Yes its dangerous work but so is all the other things on a farm. We are number 5 in deaths per 100,000 right below fishing and logging.
Walt

Matt Waddell · Oct 11, 2008

our vfd had one here last week, fella was tryin to do something with the knotter and got tangled up. goes to show you need to kill it before you get off

Terrible baler accident a couple of days ago.

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