Logging with farm tractor=bad

[flip]

Just another do not do this FYI.  Last week a cutomer of ours was logging with his farm tractor near a creek on his land.  At some point during the day while taking a log out his tractor rolled into the creek and pinned him under it.  He managed to hold his head above water for what is believed to be 6-7 hours before he was found. His roll bar was in the down position but some how flipped up as the tractor rolled saving him from a quick drowning death.  He was extrated and flown to a hospital where he eventually died of his injuries.  When I was younger we would bo to his farm and buy and load out straw for my uncle.  I'm not saying anyone that uses anything but a skidder is a fool, I use a backhoe and what ever tractor is running at the time.  My point is be careful, Emil Hopf was in his 70's and had been doing this for years before he was killed.  Be Safe!

[tyb525]

Yes, they are dangerous if you aren't extremely careful with them, just like just about every other piece of heavy machinery. That is sad to hear.

[thecfarm]

That is too bad and so sad.I suppose he was working on a grade.In my eyes those fold down ROPS should be outlawed.But I guess OHSA allows them. I just bought a new tractor. Put a roof on it,so the wife could not fold the ROPS down. I know why some fold them down,but I would not.I've been using a tractor for years in the woods. Things do happen.Have to be careful,but things still happen.

[treefarmer87]

a tractor is for farming, unless it is equipped with the right protection. i did it for a while, but i think a skidder is alot better, but any piece of equipment is dangerous.

[Autocar]

Treefarmer 87 hit the nail on the head any piece of equipment is dangerous. But logging with a farm tractor is very dangerous just a good way to flip one over on your self.Years ago I had a narrow skidder making turns with a heavy log a fellow had to be very careful because the four wheel drive would make the front climb then flip side ways you always had your foot on the clutch pedal !

[tractorg25]

I take it that sense the ROPS was folded down and managed to flip up during the roll over that the operator did not have the seat belt on. I see this happen too many times. I agree with the other response that the fold down ROPs should be outlawed.  If you have a ROPs  even a fold down ROPs keep it up and always wear the seat belt.

[Warren]

Not necessarily just about using a tractor to skid logs.  Always need to be carefull/respectfull around "edges" and "drop offs". 

Two or three years ago, neighbor a couple miles up the road was using a loader to clear out an old farm road.  Older unit, no ROPS. Ran the loader across an undercut river bank.  Son found the loader upside down in about 3 feet of water when the father did not come home for dinner. 

Last summer a neighbor a couple miles the other way bought a new Z mower to be able to mow his yard and the yard of a friend who was recently widowed.  Had been operating machinery most of his life.  First time out, mowing on flat ground, got too close to the edge of a sink hole, flipped the mower into the sink hole.  0.4 hrs total time on the mower.  Now there are two widows...

-w-

[g_man]

Accidents happen and they always will, but it seems the most vulnerable are the
new operators who have little or no experience and no clue about what could happen
and the more experienced operators who either get lax or do not realize their
judgement or reaction time is declining.
Examples like this depicted on this site help to keep me thinking SAFTY when I am
in the woods with my tractor. Thank You.

[Oldforester]

The headline is partly right, I had some close calls years ago.  But after thinking about them it seems that being tired or being in a rush were often factors along with trying to do things that were beyond the machine capability.
Buying a Farmi PTO skidder has reduced my pulse rate a whole lot!  Tractor stays on the level ground where the skid trails are.  If it is to big for the Farmi I don't cut it.

[easymoney]

a few years ago i bought a small japanese tractor for general purpose use. it had no roll bar. it sat high and was narrow. i got rid of it primarily because on the slightest hillside it felt that it might turn over.  i now have one that sits low enough with wide tires that it would be very hard to turn over.
a friend was killed a few years ago while bushogging with a borrowed tractor he laid under it for several hours before anyone found him.

[Meadows Miller]

Gday

Sorry to  hear about your Emil passing Flip    :( That being said Any piece of equipment industry has the chance to bite you in the butt every now n then our familys used tractors for skidding over the last 50 years over 3 generations without any dramas but most likely afew near misses  ;) if you take the rite precautions and operate your equipment in a safe maner a farm tractor with the rite protection fitted with a winch can be an effective skidding & loading machine out the bush

Regards Chris

[SamB]

Well if I couldn't fold the ROP on my tractor it would be stored outside in the elements , I'd be investing in a larger equipment shed or I'd be modifying the ROP. So guess you'd put me on the list opposed to banning fold down ROP. Similar tractor accidents make the local news all to often and it really hits home when it's someone you know or have crossed paths with. Don't suppose you'll eliminate tractor accidents unless you outlaw tractors. As far as skidding logs with a farm tractor it can't be any more unsafe than moving logs with a pickup truck, ATV or a team of horses. Most of us farmers and small time operators are going to use what's available to us and be as safe as we can be for what we're working with, occasionally pushing the safety envelope. May Emil's accident serve us a reminder to not push the safety envelope. Flip sorry for your loss.   

[beenthere]

 ;D  Maybe a law to outlaw people who want to "outlaw" everything that they don't think is right for someone else.   : :

[flip]

I think complacancy has a lot to do with accidents like these.  Like I said earlier we use our backhoe for the majority of our skidding, log moving and transfering stacks of lumber around.  Fortunately there have been no accidents involving the hoe with the exception of me being stoopid and breaking my tail bone tyring to cut out a hang up.  My guess is most of us run what we have since skidders are so cheap and most of our "operations" are a few logs at a time.  In contrast this last winter a crew that was logging by the White river took a skidder into the river and drowned so right equipment or not stuff does go bad, just watch your backs.  I hate tragedy for anyone but Emil's accident was preventable and hopefully if any of us ever get into a situation where we think "I can make it work just this one time....." that we reevaluate the situation and make the right call for ourselves and family 

[g_man]

AMEN !

[Qweaver]

I'm with you Beenthere.  I'm one of the most careful people that you can find.  I just have always done really dangerous things as carefully as I can.  ;D  But I'd hate to live in a place where someone else has the right to tell me how much danger I can face.  My body, my life and I should be able to do things anyway I like. 
Quinton

[Cedarman]

As I've gotten older my kinesthetic sense (I think that is what it is called) is leaving me.  This is the ability to metally visualize what is behind you as you back up etc.  When young, I knew exactly where the basketball goal was with my back to it.  I think this is why older people back into things.  They forget what was behind them.  We do not remember as well as when younger.  When winching a tree we tend to forget the dead tree that we just looked at and only remember when it crashes down narrowly missing us.  I think this is why a 70 year fellow about 30 miles from us ran his tractor over a gas can he put down causing it to explode and burning him so bad he later died in the hospital.  He put the can down and forgot that he put it down as he as was driving his tractor.
Be careful.

[pigman]

Cedarman, I think you are only partially correct. The other thing is as we age our neck gets so stiff that we can't turn around and see what we forgot was behind us. :

[JDeere]

30 years ago I read the first rule of operating a tractor is "watch where your are going, not where you have been". I still think about that today when I am operating a piece of equipment. Following that rule has saved me more than once.

[terrifictimbersllc]

Truck, trailer, tractor, car, lately even walking around....."Never back up more than you have to" ......I find useful. 

[captain_crunch]

You can slip in shower and break your neck just as easly. Most people useing a Farm tractor to skidd with are allready in over their head. Have been upside down with a well armored crawler and I am suspost to know what I am doing :D :D Had it not been for canopy I would not be telling of this. Farm tractor rops ain't enough if things go south on you you need a full caonpy

[SwampDonkey]

...as we age our neck gets so stiff that we can't turn around...

And don't listen when someone says whoa!   ;D

[Piston]

;D  Maybe a law to outlaw people who want to "outlaw" everything that they don't think is right for someone else.   : :

;D +1  8)

[TessiersFarm]

I feel bad for the guys family but skidding wood with a farm tractor is not the cause of this accident.  People get killed every day in automobiles driving to work, does that mean they should not be used for commuting?  I have rolled over 3 farm tractors, never skidding wood.  Through some streak of luck I lived through all three with only minor scratches and bruises.  Accidents happen no mater what piece of equipment people are using and no mater what task they are preforming.  Poor judgement is the most common cause of accidents and injuries, I wish people would take a little responsibility for their actions and stop blaming tractors for being dangerous.  Some day my luck may run out but it won't be the equipments fault (I hope) but most likely my own stupidity or lack of judgement.  I have noticed that people who push the limits of safety do it no mater what they are driving.  If they were in a Skidder they would have that much more wood on and go that much closer to the edge of the stream before they finally rolled it over.

Just My 2 cent Rant, sorry.

[bill m]

I feel bad for the guys family but skidding wood with a farm tractor is not the cause of this accident.  People get killed every day in automobiles driving to work, does that mean they should not be used for commuting?  I have rolled over 3 farm tractors, never skidding wood.  Through some streak of luck I lived through all three with only minor scratches and bruises.  Accidents happen no mater what piece of equipment people are using and no mater what task they are preforming.  Poor judgement is the most common cause of accidents and injuries, I wish people would take a little responsibility for their actions and stop blaming tractors for being dangerous.  Some day my luck may run out but it won't be the equipments fault (I hope) but most likely my own stupidity or lack of judgement.  I have noticed that people who push the limits of safety do it no mater what they are driving.  If they were in a Skidder they would have that much more wood on and go that much closer to the edge of the stream before they finally rolled it over.

Just My 2 cent Rant, sorry.

Don't feel sorry, I agree 100% . Lets stop blaming the equipment for operator error.

[treefarmer87]

i binded two nice poplar logs against an oak thurs with my c5 and the only thing holding me up was my right front tire i quickly pushed in the clutch and shut it off. i was still up on three wheels.   i started it up and used the blade to get me back on all four. it doesnt matter what you use its how you use it. it means watch what you doing and be careful. i have worked some steep hillsides with a tractor and never had trouble, being careful helped but im sure luck helped too