tractor safety question

What a pleasure to find a site from the heart of America - the farm folks - I love tractors and farm implements. I live in Cache Valley (Utah) and there are a couple of "outdoor" tractor museums there. I also had the pleasure of going to a northwestern Iowa tractor "cruise in" (I don't remember the actual name) and it was fascinating.
Right now however I am working as a student at the University of Utah and was asked to get some information about tractor safety - please don't be bashful about your feelings on farm safety, I heard some of it already from my late Iowa father-in-law. Anyway, I am trying to find out about safely climbing down from a tractor after sitting in it for hours being vibrated and "sifted". It appears that truckers have some issues with doing this and occasionally fall off the truck steps due to being in the seat so long.

R. J. Elliott

Hi Robin! Welcome to Net Tractor Talk!!!! I'm glad you found us.

Good question ...and interesting study.

I started out with a 8N and noticed the 'wear' on myself being much worse on it than on my newer Kubota. Had I used an 8N when it was newer the wear factor might not have been as bad, because the vibration probably was not as bad. Heck it was a 50 year old tractor when I got it.
Even after a few hours on the Kubota I feel it a little, but since my tractor is a CUT I can hold onto the steering wheel or fender well handle as I dismount. So I have not had any issues or problems.
I hope you will keep us updated on your study as you work your way through it.

thanks for the reply

First of all thanks so much for your quick reply! It did two things - it let me know you are an active site and that I made contact!

I am new at this and hope I don't mess up the format. I will let you know of the results I get. There seems to be one author who has done a lot of study on this issue. His name is Wilfried Hammer. He is from Germany. I recognize that most of the tractor safety issues of note are those which deal with rollovers, falling (or being knocked) off moving tractors, and accidents involving PTOs - so falling off steps seems pretty inconsequential, unless of course it means not being able to finish planting or harvesting due to injury! Most of those great farming communities however usually seem to find a way to help each other in a situation like that.

As far as the 8N (50+ year old tractor) I wonder if the engineering was primitive or the age such that there was such a noticeable amount of discomfort from vibration. Did the farmers of yesteryear just complain less, were stronger, or we just didn't take note because that is how things shook out!

thanks again,

Robin

Robin, I'd also like to welcome you in, and your research.
I think you are at least partly right, 'yesteryear farmers' I believe were a 'harder, stronger' bunch. I learned to operate a tractor on an AO JohnDeere, and a Case about the same size, can't remember the model. Both you started on gasoline, then switched to "tractor fuel" once they warmed up. You got on/off from the rear, right beside the PTO drive-shaft. (OSHA would really love that!!) You also pretty much had to stand up to drive them, you couldn't reach the hand clutch from the seat. The seat was behind the rear axle, so it made for a rough ride. I only sat down to go under a low limb---one the ROL of todays tractors would not let you under. You had to be careful the limb didn't knock you off!
As for getting on/off, I have noticed the step can be unexpectedly slick, so use the hand-holds, and be ready for it. I find anytime you set for long periods, even in a comfortable car, and you suddenly get up, you are subject to some amount of 'vertigo'...your body is used to moving, and it takes a few seconds to get things 'settled' again.
I hope this helps, and keep us up-to-date with your research!

Hello Robin and welcome to NTT!

I'm not sure what the answer is but I've noticed fatigue and the "Shakes" after long sessions using my tractor. Factor in using and watching rear implements that DO cause neck strain too. Visibility, or the lack of, certainly does contribute to operator fatigue (and error if not alert).

I've come to force myself to make periodic stops after 45 to 60 minutes by shutting down and doing a walk around for brief times. Seems to help when you get to be my age. I've also fabricated finite adjustments and damping with added springs to the operators seat...that alone, has helped considerably.

I look forward to future posts and your findings!

Mark

Back in the day when the 8N and others were new, many farms were still using horses and they were often the first tractor on the farm. Imagine the comfort of actually being able to sit while yoou worked, vs. struggling through the fresh-turned soil behind the southern end of a north-bound mule! Adding creature comforts to any new product has always been an incremental process over time.

Fred

Thanks so much for your helpful information. As I was driving along today I remembered the name of the tractor "cruise in" there in northwest Iowa - it was called a threshing bee - at least that is what I remember.
In relation to the research I am sending a web site where you can see me at the University of Utah: http://www.mech.utah.edu/ergo/pages/Students/index.html. I think I look like my Dad when I look in the mirror - I seem to look different in the picture though.

Welcome Robin.

Here's my take on "shaky leg syndrome" or "SLS".

Does it occur? Yes it does and I'm one of the people who get off after a few of hours just to stretch but allied to "SLS" is the way many people get off their big rigs and tractors. We all mount them the same way, stepping up in a forward direction. Many off us off them by just stepping off them in a forward direction too. If your legs are a little rubbery from the vibration, it's very easy to fall. Many years ago I read an article somewhere that stated that you should get off a tractor in the exact same way you get on it.

Also, the clothes you wear can be a factor. For someone like me who mows while decked out in shorts and t-shirt, when you step off the tractor something always seems to hang up on a lever. More than once I have stepped down and the leg of my shorts has got caught and left me dangling. Luckily, I live out in the country so nobody witnessed my embarrassment although my wife does wonder why I have all these shorts with torn legs.

Thanks again for your informative replies. Perhaps I am jumping the gun (researchers are supposed to get "all" the information before going to the next step), but some of the ways I've been told (from the above posts) that drivers have avoided a fall after a long stint on a tractor is to wait a bit till getting off (so the legs can get their strength back from being vibrated for a long time), take frequent breaks off the tractor(and walk around a little), wear clothing that won't get caught, go down the same way as came up, grab something sturdy to hold onto when stepping down, and buy a tractor (or modify the seat) with weaker vibrations. Maybe on the waiting to get down idea there is a stretch or trick one can use to help sturdy the legs as well!

I am thinking about providing a simple survey link so the questions/answers will be more organized. Any thoughts?

Thanks again,

Robin

Hello Robin, welcome to the site,

I also have felt the weak legs when I would spend hours on my old tractor. This new one I have now isn't near as bad. It also has safeties connected to the seat the old ones didn't. The tractor manufacturers are making an effort to protect us at least. Granted, these are a pain in the butt for some of us old school tractor users. But my 16 year old daughter uses this one almost as much as I do so at least I don't worry about her being on it as much as I did with the old one. She found out real quick she couldn't lean out of the seat very much while it was in gear.