Farmall M Starts in Gear

"Old-time" farmers (including some of this board) would never see the need for a neutral safety switch. By comparison to farming with horses, a Farmall M absolutely REEKS of safety! By comparison with tractors of the 1920's and 30's, it looks pretty good also. Most of us who grew up on a farm in the 40's 50's and 60's farmed with stuff that would grab us and kill us if we didn't learn (and follow) safe procedures. Having said that, there's no way to be 100% safe with any tractor, anymore than with a car, a truck or a firearm.

Let's face it, starting that M from the ground is just too tempting at times. We've almost all done it, and if it's in gear, there's a chance it's in a gear that will head it in your direction! A previous post mentioned the old Ford tractors as being pioneers in neutral safety swithes. Could be in part because about the only way you could reach the switch from the ground was to stand between the wheels on one side of the tractor! If it was in ANY gear, it was coming your way!

For those who don't like safety devices of any kind... I suppose the world would be simpler without ignition keys, door locks, safety switches on firearms, and matches that would strike anywhere....but sometimes there are limits to what common sense and the legal system will allow!

Think safety and learn to enjoy that M!

Then there was the electric start, no more broken wrist from the backfire of engine causing the operator much pain. With the electic start came batteries, generator's, and starter's along with lots of exxtra's. Guess what, they still had a operators manual telling you the do's and don'ts. I bet the owner was so proud he sat down and read the owners manual to figure out the do's and don't's. He even looked at the pictures to see what happens when one fails to follow the proper operations.

The great thing from the crank to the electric start was that the farmer/rancher could always park the tractor on a hill and start it by rolling it down a hill to get it started. Sure that wasn't in the operators manual. Then as the machine got older the operator started having problems, lets say electrical switch, well farmer Joe can't afford a new switch so he by passes the switch with his pliers to get it started. Well this works fine till little Johnny see's pa do this. So little Johnny takes his pliers to start it while pa is in eating supper. Well little Johnny didn't realize that pa had left it in gear as it run over him and sent him to visit his great grandpa.

Well farmer Joe felt so sadden for the loss of little Johnny that he sued the tractor company for not having a shield on the solenoid where they were jump starting it. So tractor company lost the law suit so they put covers over the solenoid. Farmer Joe got his money for the loss of little Johnny and the tractor company added another picture in the operators manual.

As time changes so does the tractors. They have a cover on the solenoid to keep one from getting run over(Tell farmer Ben). Ben was having starter problems, but he couldn't jump the solenoid because of the new cover they had on them, well Ben found another way to jump start his. Worked great till little Ben was playing on the tractor and stuck it into gear. Well Ben comes out the next morning jumps his tractor and starts up(yeah you guessed it) and runs over Ben. Cripples poor ole Ben, well Ben sues the tractor company because it had no neutraul safety switch. Yeah poor ole Ben gets a big settlement and the tractor manual gets another picture.

Tractors today have many many safety features but I an sure Farmer Tedd can still find a way to get around the safety switches on today tractors. Makes one wonder what happen to common sense and why people can not be responsible for there stupidity. I could go on and on but if you don't know how to operate a piece of equipment safely stay away from it. At least stay away from me if you do. It's all common sense folks

These old tractors are inherently dangerous, There's lots of dangers involved. I guess the best advice I can give is get familliar with all the dangers and be careful. Either that or trade the tractor for a new model with all the safety goodies. I'm sure they still have hazzards but maybe the worst have been addressed

Knowing the design of your tractor and if this concerns you a lot clutch pedal switches for 06 and 56 and later Farmalls should be quite easy to adapt to your M. I am willing to bet the price of it will do wonders for your memory.

Trying to make tractors, trucks and cars idiot proof has cost society a lot of dollars. It really hasn't helped. Today we have a society with a very cavalier attitude towards SAFETY.

I learned a valuable lesson that day. Get on and push in on that clutch pedal!!!!