Slipped into gear?

How could this happen?
Tradgedy

Most common cause is bypassing the neutral start safety switch by jumping the starter with a screwdriver. Another cause could be it sits there running and someone climbs off bumping the shifter or if they were messing around down below and moved the shift linkage thus popping it into gear.

(quoted from post at 15:42:21 01/03/17)
How could this happen?
Tradgedy

Click to expand...

n a modern tractor, such as pictured, you need to think of electronically controlled hydraulically assisted transmission vs physically sliding/engaging gears. Then it will seem more understandable.

I do not know how that happened but I had some experience with tractors doing their own thing.

A few years ago a man bought A big White farm tractor from to use in haying among other things. A month or so later he called me in the morning to see if I would bring one of my big tractors to his place and pull the White out of the creek near his house. It seemed that he believed that some kids had been playing with the tractor and had driven it in the water on purpose.

I was able to pull the tractor out and all seemed well except that the batteries were dead which we thought was caused by the switch being left on. Fast forward about two weeks when he calls me with some news about the tractor. It seemed that they were using the tractor to run a big round baler and had shut the tractor down for a few minutes, as they worked on the baler, when suddenly the tractor started on it's own. It turned out that some of the wires in the starting circuit had shorted and caused the tractor to randomly start when no one was around and thus explains how the tractor got into the creek. It does happen. Happy farming.

Happened to a neighbor several years ago. Jumped the starter standing beside the 4430 JD, was in gear and ran him over, ending his life.

(quoted from post at 13:22:16 01/03/17)

(quoted from post at 15:42:21 01/03/17)
How could this happen?
Tradgedy

Click to expand...

n a modern tractor, such as pictured, you need to think of electronically controlled hydraulically assisted transmission vs physically sliding/engaging gears. Then it will seem more understandable.

Click to expand...

I would guess that picture is just a file pic that they used...no mention of make or model in the story.

(quoted from post at 13:08:41 01/03/17) Most common cause is bypassing the neutral start safety switch by jumping the starter with a screwdriver. Another cause could be it sits there running and someone climbs off bumping the shifter or if they were messing around down below and moved the shift linkage thus popping it into gear.

Click to expand...

A few years ago I was hooking up a rear cultivator to my AC D17, got one side hooked up and needed to raise the arms a little to get the other hooked up. I stepped in front of the rear wheel and reached across the transmission to engage the lift lever. When I pulled my arm back, the cuff of my glove hooked the shift lever and pulled it into first gear. Fortunately the tractor was at a slow idle and the rear wheels were set all the way out. I was able to pop it into neutral before things went south....

My old 4020PS wants to creep forward in neutral, and I don't trust park. If I have to work around or on it, while it's in park, I throw the tow lever into neutral.

Until yesterday I don't think I had ever started a tractor unless I was in the seat. Yesterday my ankle was really bothering me and I decided that it would be OK to start the 3020 in park to let it warm up rather than climbing up and the climbing right back down to tighten linkages, roll up heater cord, etc.

I think I'll climb up next time.

Cletus Klein died (84) and his son Randy (53) was taken to Iowa City. I am pretty sure those fellows ran older IH equipment. I know my IH 1466 does not always go into park correctly if you do not keep on top of the linkage adjustments. I have had it roll on me before.

If it was new enough there's no clutch needed. My 7800 (1996 I think) has the 19 speed power shift. You can put it right into gear from part with no clutch or foot on the brake or anything.

Different situation, but when my mom was younger one of her classmates killed his father on the farm. Dad had the hoist up in the truck and was working on it. The son got in to "drive" and pushed in the lift handle crushing his dad.

I use the lockout on the left side to hook up the pto,.. on my 4020 ps.. I have noticed creep on cold days below 20 degrees at 1st start up,. one thing I watch for is the 750 mf combine likes to creep in hydro,, imake sure if I am between the head and thresher that if it is gonna creep it will back away from me . the shifters are so stiff ,. sometimes I think the steering pedestal mite give as I try to shift to neutral. even then that monster could roll up on ya ,. as for the poor men in IOWA, it is a terrible tragedy . I certainly could understand how a mis cue with a wrench on these modern trannys could roll over ya in a heartbeat,,. kinda glad I will probably never be able to afford one

yes ,bumpin the shifter , glove or cuf of arm or leg will do it too ,. the older you are the less nimble we become ,,. even though e don't hurry like we did 20 yrs ago ,. my case 430 has the uprite hand clutchlevers,.. I like to rake in 4thlow , gqoing from field to field rking I will yank the hand clutch , go back and switch the rake out of gear,. one time my shorts took that hand clutch lever rite up the leg and began engaging the tractor,,.. not a good thing to do folx .. but I did survive because I kilt the motor

(quoted from post at 17:24:50 01/03/17) Until yesterday I don't think I had ever started a tractor unless I was in the seat. Yesterday my ankle was really bothering me and I decided that it would be OK to start the 3020 in park to let it warm up rather than climbing up and the climbing right back down to tighten linkages, roll up heater cord, etc.

I think I'll climb up next time.

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For future reference, the engine is not going to cool off very much in the time it takes you to roll up the cord. Definitely not enough that it won't start. It takes a couple hours for the heat to build up. It takes a couple hours for the heat to dissipate too.

That should save you a trip on and off the tractor.