Tractor Safety For The Hobby Farmer

Tractor Safety For The Hobby Farmer

Tractors come in all different sizes and types and the one you get for your hobby farm will depend on what you need to do with it and the type of ground you have. Your tractor might just seem like an oversized ride-on lawnmower, but it deserves much more respect in regards to safety rules, because it is a piece of moving machinery capable of dealing a death-blow to the unwary or foolish user.

If your hobby farm has any steep areas on it, be very careful when driving or working your tractor there. Once you know exactly what it can handle you will have more confidence, but at first, take more care. Tractors can roll quite easily sometimes, and will crush anyone caught underneath.

When operating a tractor near an embankment, do not get too close to the edge, even if it seems safe. Tractors weigh quite a bit and can easily cause the bank to give way and the tractor to roll. And what was safe in dry weather may not be as safe after rain.

On steep country it is also possible for the tractor to go into a slide, especially if the ground is damp or stony, or if the grass is wet and long. If you are towing an implement such as a plough, lower it into the ground to drive down a steep hill. Weights can sometimes be added to the front of the tractor to provide more traction and counteract the back weight for going up steep hills.

When driving over ground where the grass is very long, take care that you don’t drive into a hidden hole or onto a log. Doing so can not only jar the steering wheel out of your grasp but tip the tractor over. Where ground has been cleared, the sharp remnants of stumps can stick out of the ground by just a few centimetres. Running over them can put a hole in your tyre a much more expensive disaster than a flat car tyre. But with care and caution you will get great deal of work and pleasure out of your new workhorse.

Mel writes about tractors among other automotive related topics.

Article from articlesbase.com

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