Bypass All (or some) safety Switches

[StarTech]

As for the seat-safety switch defeat, I have absolutely no reason to leave my seat without first disengaging the blades. Are users really so inept as to step away from their unit with blades still turning? Really?

Caruso

Yes they are especially when Booze and Dope is involved. You wouldn't think think someone would run out upon the roadway either without looking but I have seen it. Me and another driver just barely missed her and she had no idea what had happen because the hearing protection and radio she was wearing. I had to stop her on the next round to her how close she came to getting killed. I thanked God for anti lock brakes on both vehicles.

Besides you ever had to abandon your mower when attacked by yellow jackets? I have several times as I can ran a lot faster than the mower moves. They hurt like heck with them stinging and biting constantly. I even had do it once when my honey bees were pissed and I became their target. Come to find out yellow jackets were attacking them so I use just am innocent bystander in their war zone.

 

[bertsmobile1]

That is fine Caruso.
If every one was as careful & considerate and in such good health as you the world would be a wonderful safe place to live in.
However in any particular years I would get at least 3 mowers with electrical flex wrapped around the blade spindles cause the idiot owners was draining the swimming pool or charging a flat battery or some other perfectly normal thing to do , but they forgot about the power wire and ran over it.
YOu could add at least a dozen garden hoses to that but they are nowhere near as potentially fatal .
Had only one customer ever who had a heart attack while mowing the grassy verge.
He fell off about 10 houses down the street and the mower continued another 300 yards or so side swiping parked cars till it went across a T intersection and came to a dead stop into a brick fence.
When he came home he had a second heart attack when presented with the damages bill that his household insurance company refused to pay.
So while admittedly quite rare these thing do happen.
I mow a very steep verge with a compound slope and regularly have to step off to prevent a rollover so again without a functioning seat switch that mower would have shot off causing a horrible accident , And yes I should be using a walk behind but it is 2 acres of very steep hill .
Seat switches can be modified, I do it all the time by simply popping a self tapper into the plunger so it does not shut off the engine when you go over a bump or shift your weight to look behind or get better traction .
SO there is really no excuse for dissabling them

 

[carusoswi]

That is fine Caruso.
If every one was as careful & considerate and in such good health as you the world would be a wonderful safe place to live in.
However in any particular years I would get at least 3 mowers with electrical flex wrapped around the blade spindles cause the idiot owners was draining the swimming pool or charging a flat battery or some other perfectly normal thing to do , but they forgot about the power wire and ran over it.
YOu could add at least a dozen garden hoses to that but they are nowhere near as potentially fatal .
Had only one customer ever who had a heart attack while mowing the grassy verge.
He fell off about 10 houses down the street and the mower continued another 300 yards or so side swiping parked cars till it went across a T intersection and came to a dead stop into a brick fence.
When he came home he had a second heart attack when presented with the damages bill that his household insurance company refused to pay.
So while admittedly quite rare these thing do happen.
I mow a very steep verge with a compound slope and regularly have to step off to prevent a rollover so again without a functioning seat switch that mower would have shot off causing a horrible accident , And yes I should be using a walk behind but it is 2 acres of very steep hill .
Seat switches can be modified, I do it all the time by simply popping a self tapper into the plunger so it does not shut off the engine when you go over a bump or shift your weight to look behind or get better traction .
SO there is really no excuse for dissabling them

We all go at some time, and I am no spring chicken. I hope when my time comes that I am not out mowing my lawn, but I can guarantee you that none of my children will be on the lawn if/when that happens. My rider would be much less effective if I could only mow in forward. Say what you will, I maintain that these safety measures are over-kill. I am happy to have disabled them.

Caruso

 

[carusoswi]

Yes they are especially when Booze and Dope is involved. You wouldn't think think someone would run out upon the roadway either without looking but I have seen it. Me and another driver just barely missed her and she had no idea what had happen because the hearing protection and radio she was wearing. I had to stop her on the next round to her how close she came to getting killed. I thanked God for anti lock brakes on both vehicles.

Besides you ever had to abandon your mower when attacked by yellow jackets? I have several times as I can ran a lot faster than the mower moves. They hurt like heck with them stinging and biting constantly. I even had do it once when my honey bees were pissed and I became their target. Come to find out yellow jackets were attacking them so I use just am innocent bystander in their war zone.

My mower has an instant off switch, the key. Switch it to off (takes a fraction of a second) and the machine is off, period. Sorry you have to deal with bees, but no reason to subject all users to these draconian restrictions.
Caruso

 

[Ron3]

Just remember when you by pass a safety switch. You are assuming full liability for such actions.

 

[jarhead5903]

Great way to join a new group...
"Ladies"
"Tell me how to monkey rig safety switches"

Welcome.

There’s nothing personal about what I said Bud. Relax and smoke a heater, drink a Bud, or whatever relaxes you. I too have scenarios on my property that make my mowing experience difficult and I’m looking for options, opinions, and hopefully a few answers.

My ZT is far from the most dangerous machine or equipment I run- but having said that I don’t underestimate injury probability.

 

[Hammermechanicman]

The NSF (national safety foundation) would love my 1957 Locke Triplex reel mower. Exposed reels and zero safety features. Engage the reels and the drive and it just goes. You let go it keeps on going. Get a stick in a reel and it throws it out like a fastball. Don't want to run it when you have a bad case of stupid.

 

[StarTech]

Yes there more dangerous equipment like those darn cell phones while driving. People lose all sense at times. If it was only the operator that was injured or kill then it just one more idiot out the way. The problem it usually it involves someone else too that had nothing to do with operation.

I have avoid several head-ons with drivers running stop signs and I along with a passenger nearly got killed by an idiot running my vehicle off the road as he decided he wanted my lane while he was on the phone. I hit loose gravel and spun out taking out five traffic lanes as I was trying not to have head-on with embankment. The back on truck broke loose so it was a wild ride. I was lucky as can be that no one was close at the time not I did not roll the vehicle. This all happen at 55 mph.

It like those that refuse get vaccines. Yes it is their choice, just don't force their choice on us that are willing to try to protect ourselves. Personally I had pneumonia and have never fully recovered and the current Covid19 would probably kill me rather quickly if I catch it. Besides it not fun at all to not be able to breathe. At least if you don't care about yourself please think about others that do care about their health. Here in Tennessee we are under 50% vaccinated yet nearly 90+% has quit wearing the masks. This I do at work anyways as well as wearing eye protection as it common sense so it not that hard to it outside the work environment for me to do.

Also things like food poisoning can kill you too. I have nearly die from it too just because some idiot put a package bologna back in the meat counter. 30 minutes after I eat to seemly good slices I so sick I wasn't even able to a phone for help. It not the first time I had food poisoning either so I can recognize the symptoms rather quickly now after having it at least five times now. I worked at grocery store in the meat department, it was surprising how many idiots would leave meats out on the store selves just because they were too lazy to return to meat counter coolers when they decided they didnt want the item. Personally I would never put the package ever back in the counter but instead would just trash it but many others will do it and risk someone else health over a few pennies.

Safety devices is just like the vaccines. They are just preventative measures for the unaware of the dangers. If you chose not to take the precautions or override safety devices then it solely your fault if you get injured and it is also your fault if someone else is injured.

 

[carusoswi]

That is fine Caruso.
If every one was as careful & considerate and in such good health as you the world would be a wonderful safe place to live in.
However in any particular years I would get at least 3 mowers with electrical flex wrapped around the blade spindles cause the idiot owners was draining the swimming pool or charging a flat battery or some other perfectly normal thing to do , but they forgot about the power wire and ran over it.
YOu could add at least a dozen garden hoses to that but they are nowhere near as potentially fatal .
Had only one customer ever who had a heart attack while mowing the grassy verge.
He fell off about 10 houses down the street and the mower continued another 300 yards or so side swiping parked cars till it went across a T intersection and came to a dead stop into a brick fence.
When he came home he had a second heart attack when presented with the damages bill that his household insurance company refused to pay.
So while admittedly quite rare these thing do happen.
I mow a very steep verge with a compound slope and regularly have to step off to prevent a rollover so again without a functioning seat switch that mower would have shot off causing a horrible accident , And yes I should be using a walk behind but it is 2 acres of very steep hill .
Seat switches can be modified, I do it all the time by simply popping a self tapper into the plunger so it does not shut off the engine when you go over a bump or shift your weight to look behind or get better traction .
SO there is really no excuse for dissabling them

I never bragged about how 'safe' I, also, made no comment about how 'healthy' I am. I do regularly visit my cardiologist, and, via tests, have been given a clean bill of health regarding my heart and surrounding arteries, so, while not unimaginable, the likelihood of my being rendered unconscious while mowing is very unlikely. My lawn includes no slopes that require me to routinely exit my mower to avoid being trapped/injured in a rollover. Additionally, mowing my lawn does not require me to venture out onto the street where, in the unlikely event of a heart attack, my machine would run on without me to inflict damage to numerous other vehicles.

I explain that I disabled these "safety provisions" because they infringe on my convenience in using my unit to cut my lawn, and many on this cite invent all sorts of very unlikely scenarios that could justify a rebuttal of my position. That's ok. Continue your cutting in forward only if it suites you. I don't care that much about what you choose to do. I am 70 years old, have been using mowers, push/walk behind/riders, since I was 9 years old. Pay attention to basic safety and you will survive use of the fine machines that we have today, no need for these restrictive safety devices.

Happy mowing,

Caruso

 

[hlw49]

71 years young working on mowers daily and have been for the last 45 years I love my job. We are part of a hardware store and have been save many a head ache by going next door and getting the hardware I need. Too bad we are a dying breed not too many young guys want to get their hand dirty just want to play on their computers and can't say as I blame them.