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Nearly killed myself on my Raptor today (literally)

#1

R

RaptorSDer

So a friend of mine has a small 5 X 8 single axis utility trailer and he brought it over to load up my Raptor (wanted to try it out on his lawn). It loaded up with no issues so we headed over to his house to start mowing. Unbeknownst to me, while I was climbing on the mower (still on the trailer) he un-latched the trailer from the truck while I was starting the mower. As I began backing up, the front of the trailer came off the tongue and once the back hit the ground me and the mower tipped backwards and I was looking almost straight up. I'd guess if it were to have tipped a few more inches i would have had a nice shiny 600+ lb.mower on top of me. Luckily, it fell forward.

It's amazing how a couple of mental errors can turn a seemingly safe and simple act into a potentially life threatening one. I most definitely learned a few lessons and so did my friend.

Just wanted to get that off my chest (no, not the mower) :/


#2

KrashnKraka

KrashnKraka

RaptorSDer said:
So a friend of mine has a small 5 X 8 single axis utility trailer and he brought it over to load up my Raptor (wanted to try it out on his lawn). It loaded up with no issues so we headed over to his house to start mowing. Unbeknownst to me, while I was climbing on the mower (still on the trailer) he un-latched the trailer from the truck while I was starting the mower. As I began backing up, the front of the trailer came off the tongue and once the back hit the ground me and the mower tipped backwards and I was looking almost straight up. I'd guess if it were to have tipped a few more inches i would have had a nice shiny 600+ lb.mower on top of me. Luckily, it fell forward.

It's amazing how a couple of mental errors can turn a seemingly safe and simple act into a potentially life threatening one. I most definitely learned a few lessons and so did my friend.

Just wanted to get that off my chest (no, not the mower) :/
Click to expand...

...pix please?
Tell us those little wheels at the rear kicked in...neverrrr used them meselv, like.
Be nice to know they work ;-)


#3

7394

7394

Wow !! That could have been a real bad scene fast. Bet that NEVER happens again.

Some of my life lessons I remember best are the hard ones.


#4

L

Luana

Glad you are okay but why was your friend disconnecting the trailer from the tow vehicle?


#5

R

RaptorSDer

Luana said:
Glad you are okay but why was your friend disconnecting the trailer from the tow vehicle?
Click to expand...

All he kept saying was "I don't know what I was thinking". Very intelligent guy but he was just on autopilot I suppose.


#6

Ric

Ric

RaptorSDer said:
So a friend of mine has a small 5 X 8 single axis utility trailer and he brought it over to load up my Raptor (wanted to try it out on his lawn). It loaded up with no issues so we headed over to his house to start mowing. Unbeknownst to me, while I was climbing on the mower (still on the trailer) he un-latched the trailer from the truck while I was starting the mower. As I began backing up, the front of the trailer came off the tongue and once the back hit the ground me and the mower tipped backwards and I was looking almost straight up. I'd guess if it were to have tipped a few more inches i would have had a nice shiny 600+ lb.mower on top of me. Luckily, it fell forward.

It's amazing how a couple of mental errors can turn a seemingly safe and simple act into a potentially life threatening one. I most definitely learned a few lessons and so did my friend.

Just wanted to get that off my chest (no, not the mower) :/
Click to expand...

Mental errors and being hard headed can cost you big time if your running equipment. My son-in-law had a Gravely Pro turn 148 flip over on him while trying to load it on a trailer. Luckily he was hurt and the grandsons were there to get the machine off of him.


#7

K

kraky

Not too far from here a dealer lost an employee to a zero turn w/steering wheel. He lost control on top of an open trailer and it fell on him. Sad thing is he thought he was beat up but OK....he had broken a major artorie inside and died a short while later. Morbid storie but if it keeps people thinking OK to tell.
When a person is loading its easy to be thinking of where your going next and when unloading you're excited about getting to work...both dangerous times.


#8

D

DaveTN

Another Unloading Tragedy: The owner of "Deal's Small Engines" in Clinton, TN got killed
earlier this year while unloading some big mowers in crates from a tractor trailer. They
had a long, wide strap with a hook on it attached to the pallet pulling it backwards off
the trailer with a Bobcat. Somehow the hook let go and struck Mr. Deal in the chest
killing him instantly! I don't know who was driving the Bobcat or where the guy was standing
when he got killed. I'm sure they've unloaded thousands of mowers and pallets and
crates off all kinds off trucks and trailers before. But all it takes is ONE screw up and you
pay the price. It could just as easily have struck someone in the head. I buy a lot of parts out
there and was shocked to hear of it.


#9

RetiredGuns

RetiredGuns

I got a taste of looking straight up myself when I was being "Dumb" and gunned my Raptor on a slightly inclined cement driveway. That thing stood straight up and I am glad I had just installed the muffler guard. Needed some touch up paint afterwards. It could have flipped over straight on top of me. Neighbor has to remind me every time I see him.


#10

KrashnKraka

KrashnKraka

RetiredGuns said:
I got a taste of looking straight up myself when I was being "Dumb" and gunned my Raptor on a slightly inclined cement driveway. That thing stood straight up and I am glad I had just installed the muffler guard. Needed some touch up paint afterwards. It could have flipped over straight on top of me. Neighbor has to remind me every time I see him.
Click to expand...

So your ride has no NT Tip0ver wheels at the rear, on frame....?


#11

B

bertsmobile1

Funny the subtle differences.
ROP's are compulsory down here on any mower that has an employees bum in the operators seat.
Most operators reverse their mowers on to the trailer and drive them off.
Much much much more safe to do it that way.
You can still roll over sideways but no chance of flipping.


#12

Retiredcarguy

Retiredcarguy

I did similar thing a few years ago on a Ford 9N... we both survived.
It's tough to get old. LOL


#13

G

gabowman

Count your blessings. Uh...no ROP's on the Raptors?


#14

R

RaptorSDer

gabowman said:
Count your blessings. Uh...no ROP's on the Raptors?
Click to expand...

No ROPS or tip over wheels. After inspecting it I found the underside of the tow hole lip is very scratched up from the trailer. It looks to be what kept it from flipping over.

I ended up mowing for about an hour after and didn't enjoy it at all. Guess the whole thing spooked me a bit. I'm hoping the joy of mowing comes back next week!


#15

K

Kremeneon

bertsmobile1 said:
Most operators reverse their mowers on to the trailer and drive them off.
Much much much more safe to do it that way.
You can still roll over sideways but no chance of flipping.
Click to expand...

This is the best practice.


#16

KrashnKraka

KrashnKraka

RaptorSDer said:
No ROPS or tip over wheels. After inspecting it I found the underside of the tow hole lip is very scratched up from the trailer. It looks to be what kept it from flipping over.
[...]
Click to expand...

That's a bit of a worry...the torque these engines + tyres can transmit
makes those features mandatory, in my view.

Go easy... the mow bug will return ;)


#17

S

shiftsuper175607

RaptorSDer said:
So a friend of mine has a small 5 X 8 single axis utility trailer and he brought it over to load up my Raptor (wanted to try it out on his lawn). It loaded up with no issues so we headed over to his house to start mowing. Unbeknownst to me, while I was climbing on the mower (still on the trailer) he un-latched the trailer from the truck while I was starting the mower. As I began backing up, the front of the trailer came off the tongue and once the back hit the ground me and the mower tipped backwards and I was looking almost straight up. I'd guess if it were to have tipped a few more inches i would have had a nice shiny 600+ lb.mower on top of me. Luckily, it fell forward.

It's amazing how a couple of mental errors can turn a seemingly safe and simple act into a potentially life threatening one. I most definitely learned a few lessons and so did my friend.

Just wanted to get that off my chest (no, not the mower) :/
Click to expand...

Another way you can just about kill yourself on a ZT:

If a jumbo grasshopper flies into your neck and you instinctively reach up to swat it as you are going full out...


#18

KrashnKraka

KrashnKraka

shiftsuper175607 said:
Another way you can just about kill yourself on a ZT:

If a jumbo grasshopper flies into your neck and you instinctively reach up to swat it as you are going full out...
Click to expand...

Another is running along with other waaay bigger farm machinery in
close cropping. The ZTR is fitted with strobe light and a very long
fishing rod with orange safety flag attached.
When 130kg meets 18tonne headon it's "nil conteste".
And sh*ts is Trumps! :laughing:


#19

SARG

SARG

I feel much like as dumass myself today.

Couple weeks ago I brought home a Ferris IS1500. First pass across the lawn I tangled the rops into a anchor guidewire... pulling the wire down. Cost me $50. to get the wire hooked up again.

Tonight I tangled into the anchor wires on another pole .... this time bending the crap out of the TuffTop canopy I had put on. Another $200. top is now on order.

Painful when you can't think of a decent excuse to tell the wife.


#20

T

turboawd

just today i loaded my mower in my 6x12 cargo trailer, and forgot to lift the back door/ramp. didnt realize until i pulled out onto road :confused2:


#21

S

Shughes717

I nearly slid off into the 10' ditch on the edge of my property while mowing last week. Got a little too close to the edge in an attempt to cut some of the tall weeds. Luckily I got enough traction to turn out of it before the back tire went over. Needed a change of underwear after that one.:ashamed:


#22

Carscw

Carscw

Last year was mowing a very steep hill. The kind that make Smoke come out the exhaust. Lower rear tire fell in a hole. Leaned it up against a tree.
If was not for the tree being there I would have went over.


#23

S

Shughes717

Carscw said:
Last year was mowing a very steep hill. The kind that make Smoke come out the exhaust. Lower rear tire fell in a hole. Leaned it up against a tree.
If was not for the tree being there I would have went over.
Click to expand...

It's moments like those that cause you to tense up and take a piece of the seat cushion with you when you get off the mower isn't it? :laughing: I thought I was going to have to pull some of the seat padding from my shorts last week.


#24

Carscw

Carscw

Shughes717 said:
It's moments like those that cause you to tense up and take a piece of the seat cushion with you when you get off the mower isn't it? :laughing: I thought I was going to have to pull some of the seat padding from my shorts last week.
Click to expand...

I have had a few close calls.
I don't know if it's because I turned 50 this year or if I am just getting smarter.
But I stay off of some hills I would have done a couple years ago.


#25

S

Shughes717

Carscw said:
I have had a few close calls.
I don't know if it's because I turned 50 this year or if I am just getting smarter.
But I stay off of some hills I would have done a couple years ago.
Click to expand...

Probably a little of both. I know as I get older I tend to think about things a little more before just jumping in and taking the risk. I can definitely tell I'm not in my late 20s or even early 30s anymore. Physical exertion takes much longer to recover from than it used to. Even the little bit of running and throwing I do when coaching both of my daughters in softball hurts for several days after. Still love getting out there with them though.:smile: having kids has also made me be a little more cautious. I won't be getting as close to that ditch again.


#26

G

gainestruk

Back in about 2001 I had a yard machine 17.5 hp 42" cut, it had mtd vari drive, had almost finished yard and was backing up, the cotter key came out of clutch/brake peddle where rod goes into vari drive, rod fell out and it went full speed backwards.

Now here is where I lost all common sense, instead of simply turning key off to shut it down I reached down to put it in neutral, but instead I popped it into forward.
The little lawn tractor went straight up and over on top of me, engine died then I smelled gas as it was pouring all over me.

Luckily it didn't catch fire, it took me several minutes to get out from under mower.
It didn't hurt me, but after I got it put back together from then on I worried the rod would fall out again.
I was very lucky that day, it was middle of week I was home alone and all neighbors were at work, I had phone with me but it fell out of shirt pocket and I couldn't reach it :confused2:


#27

Carscw

Carscw

gainestruk said:
Back in about 2001 I had a yard machine 17.5 hp 42" cut, it had mtd vari drive, had almost finished yard and was backing up, the cotter key came out of clutch/brake peddle where rod goes into vari drive, rod fell out and it went full speed backwards. Now here is where I lost all common sense, instead of simply turning key off to shut it down I reached down to put it in neutral, but instead I popped it into forward. The little lawn tractor went straight up and over on top of me, engine died then I smelled gas as it was pouring all over me. Luckily it didn't catch fire, it took me several minutes to get out from under mower. It didn't hurt me, but after I got it put back together from then on I worried the rod would fall out again. I was very lucky that day, it was middle of week I was home alone and all neighbors were at work, I had phone with me but it fell out of shirt pocket and I couldn't reach it :confused2:
Click to expand...


Glad you are ok.
Would have made a good video.
Them dang rods always do that.


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