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Seat for a kid on the foot rest floor board

#1

M

Mattj2235

I have a 2 1/2 year old and he loves mowing with me (mainly riding). Has anyone built a custom seat for a hustler that'll fit and/or strap to the floor board? I've got a good idea on what I want to to do. The bare floor with a cushion or in my lap is too hard on the both of us.


#2

Boobala

Boobala

Mattj2235 said:
I have a 2 1/2 year old and he loves mowing with me (mainly riding). Has anyone built a custom seat for a hustler that'll fit and/or strap to the floor board? I've got a good idea on what I want to to do. The bare floor with a cushion or in my lap is too hard on the both of us.
Click to expand...

A 2-1/2 year old child around a live RUNNING lawnmower ...!! YOU Sir ... have SCHITT for brains !!


#3

B

bmuone

Yeah, a young kid likes to ride anything you put him/her on. It's up to you to think of their safety first. A ztr is not a toy or kid friendly riding platform.
Any mower has too much potential for extreme injury. And it will not happen in slow motion and you can not prevent an accident if you temp it. Please
find another way to have fun with the kids.


#4

B

bertsmobile1

And I will come in as number 3 suggesting that kids should not be on working mowers and in particular ZTR's.
A sudden unexpected stop & he will be over the front head first into the ground
Children's ears are very easy damaged , adults ears are not.
Adults are required to wear hearing protection when using ride ons so what damage are you doing to your child's ears ?
80 years of ringing in his head driving him mad will not make dad No 1 in the kids eyes.


#5

R

Rivets

Add me to the list of, what are you thinking? Have you read your owners manual? I doubt you will find one gnome who will think this would be a good idea.


#6

M

Mattj2235

Well, I can tell who voted for Hillary, except for the Ausie! Of course my child's safety is first! Ear muffs, goggles, seat belt, etc. I can't be the only person to think of a seat for his kid on a riding lawn mower! Come on people!! When your child screams at the door for 2 hours wanting to mow with you, you gotta think of something. Safe, of course!


#7

K

kraky

The idea that there is a 100% safe way to have a 2.5 yr old anywhere near a powerful mower just isn't thinking right.....people get hurt all the time by "foolproof" ideas.


#8

Boobala

Boobala

Mattj2235 said:
Well, I can tell who voted for Hillary, except for the Ausie! Of course my child's safety is first! Ear muffs, goggles, seat belt, etc. I can't be the only person to think of a seat for his kid on a riding lawn mower! Come on people!! When your child screams at the door for 2 hours wanting to mow with you, you gotta think of something. Safe, of course!
Click to expand...

The members of this site refrain from engaging in political differences , we share a common interest in the sharing of information and
ideas toward the notion that we can extend a helping hand to those seeking it . We are well aware of the fact that although we may not agree on political issues... we do agree to leave it out of the site, we enjoy the friendship ,humor and comments displayed here... Your Hilary statement only reinforces my opinion of your stupidity.. that statement leads to divisiveness ...and remember this ...IGNORANCE can be fixed ! ...STUPID is FOREVER !!!
Viet-Nam VETERAN ... BENGHAZI ... OK, Figure it out!

2 hours of your kids screams ..??? REALLY ?? how about regretting for the rest of your life a stupid action on YOUR part !!
go get the kid a fuzzy-wuzzy n a coloring-book , put him in his safe spot ...and sing him lullabys , he'll be fine ...


#9

M

Mattj2235

Geez, I've meant no political backlash. All I'm saying is, I can not be the only person to ever thing of the idea of adding a seat for their child on a mower. I will post my badassery at a later date. Thank you all for your concern. My kid will be your kids boss one day. Assuming he survives...:confused2:


#10

BlazNT

BlazNT

My grandson rode with me about 6 hours a week with me on my zero turn from age 1 to 6. I wish I could have built a seat for him. We never ever had a single problem. I never ran the mower as hard with him on it either. When I was growing up I was driving a tractor at age 4 bailing hay. This world has gone soft. So much so I worry for it. Not for me just all the softies. Like I tell my wife if the world ever has a problem and we as a whole loose power she would be one of the first to die. Mostly of starvation. We need to toughen up our population not wimp them out.


#11

Boobala

Boobala

Hey Chuck... First & foremost I consider you as a respected "friend on the forum" I DO-NOT seek an argument ...!!!
I DO-NOT believe in "participation trophies" , safe spaces with toys, or being un-armed ! 1 word I mentioned earlier in this posting
puts me in the "spring-loaded position" of " PI**** OFF " .. I am glad to know I most likely won't be around to see the fall of our great country if things don"t change . YES I sure as hell did a million stupid things , yes I detest people telling how to live... but I grew up in a different world
we HAD to fight and EARN for everything .. we won & we lost many things and accepted it as a life-lesson . I know I was harsh on this fellow
and I will admit it was WRONG for me to label him as stupid, I have also wanted to share many things with my own son, and I did ... but I have seen children injured by nothing more than their innocent curiosity. I was only speaking out in the fear of a child being injured or killed
and I don't want ANY person ..parent or not ... to have to live a lifetime of regret for a brief moment of self-gratifcation .

With that said if mattj2235 is on the forum and sees this ..I apologize .. but I retain my position of the seat you are thinking of is
a stupid idea .. could you face your family or YOURSELF if there was a tragedy out of this ??


#12

R

Rivets

As a retired instructor there where two things I would constantly remind my students of two things. There are no stupid questions. You learn from both positive and negative feedback. Second, if you don't like the answer, why did you ask the question? Many ask questions to reinforce their own thinking and when the feedback is not positive they take offense. We have all done things that were highly questionable in the past, but because we made it through with no ill effects does not mean that it is something we should pass on.


#13

stevestd

stevestd

My father in law insisted on wiring up a side discharge chute on his 12.5hp John Deere. It was only luck that he didn't cut off his foot. I also play golf at a course where a memorial is next to a hole where a mower tipped and killed the driver. Mowers are very dangerous and should never be underestimated.


#14

reynoldston

reynoldston

I know its hard, but your 2 1/2 year old child has to learn the word NO. As a child living on a farm I was driving a farm tractor around the age of 10 back in the year 1950 and still living. It was all about living and working on the family farm back in them years.


#15

BlazNT

BlazNT

Ok so now that my head has cleared. LOL. I want to put this up because I was not really thinking correctly before. Some things just piss me off and I do not think well when that happens. Not one single post did it is was all of them combined that started me thinking of how soft the US has become.

So here goes nothing. What I always wanted on my mower was a wider seat so I could have him with me and be safe as well. I first read this post as the OP being level head person trying to include his son in Dad stuff. I did not think he was a stupid person for it. As a matter of fact I thought he was really smart for trying to get ideas on how to do it. I was going to tell him a wider seat was a much better idea if he had to have him with him on the mower. Being that close to all the moving parts and blow back from the deck is not a good idea. Also to let everyone know this does not include everyone in the world to set up something like this. There are STUPID people in this world that can not be fixed and being STUPID means you should not even try it. I know such a person on my street that is this kind of stupid. I saw him allowing some boys to follow him around his yard while he was mowing. This is about the fastest way to hurt someone I know. I put a very quick stop to it.

So my way over the top previous rant is over and the more level headed person is back.


#16

Boobala

Boobala

BlazNT said:
Ok so now that my head has cleared. LOL. I want to put this up because I was not really thinking correctly before. Some things just piss me off and I do not think well when that happens. Not one single post did it is was all of them combined that started me thinking of how soft the US has become.

So here goes nothing. What I always wanted on my mower was a wider seat so I could have him with me and be safe as well. I first read this post as the OP being level head person trying to include his son in Dad stuff. I did not think he was a stupid person for it. As a matter of fact I thought he was really smart for trying to get ideas on how to do it. I was going to tell him a wider seat was a much better idea if he had to have him with him on the mower. Being that close to all the moving parts and blow back from the deck is not a good idea. Also to let everyone know this does not include everyone in the world to set up something like this. There are STUPID people in this world that can not be fixed and being STUPID means you should not even try it. I know such a person on my street that is this kind of stupid. I saw him allowing some boys to follow him around his yard while he was mowing. This is about the fastest way to hurt someone I know. I put a very quick stop to it.

So my way over the top previous rant is over and the more level headed person is back.
Click to expand...

I posted an apology to the post ORIGINATER a few posts back ..I can't stand LIARS and the 1 word ..."BENGHAZI" .. sends me over to the BALLISTIC side ...Boobala


#17

B

bertsmobile1

Mattj2235 said:
Geez, I've meant no political backlash. All I'm saying is, I can not be the only person to ever thing of the idea of adding a seat for their child on a mower. I will post my badassery at a later date. Thank you all for your concern. My kid will be your kids boss one day. Assuming he survives...:confused2:
Click to expand...

Not if they are on anti depressants because the tinitus in their ears are driving them mad.
Not if they can not be taught that they can not have their own way all the time.

And no I do not believe in the nanny state, I ride old motorcycles with next to no brakes and all my kids ride motorcycles and so do the grand kids.
But they all wear helmets , gloves & boots and the young kids wear ear plugs under their helmets.
Thus they learn about appropriate safety while having fun and I can assure you they do have fun.

If the kid whining really annoys you then sit them on the front , with the blades off , find a grassy spot , throw the mower hard in reverse so they get tossed off the explain that is why "daddy can't have yo on the mower "
just likie teaching your kids not to touch the iron, bu turning it down low and walking away so the touch it and get a minor burn.
Thus they learn that when you tell them they can not do or touch something it is for their own good. A very valuable lesson that will pay for itself in absence of nagging 100 times over.


#18

B

bertsmobile1

BlazNT said:
My grandson rode with me about 6 hours a week with me on my zero turn from age 1 to 6. I wish I could have built a seat for him. We never ever had a single problem. I never ran the mower as hard with him on it either. When I was growing up I was driving a tractor at age 4 bailing hay. This world has gone soft. So much so I worry for it. Not for me just all the softies. Like I tell my wife if the world ever has a problem and we as a whole loose power she would be one of the first to die. Mostly of starvation. We need to toughen up our population not wimp them out.
Click to expand...

Not soft at all but not stupid either.
There is molly coddleing and there is unnecessary & unacceptable risk.
Some where between the two is intelligence.
My kids rode on my motorcycle , on the road in front of me on the edge of the tank til they were tall enough to ride on the back after I fitted higher foot pegs for them. This is something that is not allowed any more .
However they wore protective head gear, leather gloves & leather shoes and I rode in an appropriate mannar.


#19

M

Mattj2235

Well this has been interesting. Like I've stated before, my sons safety is priority number one. If I felt that he could not handle riding, he would not be riding. I make him wear ear muffs, safety glasses, and our seat belt when we ride. As well as when we shoot the .22 pistol (minus the safety belt), and shred the pastures. You see, as much as I hate to admit it, my wife has the last say when it comes to the safety of our son. Trust me, If she felt anything was unsafe, it wouldn't happen. Yes, things happen in the blink of an eye, I am more than aware of that having a toddler. My initial question was if anyone had every done or seen anything like that. I have a 54' Hustler Fastrak that has a pretty large floor board, with enough room to add a seat with handrails and a seat belt and cushions. Thank y'all for the entertainment.


#20

C

cruzenmike

Before I put in my 2 cents, I will give you a little background. I have a Bachelor's Degree in Occupational Safety and Health from one of only eleven accredited colleges/universities in the nation. I have worked on high-risk, billion dollar construction projects as well as in the general industry (automotive specific). My entire career has revolved around hazard recognition and mitigation, employee training and implementation and management of safety programs that help ensure that people go home at the end of the day in the same condition that they arrived in. That being said, consider this: Having your child on your mower ADDS risk to a situation where no risk (to him) exists if he is not riding on it. Outdoor power equipment is simply NOT for children to use or to be in close proximity while in operation. Manufacturers place all kinds of warnings on consumer goods not only to protect themselves, but the people who use their products.

Now, while you may be thinking that I am of the opinion that children should be in a bubble to keep them safe, that is not the case. Kids get hurt playing on the playground or riding a bike; that is normal. Here is question for you . . . When you son shows his future wife a scar on his leg from falling off of his bike when he was five, will she think anything of it? How about when he shows her a scar on his leg from where your lawn mower ran his leg over and broke his tibia. What will she think then?

Plain and simple, the risk of injury in your proposed situation is too great for any parent to be comfortable with. While it may hurt to watch your son cry for 2 hours while you cut the grass, I promise you it will hurt much less than if he was injured while riding with you.

Do the right thing and keep him safe, where he is safest; in the house!

Mike


#21

BlazNT

BlazNT

bertsmobile1 said:
Not soft at all but not stupid either.
There is molly coddleing and there is unnecessary & unacceptable risk.
Some where between the two is intelligence.
My kids rode on my motorcycle , on the road in front of me on the edge of the tank til they were tall enough to ride on the back after I fitted higher foot pegs for them. This is something that is not allowed any more .
However they wore protective head gear, leather gloves & leather shoes and I rode in an appropriate mannar.
Click to expand...

And I made my grandson ware all the stuff needed for mowing. Ear protectioon, long sleve shirts, pants and sun glasses. He can run one by him self although I do not let him mow yet. Too many ways to hurt yourself while mowing alone.


#22

B

bertsmobile1

Mattj2235 said:
Well this has been interesting. Like I've stated before, my sons safety is priority number one. If I felt that he could not handle riding, he would not be riding. I make him wear ear muffs, safety glasses, and our seat belt when we ride. As well as when we shoot the .22 pistol (minus the safety belt), and shred the pastures. You see, as much as I hate to admit it, my wife has the last say when it comes to the safety of our son. Trust me, If she felt anything was unsafe, it wouldn't happen. Yes, things happen in the blink of an eye, I am more than aware of that having a toddler. My initial question was if anyone had every done or seen anything like that. I have a 54' Hustler Fastrak that has a pretty large floor board, with enough room to add a seat with handrails and a seat belt and cushions. Thank y'all for the entertainment.
Click to expand...

So you put a seat with belt on the foot board of the ZTR then you have to either climb over him to get on or mount from the side which is quite difficult to do without standing on the deck which both damages the deck and creates a slip hazard for you.
Now I have no idea about how open the area you are mowing is so if there is the chance of a tree branch slapping him in the face.
Then what happens if there is a rollover ?
Heavens I have flipped more ZTR's in the first year of the new business than I would care to admit to.
Are you going to extend the rop so the child won't get crushed between the mower & the ground ?
Then when you accidentially lift the front and he claps and cheers yelling "do it again daddy" will you resists the temptation to pop an even bigger wheelie to impress your son ?
Too easy , too stupid.

Down here they banned children under 12 riding on or driving tractors ( of the farm kind ) why ?
Because it was the highest cause of death & dissableing injuries of children on farms.
So what happened ?
All the "nanny state won't stop me " idiots put there kids on quads
Guess what is now the greatest cause of death and disableing injuries to kids in rural areas ?
5 children killed last year 76 with permenant disabling injuries 162 hospital admissions.
Would you put a seat on the hood of your car and drive it around the fields with your son on that ?


#23

M

Mattj2235

cruzenmike said:
Before I put in my 2 cents, I will give you a little background. I have a Bachelor's Degree in Occupational Safety and Health from one of only eleven accredited colleges/universities in the nation. I have worked on high-risk, billion dollar construction projects as well as in the general industry (automotive specific). My entire career has revolved around hazard recognition and mitigation, employee training and implementation and management of safety programs that help ensure that people go home at the end of the day in the same condition that they arrived in. That being said, consider this: Having your child on your mower ADDS risk to a situation where no risk (to him) exists if he is not riding on it. Outdoor power equipment is simply NOT for children to use or to be in close proximity while in operation. Manufacturers place all kinds of warnings on consumer goods not only to protect themselves, but the people who use their products.

Now, while you may be thinking that I am of the opinion that children should be in a bubble to keep them safe, that is not the case. Kids get hurt playing on the playground or riding a bike; that is normal. Here is question for you . . . When you son shows his future wife a scar on his leg from falling off of his bike when he was five, will she think anything of it? How about when he shows her a scar on his leg from where your lawn mower ran his leg over and broke his tibia. What will she think then?

Plain and simple, the risk of injury in your proposed situation is too great for any parent to be comfortable with. While it may hurt to watch your son cry for 2 hours while you cut the grass, I promise you it will hurt much less than if he was injured while riding with you.

Do the right thing and keep him safe, where he is safest; in the house!

Mike
Click to expand...


While my wife and myself are both college educated, like you, we both understand the risk and reward of our son riding. I have also worked in high risk construction sites and have been responsible for the well being of many men. Like I've stated in my previous posts, my sons safety is priority number one. I'm having the thought that most of the replies are from either men who have no children, or men who have grown children. (Commence the opening of Pandoras Box) For the ones who have small children, this craziness is not that far fetched. I want my child to ride with me, I want my child to learn that things are not scary as long as they have the respect for them.


#24

B

bmuone

My response was from one who has children and grand children. I admit I let my children do things that I bellow like a screaming banchee when I see my grand children doing them. Something about them grand kids that make a person extra careful. So when you get your grand kids Matt I would bet you do the same thing. Just looking at the same thing through older eyes.

My response also came from one who has seen the darker side of carelessness. I am a retired State Trooper with 25 years of seeing the aftermath of anything fun you can think of.

No one here has ill feeling to you for any reason. People on this forum are here to help, advise and learn from others. And my read is they all care for the safety of little ones, everyone's little ones.

One thing I think you did manage to do and that is to awake several...including me...from our rocking chairs. Gave this forum a kick so thanks for that.

Be safe and always think down the road first.


#25

BigKingClipper

BigKingClipper

I did this with my 3 cats! They used to prowl around looking for mice while I mowed. It was extremely frustrating, seeing as I like to mow in the dark quickly and efficiently. I ended up building a three-tier attachment to the hood of my kgro. Just locked it on the custom bracket that I made. I put the little cat beds and a swing gate on the front and voila! Problem Solved. They used to love mowing with me, and I even got to the point where one would sit on my shoulder while I mowed. He would bat at stray clippings that would fly up. It was pretty cool. Idk if I would do it with a human or not. I would love to see pictures of your idea though!

-BKC


#26

reynoldston

reynoldston

BigKingClipper said:
I did this with my 3 cats! They used to prowl around looking for mice while I mowed. It was extremely frustrating, seeing as I like to mow in the dark quickly and efficiently. I ended up building a three-tier attachment to the hood of my kgro. Just locked it on the custom bracket that I made. I put the little cat beds and a swing gate on the front and voila! Problem Solved. They used to love mowing with me, and I even got to the point where one would sit on my shoulder while I mowed. He would bat at stray clippings that would fly up. It was pretty cool. Idk if I would do it with a human or not. I would love to see pictures of your idea though!

-BKC
Click to expand...

I would love to see you mowing with your three cats. I am sure of one thing is that my cat would want nothing to do with it, she doesn't even care very much about riding in a car much less a mower.


#27

W

wingrider

I've got a friend whose dad let him ride on the mower with him when he was 3 or 4 (about 45 years ago). His mom called on the phone about the same time as his dad was pounding on our front door with a bloody kid in his arms. He had fallen off, and when he went to get up, his foot went under the deck. He lost a couple of toes and a good chunk of foot. Still gives him trouble sometimes to this day. My dad got them 40 miles to the hospital in about 15 minutes, and he ended up being ok for the most part.


#28

RDA.Lawns

RDA.Lawns

Some of y'all need to stop reading the dam book and enjoy life. I grew up on farm equipment on a bigger farm than most you will ever see. Guess what !! By age 8 I was mowing grass on a riding mower. By 12 I was running a tractor plowing beens in the field by myself. Had my parents been by the dam book sticks in the mud like some of you are I'd probably be a grown up afraid of real work and no values. So if your comfortable in your abilities to attach a seat for your child to safely ride with you go for it!!!!;) I wouldn't mow with a extremely young child on a mower with me unless I was on smooth ground though.


#29

reynoldston

reynoldston

RDA.Lawns said:
Some of y'all need to stop reading the dam book and enjoy life. I grew up on farm equipment on a bigger farm than most you will ever see. Guess what !! By age 8 I was mowing grass on a riding mower. By 12 I was running a tractor plowing beens in the field by myself. Had my parents been by the dam book sticks in the mud like some of you are I'd probably be a grown up afraid of real work and no values. So if your comfortable in your abilities to attach a seat for your child to safely ride with you go for it!!!!;) I wouldn't mow with a extremely young child on a mower with me unless I was on smooth ground though.
Click to expand...

I wasn't the only one that grew up on a farm. When I was 8 years old there was no such thing as a riding mower. I do remember a walk behind garden tractor with a reo style mower attachment that my father ran, but don't remember very much about it. As for my own children when they were young I didn't allow them any where near my mowers when I was running them and they lived with it just fine. My children had rules as they grew up from a very young age and they knew them. I still shut down my mow today if someone approaches me when I am mowing. I guess I am just a bad person.


#30

Datadave

Datadave

-Words of wisdom-
Always expect the unexpected and If It can happen, It Will happen at the most unexpected time


just saying


#31

M

Mattj2235

IMG_1833.jpgIMG_1834.jpg

Meet my son Evan. He's 2 1/2 and he is all boy! I've built him a custom chair for the foot rest floor board of my Hustler. I used two latch clamps on each side of the chair attached to eye bolts that I mounted on the foot rest. The seat can't come loose from the floor board because I designed it where the eye bolts have to be turned every time to attach and detach the seat. That chair is one with the tractor when those clamps are latched, but can also feel everything with that chair being between my legs. I stapled some tough fabric to the chair and stuffed with cushion. The only way he can get in or out is with my help. He may not fit for too much longer, and that's ok. We'll worry about that later. My name is Matt, I'm 33 and have only lived in the country for as long as he's been born. I grew up in the city and as of 3 years ago would have never been able to think of something like this, much less build. I've adapted. I've learned, and adapted. Things can be safe, even with scary things. All it takes is an open mind.


#32

primerbulb120

primerbulb120

Nice seat! I don't think he's going to fall out anytime soon! :smile::smile:

I'm not going to judge your idea. Just one thing you might want to consider: what happens if the mower catches fire while you two are on it? It's not common, but it's still something you need to consider. When a ZTR catches fire, you have about 5 to 25 seconds to get off before the fire gets to a fuel line or tank. Just be extra careful and make sure you can unbelt him and make a quick escape if need be. Again, I'm not bashing your idea, just want to make sure you can get him off quick in case of an emergency. :thumbsup:


#33

T

Tudorp

I also let my sons (now grown w/ families of their own) ride with me sometimes mowing the grass. Mostly in a cart being pulled by the mower. I also had an old riding mower I took the deck off of it to let them drive it around pretending to mow with me. I did this, until a friend of mine that did the same thing had his 4 year old daughter in a wagon being pulled behind his mower. One day a rock (or some sort of debris) slung out from under the mower. It was a very weird freak thing because it slung out the rear of the deck, and pegged his daughter right in the face (cheek, very near her eye). He didn't even know it happened until he realized his daughter was crying holding her face. He stopped and realized what had happened. It happened very fast, and un-expected. He always thought that was the safest place to have her with him. Fortunately, she wasn't hurt bad, but it could have been very easily. He never let her ride back there again. And I also stopped letting my kids ride, or be anywhere near the mower when the deck was being used. We can't stop accidents from happening, but we can minimize the risks.

Are you right or wrong? I can't say, or judge. Only the parent can. But, On the side of safety, I would rather deal with a disappointed kid for not getting to play with Dad while doing yard work, than deal with an accident or hurting my kid because of something I did, or allowed. That's all I have to say on the subject.


#34

B

bertsmobile1

Sorry to hear about your daughter.

There is a good reason why all the safety manuals that no one reads tell you not to have anyone in a radius of 25' to 30' from the mower.
A similar law here requires kerb side mowing to have warning signs and all the highway mowing has to be done with mulching decks.


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