Never too young

Chas. Ont. · Jan 14, 2011

Ingram 9, Toby 5, love grampa's back-hoe. They are catching on.

Bob · Jan 14, 2011

Keep 'em SAFE 'til they are old enough to play in the dirt with it for REAL!

Sometimes, it's the little things we don't think of that can kill or maim!

About 20 years ago, my loader tractor was parked near the house for hauling away construction debris.

We left the boys with a sitter and I was safety-conscious enough to pull the key "just in case" never stopping to think the bucket was off the ground loaded with sheetrock waste and could be dropped/dumped WITHOUT the tractor running or the key in place.

Needless to say the kids figured that out and one son dumped the mess, darned near on his brother!

Scared the *#&& out of me when I found out about it!

You never can be TOO careful!

Mike M · Jan 14, 2011

Looks like it could be REALLY light on the front end ?

greenbeanman in Kansas · Jan 14, 2011

What fun.

For about the past year I've been doing some dirt work around my kids house they built last year.

I leave the tractor parked in the yard for the grandsons and the neighbor boys to play on.

I always park it In gear, with the PTO in gear, the brakes set, the box blade lowered, and the loader bucket turned down and lowered against the ground.

Very hard on hood and paint but that can be repaired, but they climb all over it, pretend to drive it, etc. The only rule is that they turn the seat back up when they get off so water and airborne dirt doesn't set on it.

I sure have to check all of the levers before starting it as the first time they played on it they left the hand throttle wide open. Caught me off guard.

Anonymous-0 · Jan 14, 2011

Anyone that would leave a bucket up loaded or not needs a kick where it would do the most good.

Bob · Jan 15, 2011

Yep, you're right, Billy, but I didn't stop to think about it and I'll be I'm not the only one who wouldn't have!

Anonymous-0 · Jan 15, 2011

Just had a case here where a boy was on the tractor with his Father while he was slashing.... RIP

Dean Olson · Jan 16, 2011

Never too young! I agree. My brother and I where operating equipment as soon as we could safely reach the controls. Far too young by today's standards. The big difference was Grand Fathers, Dad, and Uncles where great trainers/supervisors.
We did do some things that probably weren't too smart such as my my younger brother and I would be driving/riding the 8N Ford, he was too small to reach the pedals, I would jump off far enough back to open gates and let him drive through, I would then close the gate and catch up with him.

Only close call I ever remember having was raising the rear wheel off the ground on a JD A with loader and tricycle front end. Because I had been warned, I knew to watch for it and drop the loader and reposition the load.

I started my son and daughter on a 3hp go cart and then riding mower with blocks on the pedals and in low gear. By the time they went to Drivers ed to learn to drive the car their was very little of a learning curve.

Start them young and train them right!

EBinOregon · Jan 16, 2011

Back in the day I had 4 acres of blackberrys and my young son learned to cultivate and drive the tractor, pulling the sprayer while I stood on the back and did the spraying. We only ran in first gear and I had bolted 2x4's to the clutch and brakes so he could reach the peddles.One weekend my brother came up from LA (city slickers)with his three kids and we were in the back yard drinking a few beers when the kids asked if they could drive the old Falcon station wagon I was trying to sell,around the berry field. The battery was dead and it was a '3 on the tree', and figuring they would never be able to start it, I told them to go ahead, if they could start it they could drive it. Long story shortened, 2 hours later all 5 of them learned to jump start a car and drive as well.. Today they are all in thier 50's and have never quit thanking me for the fun they had that day!! My wife, likewise reminds me how stupid I was to let them do it... Good Times!! Lucky ones to!!

Never too young

Chas. Ont.

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Bob

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Mike M

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greenbeanman in Kansas

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Anonymous-0

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Bob

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Anonymous-0

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Dean Olson

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EBinOregon

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