Top Five Safety Procedures for Ride-On Mowers

[adan]

A thread in this forum discusses safety features. Here I'd like to ask about safety procedures that we can take to protect our kids, whether the ride-on mower is running or parked.

When I was a kid, the operator stopped the mower in the middle of the field and left it for around five minutes to do something urgent. He killed the engine. That was a good safety procedure. Curious kids went around the machine, inspecting every inch of it. Just imagine what would have happened if he left the engine running.

What in your experience are the top five safety procedures for ride-on mowers?

 

[Muhammad]

These are some that come to mind based on my experience, not necessarily the top five or an all-encompassing list by any means, but somewhere to start.

1. Never (ever) get off the mower with the blade (mower) engaged. This can lead to a runaway mower, flying objects, foot getting under the deck when getting back on, etc.

2. Don't mow in close proximity to people. I've been shocked by the distance a mower can throw an object. If that object is metal, you're looking at speeds and distances that are potentially lethal. How far is close? Well, I've seen a metal pipe get thrown 100-150 feet.

3. Wear eye protection at all times. May seem like the chances of something coming up to hit you in the face are slim but one of the biggest dangers is objects that ricochet off of walls. Little stones travel very fast and you can't see them coming.

4. Careful changing gears on hills. If you're backing down a hill and change gears to forward, the weight of the mower engine up front combined with the weight of you sitting on the seat can make for a very fast "wheelie" and possibly a rollover.

5. Keep your mower maintained and all safety equipment in place. Once things are operating outside of the MFG specs intended for a mower, all bets are off. This goes for seat switches, discharge chute covers, and general maintenance items like tires and belts.

 

[KennyV]

3. Wear eye protection at all times. May seem like the chances of something coming up to hit you in the face are slim but one of the biggest dangers is objects that ricochet off of walls. Little stones travel very fast and you can't see them coming.

If nothing else wear sunglasses, you need to block UV anyway... The things I have noticed was small objects bouncing off the front tires, especially when traveling fast with the deck raised and PTO still on...

Keep your eyes protected and everyone away including pets when mowing... :smile:KennyV

 

[Mr.McGinty]

As someone who has had an eye injury from a flying object (not mower connected), I am always nervous of anything that can cause this kind of problem. Children need to be taught to be wary of anything with moving parts and not allowed to see a ride-on mower as a plaything.

 

[briggs]

good thread ...I wont let my kids in the yard when i am cutting and i always do a walk around to make sure there no toys ,balls of any sort (hit a golf ball once made mess of shop window ) sticks rocks etc ...I also make sure that the PTO is off when crossing drive way and if some one is walking by i turn it off also

 

[KennyV]

I live in a more rural area ... I realize the majority here are more city/urban types, BUT even in residential areas... Be very careful when mowing along the roads. I never allow the discharge to blow onto the roads...
Not just a chance for property damage but could cause an accident. :smile:KennyV

 

[outdoors Joe]

It's easy to get hurt on things that we wouldn't even think about. I know a woman who ended up having to go to the doctor because a small twig flew back from a push mower and hit her leg. If she'd had long pants on, she may not have been hurt at all. Things could fly back from riders, too.

 

[poncho62]

Yes...good thread......I just want to show this picture.....This is me, in 1962 on the mower my dad had......I learned to drive on this thing......Take a look at the reels, not a guard in sight...and we didnt think twice about it......things were different back then.

 

[Jetblast]

Great suggestions in this thread. These would be my additions, just from what I've seen. Not meant to replace what's been said, but just to add to them.

1. Don't let anyone use your mower unless they're on your payroll and insured. Especially so if you've disabled any safety feature, removed armrests, etc. as you will be the first defendant in the lawsuit.

2. Keep your spindles happy. Grease them well, and don't be lazy about mowing over mole tunnels or crayfish towers. Get off and deal with them with your feet. Through neglect of the above I once had a blade fly off, scoot under the deck, go through my chain link fence, and land so far away I couldn't find it. I'm sure my neighbor did, but he never told me about it.

3. Watch your slopes. Having your machine on top of you is even worse than enduring a lap dance from a Tijuana nightclub employee while sober.

4. Watch the automobile traffic while running the strip along a fast traveled road, especially if you have to hang the deck over the tar by a few inches. I pull over into the lawn until they go by. It's a matter of trust, and I don't have that great a feeling about everyone driving nearby being off the phone, not texting, and being completely sober.

5. Eye protection, because it seemed worth saying again. Getting rebounded by a wall might be expected, but I've had shots bounced off a quickly passed tree trunk that made me consider a full-face helmet.

 

[Jetblast]

"This is me, in 1962 on the mower my dad had......I learned to drive on this thing......Take a look at the reels, not a guard in sight...and we didnt think twice about it......things were different back then."

Nice!