Go BottomMan dies after tractor flips on him
 | Chief
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 4297 Southwest MiddleTennessee 
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2003-05-26 55688
Saw this in another forum. Not sure if any of you have read it.
Link: Tractor Accident Story Link
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 | DrMorgan
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 16 Upstate NY 
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2003-05-27 55692
This is what happens when you attach the tow line too high on the back of the tractor. If you attach to the tow bar only, which is really low on the back, the tractor can't flip backwards. ....
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| TomG
Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley
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2003-05-27 55699
That's a tragic story. Hard telling exactly how it happened but attachment to the 3ph or someplace above the axles is a good bet. The weight of a loaded pumper combined with any slack in a tow chain would be capable of applying huge sudden load changes and would be capable of out muscling a tractor of any size even if it were properly attached.
Drawbars attach below and in front of the rear axles. Draft on a drawbar can't lighten the front end. Tongue weight on it can will lighten the front at bit, but I imagine the drawbar support bracket would break before the front ends on most tractors would raise.
Anything attached to the 3ph is supported by the lift arms that attach to the rockshaft, which is above the axles. Weight on a 3ph will lighten the front, and most 3ph's are strong enough to flip a tractor. When the 3ph is raised enough for operating many ground-engaging implements, the draft is divided between the lower link arm mounts that are below the axles and the rock shaft. Sudden draft increases can flip a tractor, which is why the 3ph was invented. Pulling from a loader is even more risky. In practice experienced operators do accept these risks but you do have to take care with this stuff.
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 | DRankin
Join Date: Jan 2000 Posts: 5116 Northern Nevada
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2003-05-27 55706
Here is another take... It could well have been an older ag tractor with no ROPS. Most of those old machines will easily "climb" their own rear axles.
A septic pumper that is filled and stuck would be a nearly immovable object. In a circumstance like that, it wouldn't much matter where you hooked up the load. Trying to move twenty tons of steel and poop would spin one of those old tractors in a flash. ....
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 | AC5ZO
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 928 Rio Rancho, NM 87144 
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2003-05-27 55713
The article did not mention whether the man was experienced in tractor operation or not. I would guess that he wasn't since he did not have his own tractor to put out the septic truck.
If the tow line was attached to a tractor drawbar that is located below the rear axle, it is not possible to flip a tractor backwards on normal ground. (It might be possible if driving up a very steep incline.) My father flipped over a tractor on a very steep incline where his tractor had exceptional traction. Only pride was hurt in that incident.
When you tow from the regular drawbar, the tractor front end may lift due to rear axle torque. But the force on the drawbar actually tends to drive the front end back down. The balance point occurs when the rear wheels spin. It is common for the front end of a tractor to get "light" when plowing with a drawbar attached plow. This situation is seen all the time in tractor pulling contests.
If you attach the tow line at a point above the rear axle, then the situation is compounded. Not only does the axle torque try to lift the front end, but the tow force does the same thing and the situation can get out of control very quickly. If an inexperienced operator is plugged into this equation then jerky clutch operation could compound the effects even further.
This is a tragic event. ....
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| Chief
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 4297 Southwest MiddleTennessee
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2003-05-27 55718
I was just surprised at how the tractor flipped over backwards. I did not realize this could occur that easily. I would have thought that the tires would have spun in place first or the operator would press in the clutch instinctively to stop the axle climb. That is why I posted the article. Just like out on the flight line; ya learn something new everyday. ....
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| TomG
Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley
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2003-05-27 55754
There's no time for the clutch really. Figure the rear tires on a tractor with 30" outside diameter tires going 8 mph ground speed turn a revolution about every 2/3rd of a second. It would take about half of that time to flip a tractor if it were climbing its axles. Something to think about. Realizing what's happening and then trying to clutch in that length of time. ....
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