Terrible story

[guntruck]

I just got finished speaking with a friend who works for another local LCO that does commercial ONLY work. She refers all the residential calls my way to help but anyway, she told me of a terrible mishap that happened to one of there guys last week. He was on an exmark cuttin at the top of a really steep hill and when he went around a tree(that was real close to the edge of the hill) he really shouldnt have, the tires started slipping and down he went!! She said the guys told her it caught a large root and sent the mower airborne and it landed on him blade runnin!!! He was rushed to the emergency room where he was treated for bruises and half his ear ripped off. I reckon he was a little lucky eh? Well just thought i'd share this story with fellow LCO's it makes me a little more aware everytime i hear something aweful like this, and hope this will sharpen others awareness. Good Luck!!!!!!!;)

[Toroguy]

Its good he wasnt seriously injured. It is also a good reminder to think about what your doing, cuz it only takes a slip to create a disaster.

I always dread the hills using the walk behind. Now I'll be even more cautious.

Thanks for the "heads up".

[Eric ELM]

A hill has to be the number one accident causing place for a LCO. Just about anytime you hear of an accident, a hill was involved, so be careful members.

The only accident I have seen with a mower was on a hill. I was working for a farmer and we were changing oil in the new diesel JD 4020. This guys wife was mowing the lawn with a 21" push mower and was pulling it up hill, and slipped and cut all but the big toe off of her one foot. Yucky sight to see, so again, be careful everyone.

[Administrator]

I slipped twice... both times my first thought was "screw this mower" and I bailed clear of disaster.

[jnjnlc]

Hills are dangerous. I was tilling on a hill the other day and the tiller flipped over and before I could let go, it jumped back up on the tires and nearly ran over me. I was a little ticked off to say the least. Not at the tiller but at myself for not being more careful. I know this was not a mower but it still could have done some damage to me.

[lawnboy82]

i know a kid who was cutting a couple of years ago, mower took off down the hill. kid went after it and got burnt real bad on his leg from the muffler. another guy who a good friend of mine knew was opening a gate for a bunton and the machine ran down a hill. guy went after it only to have i believe half his leg mangled real bad or cut off. i am not sure which. then you hear about the wood chipper accidents. those are always good, guy looses foot, guy mangles foot, guy is decapitated by chipper. etc.

[Premo Services]

:eek: Actually, we all need to be safe when using any equiptment,especially commercial equiptment. I have seen times when someone gets hurt that it was the operator that wasn`t thinking saftey, is in a hurry or something .I was working for a forestery dept. years ago and we were splitting wood with a log splitter, the guy working with me,who had been there longer than me was watching some girls,not paying attention and crushed his foot with the machine,steel toes and all------rough!!

[guntruck]

I guess the main reason for the post was to bring forth the fact that not everyone pays attention all the time to detail. I know i am usually always safe but there are times when things almost happen, and its then when i realize, hey dummy, you should have been doing it differently. So this is kinda just a wake up and story in one. =)
'
;)

[Paradise Yard Service]

Every couple of years a professional surfer (those that make it there living) will die out in the most massive, sick waves. You can only dream of what its like, but not know until you are actually staring at one of those waves in the face. And everytime this happens all other surfers take all the precautions needed. Even passing on certain questionable conditions/waves.

You culd say that your post sends a big heads up for us in the industry. It will probably save someones life.

Aloha,
P.Y.S.

[TJLC]

That's one reason I don't own a ztr, hills. I have no problem taking one of my w/b's on a hill. I really admire anyone who has the guts to take a ztr on a hill. Sorry I guess I'm just a wimp. LOL Be careful out there, guys!

[Charles]

I was talking to another lawncare company the other day and he has 2 lazers and thats it. He was bragging that he used them on everything. One day that will catch up with him and disaster will happen. maybe to him or one of his employees.
I think farming is the most dangerous proffession in the country and our work and equipment is similiar to theirs. Sometimes you daydream and/or take chances you shouldn't. I dont take many chances at all these days. Practice safety at all times and focus on what you are doing.
That another problem with these radio headphones. They can distract you from your work and you may not even hear warning signs of failure in your equipment etc

[cos]

I remember going down a small steep hill with a w/b. I was new to the biz and didn't know better. I slipped and my shin smacked the w/b and the other foot went under the back of it. I thought for sure my foot was going to be chopped off. Luckily for me it never reached the blades. My face was full of fear and I had to calm down and then chalked it up as a learning experience.


BE CAREFUL

[BerksLawn]

Last year i was being real stupid and it wasnt on a hill. I turned of the blades and went over to pick up a tennis ball and stuck my foot over alittle to far and the blades hadnt stopped fully and it cut my big toe nothing serious though went home for the day and rode the velke all the next day couple years ago my dad was riding on the tractor and had his foot on the deck and hit a small stump and did the same everyone needs to be careful mowing grass aint the easiest thing even though it looks like it

[Grapevine]

Now you know why you never see Flymos anymore. How many guys must have slipped under those bad boys and got cut to pieces.

[Toroguy]

Grapevine,
Im curious as to what a Flymo is?

Thanks

[thelawnguy]

Flymo is a hover mower. They do not use blades BTW; they use trimmer string on a hub. The first Flymos from 1981 or so had a blade but that was quickly abandoned for obvious reasons.

[Toroguy]

Thanks Bill,
This is something O.J. may have had? Just kidding.

I have never heard of Flymo, in concept or in the field.

I dont think the new robot mower from Toro will do well either. Concept is solid, marketing is suavy, demand I perceive as low?

[Lawndude]

What condidtion is the exmark in? Can't be good

[kutnkru]

Originally posted by Lawndude
What condidtion is the exmark in? ...Now thats an insensitive statement if I ever heard one.

[Hoosier Mower]

Who cares about the condition of the Exmark! The mower can be replaced, body parts or humman life is another story. Stories like this should remind us and keep us thinking in these damn hill situations. It's always good to have someone kinda watching or very near by when mowing these step hills if possiable in case something does happen and your trapped. Everyone be careful out there!!

[Lawndude]

Thats true im sorry i didnt think of it that way. safety is always first when out working or in any situation.

[Guido]

Safety First Guys!!

[yardboyltd]

My great-grandpa died on tractor doing what he loved. Right outside his barn one wheel brake locked up(tractors have a brake for each rear wheel) and began going in circles and he could't shut it down and was thrown off and trampled. I guess it then tipped over ran around on it's side from what I've heard. :( We thank God it didn't have the steel wheels on, his body was mangled as it was.

After that Gr-Grandma sold all the tractors and had the one put in a ditch.

I don't like tall curbs where the turf has been built up over it by 6"

[powerreel]

Hedge Trimmers take out more people than mowers. Gotta stay ALERT!

[SCAPEASAURUSREX]

A relative of mine had a very close incounter of the fingerless kind !!! He is not a landscaper.. he was cutting his yard at home and had to get the mower up a small wall.. So .. Well commercial mowers have blade clutches so the blades can be stopped while the engine is still running , but the regular mowers usually the blades are going all the time . well anyway this guy picks up the mower by the deck wraping his fingers underneath the deck to pick this thing up.. Believe it or not the luckly fool did not even get cut .. but I think of this and how devistating it could have been everytime I start up one of my machines.. Think before you react !!!!

[Lawn Dog2001]

Originally posted by TJLC
That's one reason I don't own a ztr, hills. I have no problem taking one of my w/b's on a hill. I really admire anyone who has the guts to take a ztr on a hill. Sorry I guess I'm just a wimp. LOL Be careful out there, guys!

Dont worry Im a whimp too then. I dont own, nor will I ever again own any type of tractor or Ztr. I few years ago a customer of mine gave me a 10 year old Gravely tractor. He said if you can fix it you can have it. So 1 new battery and 1 new carb later, I owned it. Instead of just selling it right off the bat like I should of, I decided I would put it in the trailor for a few weeks to see if I would have any use for it. The first day I used it I rolled it down a hill and very nearly killed myself. If I woulndt have dove off when I did I would probably be paralyzed right now. Even though the incident was my fault, I am scared to death of ride on lawn equipment now. My main machines are both 48" wbs and thats all I need. IMHO if your standing or walking you are in 100x better control than if you are riding. But keep in mind that in my region there are very few lawns that dont have hills.

[Chopper Lover]

Hey...

I read your post about the guy losing part of an ear. The guy who was injured should go to a Worker's Compensation lawyer. He is entitled to certain "awards" from the state for his injury (not the LCO). A permanent disfigurement, especially around the face, is worth a lot of money. The award he receives is tax free for him and well worth the permanent reminder he will have when he looks in the mirror. This award will not come from the LCO, it comes from the state of Maryland's Worker's Comp. Fund which the "employer" is required to pay into. The lawyers fees are fixed by the state, so there is no "price gouging".

The LCO's Workers Comp. insurance is probably going up anyway due to the accident; so why not have the person who was injured benefit? That is what we pay that insurance for... The benefit of the employees should they be injured.

Mark