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841 Starter Switch

8K views 10 replies 6 participants last post by  ILuvFordTractors 
#1 ·
I read here a lot but don't post often. I was searching for a starter relay question I had but found the info on a May 2012 thread by lsr490.

I have a story to share. I have a 1960 841 Powermaster used for pulling a shredder at the deer lease. The neutral safety starter switch was disabled when I bought the tractor in 2011 & I have just been working around it. I am the most careful person in the world but it got me on Good Friday last month. I shut down the tractor, got off, then decided i wanted to lift the shredder to block it up out of the mud. Turned the ignition key while standing in front of the back tire & it jumped on my leg & took me under tire & then under the 5' Modern cutter (not engaged or I wouldn't be sharing this story). Drug & rolled me about 35-40 yards before it let me go. A neighbor happened by,found me & got me to a hospital. Broken L1 in back, broken C6 in neck, broken sternum, 4 broken ribs, & broken left leg. I was fortunate, could have been fatal or it could have left me paralyzed. Looks like I'll be out of work for three months but Drs. expect full recovery. I have purchased all parts necessary to repair the neutral starter safety switch for $70. I only share this to encourage anyone with a jumper-ed switch to get it corrected. $70 is cheap. Take care out there.

PS : Don't call me dumba**, I already took care of that.
 
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#2 ·
GOOD to hear you will make a full recovery and to make the point that even a person who THINKS they are the most "careful" in the world slips and screws up. Just so VERY glad yours was not fatal only wish you did not have to suffer the pain of a lesson hard learned about why the safeties are on machines. Maybe some, I am sure not all, the idiots out there running without will take note and fix their machines. Oh, and I will not call you a dumba$$, I will call you lucky.
 
#3 ·
For many a year now I will not start a tractor unless I am in the seat. My story is a Case Vac when I was 10 during haying time.



My mom was just home from the hospital from having my middle sister. Dad was working out of town and his instructions to me were to mow a hay field then go back to picking up the hay he had baled on the ground that past Sunday.
I got the field mowed fairly quickly then was going to hook up to the big two wheel trailer to go get that hay the only thing left that was empty. I found I could not pick that trailer up by my self to hook it up. I went and asked my mom to come help me with it. It lacked a fraction of an inch for the pin to go in, I had seen my dad bump the starter a million times to get that pin in. I bumped that starter button and to my surprise that tractor started and was going back wards. Mom and I got out of the way as it backed side ways up that trailer then went off the one side. I jumped at the tractor to get it out of gear as that shift lever was the closes thing I could grab. Instead of going in netrual it went into a forward gear. this time it was going to pin mom againest the trailer but she laid down and the rear tire of the tractor ran over her. I to this day think the tire grabed the edge of the trailer and lifted enough mom didn't get hurt. I finally climbed over the back of the tractor and got it shut off.
Needless to say I didn't do any thing with that tractor for a few days as I was still scared POOPLESS of it.
when dad got home and heard the story that trailer took a ride with the new owner and dad bought a tractor jack so I could lift hitches with the jack.
I learned a lesson early in life and will never forget it.

Glad you will be up and about again soon.
 
#4 ·
Back again to raise awareness & hopefully help someone avoid my mistake. Had a second surgery on neck June 30th. Doctor says everything is looking good & I may be back to work in September. I am up to walking 3/4 mile per day with nearly full strides. (Wife said I looked like Tim Conway on the old Carol Burnett shows when I started. ) Parts are cheap. Fix those old bypassed safety switches. A pic of the parts needed to fix my tractor. Dust cover optional. Take care out there.
 

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#9 ·
It took me a while to get all the parts to work together but I'm finally getting my tractors back to the safety switch again. I had a hard time getting the correct part number for the solenoid. In addition to a sticky there should be an explanation with parts numbers on what is required to get it all working in 12v too.

Good to be reminded sometimes of what can happen.
 
#10 ·
I was just made aware of this thread Monark. I am so sorry you had this terrible accident. I have made this a Stickie hoping this will never happen to others who might read it. Glad you are on the mend and hope you continue to feel better.
 
#11 ·
"Monark" I'm happy you survived. Your Guardian Angel was watching over you.

Years ago I witnessed a guy do almost the same thing. He was about 85 years old and wanted to show me how his mid sized John deere diesel ran. He apparently shut it off, the last time he ran it, with it still in gear and throttled up. He started it standing on the ground near the left rear tire and IIRC had a small disc hooked up. It was in a lean to, post building style, multi-unit tractor shed. The axle housing knocked him down almost immediately, and I don't think he got any body parts run over by the rear tire, but that implement did some damage. The tractor(I wish I could remember what model it was) knocked the back wall of the shed completely down and ran it over. It then went a short distance, and over about a 10 foot drop off and landed on it's nose on a gravel county back road. IIRC something about the impact with the road shut the tractor off, but it was standing on it's nose, in the road, leaning against the embankment. He was cut and bruised quite badly, but I don't think he broke any thing. I loaded him up and hauled him to the emergency room. I think he recovered, but died not too long after that. Whether that shortened his life... I don't know...but It probably didn't help. It was something to see...a helpless feeling for sure. I don't know what happened to the tractor.
I will say this. Having your safety switch working...absolutely ! But that's not enough !

NEVER START A TRACTOR WITHOUT BEING FIRMLY PLANTED IN THE SEAT !!! NEVER !!!

Three seconds and a little exercise to get on the tractor. Also, a ROPS and a seat belt should be installed.
One more time. Even with a safety switch.

NEVER START A TRACTOR WITHOUT BEING FIRMLY PLANTED IN THE SEAT !!!
 
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