[Jack D D]

I have two basic car alarm horns and am thinking about installing one on my GT through a mercury switch to operate as a roll over alarm. Has anyone ever done this? Has anyone ever rolled their tractor and felt an alarm would have been helpful? I've heard stories of this happening, but wonder if it is worth the effort. Since I already have two horns/sirens, the only expense would be for the mercury switch and wire.

 

[Kbeitz]

Wont work... You need a dashpot.

 

[Jack D D]

Wont work... You need a dashpot.

????? Won't work?????? Of course it will, with the right mercury switch. A dashpot is OK, too, but the right mercury switch will also work. You just need one that won't make contact until it actually tips over at 90 or more degrees. I've had such mercury switches in the past, but don't have one now.

 

[davidg]

what about everytime you hit a bump, won't it splash and alarm?

i'm trying to figure out why you need an alarm? if you are on it, you will know well before 90 degrees that it is going over. if you want someone else to respond, they will likely ignore the alarm since they are such a common sound in most areas. plus if it is facing the right direction they may not even hear it while inside the house.

the better thing to do would be NOT cut the potential rollover areas unless your machine is stabile enough to do so, add wheel weights/filled tires to keep the COG low and cut up/down not side to side.

 

[TUDOR]

The best roll over alarm is your butt! When you have to move it to the fender to feel comfortable at an angle, you are at high risk of rolling over.

 

[Jack D D]

what about everytime you hit a bump, won't it splash and alarm?

i'm trying to figure out why you need an alarm? if you are on it, you will know well before 90 degrees that it is going over. if you want someone else to respond, they will likely ignore the alarm since they are such a common sound in most areas. plus if it is facing the right direction they may not even hear it while inside the house.

the better thing to do would be NOT cut the potential rollover areas unless your machine is stabile enough to do so, add wheel weights/filled tires to keep the COG low and cut up/down not side to side.

Not likely. A quick bump or bounce might make just as quick a contact. The most you'd hear, if that happens, is just as quick a "beep" or maybe just a "b" and even that is not a likely occurance if the right switch is used. But I will concede that a dashpot is probably a better choice for a switch. But mercury switches come in many shapes and sizes for different applications and the correct one will surely work in this application.

Possibly one of these????? But I haven't tried any of them, just stumbled onto this page and it shows some examples of mercury switches designed as tip over switches. http://www.comus-intl.com/productpages/tilt_tipover_switches_us.asp

 

[rhenning]

I have have rolled a SS12 Sears over and all the alarms in the world would not have helped at all. From sitting on a flat tar road to tipped over took about 5 seconds. I was pulling something out of the ditch along side the road and was over before I could even put the clutch in. I had ATV tires on the back and the tires started boucing when they lost traction and they bounched the tractor to the side and down the ditch bank. I no longer use ATV tires on tractors. Roger

 

[Juggler]

Not sure how old your tractor is, but if it'd an old one, I'd add an engine cut-off switch before I'd add a horn.

 

[lynnr]

Have to say Tudor and rhenning: Whether Tudor's combined butt/common sense or rhenning's 'acquired knowledge'. .. If it feels wrong, or if someone said it could hurt, you might want to stop doing that...As a teenager I rolled a MF 165 'look no 'ROPS' and still wonder at how I walked away. Also know that it wouldn't have rolled except for the beer...

 

[Kbeitz]

A mercury switchwith a timed delay should work well... But on my land a mercury switch without would drive me crazy...

 

[Jack D D]

I have have rolled a SS12 Sears over and all the alarms in the world would not have helped at all. From sitting on a flat tar road to tipped over took about 5 seconds. I was pulling something out of the ditch along side the road and was over before I could even put the clutch in. I had ATV tires on the back and the tires started boucing when they lost traction and they bounched the tractor to the side and down the ditch bank. I no longer use ATV tires on tractors. Roger

I think most are missing my point. I once heard a story about a man that was trapped under a tipped over tractor and no help. An alarm might have called attention to his plight. It wouldn't be to tell me it's tipped over. I'd likely know that already. At least I would if I was still conscious. It might call my situation to the attention of my wife or other nearby persons.

A tip over switch to kill the engine is also a very good idea. I think, a much better idea than a "dead man" seat switch. Those are a pain.

 

[lynnr]

OK I missed your point, and actually having been in the position of dragging myself out to the nearest public road to flag down help, I think that kind of alarm is a fine idea, however it is implemented. I exaggerated slightly when I said.I walked away, there were three crushed vertibrae and every movement hurt. I was near a hiking trail an the first people I encountered just hurried by. Your alarm would have helped for sure!

 

[davidg]

i did not miss that point, i just think that an alarm would be ignored by most folks in my area. i don't know about yours, but around here car alarms go off all the time and no one even looks sideways. maybe a family member would respond if they hear it, so it certainly can't hurt to do it.

 

[CADplans]

Your butt is not a good turn over sensor!!

My brother-in-law and his brother EACH turned over 3 wheelers. They each had over 40 years experience operating farm machinery.

When the turn over is about to start, the alarm is too late, the situation is too dynamic.

You must know your machine, your situation, and your capabilities BEFORE you get into a turn over scenario.

Leave yourself tolerance for your situation and stay safe. That is my turn over alarm.

raying:

 

[engine2quarters]

'Roll overs' occurr side to side and also front to back. Two mercury switches mounted at right angles should cover both instances, and wire them in parallel.
How about purchasing a 'man down' alert box like those used by firefighters. They go off when there is no motion after a short time. They're water proof, and portable. Short money on eBay.

 

[CADplans]

How about purchasing a 'man down' alert box like those used by firefighters. They go off when there is no motion after a short time. They're water proof, and portable. Short money on eBay.

"Help, I've fallen, and can't get up!!"

I guess I can get one from an infomercial!!

:drunkie:

 

[Boyd]

Or: have it linked to one of those systems from the company with the commercials "help I've fallen and I can't get up".
Or: have an alarm that also uses digital cell phone technology and calls multiple programmed phone numbers when the tractor turns 90 degrees. Programmed phone numbers would be: the house,, wifes and kids cell phones,, neighbors house and cell numbers. Someone could make and sell a product like this and mount it under the seat of the tractor.

 

[blackbri]

`the most injuries happen when you are pulling something with your tractor and flip it over backwards. a mercury switch set at 33 degrees would help to stop the tractor from flipping.
the best thing one can do short of putting wheelie bars on when pulling anything is to put a tool on the tractor to stop the tractor from tipping over backwards. lost my step dad because he didn't have a tool like a back blade on an n9ford when he was pulling stumps, it could have been prevented by using a back blade.

 

[gburnett]

Most rollovers occur when the lower wheel drops in a hole or the upper wheel goes over something like a rock no alarm would stop either,there is no substitute for the driver being attentive and exercising good judgement.This is from someone thats farmed on steep terrain all my life with all sorts of equipment.Rollovers and rearups have to be avoided long before they actually would occur.

 

[rwall10597]

I would think as long as it was a constant horn, that wouldn't be mistaken for an alarm. If I went over to the right I'd probably send up a nice smoke signal, not if I went left. Sounds like potential for an iPhone app.