Discussion:
Deere Safety Switches
(too old to reply)
Mike Bittel
2004-04-12 16:17:52 UTC
Permalink
I recently purchased a Deere GX345. I am happy with the tractor but somewhat
annoyed with the Mower PTO Safety Switch. If I am mowing and stop moving
forward, the Blades turn off. If I move in reverse, the blades shut off.
Has anyone had any luck bypassing this safety switch? I just mowed my lawn
and I lost count of how many times I had to re-engage the mower deck.

My old tractor never had this feature and I don't feel that I need it in
this case either.


Many Thanks,
-Mike
Don Bruder
2004-04-12 16:33:22 UTC
Permalink
Post by Mike Bittel
I recently purchased a Deere GX345. I am happy with the tractor but somewhat
annoyed with the Mower PTO Safety Switch. If I am mowing and stop moving
forward, the Blades turn off. If I move in reverse, the blades shut off.
Has anyone had any luck bypassing this safety switch? I just mowed my lawn
and I lost count of how many times I had to re-engage the mower deck.
My old tractor never had this feature and I don't feel that I need it in
this case either.
Welcome to the beauracracy attempting to protect you from yourself...

Ain't it great to live in the home of the slave, and the land of the
lawsuit?
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I respond to Email as quick as humanly possible. If you Email me and get no
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Roy
2004-04-12 17:15:07 UTC
Permalink
I have a GX 335, and know what the headache is concerning the RIO
switch. The way I understand it is its got a part of its circuit
incorporated into that printed circuit board you see on the right side
under the hood. I also am going to dissable mine just as soon as I get
a chance to really give it a good going over and see whats what.

BTW your PTO should not shut off if all you do is stop moving
forward.....The only times it shld power off is if you go into reverse
(without holding up the RIO switch) or if you physically shut it off,
or you let up body weight on the seat. So if it shuts off merely by
stopping forward motion, I would call up JD and have them fix that as
its not right.

Regards



On Mon, 12 Apr 2004 16:17:52 GMT, "Mike Bittel"
===<>I recently purchased a Deere GX345. I am happy with the tractor but somewhat
===<>annoyed with the Mower PTO Safety Switch. If I am mowing and stop moving
===<>forward, the Blades turn off. If I move in reverse, the blades shut off.
===<>Has anyone had any luck bypassing this safety switch? I just mowed my lawn
===<>and I lost count of how many times I had to re-engage the mower deck.
===<>
===<>My old tractor never had this feature and I don't feel that I need it in
===<>this case either.
===<>
===<>
===<>Many Thanks,
===<> -Mike
===<>
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Dave Hinz
2004-05-04 14:27:08 UTC
Permalink
Post by Mike Bittel
I recently purchased a Deere GX345. I am happy with the tractor but somewhat
annoyed with the Mower PTO Safety Switch. If I am mowing and stop moving
forward, the Blades turn off. If I move in reverse, the blades shut off.
Has anyone had any luck bypassing this safety switch?
Late response, but this last weekend a 2 year old kid in Wisconsin
lost one leg and the other foot, because he got backed over by his dad on
a riding lawnmower. I'd hate to bypass something to have that happen,
knowing that the "accident" would have been avoided by leaving the safety
equipment as-shipped.
Roy
2004-05-04 17:43:38 UTC
Permalink
===<>> I recently purchased a Deere GX345. I am happy with the tractor but somewhat
===<>> annoyed with the Mower PTO Safety Switch. If I am mowing and stop moving
===<>> forward, the Blades turn off. If I move in reverse, the blades shut off.
===<>> Has anyone had any luck bypassing this safety switch?
===<>
===<>Late response, but this last weekend a 2 year old kid in Wisconsin
===<>lost one leg and the other foot, because he got backed over by his dad on
===<>a riding lawnmower. I'd hate to bypass something to have that happen,
===<>knowing that the "accident" would have been avoided by leaving the safety
===<>equipment as-shipped.
Not necessarily. On my new John Deere GX335 all I have to do is pull
up on the switch, and start in reverse and I can let go of the switch
and the mower deck stays engaged and I can mow in reverse. SOme units
require you to hold up constantly when in reverse and others only
need to be held up initialy. So its pretty apparent that kid was
destined to have his legs cut off by his dad even if he did not have a
RIO as its stupid assed people like that guy that just abritrairily
backs up without looking first. Its his fathers falut he will be a
cripple not the fact a RIO or safety switch was ot installed or had
been disabled. These are the same kind of idiots that feel their way
into parking spots by bumping into your car as they are too darned
lazy to turn around or use their rear veiw miirrows.

The biggest thing a deck cut off switch does is shut the mower down
when you leave the seat. Thats a good safety item, the RIO is
not......as its a substitute for those assholes lacking common sense
even worse than someone getting off a tractor with the deck engaged.




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Dave Hinz
2004-05-04 19:16:29 UTC
Permalink
===<>I'd hate to bypass something to have that happen,
===<>knowing that the "accident" would have been avoided by leaving the safety
===<>equipment as-shipped.
...So its pretty apparent that kid was
destined to have his legs cut off by his dad even if he did not have a
RIO as its stupid assed people like that guy that just abritrairily
backs up without looking first. Its his fathers falut he will be a
cripple
(snip rant)

And yet, if it was me, and this happened despite whatever caution was
taken, I would still have a problem with knowing I had disabled the
very safety feature which would have reduced or elimiated the danger.
I wasn't there, you weren't there, neither of us know the particulars
of the situation - paper said the kid ran out from behind the house
or something. Doesn't matter - point is, if the blade hadn't been turning
at that time, it wouldn't have made hamburger out of the kid's legs.
If there _was_ an interlock to prevent that, and it was disabled, well,
then it's *another* thing that was done wrong to cause the "accident".
Elmo
2004-05-05 19:59:10 UTC
Permalink
Post by Dave Hinz
===<>I'd hate to bypass something to have that happen,
===<>knowing that the "accident" would have been avoided by leaving the safety
===<>equipment as-shipped.
...So its pretty apparent that kid was
destined to have his legs cut off by his dad even if he did not have a
RIO as its stupid assed people like that guy that just abritrairily
backs up without looking first. Its his fathers falut he will be a
cripple
(snip rant)
And yet, if it was me, and this happened despite whatever caution was
taken, I would still have a problem with knowing I had disabled the
very safety feature which would have reduced or elimiated the danger.
I wasn't there, you weren't there, neither of us know the particulars
of the situation - paper said the kid ran out from behind the house
or something. Doesn't matter - point is, if the blade hadn't been turning
at that time, it wouldn't have made hamburger out of the kid's legs.
If there _was_ an interlock to prevent that, and it was disabled, well,
then it's *another* thing that was done wrong to cause the "accident".
And that goes double for the people who ride their children on the side
while mowing to say nothing of people who take the guards off PTO shafts
or ...
Roy
2004-05-05 20:59:56 UTC
Permalink
===<>>
===<>>>
===<>>>
===<>>>>===<>I'd hate to bypass something to have that happen,
===<>>>>===<>knowing that the "accident" would have been avoided by leaving the safety
===<>>>>===<>equipment as-shipped.
===<>>>
===<>>>...So its pretty apparent that kid was
===<>>>destined to have his legs cut off by his dad even if he did not have a
===<>>>RIO as its stupid assed people like that guy that just abritrairily
===<>>>backs up without looking first. Its his fathers falut he will be a
===<>>>cripple
===<>>
===<>>
===<>> (snip rant)
===<>>
===<>> And yet, if it was me, and this happened despite whatever caution was
===<>> taken, I would still have a problem with knowing I had disabled the
===<>> very safety feature which would have reduced or elimiated the danger.
===<>> I wasn't there, you weren't there, neither of us know the particulars
===<>> of the situation - paper said the kid ran out from behind the house
===<>> or something. Doesn't matter - point is, if the blade hadn't been turning
===<>> at that time, it wouldn't have made hamburger out of the kid's legs.
===<>> If there _was_ an interlock to prevent that, and it was disabled, well,
===<>> then it's *another* thing that was done wrong to cause the "accident".
===<>>
===<>And that goes double for the people who ride their children on the side
===<>while mowing to say nothing of people who take the guards off PTO shafts
===<>or ...
Could been or shoulda been the point is useless if moron are sold or
allowed to poperate equipment or have kids and contribute to a
inferior gene pool. It makes no difference if the machine has a safety
swiothch for what have you if the moroon on the thing is just that, a
moron. That kid was still destined to have something happen to him
and it was just a matter of time. If the old man backs up without
looking with or without the deck engaged, I would just have to think
he would be capabnle of backing out of the driveway without looking
where he is going just the same and perhaps back over his kid as well.

Years agao there were accidents, and safety switches have just
supported the dumbed down populace. I have kids (now grown) and now I
have grand kids, and my RIO stays inplace and the deck stays engaged
when I back up and it was made that way, so whats the freaking
difference if it was bypassed. Mine is made to work in reverse and
have the deck popwered up. BUT, I look before I even think about
shifting to reverse and continue looking while in reverse. You can
put assholes in a padded cell and they can still be stupid enough to
screw themselves up or someone else, and this world has gone on long
enough making exceptions for these idiots. We pay more for idiot
proofed items, hen only a small majority of folks are really an
asshole like that father is! RIO, no RIO, safety switches or not,
shit happens and if you did it by being an asshole then live with it,
as part of your pennance! I hate paying extra for idiot proofed items
so a few can be accomodated like he was!
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Tallgrass
2004-05-06 19:05:38 UTC
Permalink
Post by Dave Hinz
Late response, but this last weekend a 2 year old kid in Wisconsin
lost one leg and the other foot, because he got backed over by his dad on
a riding lawnmower. I'd hate to bypass something to have that happen,
knowing that the "accident" would have been avoided by leaving the safety
equipment as-shipped.
What is a child doing ANYWHERE NEAR an engaged mower blade in the
first place?

duh??

Having been (only) hit in the face by lawn mower debris, I consider
mowing around people and pets to be a significant error.

ymmv....
Linda H., annoyed by the RIO switch too

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