Re: Warning/Extremity lights..how many do you have

If I know there is going to some traffic, or the rare times where I'm on the highway I'll turn the flashers on, but most of the time I leave them off. I very rarely move equipment at night. Most of our equipment is old and doesn't have any extremity lighting anyway. The problem is, there is always some toolbag that will pull out in front of me instead of waiting and expect me to get out of the way, regardless if I have the flashers on or not. I'm not going to tear up the planter trying to drive in the ditch because some jerk is too busy to wait two minutes for me to get past.

I avoid the highway like the plague. Between Seaboard and the oil field there is just way too much traffic for safe (and efficient) transport. It seems like most drivers have no respect for large machinery.

 

Re: Warning/Extremity lights..how many do you have

I'm not sure how a rotating beacon or light-bar helps with extremity lighting, why not add extremity lighting if thats your problem. Drivers might see your bright lights but then get blinded and run into your tires that are hanging on the pavement. IMO its not how bright the lights are its how well they are positioned to be effective. In Canada I think its the law you have to have extremity lights if a tractor/implement is larger than a certain width (which every 4wd exceeds) I sometimes spend an hour on the road at night and if would feel pretty bad if someone hit one of my cultivator shovels on the way by because of lack of lights.

 

Re: Warning/Extremity lights..how many do you have

that light looks like it would be ok if you want the guy 5 miles away to see you. i would be worried about that light distracting people that you are meeting on the road and then hitting the machine. I would worry more about lighting the extremities.

 

Re: Warning/Extremity lights..how many do you have

You're right JD... PAMI had brought out a book a few years ago about it.

We didn't travel much on public roads before, so we stuck all the reflector tape on, and had portable flashing lights before (the magnet type). I've started wiring up all the equipment now though, as with more acres I find myself out at midnight more often

The combine has two flashing lights mounted at the sides, the straight-cut has two on it on the very ends, and the rear tail lights also flash, so that makes 6 flashing lights.

The 4wd has two on the front fender (that stick out the side), two at the very front, three on top of the cab, and two more behind on the fenders that flash.

I don't think putting a bunch of strobe lights on top of the cab is a good idea, people will think you're EMS, and not farm machinery... The flashing lights around the outer extremeties, two tail lights, and a reflective SMV should get everyone's attention...

-Christian

 

Re: Warning/Extremity lights..how many do you have

Well if people think you're EMS then they're gonna get the heck out of your way, so let them think that. I've found people don't have any patience for farm machinery and don't want to bother with waiting or giving you room to get by it they know thats what it is. So if they think I'm an ambulance or something then even better, you know people will stop for them.

I'll only run warning flashers at night, people can see them just fine from a good distance away to figure out what they're driving towards. If they're too stupid to allow for that then thats their own d**n fault. I never run them during the day, I figure if they can't tell that there's a big combine or tractor with wide equipment coming down the road then they deserve to run into me. They've got plenty of time by the time they figure out what it is to get slowed down or stopped, no excuses.

The issue with lights isn't that people can't see or identify them, like I said factory flashers and lights are plenty visible, its that they're just to impatient to allow time and room for everybody other then themselves.

 

Re: Warning/Extremity lights..how many do you have

i didnt get blue/red ones, amber is reserved for wide loads/construction/farm machinery and things of the like, EMS/Police are blue/red, fire is just straight blue, thats how it is here anyway.

 

Re: Warning/Extremity lights..how many do you have

we have the extremity break away lights that are extended about 2" past the tires to show how wide it is, but they don't seem to pay attention to the slow warning light flashes...so we thought we'd give strobe lights a chance.

and we're going for getting peoples attention at farther distances to let them know something is coming up and for them to slow down some.

 

Re: Warning/Extremity lights..how many do you have

I know in some states (Texas for sure) that red/blue strobes on a vehicle of any kind is illegal unless you are EMS

 

Re: Warning/Extremity lights..how many do you have

And if you think having someone run into you and get killed even when it isn't your fault is something you can say"It's their own d**n fault" to, just try it sometime

 

Re: Warning/Extremity lights..how many do you have

Get the flashing headlight/taillight strobes... some of the volunteer EMS have them here...

 

Re: Warning/Extremity lights..how many do you have

I have to agree with the guys saying light things up. I live on a hard surfaced road and transport equipment can be a bit sketchy. The local acreage people don't slow down for anything. We have flashing hazard lights on the extremities, but I still pull over and stop to let them go by. I just don't feel comfortable driving in the ditch, while some yahoo goes by at 100= Km/hr. Even when pulled over in some places it doesn't leave much room, It is a PITA stopping but I would rather stop and give them room than hit them or have them hit me.

I'd check with your local authorities about what the regulations are in your area for lighting up equipment. Mostly I would check with you insurance company and see what they say. Our told us to light things up, That way it limits the liability if some one hits you.

 

Re: Warning/Extremity lights..how many do you have

Well having someone crash into me and dying is the last thing that I would ever hope for. That's absolutely the last thing I would ever want to experience. But I think you guys get my point. I wish stuff like this was included in driver education, stop classes, etc a lot more...People, other than those who drive machinery like this, need to understand that its much easier, faster, and safer for them to get slowed down when we meet on the road, especially if it needs to be done in a hurry. I hate having to try and get throttled or geared down and then having to swerve off to the side and get stopped in a hurry. Don't get me wrong I don't try to take the right of way and expect everyone to just stop and let me through without me having to slow down or pull over. As soon as I see a car or whatever I start slowing down and look for the nearest driveway or the safest spot on the road to get pulled over to even if it means having to wait a minute or so.

So don't take me wrong when I say that it's their own fault if they hit me. At night it can be tricky, but in broad daylight what the heck is anybody's excuse for running into large machinery like that. But really accidents like this should never happen and can very easily be avoided if a lot of drivers would use a little common sense. And lighting equipment up even more I don't think is the answer. Like I said factory flashers are very very visible, especially at night time. You can see them very well, even up to 2 miles away or a little further yet given the conditions are right. I guess if somebody can't put that together in that amount of time then maybe they shouldn't be driving. Obviously those of us who have to drive machinery in these conditions are being as safe as we can while we do. It's up to others to do the same, which is why the general public should be educated about this much more in my opinion.

 

Re: Warning/Extremity lights..how many do you have

I agree very much with you Connor when you say lighting stuff up more isn't the answer. My accident happened to me while I was hauling a combine, but I believe it's applicable here. It was broad daylight, I was northbound between Colby and Atwood, KS, on K-25. I had a rapid rotating dual light beacon on the cab, bright orange flags all around, and a bright yellow "oversize load" sign on the bumper. An 85 y/o man and his wife met me, and right before he did, for some reason, he drifted into my lane. They ended up hitting the left side of the trailer and the combine tire. He died two weeks later in Witchita. I had done everything the law requires, and went beyond what the law requires with the beacon. Everything but having an escort vehicle. When he went by the cab i looked down and he was staring straight ahead. He never touched the brakes.

Connor is right, accidents like this shouldn't happen. When you've done everything in your power to move equipment as safe as you can, there is little room for improvement on your part.

 

Re: Warning/Extremity lights..how many do you have

i don't slow down on a 2lane highway, my duals get on the shoulder...thats the farthest over i go unless its another farmer im meeting then i slow down and move over more.. i expect car traffic to move over because im not gonna let my duals hang in the air over the ditch.

When we're in harvest we'll move as a convoy (15ft spacing between each, combine;combine;graincart;graincart;4 wagons;two graintrucks)so nobody is dumb enough to pass us anyway, but when you just a single tractor it's a little bit of a pain dealing with tractors.


Lighting up the sky may not be the answer, but it might help, we'll see...i know alot of guys who started running with their field lights on down the road to show the implement, problem is when your in a car/truck your blinding the heck out of the people behind you.

 

Re: Warning/Extremity lights..how many do you have

Well, our field/work lights all swivel (we put on aftermarket lights on all the tractors), and something we do, is swivel them, so the back lights shine onto the tires/hitch/implement (no glare), and the front ones shine onto the engine hood, front wheels, etc.

If you're 500 yards away, you see a really bright piece of farm machinery, so I'm hoping they see it.

I figure the excuse these people have is: they're stupid.

Seriously, when I was in CDL/Class 1 school, our instructor told us to:

1. Remember, you are a professional.
2. Remember, the car drivers on the road are idiots.
3. Remember, the car drivers on the road are small children that whine a lot.
4. Remember, other truck drivers, and farmers are professionals.


I recall this past spring, Dad was out helping and ran in front of me with the Massey and the drills behind it, I was behind him with the 4wd and harrows. Together, we were probably a 100' long or longer convoy.

Both of us had the outer wheels on the gravel, and the inner wheels were just on the white line (outer line), so plenty of room... Along comes this B-train pulp truck - I see him in the rear-view mirror, and thought he'd stay behind me - two cars were aproaching us from in front. Nope, this "nutjob" pulled out, and passed us in broad daylight with two cars straight in front of him!!! Both cars hit their brakes and went onto the gravel shoulder, luckily. There's no excuse for that, but he still did it.

So much for all truck drivers being professionals...

 

Re: Warning/Extremity lights..how many do you have

im getting tired of people going flying by me without slowing down at all when i pull onto the shoulder as far as i can and they still go flying by in the closest lane when there is no one coming toward them for miles. Im to the point im not pullin over and going to take up the entire lane.

 

Re: Warning/Extremity lights..how many do you have

The worst part is that you can be doing everything right but if there is a problem its always the farmer to blame. We had an incident around our area where some idiot was drunk and ran into a combine with a header on the road, not just the side almost right down the middle. It took the roof off the car, among other things. Guess who got blamed? Not the driver of the car.

 

Re: Warning/Extremity lights..how many do you have

I don't have many pics of it. But on the pea bines we had 2 rotating beacons on top 2 flashers on the back and 2 flashers on the head.

When we'd road we'd try and have one service truck in front and back w/ their rotating beacon and 4 way flashers on. Otherwise the 7920 w/ Byron was in back. They wanted us to maintain 300' between bines but generally that didnt happen. Normally we kept about a 150' distance from eachother.

 

Re: Warning/Extremity lights..how many do you have

Wow in MD if your running blue lights you better be a cop. If not your getting a ticket. State Police are red/blue......local police and sheriff are all blue. Fire/EMS are all red or red/white. Yellow is reserved for farm equip, construction equip, tow trucks etc......

 

Re: Warning/Extremity lights..how many do you have

We obtained *cough* a big railroad issued LED strode light. I can't imagine how bright it will be. It will either go on the combine or the 8970, but it's 24 volts but it's not a big deal. I can't imagine how expensive it would be if we actually had to buy it.

I usally try to move down main roads as much as possible. Main highways are the best such as US Routes, they are nice and wide and who cares about the cars. If they can't pass me that's their problem.

The back roads around here are just terrible, not only are they very bust but there is not place to pull over and meet a car.

-Dave

 

Re: Warning/Extremity lights..how many do you have

thats a problem we have too dave, on a large portion of backroads, theres drainage ditches, just narrow ditches because most people will cut the ditch and plant crop in it, etc. Our's aren't really busted, but they'll give you a reason to pop your back.

state/county roads are just maintained better because of having a larger budget for maintenence. I work for the road dept. in the summer/winter so i know all about it.