Forecarts and seating

[Steven F]

There seems to be an emerging trend for forecarts with seats attached. Depending on what is being pulled this seems like a rather dangerous place to sit. If you look at old horse drawn machinery, if the operator is seated it is always behind what is being pulled – and for a good reason. If horses bolt and you fall off, you fall behind the implement, not in front of it. The old-timers arranged their seating with safety in mind. The new forcarts, where you sit in front of the implement, seems highly dangerous.

[goodcompanion]

Had an accident here last year where an apprentice fell off a forecart and was run over by a harrow being pulled. Not seriously hurt, amazingly. So I have to really agree with this observation.

Forecarts are the trend of our times, I guess. There is something to be said for that drawbar convenience. It makes it easier to substitute a horse drawbar for a tractor drawbar, and even in some cases a pto shaft too. Back in the day I guess labor was more plentiful so convenience was not so great an issue. If it took five minutes longer to change a team from a wagon pole to a binder pole than it does to pull a pin on a wagon short pole and set a pin on a binder short pole, then that might not be a big deal.

[near horse]

@Steven F 26978 wrote:

If you fall off, you fall ….. in front of it.

While not a serious runaway issue, the same arrangement and risk is inherent in open-cab tractor farming. Falling off is never a good thing. Also, some implements, like side delivery rakes, are under/behind you in their original design for use with horses.

I’m not saying that there’s no risk involved or that OSHA would design things like that but it’s the least worst option.

[Donn Hewes]

Consider an old style rake or a manure spreader that you sit on. Give me a well made forecart any day. If I can keep my seat I have a better chance of dealing with what ever the animals are doing. the forecarts are the safest equipment I have.

[Andy Carson]

Steven,
I can see how you would think this, but forecarts are just so stable it is hard to imagine how one would fall off one in normal farm use. I have only fallen off mine once, because I was trotting on an old logging road and one wheel hit a foot tall stump hidden in grass. This was a major launch, but in my experience it takes something like this to knock someone off a forecart (unless they’re not paying attention). In comparison, I also have a ride-on-top disc that I have fallen off of several times at a walk due to rough terraign or rocks. I have never been injured on this disc, but I would say the risk of me falling in front of the blades is higher that the risk of me falling off a forecart at all…

[goodcompanion]

@Countymouse 26986 wrote:

Steven,
I can see how you would think this, but forecarts are just so stable it is hard to imagine how one would fall off one in normal farm use. I have only fallen off mine once, because I was trotting on an old logging road and one wheel hit a foot tall stump hidden in grass. This was a major launch, but in my experience it takes something like this to knock someone off a forecart (unless they’re not paying attention). In comparison, I also have a ride-on-top disc that I have fallen off of several times at a walk due to rough terraign or rocks. I have never been injured on this disc, but I would say the risk of me falling in front of the blades is higher that the risk of me falling off a forecart at all…

I suppose, and would be inclined to agree, but for the fact that a forecart fall-off and run-over actually occurred on my farm. While nobody has been run over by a harrow that you sit on. I realize that is not a statistical sample or anything. I would still use a forecart and a harrow myself, but this is a risk.

I have a ride-on disc and have fallen off that and landed behind. But that was because I was drunk. (Just kidding! …..Or am I?)

A forecart is lighter and more likely to bounce than a heavy manure spreader or harrow, when hitting a stone or a furrow, especially a forecart with rubber tires.

[Carl Russell]

I think it has a lot to do with the way the forecart is made, and what kind of seat is on there.

I agree that the Pioneer and Forest Manufacturing designs with tractor seats, basically hanging back off of the cart can be problematic.

Again with the Barden Cart….. If the cart is designed to allow the teamster to stand with a dash board to lean forward on, and outfitted with a bench seat that has a secure back rest, then it is far superior than the ride-on equipment.

I have hauled rakes, tedders, disc harrows, spring-tooth and chain harrows, logs, wagons, and sundry farm equipment for 25+ years, and can honestly say that I have only fallen off a cart 5 times…. all in the woods, never with equipment behind. Both carts I have are built as I described above, with room to stand, and bench seats (School bus seats).

I have fallen off of the seat on a sulky plow, and riding cultivators several times.

I would also posit that the forecart allows us to use equipment that is newer than that which Steven describes, and typically doesn’t have seats.

The worst accident I have ever had was walking next to spring-tooth harrows because I thought it foolish to drag them behind a cart.

Carl

[Carl Russell]

goodcompanion;26989 wrote:

…. I would still use a forecart and a harrow myself, but this is a risk……

I always say “Safety is a function of the degree of risk you are comfortable with”!:eek::D

Carl

[reb]

I think Mike Rowe has it right “safety third” I found this video on you-tube. I think the whole video is great, but at 14:00mins he talks about safety.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-udsIV4Hmc
Richard

[mitchmaine]

@reb 26996 wrote:

I think Mike Rowe has it right “safety third” I found this video on you-tube. I think the whole video is great, but at 14:00mins he talks about safety.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-udsIV4Hmc
Richard

thanks, reb. that’s so correct on so many levels, i can’t beleive it. very enjoyable. thanks again. mitch

[Mac]

Even though I don’t own a forecart, I thought I’d give my two cents.

It seems to me that all farming is inherently dangerous. Me, my daddy, and granddaddy have all been hurt working on the farm. Grandad lost two fingers to a disk(the team moved and he got a hand caught). My daddy had his hand broke while driving posts with a maul (I was driving the post. He laid his hand on top of it. I hit it. HARD). I almost lost an eye mowing when a cracked pitman rod came apart (and still don’t see well out of it).

However, I can say honestly that each of these incidents resulted from carelessness on our parts. We each knew better, but got in a hurry.

My point is, farming is just as safe as you make it. The old equipment was designed for horse use by horse users. The new equipment tries to blend the two, and thats just a risk that I don’t personally feel comfortable with. To each his own, in this case. But EVERYONE needs to stop and think about what they’re doing, and continue to think about what they’re doing while they’re doing it.

Mac

[Author]

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