boovuc 1,090 #1 Posted February 16, 2014 Woke up this morning with two sore, stoved fingers and remembered what had happened and how quickly it did. The snow yesterday was pretty wet and it was clinging to the blower and making it real heavy to lift plus I was losing traction when it started getting caked up. I pushed the snow off of it about 5 to 6 times during the course of clearing out the neighbors driveways and the plow slop from in front of others. (The chute was clean! Just the outside of the blower was getting coated)! My blower spins for a long time once it is disengaged from the PTO and all it took was a seconds contact with the chain and sprocket and bam! I lost a great right-hand Gore-Tex/Thinsulate glove. Two fingers that used to be in those gloves hurt like hell for a bit but they were OK until I got up this morning. They are sore and stiff. (Aleve time.....again)! Watch out for the loose clothing and these open belts and chains! I know better after 33 years in a manufacturing environment with a paranoid safety manager to boot and I still got nailed! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AMC RULES 37,126 #2 Posted February 16, 2014 Part of being human...we make mistakes, that's all. Heal well my friend. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
squonk 41,016 #3 Posted February 16, 2014 HELMET!!! Heal up! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
varosd 1,185 #4 Posted February 16, 2014 I also noted that my open snow jacket was hanging down below the seat pan. There was the chance of the multiple zipper pull tabs thingys to get caught in the rubber tire chains. be safe! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AMC RULES 37,126 #5 Posted February 16, 2014 HELMET!!! Heal up! Yeah, I'm itchin' to find a new home for this thing. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JC 1965 1,530 #6 Posted February 16, 2014 WOW !! Glad you're ok.. Don't feel dad though, I'm a stickler when it comes to safety but I too have had some very close calls. I worked for 35 years as a machinist and have seen some horrific accidents. The hardest thing to see is when a man gets body parts caught in moving machinery. I helped get 4 different guys out of machinery when their hands were trapped. Believe me when I say that your mind goes crazy when blood is streaming and a man is begging for help and your hands are shaking as you have to make sure you push the right buttons to release him from the machinery. After each one of those accidents, I stayed awake all night reliving each detail and thinking, what would have happened if I had pushed the wrong button. Please be careful with all tractors and tools. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tankman 3,518 #7 Posted February 16, 2014 The Horses and their implements can quickly "hurt" seriously! Always use caution but, do enjoy the engineered Stallions. Heal quickly and be thankful the fingers didn't get ripped too! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lane Ranger 10,943 #8 Posted February 16, 2014 I noticed the more I have used the snowthrower this year the more the belt guides have loosened up on the snowthrower drive belt -thus allowing to auger to rotate. I adjusted once already but I guess the vibration and overall movement allow the belt guides which usually hold the drive belt for the snowthrower in place just loosens up. I always am very cautious in front of that auger and the belts when anything is on. A finger, a string, a broom, etc anything can happen and quickly with a turn of the head, the body , etc. It is no doubt best to turn the machine completely off when doing anything on it in the way or repair, snow removal etc. As I get older, I am going to make this more the practice than the exception! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
neil 2,409 #9 Posted February 16, 2014 Glad you are ok , & live to tell the tail Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wyattrrp 59 #10 Posted February 16, 2014 When I bought the tractor that came with the blower 79360 it came with a small plastic shovel screwed tot he side of the hood. I asked what is that and the PO said a dispensable small shovel to clear the chute with, to avoid fingers getting mangled! I have used it every time I need to clear the shoot. Good accessory that I believe came with later models of the blower. And with walk behinds now. I know my elder cousin, a farmer , once had a crimping / cutting attachment behind the tractor cutting a field. Well it clogged with thick hay Driven by the tractor PTO. He got off as it stopped spinning and kicked the hay clog. As one would guess it cleared and started spinning, pulling his leg into the crimper spinning a rubber covered 8" shaft against an 8" steel grooved shaft to crimp the hay and let it dry faster. Yep. His leg went in and it ate the lower part of his muscles off his leg bone and trapped him there for 10 mi just bone showing. Good thing his wife was watching out the kitchen window and realized he should've been around the field by now. That is what saved his life as she drove to the far end of field and shut off the tractor. Had to disassemble the rollers and he lost his leg. Never farmer again. After that story I always stop the auger and wait til I see it not spinning and use that plastic tiny shovel accessory. Well worht the few seconds to wait!. You lucked out with a glove and sore fingers. So many emergency runs in winter up here are for snowblower hand mangled finger accidents. GET A SZTICK or the plastic accessory!!! OUCH! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
brandonozz 168 #11 Posted February 16, 2014 So often in the business world today safety is the number one concern with production/profit coming in at a close second. Big companies will check the OSHA records of their vendor companies and will not do business with companies that are unsafe or have poor safety records. The diffirence is companies will spend large amounts of time and money to be safe. Installing guards,training,safety switches etc... Those same employees will go home and cut corners to save time and use the "get er done" attitude and put themselves at risk. It's hard to take the extra time/effort/money to do it safe but ultimately were the ones that will pay the price. Boovuc, I'm glad your going to be OK and no permanent damage is done. Thanks for sharing your dangerous experience with the group. Doing so may save someone else a much worse fate! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ed Kennell 38,007 #12 Posted February 16, 2014 Guess that's what the PTO brakes are for. My C-101 has one, but my other Cs, Chargers and Raider does not have one. I always try to remember the blower on my C-120 spins forever. It has spit the chute clean out stick back at me several times. Glad It wasn't more serious. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
doc724 925 #13 Posted February 16, 2014 A good reminder for us all. We can all recall the many near misses when we did not get bit! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
boovuc 1,090 #14 Posted February 16, 2014 To add insult to injury..................A new pair of good Gore-Tex/Thinsulate gloves cost over 50 bucks but they are the only things that keep my hands warm. And since I still have all of my fingers, I guess I'll spring for a new pair! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rokon 64 #15 Posted February 17, 2014 (edited) I noticed the more I have used the snowthrower this year the more the belt guides have loosened up on the snowthrower drive belt -thus allowing to auger to rotate. I adjusted once already but I guess the vibration and overall movement allow the belt guides which usually hold the drive belt for the snowthrower in place just loosens up. I always am very cautious in front of that auger and the belts when anything is on. A finger, a string, a broom, etc anything can happen and quickly with a turn of the head, the body , etc. It is no doubt best to turn the machine completely off when doing anything on it in the way or repair, snow removal etc. As I get older, I am going to make this more the practice than the exception! I agree with lane ranger about shutting the machine completely off. I never needed chains on my 520 until this year. I was putting them on in the driveway with the engine running and forgot about the hydro cooling fan behind the right rear tire until it took the skin off my knuckles. Stupid mistake on my part absolutely. I was just in a rush and made the bad decision to leave it running. Edited February 17, 2014 by rokon Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jackhammer 546 #16 Posted February 17, 2014 Reflection time ... is a very good teacher. Glad to here nothing worse happened Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ericj 1,578 #17 Posted February 17, 2014 i did the same thing as rokon tried to put chains on my 520 with the motor running and forgot about the hydro fan luckily it only got my gloves and didn't hurt my fingers but i shut it off right away before trying something that dumb again. most if not all accidents are operator error eric j Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
redidbull 54 #18 Posted February 17, 2014 Glad to hear you are OK. I have found when you are in hurry and tired you make mistakes. Make sure you take breaks when out there. Here is an article I wrote that may save an ER trip. http://www.wxedge.com/articles/20131205snowblower_safety_ Jim Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
