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Tractors, still widely used today, as essentially a mobile version of this. One of the main purposes of a tractor, compared to other farm vehicles, is that it

Tractors, still widely used today, as essentially a mobile version of this. One of the main purposes of a tractor, compared to other farm vehicles, is that it has a power take-off [0] to enable the engine to drive other farm implements like combines. [0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_take-off https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_take-off

pests 3y ago
I've never actually thought about what a tractor actually is. I've seen them in use and could roughly describe one but its actual purpose or intent was unknown to me until now.
JshWright 3y ago
Easily one of the most dangerous bit of farm equipment. I’ve seen several people killed by getting their hand/arm in a PTO shaft.
- qup 3y ago
  You might be the only person on the planet who's witnessed several of those, if you mean first-hand.
  - vvanders 3y ago
    They're still incredibly dangerous. Even with all the safety guards you've got 50-300hp being directed to a free-space shaft. When we got a mower we went with a flail mower because we'd be mowing near neighbors and a bush hog(giant lawnmower blade style mower) will happily pick up a rock and send it with enough force to easily kill someone at a good distance. Flails tend to throw less things(which is why highway maintenance use them for mowing along the road).
    - kQq9oHeAz6wLLS 3y ago
      Early tractor PTOs where especially, um, fun. No built-in overrunning clutch and no "live" PTO means the inertia of spinning implements could turn the PTO, and thus the drive wheels. Nothing like standing on the brakes while the tractor just...keeps going for a few feet. Fortunately overrunning clutch attachments are cheap to add.
  - JshWright 3y ago
    I'm a paramedic in a rural area. I didn't witness the initial events, only the aftermath.
1-more 3y ago
that's actually a great point! In all of those cases the weight and breakdownability of having another motor in the tool attached to the tractor seems like a real hassle compared to a PTO.

pests 3y ago

I've never actually thought about what a tractor actually is. I've seen them in use and could roughly describe one but its actual purpose or intent was unknown to me until now.

JshWright 3y ago

Easily one of the most dangerous bit of farm equipment. I’ve seen several people killed by getting their hand/arm in a PTO shaft.

qup 3y ago
You might be the only person on the planet who's witnessed several of those, if you mean first-hand.
- vvanders 3y ago
  They're still incredibly dangerous. Even with all the safety guards you've got 50-300hp being directed to a free-space shaft. When we got a mower we went with a flail mower because we'd be mowing near neighbors and a bush hog(giant lawnmower blade style mower) will happily pick up a rock and send it with enough force to easily kill someone at a good distance. Flails tend to throw less things(which is why highway maintenance use them for mowing along the road).
  - kQq9oHeAz6wLLS 3y ago
    Early tractor PTOs where especially, um, fun. No built-in overrunning clutch and no "live" PTO means the inertia of spinning implements could turn the PTO, and thus the drive wheels. Nothing like standing on the brakes while the tractor just...keeps going for a few feet. Fortunately overrunning clutch attachments are cheap to add.
- JshWright 3y ago
  I'm a paramedic in a rural area. I didn't witness the initial events, only the aftermath.

1-more 3y ago

that's actually a great point! In all of those cases the weight and breakdownability of having another motor in the tool attached to the tractor seems like a real hassle compared to a PTO.