# I Hate Safety Switches



## Bob Driver (Nov 1, 2017)

I hate safety switches. That's why I like the old school stuff. No seat switch and I can mow in reverse anytime I want. You know a Man's Mower.... Built back in the day when the Government would actually let you kill yourself mowing your lawn. Here's my latest addition to the collection and probably one of the most deadly to operate mowers ever built --


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## Hoodoo Valley (Nov 14, 2006)

Well, it still does have a shroud over the blades, but I like it!


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## FredM (Nov 18, 2015)

when you say deadly, does this mean to the operator or it is a good mower ?.


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## Bob Driver (Nov 1, 2017)

This a 1968 Yazoo YR-48. These were the 1st generation of zero-turn mowers and were made in Jackson, MS. 16HP Briggs, 2-speed transmission, and it mows at about 10 MPH in high range, at full throttle. These were the hot ticket for big mowing work back in the 60's. Notice the chain-operated steering tire at the back of the stance and the knob on the steering wheel... This thing will do 360's in place like any z-turn, but it's a front mount deck, rear-mount operator position, with center mass drive. If you're running along in high range and crank on that steering knob more than 1/2 a turn, the inertia of the turn will literally "slingshot" you across the lawn. The steering tire will go to full lock and the machine is then doing 360's at full power while you're crawling for your life. Trying to get back on it, or shut it down, is like trying to get back on a rodeo bull. No seat switch, no arm rest, no seat belt, and not a safety sticker on the machine. If you've ever cussed while trouble-shooting safety switches, this is the machine that started it all. The beer loving neighbor down the street had one when I was a kid. Wiped out his wife's prized rose bed at least 1/2 a dozen times and the dog would head underneath porch every time he heard the mower start. My dad, along with several other neighbors, would stop whatever they were doing and grab a lawn chair to go watch the show. It was the twice a week spectacle for the entire neighborhood and there was usually a betting pool going on IF he was going to stay on the machine, or WHAT he was going to hit.....


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## deerhide (Oct 20, 2016)

(-: (-:


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## FredM (Nov 18, 2015)

I enjoyed your rendition on the mower, thank you for naming the machine as I was wondering what make it was, actually I like the style of this machine and a simple safety for this machine is the lanyard kill switch as used by motorcycle racers and speedboat drivers.

And I would like to add that the spinner on the steering wheel would add to the danger for an uncontrolled spin, better to have two hands on the wheel and that way would control the rear steer better, and another, the rear sprocket should have been larger to slow the steering wheel reaction down and the spinner could be used, and better still, the rear steer should have been trailing(slower reaction) instead of leading, just my assumptions.

Thank you for the write up


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## Hoodoo Valley (Nov 14, 2006)

........like


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## Bob Driver (Nov 1, 2017)

FredM - You've probably never seen one of these Down Under. I run a small engine shop in NE Mississippi about 75 miles from Jackson where these things were made. They are actually not all that rare around these parts. I bought this one from a customer down the road for $75 last Fall. Did the resto on it this past Winter. I know of 2 more that are sitting in barns locally. I've seen these things fetch $2K at vintage lawn tractor shows. Here is a link to a You Tube video that will give you an idea of what I'm talking about in the way of danger in operating these machines. Bear in mind, he's got the range selector lever to the left, which is LOW RANGE. Now picture the inertia involved in a turn like this in HIGH at mowing RPM....


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## Hoodoo Valley (Nov 14, 2006)

Yeah, that'd never fly today. Can you imagine how many people would be getting run over or killed / maimed?


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## FredM (Nov 18, 2015)

Bob, I am trying to get my brain working, but I am having trouble trying to recall that type of machine here, I know we had Yazoo's many many years ago, and vaguely vaguely remember one of that style here, back in those days I was busy racing motorbikes and speed cars, not worrying about cutting grass.

I still like that machine and you got a great buy for $75, have you thought of fitting a lanyard style kill switch, lanyard connected to a pin that fits into the switch, pull the pin and the engine goes to ground,


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## thepumpguysc (Jan 25, 2015)

I know exactly whatcha mean Bob.. I took all the safety switches off my Troybilt lawn tractor.. UNTIL, I saw the Mrs. get off of it with the blades still running.!!!!
I hooked the seat switch back up but left the reverse switch unhooked.


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## lbs45 (Feb 22, 2019)

I agree that safety switches are annoying, but having been thrown off a sulky while mowing with my Gravely 2-wheel tractor, I was relieved to have the tractor die when I was on the ground with the mower nearby.


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## mrfred (Jul 5, 2011)

Those safety switches, I call them lawyer switches


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## wjjones (May 28, 2010)

I have a friend who has one just like that yazoo only with a 60" deck, and a Wisconsin engine wasting away in his garage.


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## Bob Driver (Nov 1, 2017)

wjjones said:


> I have a friend who has one just like that yazoo only with a 60" deck, and a Wisconsin engine wasting away in his garage.


wjjones - Does that 60" have the twin-cylinder Wisconsin? To Yazoo Collectors, those are the Holy Grail. It's like a 16-cylinder Duesenberg to a high-end car collector. Some how, when I opened my shop, I started getting all these old farts, like me, that like to collect the vintage stuff show up/call. Around here (MS), a NON-RUNNING, "Wisconsin Twin", alone is worth a $1,000 (if it's complete) to a guy that remembers the days of adjusting a set of points. A YZ-60, with the twin Wisconsin, fully restored, could probably bring $3,000 from a "Yazoo Guy" if it completed his collection. Where's this garage located??


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## wjjones (May 28, 2010)

Yes. It runs too the last time I was at his house.


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## wjjones (May 28, 2010)

Hes a friend of mine that lives just down the rd.


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## andyvh1959 (Jul 1, 2015)

Safety switches,.....stupid should hurt. 

Makes me think of the urban legend: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/hedge-fund/


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## Groo (Jan 17, 2020)

Remember, for each safety switch there was someone that refused to take responsibility for their own actions. Lawyers can't bring these cases to court without someone hurt claiming it wasn't their fault. Idiots on juries then agree that someone with money should pay a ridiculous amount of money for said idiot's stupidity.

ps. people still die with all of these modern safety devices, but fewer than would have otherwise.
I sort of knew someone that died because their zero turn ended up in the river on top of them, the first time out with the new mower at the new house.

pps. When I moved into the place before my current one, it was ridiculously overgrown with those tough weeds that get about 3' tall and have pink bristly flowers.
I ended up cutting a pie shape out of the front of the mower deck of an old push mower (bypassed safety as well, and a duct taped stick to fix the push handle hinge) to cut them. I called it the "Murder Mower". I was almost done when the blade failed. I finished it up with a weed whacker and curbed the "Murder Mower" (engine was on its last legs too). It sure was effective while it lasted.


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## Bob Williams (Sep 7, 2020)

Bob Driver said:


> FredM - You've probably never seen one of these Down Under. I run a small engine shop in NE Mississippi about 75 miles from Jackson where these things were made. They are actually not all that rare around these parts. I bought this one from a customer down the road for $75 last Fall. Did the resto on it this past Winter. I know of 2 more that are sitting in barns locally. I've seen these things fetch $2K at vintage lawn tractor shows. Here is a link to a You Tube video that will give you an idea of what I'm talking about in the way of danger in operating these machines. Bear in mind, he's got the range selector lever to the left, which is LOW RANGE. Now picture the inertia involved in a turn like this in HIGH at mowing RPM....





Bob Driver said:


> FredM - You've probably never seen one of these Down Under. I run a small engine shop in NE Mississippi about 75 miles from Jackson where these things were made. They are actually not all that rare around these parts. I bought this one from a customer down the road for $75 last Fall. Did the resto on it this past Winter. I know of 2 more that are sitting in barns locally. I've seen these things fetch $2K at vintage lawn tractor shows. Here is a link to a You Tube video that will give you an idea of what I'm talking about in the way of danger in operating these machines. Bear in mind, he's got the range selector lever to the left, which is LOW RANGE. Now picture the inertia involved in a turn like this in HIGH at mowing RPM....


Looks like he is in serious need of a safety cage and a 6 point harness to stay on the machine. Or, a lot more seat time.


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## Bob Williams (Sep 7, 2020)

I have mixed feelings on safety switches. They are meant to keep you from getting hurt. I bought a used 2010 Cub Cadet GTX 1054 and have had to replace the seat safety switch 2 times and the reverse over ride switch 3 times in 4 years. I was not comfortable in doing these repairs myself, and paid thru the nose for the local dealer to do the repairs. My land is gently rolling without any very steep plots to mow, so I think I will try to bypass these switches if they fail again. Also, does anyone have a source for a shop manual for this model. I have an oil leak from either the main shaft seal or the pan gasket which needs fixed. It looks pretty straghtforeward and I think I can do this, but would like a shop manual in case I get into trouble.


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## TX MX5200 (May 12, 2020)

It's a beast and cool looking. Disable the blades and see rides.... look like a blast.

I had a rear steer Toro with diesel motor and 60" cut...hydro tranny and similar steering wheel, but it had dual rear steer wheels. In a race, nothing comes close.


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## andyvh1959 (Jul 1, 2015)

Talk of safety switches and lawyers, gets me thinking of countries (mostly 3rd world but also many asian locales) with no OSHA, no lawyers for the common folk, no PPE, and seemingly no logic or common sense. Youtube videos abound of idiots using a fork lift, to raise a smaller folk lift, to raise a straight ladder to reach high on a wall.


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