New stupid SAFETY features

[bowman316]

So Apparently All new riding lawn mowers now have a safety feature where the mower stalls out if you put it in reverse while the mower is engaged. Just because some mouth breather runs over his kid, we gotta deal with the crap now? Seriously, i back up 100 times while mowing the lawn, just turn turn tight corners, thank got it was easy to unplug the wire and disable this stupid feature.

And these new gas cans are the worst, what ever happened to the air holes in the top? Now it takes 4 times as long to pour out, if you use the spout. I just take the spout off and use a funnel. But it still spills, because there is no air hole up top! I really want to start a company that makes old style gas cans.

I'm not sure if its the Govt making them do this, or lawsuits from stupid customers. Those law suits should be thrown out, and the customers should be required to pay all legal fees.

Rant over, lol

 

[meder24]

I agree with you on the gas can issue. the new nozzles are a pain to utilize.
I do not think the tractor issue is all that new of an issue though. My Dad's old 89 Cub Cadet had this feature. We simply bent the switch that was activated when shifting to reverse out of the way and problem solved!

 

[bowman316]

We have a mid 90's Huskvarna lawn mower, It mows in reverse, no safety feature.

The bad thing about our legal system, even if I win a frivolous lawsuit, I still had to pay lawyers, so I loose either way.

 

[Stingrayaxe]

My 3 year old cub cadet has a mow backwards safety feature. After engaging the pto you turn the key back one position and press a button next to the key. Now I can mow in reverse. It still has the deadman switch in the seat so if I take a header off the mower everything will shut down. That way I'll only be crushed by the mower tipping over and not cut up by it!

 

[bowman316]

I just bought 10 plastic air vent inserts for gas cans. You drill a hole in the can, and hammer these into the can.

 

[MTboatguy]

I just drill holes in my plastic gas cans and install a vent with a cap, it is mandated by the EPA that the cans be this way now a days because of the fumes, they want the clean air cans so the fumes don't vent in to the air. Same reason that they tell you not to top your gas tank up anymore after the auto off clicks.

 

[mla2ofus]

There's a few "oblivions" among us that get themselves injured or killed. Rather than let Darwin take care of them, big brother want's to assume we're all "oblivions"!!
Mike

 

[fhhuber]

Yep... we've been protecting the idiots too long and thus the state of the world.

 

[Scott Danforth]

the no-mow-in-reverse is a requirement in CE nations that was adopted here in the US long ago (First introduced in 1983). most have a no-mow-in-reverse bypass feature, either on the key (such as garden and lawn tractors), or a separate button which requires the operator to make a conscious effort to back up while mowing. This is a big issue with stand-on zero-turns where the operator would be backing up a slight incline, or near a curb, hit something and then run their own legs over as they fell backwards. Its also an issue when someone backs down a hill, and rolls the tractor over backwards then has the spinning blades decapitate them as the mower rolls over on them.

Same reason there are PTO guards on tractors, and interlocks on the operator seat.

Its not about protecting idiots, its about protecting your 5 year old son/daughter that wants to cut grass like dad, and hops on it when your not watching because you left the keys in the mower ignition.

 

[NYBo]

My 16-year-old lawn tractor has two run positions on the ignition, one that allows mowing in reverse and one that doesn't. Not much of a safety feature IMO.

 

[bowman316]

http://www.amazon.com/YELLOW-Shipping-Chilton-Rotopax-Rubbermaid/dp/B00MNC6L24

Just bought these.
MT, are these what you put into your tanks?

How does a tank vent effect the environment at all? Are they worried about you looking the cap, and spilling gas out the vent hole?

I want to meet the genius that decided to cut the diamater of the pour spout in half, to put an air vent inside of it. Which makes you pour the gas twice as slow. Really 4 times a slow, since half the time, air is rushing in to replace the fuel, since there is no vent hole up top.

 

[MTboatguy]

http://www.amazon.com/YELLOW-Shipping-Chilton-Rotopax-Rubbermaid/dp/B00MNC6L24

Just bought these.
MT, are these what you put into your tanks?

How does a tank vent effect the environment at all? Are they worried about you looking the cap, and spilling gas out the vent hole?

I want to meet the genius that decided to cut the diamater of the pour spout in half, to put an air vent inside of it. Which makes you pour the gas twice as slow. Really 4 times a slow, since half the time, air is rushing in to replace the fuel, since there is no vent hole up top.

Yup, exact same ones I use, those are the same ones that all the manufactures used to install in their cans.

 

[rogerwa]

I hate those gas cans. For a supposed safety feature I spill more gas than ever trying to push in the spout to let the gas out. My dad had a metal can with a screw on cap with a pump in it. It had a rubber hose with a valve at the end. You give it a few pumps and open the valve where you wanted the gas to go and voila no spill. You could also fill it without holding the tank up. I would give gold for that tank.

 

[Messing About]

My 7 year old John Deere LA135 has a hydrostatic transmission; no shifting, just move my foot from the forward throttle pedal to a reverse throttle pedal, while pushing a little yellow button on the dash. Easy peazy. For a non-zero turn, it's a pretty fast mower. Drives my neighbor crazy to watch me as he has to stop, shift gears with a handle in order to reverse on his cub cadet. I'm all....forward, back.....forward, back.....forward, back....before he can execute one move.

 

[mla2ofus]

I have an old Dixon 3303 w/ the cone drive tranny. A friend E-mailed me complete instructions on how to adjust and overhaul the tranny and it's very simple to work on. With 12 1/2Hp on a 30" mower it cuts a lot of grass in a hurry. Oh, and someone long before me eliminated all the safeties which were few.
Mike

 

[redneck joe]

http://www.amazon.com/YELLOW-Shipping-Chilton-Rotopax-Rubbermaid/dp/B00MNC6L24

Just bought these.
MT, are these what you put into your tanks?

How does a tank vent effect the environment at all? Are they worried about you looking the cap, and spilling gas out the vent hole?

I want to meet the genius that decided to cut the diamater of the pour spout in half, to put an air vent inside of it. Which makes you pour the gas twice as slow. Really 4 times a slow, since half the time, air is rushing in to replace the fuel, since there is no vent hole up top.

Thanks for the link. I just drilled holes and it sloshes on me a bit.

 

[Bayou Dave]

http://www.amazon.com/YELLOW-Shipping-Chilton-Rotopax-Rubbermaid/dp/B00MNC6L24

Just bought these.
MT, are these what you put into your tanks?

How does a tank vent effect the environment at all? Are they worried about you looking the cap, and spilling gas out the vent hole?

I want to meet the genius that decided to cut the diamater of the pour spout in half, to put an air vent inside of it. Which makes you pour the gas twice as slow. Really 4 times a slow, since half the time, air is rushing in to replace the fuel, since there is no vent hole up top.

$7.48 for a piece of plastic that costs pennies to make. :blue:

 

[aspeck]

$7.48 for a piece of plastic that costs pennies to make. :blue:

That price is for 10, so they are $0.75 each, shipping included. I have ordered and used this before.

That aside, please be careful in this thread. iboats does not condone the circumvention of the law. There is an understanding of the frustration that many "safety features" cause, and sometimes you just need to vent. But understand that the laws were enacted for a purpose and any act you do to navigate your way around the law you do on your own. iboats does not endorse or encourage illegal or unsafe actions, which several on this thread have suggested as options. For this reason, I am asking that this thread remain a vent only (no pun intended), and not a reversal of safety features (okay, that one was intended).

 

[fhhuber]

Mod EDIT: As Aspeck posted above: Rants are ok. How to's on defeating safeties are not.​

Voids warranties... and if someone else gets hurt its you who will pay instead of the mower maker.

Some of the safeties are stupid... some are not that bad of an idea.

 

[bowman316]

It's illegal to put a vent in my gas can? Or to make my mower mow in reverse? It's just making a product work the way you want it to, its my product, I will do what ever I want to it.