De Forest, WI | jd8850 - 5/13/2023 21:37 In the 8th grade i ran a 69 5020 for 1.50 an hour. The beginning of my hearing loss.
Our farm was not so big, but I did many, many days on old Farmall 560, H and M from 7th grade on up. That and shooting at the trap club in my teens really screwed up my hearing. I really wish I would have worn ear plugs for much of that. I will be 46 this year and can't hear much of anything beyond 7500 Hz. It really sucks as I REMEBER what some things sounded like, but I can no longer hear them without some type of amplification.
For ANYONE working with loud equipment for extended periods, please, do yourself a favor and wear some kind of hearing protection. Its not just the hearing loss that sucks, but I also have tinnitus. It sounds like a high pitch tea kettle whistle ALL THE TIME. It NEVER stops. Its from damage to the structures of the ear. I look at young men driving around loud things to say look at me. I would MUCH rather drive a NICE vehicle and have people look at me for that than a LOUD one. Same goes for tractors. People will notice a shiny vehicle (car, truck, tractor, etc.) and think your all that. They will also notice a LOUD one and notice, but not for admiration.
Anywho, working for money, learning how a business works and getting paid are all good and needed experiences for all young people. It builds character, pride in ones accomplishments and teaches that perseverance pays. I also don't thing working in a meat packing plant at a young age is appropriate. Farm work can be very dangerous if parents are not diligent.
When I was young I was not allowed to do certain tasks until I demonstrated I understood the dangers and proved I was not a cowboy. Things like, if I needed to work on a baler or haybine the tractor was parked and engine off. No leaving the tractor running while futzing with equipment. That is how you get killed or run over. Any hydraulic equipment had the pressure removed before any work on the equipment was done. If something needed to be elevated you went and got proper jacks or supports, otherwise your asking to get crushed. No working around live PTO at any time. Tractors are parked in reverse when facing downhill and 1st gear when uphill when the tractor does NOT have a park setting on the transmission.
I could go on an on, but we have ALL been there. Watched someone get in a hurry and get really hurt or killed. A thing is not worth your life and unless someone is shooting at you, it's not working taking risks with your life.
I remember hearing about a friends brother who was removing duals from a 4430. He was about 15 at the time. Got the duals off and was trying to roll them to the corner of the shed. The tire was too heavy for his size. It fell on him rubber side down (Thankfully he was taught to always stand on the rubber side and not the steel side). He was pinned by the legs and couldn't get out. Had to wait for hours for someone to find him. This was long before cell phones were common. I think about that every time I put duals on and take them off. I think about where I place them and make sure they can not fall on anyone when in storage. |
Child labor in Grand Island Nebraska
