Do You Know Anyone Who Lost A Limb In A PTO?

[Jim Meade / Iowa City]

Do you know of anyone living who lost an arm or leg or such in a PTO accident?  I'm trying to think of one around me and can't think of a single one.  I suppose a tumbling shaft accident would count, as well.

[buckfarmer]

Know a guy who lost his pants. And I know of a woman who was "scalped" (not fatal).

[Iowa notiller]

My grandpa lost his arm to a pto accident.

[r3020]

I knew a gentlemam who broke his back. Caught his brand new, first day on the job coveralls when he stepped over the PTO of the feed grinder. Said if he had been wearing his old ones they probably would have torn off. He finally walked again with the help of a cane. He passed away a few years ago.

[ECIN]

First off Jim - Where in the world did you come up with this post ? Did Jim have a close call ? Hope not .

Anyway there have been 2 around here that sticks in my mind - There was Bob - his daughter was in my class ( A real Looker ) back then - got his shirt - and broke his arm in about a thousand places - I went and seen him - they did not have a cast on it - but had a lot of rods sticking out of his arm with wires hooked to them = will never get that picture out of my mind !

And then there was Gene - What  a funny guy he was - Got caught in a silage wagon while unloading it - got his leg - ended up loseing his leg - He always told the  story about trying to cross a open ditch and gettng his wooden leg stuck in the  mud and couldn't get out - finally he got out and his leg had sprouted willow branchs  - lol ------ True story

Both of these happened when i was in school - ( early 70's ) and had a great effect on me - as to stay away from them the best I could !

[Pat in CMO]

 Dad got pretty lucky. Only lost one finger, but his hand was never right again and really of no use. Was lifeflighted to the hospital. If the hired help had not been there he probably would have bled to death. It was the PTO on an old auger, caught the sleeve of his coveralls. Never could figure out why he was that close to the shaft. Before dads accident I was probably as guilty as anyone about not being careful around PTO's. Since I don't go near them if they are running.

[buckfarmer]

Just remembered this. I once fell while getting out of a truck and landed across the auger. As I was falling I kept trying to turn myself away from the PTO. My back was to the auger and PTO so not sure how close I was.

[gough whitlam]

I spoke to a young guy of about 20 years ago that had his arm taken in a pto mixall.  I asked did it hurt and he said not much because it happened so quickly. It took it off at the shoulder.  He said it didnt really bleed that much.  Being young I suppose he got over it a bit better than an older person but the damage is the same. 

[Steakmaker]

I know 2 guys quite well that lost an arm but I don't know how (think one might have been in a silo unloader). They`re both about 55 now. I was 2 years behind one in grade school and the other I've known since probably 9th grade and don't remember either having both arms. My Brother-in-Law got his hand mangled in a manure spreader when he was in High School. Still has the hand but very little use. Close friend of ours lost most of one leg and she a prosthetic, think that was from a lawn mower. A son of one of my landlords lost a hand playing with some explosives.

Pretty dangerous neighborhood

[SpringBrookFarm]

I know a guy that died because it wasnt PTO driven. A neighbor of ours was suffocated when his long sleeve shirt got tangled in the beater of a feed wagon, it grabbed his shirt and pulled it tight, But what killed him was he had switched it from PTO driven to hydralic driven so he could use his pickup with hay bed to run it, so instead of the PTO just ripping his shirt off or breaking a sheer pin the hydralics stalled out and just kept his shirt tight, he didnt have the strength to pull himself lose. His dad found him later that morning.....

Had another neighbor that got caught in one, didnt tear him up, think he just took a ride on it and it through him off, he has a limp from it though.