07:33:35am, Friday, May 03, 2024
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Lowry Sled Malfunction
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Again?
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I seen a video on Facebook of a Lowry sled in Illinois last night with the weight box not moving. Was it operator error? Was it equipment malfunction? Who knows. But what I do know is that’s twice a Lowry sled had a weight box malfunction in recent years (one rolled Caleb Ogle in Indiana) |
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Re: Lowry Sled Malfunction
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Denny Crane
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Sleds are mechanical and anything and everything mechanical will break or malfunction at some point. That being said some sleds and operators are better than others. What or whom would be your sled of choice. I think i have seen almost all of the big ones have mechanical issues at some point. |
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Re: Lowry Sled Malfunction
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Registered: 02/23/2012 Posts: 542 |
There’s plenty of technology to prevent this from happening with back up plans for backup plans
For one I’d hope the sled operator would notice that the box is not moving and it’s not going to end well so he has some control over the situation I believe micro switches could sense that the wheels are moving but the box isn’t and create some type of alert, |
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Re: Lowry Sled Malfunction
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PDT
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We've replaced sensors on multi-million dollar machines. Then we did it again because the brand new sensors were faulty. |
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Re: Lowry Sled Malfunction
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Puller
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That is the problem with Lowry. Sleds the operator does not watch what is going on |
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Re: Lowry Sled Malfunction
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Registered: 06/30/2023 Posts: 2 |
I was at this event in Tayloville IL, but I was in the infield talking with pullers in a different class. This happened in the ITPA "Light Modified" class. and the tractor pulling was powered with an Allison V12.
All I could see from my location was the flags on the sled, but we noticed halfway down the track it was moving at a very high rate of speed. The talk around the infield was why didn't one of the flaggers red flag it when they noticed the box was not moving? Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/22/2023 03:16PM by pzindy. |
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Re: Lowry Sled Malfunction
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Registered: 03/30/2008 Posts: 191 |
In the videos I've seen circulating they did but apparently nobody saw them. |
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Re: Lowry Sled Malfunction
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Registered: 08/22/2019 Posts: 84 |
To everone wondering why the driver didn't slow down or wasn't watching the flagman. It's not that simple. Things hppen quick. At those speeds, it is almost impossible to watch everything. You have to watch 2 flagman, operate your clutch, throttle, brakes, try to read the track and steer accordingly, and pay attention to any mechanical issues you may have at minnimun. You are hooking to something is supposed to stop you. You can't drive the 1st 150' thinking the sled may be malfunctioning. Some say the pull is won in the 1st hundred feet.
To everyone talking about the sled operator. Yes, something happened and I don't know the details. So I am not going to assume anything. But a sled operator has a bunch of stuff to watch as well. Yes they have to watch the sled, but they also have to watch the puller. And as for killing the tractor. Yes I beleive all sleds at this level can shut down the tractor. But simply shutting down a tractor at those speeds isn't that simple. You need to be on the brakes as much or more. The 2 things that probably are common for both the puller and sled operator, we all get into a routine. The puller could have made a thousand passes before and everyone go perfect. The sled operator could have hooked a thousand before and everyone go perfect. |
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Re: Lowry Sled Malfunction
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The worst
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One of the worst and you can't tell them anything. |
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Re: Lowry Sled Malfunction
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Registered: 07/06/2017 Posts: 369 |
I honestly don’t see how a dang sled holds up. I’ve rode in several & it can get rough. We all know how had it it is to keep a pulling vehicle running after just making one pass a night, much less 40 passes a night. For as many hooks as sleds do across the country every year, the number of accidents is very low. |
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Re: Lowry Sled Malfunction
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Team one
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There are a couple people at fault here , obviously the sled operator and also the 100ft. Flag person if there wasn’t one there 100% should be, wether the sled wasn’t put in gear or broke it is still all on the sled operator to control the situation by signaling his red lights or killing ignition to the tractor, it is also on the flag people to not only watch the weight box but also the red and green lights on the sled it came down to people not doing their job regardless of the cause, it it’s a good sled the green light will not light unless the box is in gear, if it broke that’s a different story however at least one person wasn’t paying any attention. |
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Re: Lowry Sled Malfunction
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jobs
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The flagmen did their job. In the videos I've seen they were waving both flags trying to get people's attention but no one saw them. I have personally seen this happen multiple times where they went to waving the red flag for whatever reason and no one ever saw them. No one pays attention to them past the initial green flag honestly. |
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Re: Lowry Sled Malfunction
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Registered: 06/30/2023 Posts: 2 |
>>The flaggers did their hob<<
This is true. As I said, from my vantage point I could not see much; and I could not see the flaggers.. But I have talked to others since, and indeed the flaggers were waving red. |
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Re: Lowry Sled Malfunction
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JaKe566
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Unless an extra switch has been installed to turn on the green light without the box being engaged. |
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Re: Lowry Sled Malfunction
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lewis c
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sounds like the puller is as much at fault for not paying attention to the flagger |
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Re: Lowry Sled Malfunction
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puller
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if the sled operator noticed the box wasn't moving and the puller was not noticing the flaggers than why didn't the sled operator pull the kill and hit the brakes? |
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Re: Lowry Sled Malfunction, to ; puller
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Shell Answer Man
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Excellent question puller!!
Johnny Peterson, (Iron Horse pulling sled, Black River Falls, Wisconsin) has a set up for pulling sleds, called the "Oh @#$%&" button. Hit one button, pulls kill, sets box brake, ground brakes, and if I remember correctly, functions pan drop AND pan push down. Can also activate a set of spikes if the sled would have them. Johnny has his sled set up that way, and Bungarts have theirs set up with the same or very similar system. |
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Re: Lowry Sled Malfunction, to ; puller
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G
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Isn't that mandatory to have a button that does that? If not, who actually writes the safety rules for NASOA? |
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Re: Lowry Sled Malfunction
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Short memory
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For everyone acting like this never happens and sleds aren't ever aloud to malfunction. Get on YouTube and look at some videos there are some good ones from NFMS in 2015 with a prostock. Thats just an example. This happens to every sled at some point in time just like everything mechanical. |
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Re: Lowry Sled Malfunction
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tHAT'S RIGHT
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Yes it does, and partly the drivers are at Fault,-however when pulling the reason we do it gives a shot of Adrenaline, so after looking for the green flag, we are in go mode, not stop and be careful mode. Just saying ! So the safety flag people, and sled guy has to have our Backs. |
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Re: Lowry Sled Malfunction
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food for thought
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With today's technology why couldn't you use a timed PLC box or something similar on the sled? example: when the greenlight is on and the sled is in motion a sensor on the drive axle will sense the vehicle in motion, it could be connected with a timer and a sensor on the box so if the sled is "armed" meaning ready to go down the track, once the drive axle starts spinning, if the box doesn't move in x amount of seconds the sensor will trip the " OH @#$%&" switch automatically? we use this type of method in the manufacturing world with different switches and timers on machines and manufacturing components, I'm sure it could work in a pulling application? just food for thought. |
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Re: Lowry Sled Malfunction
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Registered: 03/27/2008 Posts: 1,149 |
Exactly without that a sled won't pass tech in Europe (not saying there aren't sleds running non-sanctioned events, which are not teched).
Yes - there have been sensor failures - but that usually ends with the push-down activated during the run and a restart. Floating Finish - the German Tractor Pulling Web Show and EU Live Streams: [www.youtube.com] Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/27/2023 01:44AM by Sascha. |
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Re: Lowry Sled Malfunction
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Safety rules are written in blood. The box movement observation and safety stop is an essential feature of EU pulling sleds. The intention came by a fatal incident appr 15 years ago. The committee which is covering the use of pulling sleds in EU has particular quality levels for sleds, depending on their amount of safety equipment and braking capabilities. A bronze or silver declared sled is allowed for use at national championship events amongst the involved national sanctioning bodies which are a member of the ETPC. Furthermore silver and gold declared sleds are allowed for use at Euro Cup and European Championship events, therefor gold sleds are only for the top notch heavy classes (PS/SS/HM). For the typically local brush pull there is basically no need for that kind of approval, since the local organization isn't part of some of the official sanctioning bodies.
The above mentioned bronze/silver/gold sleds are undergoing an tech approval at least once a year, usually at the beginning of a season. Some functional tests are repeated even more often. And indeed also the functionality of the box movement control. They use a stock tractor or truck to pull it along the track at lowest speed and stimulating the failure mode with flipping it out of gear manually, or manipulating the sensor signal. The anticipated reaction is the emergency stop of the whole machinery, which means activation of box brakes, axle brakes, push down and if existing, lifting the frame around the front pivot until the axles are lifted. Demo of this activation is recommended to perform at lowest speed (3-5mph) only, with tractor/truck driver strapped into his seat. Elsewise he'll leave the cabin through the wind shield. I'm not sure if during such an emergency stop also the kill switch cable for the pulling vehicle is pulled. To get rid of the lack of awareness about red flags, the flashing lights seeming even more helpful. |
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Re: Lowry Sled Malfunction
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Registered: 10/31/2017 Posts: 14 |
Watching this, keep in mind that US sleds don't need a box control - That is just a silly European idea 
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Re: Lowry Sled Malfunction
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Boris Johnson
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Same with the metric system. Silly Americans when will they learn. |
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Worlds worst farm class sled
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Richard Slammer
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Out of 3 farm classes and 2 mph altered farm classes not 1 weight was added the entire show. Terrible to watch. Worse to participate in especially for those that only pull once a year at their local fair. Happened for years and continues to with these sleds⁸ |
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Re: Worlds worst farm class sled
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The worst
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They don't care. Can't stop an antique? Just drop the pan, they can set that up from the cab. |
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Re: Worlds worst farm class sled
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PDT
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With lower speed limit classes, especially with a lot of hooks, there's no need to use the entire 300 feet of track. And with antique classes and farm stock classes being so close together on weight/power, there's no need to slow the show down by throwing unnecessary weight in the sled. You can pull a lot of classes with the same weight simply by changing the pan drop and push down. |
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Re: Worlds worst farm class sled
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Moderator Registered: 03/19/2018 Posts: 664 |
Absolutely not. Not ever. For antiques or sub 300hp farmstocks, the pushdown starts making them spray spinout holes from chalkline to chalkline within a 10 foot window until the track becomes impossible to get past this. It makes for a terrible event for the pullers and is just pure laziness for those employing it as a strategy.
CP |
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Re: Worlds worst farm class sled
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Moderator Registered: 01/11/2009 Posts: 1,579 |
^^^^^^^^^^^^All of this^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Talk about knocking the wind and enthusiasm out of a puller or pullers to compete, drop them off in the same hole at half track. |
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Re: Worlds worst farm class sled
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In the know
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My favorite sled to pull actually does the exact opposite. He will actually lock the pan up so there is no trip drop and run it as a true weight transfer. Was told depending on track conditions can go all the way threw SF and 4.1 like this. |
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Re: Lowry Sled Malfunction
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Selective Puller
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With all the complaints about these sleds I am curious. Do any of you choose to go to a pull or not based on the sled used. I know I personally have stayed home rather then pull a certain sled. I have ones I prefer and operators I think are better then others. Just another thing to think about when putting on a pull. I know sleds can be hard to get and the good ones can't be everywhere. |
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Re: Lowry Sled Malfunction
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Registered: 02/23/2012 Posts: 542 |
Nothing against any sleds , but I liked hooking to the Hillbilly Deluxe out of Kentucky, it will let you get going but can still stop you without slamming to a stop. |
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Re: Lowry Sled Malfunction
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Ky puller
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That sled is now up in New York! Your right loved that sled sorry we won’t see it any more ! |
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Re: Lowry Sled Malfunction
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Registered: 04/13/2014 Posts: 405 |
Absolutely! There is one sled I dislike pulling and skipped the event last night because of it. It is the same thing every year. I went to Fort instead to watch and had a great evening. |
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Re: Lowry Sled Malfunction
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"Sub 300hp farm stock", what is that? hahaha!!!! |
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