You know those tractors you see along the sides of roads clipping down overgrown weeds and grass? States deploy thousands of them to keep things neat and trim along our highways and byways. Especially since cars pulled off to the side of the road have extremely hot catalytic converters. This can light dry grass and weeds on fire. In New Jersey, the danger these tractors are trying to minimize is actually causing fires. As a result the state has spent over $4 million to fix them.

Why are the NJ tractors causing the fires?

Over 140 of the clipping tractors are no longer in service after three of them caught on fire. It’s a compound problem as money goes out to fix the tractors, and outside contractors now continue the grass trimming. DOT spokesperson Jim Barry told Politico the state has spent over $4 million, so far, to continue the cutting. The state says this year it doesn’t plan on contracting out the grass maintenance.   

Now the state has filed a complaint against the company that sold the tractors to them. The original costs were over $11 million. Politico obtained state records finding after investigations that the tractors had “design flaws.” Exhaust leaks were the source of the “underlying” fires. According to reports, the exhaust systems were “defectively installed.”

Are there other issues with the NJ tractors?

But there were other equipment flaws contributing to the problems. The Diamond Mowers mowing attachments have a tendency to trap clippings and debris, exposing it to hot exhaust. The report says that it was difficult for operators to see and access the debris. 

The investigators say that the dealers and manufacturers “failed to provide warnings about the fire hazard.” According to one company involved, both John Deere, the tractor manufacturer, and Diamond Mowing, held training sessions for the equipment. Reporting of the fires began in October 2020, before two more fires meant pulling them out of service in September 2021. 

Are the NJ tractors getting fixed?

So now the companies involved are installing “fire-preventative fixes”  so the fires won’t happen again. About half of the tractors are back on the job with the fixes. The state did not pay for the remedial work, which will finish this summer.

“We’ll reserve our decision on how to approach that $4 million with John Deere until we get all our mowers fixed,” DOT Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti said. “Then we’ll have the opportunity to make the decision on how to pursue the $4 million.”

So once the tractors have the fix, there may still be penalties to pay for the companies involved in the state’s tractor purchases. If you live in New Jersey, now you know where a small portion of your tax dollars is going to.