I've always "hated" driving a tractor on roads

[3930dave]

The upside for me are the pedestrians, in the little bit of road travel I do where I am. At least on an older open station tractor, many pedestrians here will smile and wave, and not just the kids. There is some kind of universal appeal to old tractors, that even non-aggies get.

Generally, driving seems to be getting worse though, high speed and no patience are the rule.

Heavy equipment mixed with light vehicles..... we all know who will lose. I live on a main street of a small town. In the dead of winter, this road used to be pretty quiet. About 10 years ago, a guy was clearing snow with a backhoe about a block away - he was backing the 'hoe onto the street, and didn't see the guy drag racing his snowmobile down the street. Sled hit the back of the 'hoe at something north of 60 mph (over twice the speed limit for car traffic, sleds probably have a lower limit on this road).

Nobody gets to try that stunt twice.

Lights, SMVs, reflective tape, and drive like most-drivers-are-suicidal is my approach. On a long drive, if you can safely pull over, do so to let large traffic backups behind you take off.

Rgds, D.

 

[aczlan]

The upside for me are the pedestrians, in the little bit of road travel I do where I am. At least on an older open station tractor, many pedestrians here will smile and wave, and not just the kids. There is some kind of universal appeal to old tractors, that even non-aggies get..

Works for me as well on a newer Kubota, so it must just be a tractor thing

Generally, driving seems to be getting worse though, high speed and no patience are the rule..

Yep, almost got the front of the L3830 taken off by a blond in a BMW who had to have been doing 70+ in a 55 zone while talking on the phone. Pulled out to go across the road at a 45 degree angle when she was 1/2 mile down the road in a 30MPH zone (there was a 1/4 mile of 40MPH that she had to go through, then another 1/4 mile of 55MPH). By the time I got across the center line, she had 2 wheels on the shoulder on the shoulder, flipping me the bird while holding her phone to her ear.

Heavy equipment mixed with light vehicles..... we all know who will lose. I live on a main street of a small town. In the dead of winter, this road used to be pretty quiet. About 10 years ago, a guy was clearing snow with a backhoe about a block away - he was backing the 'hoe onto the street, and didn't see the guy drag racing his snowmobile down the street. Sled hit the back of the 'hoe at something north of 60 mph (over twice the speed limit for car traffic, sleds probably have a lower limit on this road)..
Nobody gets to try that stunt twice..

Ouch. Another reason why I dont like people sledding on our property, enough of them drive like idiots to make it not worth it.

Lights, SMVs, reflective tape, and drive like most-drivers-are-suicidal is my approach. On a long drive, if you can safely pull over, do so to let large traffic backups behind you take off.

Ayep. I take up a full lane when driving down the road unless I can pull over enough for them to safely pass and if it is clear, I will wave them past. If I dont do that, they will try to make a 2 lane road into a 3 lane one and thats not safe.

Aaron Z

 

[3930dave]

Ah c'mon Aaron - pull the other one eh !

I mean really.... a blond in a BMW actually noticing another vehicle ?

Rural legend.

Rgds, D.

 

[Taylortractornut]

I worked for a company as an operator and as one of the most experienced scraper hands there I got to go bring some scraper trains to our site in Alabama. We had to pick them up in Arkansas off a job. Bringing back 8 tractors and most were pulling 2 20 yard pans Mine and anont were pullin 3 12 yard units. We were in a line with a front and rear escort and as usual a twit in a car passed the rear escort on a straight away and she couldnt pass so she swooped in between my tractor and the rear of the next double. She then decided to pull off into a yard sale. We got down the road and had to make a turn onto an alternate route as the permit stated. One of the tractors had to stop for a minute and we got a gap in the train. Here comes miss twit again on her phone. She passed us again she caught up with the otehr tractors and rammed the last pan on the other triple. He never knew she hit. We had to radio him when we found the car in the road and a mad woman. One of our smalelr tractors on the same job was rear ended by a girl drinking a gallon of premixed screwdriver in a in a big Ford Dually. It broke the tractor in 4 big chuncks and the impact broke the operators arms. THe AMCO disk got it pretty bad. Dually was totalled and she didnt have a scratch.

 

[boggen]

many years back. right in front of house. old farmer had a 3pt hitch pallet fork (no center spear) for moving round bails. small car. and the left fork, went through engine block of the car and trap the ladies knee and trapped her at the same time. lights on back working along with triangle slow moving sign. and still nailed tractor. i think story was, she saw the light, but did not know what it was, so she never braked. doing 55 to 65 MPH and tractor some were between 15 to 25MPH

been in enough close calls that any more, as far as regular driving down the road in the blazer. will drive up in middle of the road. when i come up on some tractors and implements on purpose, making folks behind unable to pass. to many large implements and larger size tractors. that take up entire width of a single lane plus a few feet into the dirt / shoulder. and coming up on signs to mail boxes, to steep dangerous ditches, and other side road hazards. were tractor driver needs to swerve and take up almost both lanes to get around things on the side. that it has been safer for me me to block other drivers trying to pass me and the tractor at the same time.

normally after doing above. tractor driver will wave me by when it is safe to do so. or give me a little turn towards center. letting me know to wait due to they will be turning fairly soon.

==================
on a different note: have one farmer near me. that has no lights on anything that works, if it does work i would be shocked. sadly police keep ticketing, and nothing ever happens. most likely will take someone being killed before something actually happens to him for good.

 

[Bob77064]

The closest gas station to here is about 2 miles. It is down a four lane road with a 55 mph speed limit, most traffic goes around 65-70. My wife asked me why I don't I drive the tractor there to fill it up. No thank you I would rather carry 5 gallon containers of diesel fuel in my truck.

 

[tow653]

Back in the 80's we purchased a JD 8820 combine 75 miles from farm,drove it and had to cross "4-Mile Bridge",wasn't to popular and when I got across bridge,pulled over and it looked like start of Indy 500,three abreast passing me.

 

[3930dave]

A lot of the time, it does seem that the drunks come away from an accident without a scratch.

Crazy world.

I don't have kids, but if I did, I'd want them taking a good driver training course. One thing that can't be covered too much is target fixation ( Target fixation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). As well as alcohol/drugs, it is often a big factor in the type of accidents being described here.

Rgds, D.

 

[Renze]

will drive up in middle of the road. when i come up on some tractors and implements on purpose, making folks behind unable to pass. to many large implements and larger size tractors. that take up entire width of a single lane plus a few feet into the dirt / shoulder. and coming up on signs to mail boxes, to steep dangerous ditches, and other side road hazards. were tractor driver needs to swerve and take up almost both lanes to get around things on the side. that it has been safer for me me to block other drivers trying to pass me and the tractor at the same time.

normally after doing above. tractor driver will wave me by when it is safe to do so. or give me a little turn towards center. letting me know to wait due to they will be turning fairly soon.

Yes, the one on the exceptional vehicle (tractor, truck, pickup plus trailer) is the one who can judge the room they need to safely manoever their vehicles, and has to foresee traffic situations (tree branch which would hit the top of the enclosed trailer unless he swerves to the center, mailbox on the side, whatever) and force drivers of passenger cars which do not see these hazards, to adapt. (by taking the center of the road to make sure nobody tries to pass if theres an upcoming obstruction in the roadside, so you dont need to brake like a mad when the overtaking passenger car is beside you)
Over here, thats what you learn when getting a CDL... the driver of the heavy vehicle must keep control over the situation, not let impulsive car drivers take it...

 

[robs660]

I drive my b20 about 4 miles to a friends farm a few times a year. I have always wanted to do it with the hoe fully extended parallel to the ground so if someone hits me they would get a bucket through the window. I am too much of a gentleman and a good person to do it but it's fun to think.