how many of you learned to drive on a tractor?

[rambler]

Ford 960, was 7 years old, dad bought it at auction, I got to help drive it up the driveway from the unloading area. First one I drove 'alone' too a short time later.

So, I thought the vertical shifter was 'normal'. Lot of experienced farmers had a hard time driving that one.

Still have it.

--->Paul

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Not me, we didn't have a tractor on the farm Daddy bought. I was pretty much a city kid till I was 10, so my first driving experience came in the form of Go-Karts and mini-bikes. I got ahold of two damaged Hodaka Wombat motors and mounted them (with gearboxes) on a go-kart frame. Durn thing was so fast it was dangerous.
I didn't get to ride on a tractor till I almost 20. Been hooked every since!
David from jax

Last 4th of July we picked up two used go carts for the kids. More steering practice than a tractor provides due to speed and fast response/over steer potential.

 

[Soundguy]

Ford 960, was 7 years old, dad bought it at auction, I got to help drive it up the driveway from the unloading area. First one I drove 'alone' too a short time later.

So, I thought the vertical shifter was 'normal'. Lot of experienced farmers had a hard time driving that one.

Still have it.

--->Paul

yep.. them 5spds are odd at first.. but after using them.. they are great...

 

[Gale Hawkins]

yep.. them 5spds are odd at first.. but after using them.. they are great...

With 3rd/reverse at the top it was as close to a shuttle shift transmission I have ever seen in a farm tractor. Great when pulling to fence, etc when working ground or running a FEL.

 

[farmeratheart]

Like so many others, I started out before I was tall enough to depress the clutch on Dad's Farmall C. I was probably 7 when he let me follow him out to the hay field with an empty extra wagon behind the C. He had our International #45 baler (Wisconsin 2 cylinder engine driven) and the 1st wagon hooked behind the Farmall 200. He told me to stay behind him and to shut the ignition switch off with my toe when I needed to stop. He had the 200 in 3rd gear and by the end of that summer I was clutching, backing, etc. When it came time to take Driver's Ed to get the insurance break 10 years later I couldn't understand the problems my classmates were having with distances, speed, parking lots, and the like!

Frank

 

[powerpace]

Well lets hope the children services division doesn't investigate too many child endangerment cases from 20-50 years ago. The stuff we used to do on the farm would make the hair stand up on some case workers neck.

I started out on a 8n, then a small Farmal of some type, and a John Deere with a hand clutch. I almost climbed a tree with the JD. Boy did we have fun. It's actually a wonder I'm still alive.

 

[Soundguy]

With 3rd/reverse at the top it was as close to a shuttle shift transmission I have ever seen in a farm tractor. Great when pulling to fence, etc when working ground or running a FEL.

yep.. almost perfect as a non synchro shuttle for a loader.

 

[kf4uda]

Sounds like my age 5 Model B AC first experience.

Yep, sounds like we were raised in similar circumstances. Later on we actually advanced to a one row corn picker attached to the 861. A two wheeled trailer was pulled behind the picker. I got to use my Uncle's 841 to switch out trailers and shuttle corn to the crib (I was much older by then). There we hand scooped/raked onto an elevator and dumped it in the crib. I didn't like the 841 much as it had a 4spd transmission vs the 5 spd and way different feel to the clutch.

 

[wykubotaguy]

Started on a jd 40 then a B, then an A, then a G w/ DuAl loader

 

[Sutol]

Grey Furguson T20 3 cylinder diesel.

Was only young, took all my strength to press the heel button so as I could shove the gearlever into start position