When are kids old enough to start operating tractor?

[RaydaKub]

Of the people that started at an early age. how many things did you run into and what..
I was on riding 3 speed mower.. I do remember screwing up and riding the thing up one of the swing set poles.. Managed to stop in time and was worried that Dad would see the paint missing on the Cub and have a cow. Funny thing was about a week later he ran the thing into the cloths line pole.. Same spot same paint.. LOL

The worst I did was I hooked the field cultivator on an old barb wire fence. I had to just shut it down and walk home to get my dad. I didn't have the knack to back up in a turn yet. I felt bad, but it wasn't any big deal to my dad.

 

[kootch88]

I started driving my Dad's 12 hp Craftsman at 6 or so and drove a 10 speed international (in first gear) in the field at about the same age. The old Farmall I was allowed to drive in low gear at about the same age, but the owner had to put it in gear because I couldn't push the peddles standing up. I was too short for the seat and not strong enough to push the clutch in. He had all of us taking a turn at the truck and the tractor. I know we were going a mile an hour, but it was great experience and safe. It also kept us interested and excited to get our turn at the wheel.

 

[Bird]

Thread has been pruned to remove the political discussion and some impolite remarks.

 

[yelbike]

Thread has been pruned to remove the political discussion and some impolite remarks.

Thank you.

 

[Groo]

I learned to shift the old Dodge when I was 10 or 11. I had been steering stuff for a couple of years by then. Dad got the Kubota a couple of years later. I took to it naturally. I went off to college, and moved away for many years. When I came back, it was like I had never left (save for the new dents:laughing


Some people have more ability to operate machinery than others. Dad knows how to do everything, but knows I can do it all better. My Brother is a step below Dad in machinery operating ability (and driving), maybe that is why little brother is so overly cautious in life. In all honesty, talent level was pretty apparent even back when we were younger, and hasn't changed much over the years. Sure anyone can learn to be better, but different people learn at different rates and hit different ceilings.

 

[ham]

I started at age 8 on a cabbed 4020 blading summerfallow. Dad started me out and came back at noon to get me for dinner, then back at it till 5 PM. I didn't have any problems. The cabs were loud so I played the radio louder.

I think each kid is different and you have to be a judge of maturity. You don't put a kid on a tractor to grow him up. You have to have a grown up kid.

Today some of this stuff is so expensive I think the bigger question is how much can you afford to lose.

 

[Triguy1]

Of the people that started at an early age. how many things did you run into and what..
I was on riding 3 speed mower.. I do remember screwing up and riding the thing up one of the swing set poles.. Managed to stop in time and was worried that Dad would see the paint missing on the Cub and have a cow. Funny thing was about a week later he ran the thing into the cloths line pole.. Same spot same paint.. LOL

Well sure. I did flip a cultivator over into a ditch after my Grandfather told me to be careful and not do that. As it happens, once we fixed it, he did the same thing trying to show me how to do it properly...

I also listened carefully as he explained what to do next with the cultivator. Then he was very unhappy (only time I heard him cuss) when it turned out I cultivated over a freshly planed field. As it turns out, that field did better than any of the others that year

Jon

 

[jonyyuma]

I think each kid is different and you have to be a judge of maturity. You don't put a kid on a tractor to grow him up. You have to have a grown up kid.

Today some of this stuff is so expensive I think the bigger question is how much can you afford to lose.[/QUOTE]

This aspect and the chance of a lawsuit, make it a careful decision..I cannot affort to hurt one of the kids, even if it destroyed the tractor??

 

[KubotainNH]

Some people have more ability to operate machinery than others. Dad knows how to do everything, but knows I can do it all better. My Brother is a step below Dad in machinery operating ability (and driving), maybe that is why little brother is so overly cautious in life. In all honesty, talent level was pretty apparent even back when we were younger, and hasn't changed much over the years. Sure anyone can learn to be better, but different people learn at different rates and hit different ceilings.

Many good points on this whole thread but this one is spot on. The kid has to have the aptitude, maturity and be big enough to reach things. I learned very young how to steer and shift 3 on the tree. Learned to drive an old dozer from the same old fellow that I helped at times. I was also taking apart/repairing bikes & motors by this point. Mechanical things enthralled me.

Now I have 3 kids, the youngest is 16. He's the most mechanical and is always asking to drive something. The others also have learned from me including his older brother, we rebuilt a dead Civic for his 1st car. They've all driven our 4wheeler on level ground, auto clutch and stayed in 1st gear. They start off with me behind them. Also can drive the mower when heavy enough to keep the safety on the seat depressed, the clutch isn't really needed on it. Always with a watchful eye until I know they will be safe on it. The kubota came later because you have to reach the clutch but again supervised for the most part although they can get it out of it's home by themselves. If we had snow this past winter it would have been the plow truck to learn.

I have friends that would have no aptitude for this but they are great artistically like with music. Me, I cannot carry a tune. We're all different but I try to make sure my kids all know a bit about their surroundings, lucky for them I have the knowledge to teach them about things like motors, appliances and electricity. Not everyone does.

 

[fgross335_2210]

I started mowing with dad's JD110 LGT at age 6 and driving his 2520 tractor doing tillage work at age 10.....when we bought the 4230 in 1977 I drove it home about 25 miles from the dealer at age 14...big thrill. Also started driving his truck around on the farm (and a short distance on the road from the homestead to the fields) at age 14. By age 12 I could do just about every farm chore except combining, dad was a lot more patient operating our Gleaner "E" then I was. By age 17 I was running the Gleaner "F2" that we moved up to. Never really did much planting, that was another of Dad's favorite things, but did handle both the traditional corn planter and drilled in beans a few times.

I left the farm after high school but remembered the lessons....started my son out on my 335 LGT at age 9 mowing our 2.5 acre yard....since then the 2210 CUT, snowmobiles, chainsaws, boats, jetskis, etc...he has even driven the truck and snowmobile trailer rig a few times (23 foot trailer...does a great job).....so for him going through driver's training and getting his license was a straightforward deal. He's been driving for almost 3 years now accident and ticket free and I believe the respect he learned for machinery at a young age was an important lesson for him.

So sad that he's in the minority these days.....not like when we were growing up 30-40-50 years ago...the times have changed. The lessons stay the same!