What was the FIRST tractor you ever drove?

[PJSprog]

Ooh ... a zombie thread.

Mine was my Grandfather's big, squarish International Farmall (no idea what model, and it's long gone), sometime in the mid-1970s. He used to let me ride on the flat fender opposite the radio, until one day I showed him my legs were long enough to reach the pedals. My Mother just about lost her mind when she looked out and saw me driving and Grandpa sitting on the fender. :laughing:

Drove a handful of older Farmalls when I worked on a horseradish farm in the early '90s, but never owned my own (beyond a riding mower) until last September.

 

[Big Barn]

Various under 40HP Fords from the age of 5 or 6.

First real "paying" job at 10 years old using brand new Fordson Dexta with Howard rotovator. 10-12 hours a day/ 1 acre per hour in first gear.

Terry

 

[turnkey4099]

Lots of models mentioned. What was the oldest tractor that was mentioned? I know my dad's cat T10 made in the mid 30s isn't in the running.

My bet would be on one of the Farmall's.

 

[M5farms]

550 oliver pulling a pipe wagon around 5 or 6 yrs old

 

[sd455dan]

16 years old- Case 970 Agri- king with Powershift

Pulling a home made telephone pole drag ( 3 poles cabled in a Z pattern) to level over 100 acres of my dads ranch in preparation of turning it into a hay field. felt like I was on TOP OF THE WORLD

 

[dieselcrawler]

I drove my first tractor at about 1 year old... a reasonably good scale model of dad's MF135 that he hand made for me out of wood. Even had a drawbar... burning iron gave the tires the R1 tread pattern... I have no idea what ever happened to that tractor.

I moved onto the real MF135, riding on dad's lap or beside him on the running board between the fender and seat... was driving it on my own by 8 years old, once I could get the clutch and brakes down at the same time.

 

[RollTideRam]

Farmall Super C

 

[square1]

630 JD, couldn't reach the pedals at 5~6 years old. Fortunately it had a gand clutch. I'd pull the clutch out and jump off the seat and stand on the brakes.

 

[Turbys_1700]

You learn pretty quickly when cranking one of those older tractors to put your thumb under the crank handle so when it kicks back it doesn't break your wrist.

 

[Mendonsy]

You learn pretty quickly when cranking one of those older tractors to put your thumb under the crank handle so when it kicks back it doesn't break your wrist.

Or ... you learn to park it on a hill so you can bump start it with the clutch!