Does your wife drive the new tractor?

[sassafraspete]

Looking for advice from all my mentors out there on how to handle this delicate subject? I'll leave this post and head off for work, knowing that when I come home tonight, there will be a lot of wisdom put forth to guide me.

sassafraspete

 

[AndyM]

I bought my new tractor last September and my wife has only driven it once. She's used to the old one and that is the one she prefers. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

I know I'm in the minority here, so I'll let others who actually have to try to keep their wives away from their new tractors speak of their experiences.

 

[RobS]

Yes, my wife drives the tractor. She's reasonably mechanically inclined and feels comfortable with the basic controls. I have to re-teach her the clutch/PTO/throttle/gear sequence for bush hogging each season but she gets it. Our land is flat so hillsides aren't a concern (though I do have a tiltmeter on the tractor, highly recommend as a safety precaution). She wears the seat belt and knows not to get off the tractor until the PTO stops spinning. We keep the kids well away during hogging.

Not much a wife can do to damage the equipment, focus on keeping herself safe during operation. The downside of course, is less seat time for you /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Mark_in_NH]

I am of no help for I don't have one. Wife that is.

 

[Youare]

I had to plead with my wife to get on the tractor and drive it. I wanted her to know how to start it, stop it, and at least know how to operate the FEL controls. I think in 3 years she has driven the tractor twice only because of my insistance.


However, my boss at work is a woman whose husband has a Kubota tractor with FEL and BH. She is not the least bit afraid to jump on the tractor and use it, somewhat to her husbands dismay at times.

I think is is a good thing for wives to know how to operate the family tractor and it's various devices as long as they feel comfortable with it, safety is the key element. However, if their seat time means you're doing the dishes, laundry, or having to vacuum the house maybe something is wrong with that picture. : /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Randy

 

[JDgreen227]

This is funny, back when I was thinking about buying a replacement for my JD 318 which my spouse used to mow with, she insisted my next tractor also be a hydro so she could drive it. Had my 4210 for a year now and she doesn't want anything to do with it. Nor the 318....go figure.

 

[AndyM]

<font color="blue"> I am of no help for I don't have one. Wife that is. </font>

I'll help. Post a personal ad similar to the following...

"Wife wanted. Must have own tractor."

Or something like that... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Henro]

I can't argue with our arrangement...seems like the wife is happy to drive the kitchen, grow some flowers and enjoy the fruits of my tractor "work." /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

The middle ground is the kitchen sink, where I show my appreciation by washing a dish or two, now and then... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

She has sat on the tractors but declined the opportunity to operate them, even though she has no hesitation to jump in her car and drive wherever she needs/wants to go... /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[JDgreen227]

I will help too, your personal ad should read:

"Wife wanted, must be NH tractor owner, implements a plus"

 

[Bob_Skurka]

My wife has a little Cub Cadet because the yellow & white paint scheme match her summer outfits.

She never goes near an Oliver tractor that I restore (apparently no faith in my mechinacial disabilities). She got on the NH one time, didn't start it. Doesn't go near the Kubota because it has too many things on it (FEL & BH).