Formal Training?

[CH4Ohio]

Amazing how things have changed . . . My high school didn't offer calculus. Algebra II was as far as you could go in math. At that time "driver's education" was optional too and I never took it -- I'd already been driving for 4 or 5 years and it seemed like a waste of time. But we had a Taxidermy class my senior year and about 8 of us signed up for it!

This was in KY. As I recall, it was legal for anyone at least 12 years old to drive a tractor on the roads. Not that anyone would ever think to check your age. Anyone of any age could drive a team of horses pulling a wagon -- I don't think there was any law about that.

By the age of 12, most of us were driving on the roads and through the fields because we were too little to do the heavy manual work, especially the tobacco field work, but could be useful driving the tractors and pickup trucks. There was no formal class and no certificate or license.

 

[Tinhack]

At that time "driver's education" was optional too and I never took it

I took drivers education in Jr. High (grades 7-9). At first, they weren't going to let me because I wasn't 14. But since I was going to turn 14 before the class was over, I got in. I started H.S. when I was 14 and drove to school in my own car--1952 Chevy Coupe. Man, I was proud of that car.

 

[CH4Ohio]

I took drivers education in Jr. High (grades 7-9). At first, they weren't going to let me because I wasn't 14. But since I was going to turn 14 before the class was over, I got in. I started H.S. when I was 14 and drove to school in my own car--1952 Chevy Coupe. Man, I was proud of that car.

Reminds me of the old joke about the Driver's Education car not being available because it was being used by the Sex Education class . . . Of course, we didn't have a sex education "class" either . . .

A 52 Chevy coupe would have been a really cool car to have at 14 or any age!

 

[number two]

1971 grad from an underfunded Catholic high school.
Only the girls got to take typing.
No shop type classes either.
But I surely learned right from wrong!
And respect for others,especially elders!
Anyone from then I know have turned into excellent citizens!

 

[oosik]

I had no training when I bought my new tractor in 1982. However - I still remember what the sales man said.

Read and understand the Op Manual and "low and slow". That was 40 years ago.

 

[bearthebruce]

I've read the manual on our tractor 3 times so far.. you don't absorb all the detail until you start using the controls on the tractor.
Low and slow.. that's how I go!

 

[cqaigy2]

We had a so so Agriculture class in High School in Walla Walla, Then family moved to East Wenatchee and they had a pretty good metal shop, taught me skills that i used right out of High School. I think we had a living skills kind of class too, i remember my teacher said my meals were pretty weird combination of foods, i was going thru an Asian food phase, that was way before anybody knew about or could find Sushi in a small town, but tasted really well. It was pretty hard to find ingredients too. Took driver's ed class and the first thing the instructor said to me was, 'you already know how to drive don't you.' I admitted to driving wheat trucks, tractors and combines when living in Walla Walla.

 

[bigtiller]

When one of my classmates took drivers ed. he nearly flunked the driving portion. He had been doing the cultivating on the farm for a few years and the tractor had a spinner on it. Every time the teacher said to turn, his hand would circle the steering wheel hunting for the spinner. It made for some exciting corners.

My tractor training was simply, take the coffee can off the exhaust pipe and then pull up on the crank with an open palm to start the WD45.

 

[MoKelly]

I had zero experience when I got my CUT.

It didn’t take long. Just seat time and practice. It’s not rocket science.

I had 2 boys go thru driving. The older took to it and passed immediately. He goes too fast however.

The younger was horrible. I couldn’t take the stress. So, we got a driving instructor school and they brought a car and gave him lessons.

It worked great and now he is a fine driver.

Knock on wood.

MoKelly

 

[IndyJay]

I had zero experience when I got my CUT.
It didn’t take long. Just seat time and practice. It’s not rocket science.

Same here. I had never driven a tractor before when I bought my MF1250, Internet was still new (1994) so there wasn't YouTube. Read the manual a half dozen times before the tractor was delivered. I also bought the shop manual and pored over that. Like you said, seat time and practice.