kiotiken
Veteran Member
Crazy. As long as you have a orange triangle for slow moving vehicles on the back, you're good to go here.
Have to share my day with dk40se hst
- Thread starter landedakioti
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landedakioti
Gold Member
kiotiken said:
Thats all we had growing up in vermont where slow moving vehicle signs.
Gil Case
Gold Member
Not to drag this thread on, but some time ago, I sent the following to our Chief of police about a guy who got a ticket for driving his tractor on the local roads.
Email To Chief:
After reading in the paper about the guy given a ticket for driving his tractor on the road, I was wondering about the laws pertaining to tractors on public roads.
Many states allow farm tractors on public roads if they have an SMV sign and flashing lights. I guess in CT they need to be registered, but the registration process is unclear to me. There isn't a license plate for them is there?
Email From Chief:
You are correct, in Connecticut a farmer can drive a "farm implement" on a public way within a certain radius of his farm or between two parts of his farm with no plates and a warning triangle IF he is actually engaged in farm business. They can use a farm plate as well.
My interpretation:
The operative words here are "farm business" and farm is defined as a business that has an has an IRS and CT Farm Exemption classification. To get a farm plate you must be qualified farm.
I do not have a farm but I would like to drive my tractor to my daughters house to help out. I cannot get a farm plate.
Still not clear to me if I am legal or not driving it the 1.5 mi to daughters house. I do it anyway, not sure what I will tell chief when/if he stops me.
Here is the link to Farm Plates in CT DOAG: Connecticut Motor Vehicle Farm License Plates
Email To Chief:
After reading in the paper about the guy given a ticket for driving his tractor on the road, I was wondering about the laws pertaining to tractors on public roads.
Many states allow farm tractors on public roads if they have an SMV sign and flashing lights. I guess in CT they need to be registered, but the registration process is unclear to me. There isn't a license plate for them is there?
Email From Chief:
You are correct, in Connecticut a farmer can drive a "farm implement" on a public way within a certain radius of his farm or between two parts of his farm with no plates and a warning triangle IF he is actually engaged in farm business. They can use a farm plate as well.
My interpretation:
The operative words here are "farm business" and farm is defined as a business that has an has an IRS and CT Farm Exemption classification. To get a farm plate you must be qualified farm.
I do not have a farm but I would like to drive my tractor to my daughters house to help out. I cannot get a farm plate.
Still not clear to me if I am legal or not driving it the 1.5 mi to daughters house. I do it anyway, not sure what I will tell chief when/if he stops me.
Here is the link to Farm Plates in CT DOAG: Connecticut Motor Vehicle Farm License Plates
Coyote machine
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Forget plates, registration, etc. If anything, when on a road of any kind in whatever state worry about being insured. If you have an unfortunate accident like landedakioti did you are at risk of being sued. It may not seem like a big deal to some but I would not risk some fool running me off the road and then claiming I caused the accident.
Even in VT, where I live a private homeowner driving a tractor on a secondary road is NOT a farm vehicle just because its a tractor. And I wouldn't be able to get away with saying I'm a farm just because I want to. Insurers and the state can easily determine if I'm a legitimate farm.
Just saying one has to be very careful when you leave your private property and enter into the public domain.
Even in VT, where I live a private homeowner driving a tractor on a secondary road is NOT a farm vehicle just because its a tractor. And I wouldn't be able to get away with saying I'm a farm just because I want to. Insurers and the state can easily determine if I'm a legitimate farm.
Just saying one has to be very careful when you leave your private property and enter into the public domain.
kiotiken
Veteran Member
My insurance provider started by saying they would insure my tractor under my normal home policy as long as I didn't use it commercially and as long as I didn't leave my property. Since I was using a rear plow at the time to clear the snow from my driveway, I took issue with that since I'd technically be off my property in order to clear my driveway. I also told them I'd likely be helping neighbours out the odd time and may eventually like to take the tractor to my parents property or the cottage. They eventually agreed to insure it off my property as long as I didn't use it to make any money. For those of us who are just home owners, tractors seem to be difficult for insurance companies to slot in to a policy.
Katahdin
Platinum Member
Nice pics, thanks for posting them. Hopefully that's not good wood you're burning in that pile, its a shame its not going into a woodstove. 
My Yanmar is not registered in Maine. I've driven the tractor once to my Mom's house and back in Scarborough, 8 miles each way including a one mile stretch on Rt 1 past the police station. I chose to drive it just after daybreak on a Sunday when the roads are mostly empty, I wouldn't want to drive it around here with normal traffic. I am worried about run-ins with the police, one cruiser did pass me on Rt 1 going the other direction and didn't bother me tho. I'd like to be able to make the trip to my Mom's at least once a year without having to register it, I just hope the cops have better things to do on those days.
I too have my tractor insured for off-property use for the same reasons, my policy is through State Farm.
My Yanmar is not registered in Maine. I've driven the tractor once to my Mom's house and back in Scarborough, 8 miles each way including a one mile stretch on Rt 1 past the police station. I chose to drive it just after daybreak on a Sunday when the roads are mostly empty, I wouldn't want to drive it around here with normal traffic. I am worried about run-ins with the police, one cruiser did pass me on Rt 1 going the other direction and didn't bother me tho. I'd like to be able to make the trip to my Mom's at least once a year without having to register it, I just hope the cops have better things to do on those days.
I too have my tractor insured for off-property use for the same reasons, my policy is through State Farm.
BuzzardA91
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Coyote machine
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Yeah, I've had the conversation with my Allstate agent too about on/off property use and for pay or not etc.
They seem to not want to add tractors unless one has an actual farm and could prove it via tax certificate or a bunch of cow or horse poo, delivered to their desk on the back of a flatboard towed by the tractor in question.:laughing:
I too plow down my drive and into our dirt road, (2nd class highway), and people drive like maniacs along the road because its flat and straight in front of my property. I always use my flashers, and I have a strobe light, made for police cars, which is going to be mounted under my metal canopy, just as an added precaution. It is seriously bright and cool as h...!:dance1:
I still have little respect for the average idiot driver on the road today, dirt or paved, so I take the risk, am always cautious, and uninsured when off the property. Its a calculated risk but one that could come back and haunt me; hopefully not.
They seem to not want to add tractors unless one has an actual farm and could prove it via tax certificate or a bunch of cow or horse poo, delivered to their desk on the back of a flatboard towed by the tractor in question.:laughing:
I too plow down my drive and into our dirt road, (2nd class highway), and people drive like maniacs along the road because its flat and straight in front of my property. I always use my flashers, and I have a strobe light, made for police cars, which is going to be mounted under my metal canopy, just as an added precaution. It is seriously bright and cool as h...!:dance1:
I still have little respect for the average idiot driver on the road today, dirt or paved, so I take the risk, am always cautious, and uninsured when off the property. Its a calculated risk but one that could come back and haunt me; hopefully not.
Hey Pack.
In Ohio, we use the SMV sign. If your tractor can go faster than 25 mph, then you have to have a sign stating how fast it goes in addition to the SMV.
For insurance, I have Allstate too. They won't cover it off the property. I checked and could get a policy w/ American Family for $170 a year and it is treated like car with liability coverage and I had it valued at $25,000. So you can take it off the property and use it so long as it is not for commercial purposes. Check out American Family and see what they say. That is not that bad of a premium for a year. IMHO.
In Ohio, we use the SMV sign. If your tractor can go faster than 25 mph, then you have to have a sign stating how fast it goes in addition to the SMV.
For insurance, I have Allstate too. They won't cover it off the property. I checked and could get a policy w/ American Family for $170 a year and it is treated like car with liability coverage and I had it valued at $25,000. So you can take it off the property and use it so long as it is not for commercial purposes. Check out American Family and see what they say. That is not that bad of a premium for a year. IMHO.
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landedakioti
Gold Member
Coyote machine said:
I was lucky . I had to have insurance on it with the loan on the tractor.