HELP! My wife wants to use the tractor!

Soundguy · Aug 2, 2004

You've has some good.. and some funny advice.. some of it good and funny. You've also had some.. that if you follow it.. it might take you a while in therapy to walk again! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Any chances you could get a used / antique / chineese tractor real cheap for her to feel like she is doing her 'part'.

Lotsa times you can find a serviceable used tractor in the 3k range.. chineese fits in their as well in that price range.

Whatever you do.. stay safe.. If she insits on using it due to the financial contribution.. teach her to use it like you would an older child or teenager... Make them read the manual first.. then do some of the tractor, walkarounds.. ask her questions.. progress as she understands more.

Don't baffle her with the finer points of the machine.. but hammer in the basics.. like OIL pressure, COOLANT temperature.. etc. Clutching.. shifting a non-fully synchro trany ( if that is the case. )

PTO safety.. brakes.. and locking the brakes on hard surfaces.. or leaving them unlocked for turning in the pasture... etc.

Soundguy

ronjhall · Aug 2, 2004

she's a 6'+, semi-pro volleyball player, who pulls her weight, so to speak. 

If my wife was 6'+ and wanted to use the tractor. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

There would not be much of an argument from me. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Just spend lots of time educating her on the safe use of the tractor. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Who gets to watch the 5 month old while she’s on the tractor? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

hennydamule · Aug 2, 2004

( Many time women are better machinery operators then men.

When I lived in Western Australia and worked on the mine sites 80% or so of the haulpac operators were women, and in many firedepartments there in the US they are the equipment operators. When you ask the management why this is they almost always reply the equipment lasts longer and there is less down time and injuries.

My mother who is 72 operates her our tractors and other farm machinery every day.

Teach her, educate her and you will enjoy a wonderful experiance in the future.

Just my 0.02

Dane )

See, I knew I'd get a response like this. As I said in my original post, my wife can more than pull her weight, and I have no problem with women doing anything that they want. In fact, if people ask me who wears the pants in the family, I'll happily tell them my dress size. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif However, my wife is definitely accident prone, and subcut plus steep hill = dead wife. Not an option, frankly.

hennydamule · Aug 2, 2004

( Whatever you do.. stay safe.. If she insits on using it due to the financial contribution.. teach her to use it like you would an older child or teenager... Make them read the manual first.. then do some of the tractor, walkarounds.. ask her questions.. progress as she understands more.)

I think this is probably the best way to go. Lotta time that I don't want to spare, but she is worth it.
Hey, does anyone know if there is a test out there that corresponds to the Kubota manual, like at the end of a chapter in a text book? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

MicroPilot · Aug 2, 2004

Make sure she knows the dangers involved. In my 65 page tractor manual the first 23 pages are all about the different ways the stick man can be mangled! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Have her watch the video in the thread Tractor safety video - NH TN65 test .

hazmat · Aug 2, 2004

However, my wife is definitely accident prone, and subcut plus steep hill = dead wife. Not an option, frankly. 

Show her the seatbelt, make sure she wears it. Show her the right way to go up & down the slope - not sideways and carry any loads low.

When my wife drives the tractor, she always takes the opportunity to point out that 2-3 of her would fit where I have the lap belt adjusted to /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif.

Women tend to be more cautious & gentle with machinery than men. She will treat your tractor better than you do. Before she is going to use it you can "set it up" for her. Check fluids etc. attach the implement of choice. Then you'll know she didn't run it w/o coolant etc. As she gets more familiar, she can run it on her own.

She is likely aware how much you love your tractor & will be extra careful not to break it. You'll be watching saying to yourself - I could do that 2X as fast. But, let her have her seat time - its important for marital harmony.

Be forewarned - she will require a horn so that she can communicate with you better - honk honk, get out of my way! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

YanmarFever · Aug 2, 2004

Be sure to take out a life insurance policy on her if she is accident prone.
She may be insulted , but whos going to raise your 5 yr. old while your at work?

higgy · Aug 2, 2004

My post was not intended to be taken as pro or anti woman as operators. I inteded to point out that anyone can be an effective operator.

I am sorry that you wife is accident prone. I retract every thing that I stated.

I hope it works out for you

PBMAX · Aug 2, 2004

hennydamule, I feel ya!! myn likes to get on the tc21 now and then... I cringe and say Ok but only cut in these areas. then we go over basic safety AGAIN....She is 5'4" and mabye 100lbs soaking wet. But she is heck on MY Toys... She gets zoned out and doesn't hear when things happen.

To date she has darn near nocked one hand rail off the front steps while using the FEL to haul topsoil to the flower bed in front. Hit the corral fence twice etc....
Then there was the 3rd repeated time in 3 yrs I had to ask her where a no-scalp wheel went on the scott mower.. IDUN O" she says...... /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif I have to drag there inforamation out of her....

What were you doing? Cuttin the front, she say's.
What did you hear? nothing... she say's.
Meaning it t'was still int he front yard some-war.... /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
2 weeks later she tells me the blades stopped turning on the scott mower... /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
What happended? I ask .
There was a loud bag and it just stopped cutting... She say's... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

&*^*)@&)!%@#%!)@&%*)&@#%)*!@%&%^^^ ......I said /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif (on occasion the sailer in me comes to the surface /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif )
What? she asks. You found the missing wheel say's I......

So you see what I deal with... She means well but just doesn't understand how to zone out but still listen to the equipment.

While I did get my wheel back I have yet to fix the belt she burned up (3weeks ago) and have been cuttin the front with the Rear Finsh mower... More seat time for me........ /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

The thing that makes me nuts is, that she is aware of what goes on, on her dirtbike or four wheeler for the most part. Why she can't on the equipment? Who knows.... Now you know why I cringe when she want's to use the TC21....

I just remind her every time she wants to use it and politly offer her tips on the best way I think she should do it. She has learned to except my input or I get all grumpy /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Put her thru driver training.
It's what I do with any new equipment we get.... She had to take a test to drive a car right? That works for me most of the time..... besides I find it handy to have her on the tractor on a occasion..
Good luck whatever you decide.....

JDgreen227 · Aug 2, 2004

Tell you guys something funny, when I was trying to convince my wife I needed a replacement for my old JD 318 she actually AGREED that I needed a new one, and I could buy it as long as I used "my" money. BUT...it had to be something she could operate.

What I did was, I went out late in December of 2002 and bought a 4210, asked them to hold it for me during the winter for delivery in the spring, had it delivered and then parked it in my big barn....out of sight, out of mind. Waited until I had the above conversation with my spouse and had a terrible time keeping the secret when she said I needed a new tractor.

Well, she found out about it a month later, no problem, but I had to BEG her to learn how to start it up and operate the loader so I could use the bucket for a work platform last month. As for mowing...she does not even want to learn how to use the PTO swiches....

If I had known she wasn't going to want to learn how to use it I would have bought a 790 with a clutch and no p/s and spent the e-hydro money toward a backhoe instead.

WOMEN..... /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif