how many of you learned to drive on a tractor?

[dlwalters3]

I learned to drive on a 1939 Allis Chalmers WC and a 1960 Farmall 560. Later, when I was 12 and big enough to reach the pedals, I learned to drive a 1951 Ford 3/4 ton pickup around the farm and on the old gravel country backroads in North Louisiana. I took my drivers license test at age 15 in a 1965 Ford F-100 pickup that my Dad had just bought to replace the 1951 Ford. Most everything had standard transmissions back then (or at least thats what we had), so I didn't drive a vehicle with an automatic until much later.

 

[ultrarunner]

I think Farm kids had the advantage when it came to learning to drive.

Neighbor, age 88, grew up on a local Farm and got his license at age 12 in California... he was the only one in the family who could drive the old flatbed Model T to town and back...

Another neighbor, age 104, grew up on a farm in Genoa Nevada... she has had a most interesting life.

At age 13, she had her own car... the only one in the area.

The newspaper had a contest to see who could sell the most subscriptions over the course of a year and the prize was a new Model T touring car... she won.

The car came by rail to Carson City and she and her father went to pick-it up... he had never driven before and kept stalling it every time they had to stop... which was thankfully not much.

She said that day was the first day and the last day he drove the car... as they were approaching the barn... he crashed into it yelling whoa all the time...

She learned to drive on her own and was soon seen all over the county selling more subscriptions... later at age 18 she became the only school teacher in the one room school house and taught for 60 years...

Her newspaper scrap book is fascinating... especially the story about her winning the new Model T...

Later, as tractors started to come to rural farms... she taught more than a few how to operate their Fordson tractors...

I went to her 100th birthday in Reno... many from all over attended... especially former students... even one that was 80 years old... she was in remarkably good health and traveled every year to Hawaii by herself to a little condo she had twice a year...

Sadly, at age 104, her health has taken a turn for the worse... she is housebound and frail... always looking forward to visits... just not when Jeopardy is on TV

 

[dieselalles]

I learned to drive on a Massey Ferguson 35. My dad and uncle spent a good bit of time teaching me and riding with me on the fender while I drove. One morning we were discing and my uncle hauled off and jumped off, mid-round, scaring the heck out of me because here I was left all alone on the tractor. It was a weird feeling because it scared me but at the same time it made me feel so dang grown up!

I loved farming and loved working with the machinery. Nothing beat coming home from school after a hard day of ciphering to go find the field where they working the ground and begging them to let me take over. Nothing beats it today either!

 

[Brimstone10x]

My first time driving was on a worn out jd m , with a mid mount sickle bar. I guess I was 6 or 7 . mom would borrow her bosses m to mow the horse pasture. she hated mowing with that tractor so as soon as i could drive it I got the job from then on. no p.s. no safetys at all. had to start it from the ground, push the switch on the starter and put your hand over the carb to choke it . no brakes. but I coudnt wait to drive that thing!