I took it on the road this morning oh what fun!

stevenf · Jan 11, 2005

I started my day this morning by calling the local law enforcement and inquiring about driving my tractor down the frontage road their response have fun and be careful. I needed my 50 hour service and a little warrany stuff done (my battery is leaking acid) It took about 1-1/2 hours to drive down to Kubota its something around 20 miles or so. What a way to start the morning course this is Texas so all I had was a windbreaker on, I did think it would have been nice to be plowing a little snow on the way but I'll probably have to wait another ten years because it snowed a little last year at least a inch or so my wife and youngest son got up a 2:00am and turned on the flood lights to play in it and make a snowman because when the sun comes up it usually melts pretty quick. I wanted to Thank everyone again on helping with all my decisions as so far everything has worked perfectly.
Steve

LarryD · Jan 11, 2005

It seems to me that when I used to work the potato harvest up around Muleshoe (mid 70's), half the vehicles on the road were some sort of farm equipment. Just pass real careful and be sure to wave... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

RoyJackson · Jan 11, 2005

What's that tractor's top speed?
It's apparently quite a bit more then my 790's 12 MPH.

Indydirtfarmer · Jan 11, 2005

Back when I was 15 years old, dad rented a farm about 40 miles from home. I had to drive our 4020 Deere, with 5 bottom plow in tow, all the way from home to the new farm.......Almost 3 hours......In 35 degree weather. In todays world, that would qualify as child abuse! But I sure had big fun!

I farm a place now that's 110 miles from home. Thank God for trailers!

KiotiJohn · Jan 11, 2005

I've been digging up stumps for an elderly man not too far from home the last three days. I really enjoy driving the tractor over there, takes about 30 minutes. My top speed is around 10mph, so it's not too quick, and his house is not far.
I love the looks I get as this is not so common around here. Many people wave, and occasionally someone honks in anger if I don't move over out of their way.
I wouldn't want to go as far as Indydirtfarmer used to have to go, but his tractor went faster than mine!! John

Freds · Jan 11, 2005

1-1/2 hour drive to your dealer?! Yeah, that's taking it on the road allright /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Next thing you know you will be hooking a trailer up to the back of you tractor and driving it to see your long lost brother. Oh wait... that's already been done. Saw the movie.
/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

stevenf · Jan 11, 2005

Roy, I think the max road speed is something like 21.5 MPH but the 4th gear is maybe a little humm for me so I was probably traveling at about 18 or so most the time. The power steering seems a little radical at higher speeds giving the feel of instability so the obvious answer slow down, on perfectly flat asphalt I'm sure a little faster and on not so flat slower. I will say that although everyone I was anywhere near was quite friendly they have no idea how long it takes to stop as at every intersection I had to yield to folks running the stop signs and lights or pick them up with the grapple and take them with me it was optional.
Steve

ScottAR · Jan 12, 2005

That's the only thing that irks me about roading a machine. I can be less than 50ft away from a car and folks think "it's just a tractor, I can make it."

Seconds later I'm pushin all the pedals because my bucket is about to go through their door.

GrayBeard · Jan 12, 2005

Your post reminded me of a different "road" trip.
Back in the middle to late 60's there was a local guy who was going to Florida from central Pa. to "make" his first million excavating.
He took a dump truck , low boy and International hoe. After some months in Fl. things were not working out the way he'd planned and tough times hit . He ran out of money and had to sell the truck and low boy. After that he wanted to return to Pa. and you guessed it... He drove the hoe from Florida to Pennsylvania.
Now, memory doesn't serve me well enough about how long it took but it was a long "treck" with lots of experiences along the way.
This guy was a little "different" but he always said everyone should make the trip that way atleast once.
Your trip sounds pretty enjoyable.
GrayBeard

BB_TX · Jan 12, 2005

Living on a farm-to-market road, there are tractors running up and down the road regularly around here. Last summer, I was driving up US69 in Fannin county and a huge New Holland was on the highway. 4WD with duals front and rear, it stretched from about 2' in the grass across the road shoulder to almost the center stripe. Needless to say, no one challenged him for the road.
A couple months ago, I was taking my tractor back to the farm when I had a flat on the trailer about 4 miles short. I backed the tractor off the trailer and drove it the last 4 miles while my wife followed in the truck and trailer. This was on US11, a narrow highway with no shoulders and a 70 mph limit. I was really enjoying the ride until an 18 wheeler came flying up behind, whipped around, and almost met on oncoming car. At that point I was only about a 1/4 mile from my gate and glad.