I am 67 and my wife is 66. Soon be married 47 years. We each grew up on small farms but way different. We raises livestock and they raised mostly tobacco. We did not use tractor and they of course had lot of tractor work. She really enjoys mowing grass. She has come home to find I have and get upset with me. See for her it is relaxing after her stressed day with all working in health care brings. We have mowed our yard and her parents house and her grandparents place with a Kubota
B2710 and rear finishing mower, a ztr mower with 20 hp engine and 52 inch deck and now mostly with a ztr with 37 hp and 61 inch deck. She does well and enjoys each. Her favorite is the smaller ztr. Over the years she has operated every tractor we have for me to hook the 3pth implements. She has no interest in doing field work and not remembering her ever driving one even into a field and there is one within 30 feet of tractor shelter. If she were to tell me she want this or that machine she had enough experience to know what she is talking about and she would use it I have no doubt. With retiring from farming sold my main tractor and working to sell my Kubota M (maybe) and wanted a retired tractor. She was right there with her advice and yes I listened carefully to it. Boy did she shoot down Yanmar, I DO NOT LIKE THE COLORS. I decided against it for different reason, only one dealer within a 100 miles. But she really pushed me on getting big enough and with features may want to be sure would have all needed. Frankly wish had followed her preferred purchase recommendation being a JD 4000 but I said no due to no side windows in their cab. My wife likes mowing grass but she is not a tractor user person other wise.
Our girls did not grow up around tractors. I did not get my first one till after the oldest was married and youngest at age 40 has only last few years began to enjoy running a riding mower. Our oldest has use our
B2710 Kubota with hts andI have told my wife when I die that tractor goes to her. She also did some disking for me with my much larger JD 5525 and did ever bit as well as her husband did who grew up helping his granddaddy on his farm.
Yes there is a reason to my long story, no idea how well you know your wife. The more you have in common the stronger the relationship. People say opposites attach but the in common builds bonds. If she is the type who enjoys cutting grass or helping with tractor now it might be great to get her own tractor. In my area there are still a few family farms. Many the wife ran equipment. It does seem the wife will get comfortable with equipment she uses often and not with an implement once just once in a while. Have honest discussion with her. Ask why she would like to ride with you? What she hopes to learn? Teach her how to operate what you have now. Give her a few hours and see where that leads. Don't miss the TWO of you going tractor window shopping and get her feed back and listen to what she says about each one. Really there are a good bit of husband and wife operations out there. I do think women hold the opinion the man should take care of the equipment and have it ready to run, much like the men think the women should take care of the house and have it operation ready.
