NH1320 on paved road

RobS · May 22, 2003

I used to drive my tractor before I got a trailer and before we moved. Do all the safety stuff that eveyone's mentioning. My biggest hassle was knowing what to take with you. I'd head out to the property with the FEL full of tools, supplies, food and drink for the day. Invariably, I'd forget something or get into a project that I hadn't counted on. I think that's what made me get the trailer in the end. Then I had my truck with me for a quick trip back home or to the hardware store.

Took my bicycle with me a couple of times just for such trips but that somewhat limited what I could carry /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

JohnMiller3 · May 22, 2003

Re: NH1320 on paved road-no, No, NO, NO!

…Is it a good idea to drive NH1320 Hydro tractor on 12 miles of paved road each way?...



no
No
NO
NO!



Driving on the road with a tractor to maintain adjacent lots/fields out in the country is hazardous enough…

Driving 24 miles round-trip on the main roads with any tractor, especially a Compact is attempting suicide…

Driving a tractor and transporting an implement on the highway is one of the most dangerous things you can do with any tractor…

Do whatever it takes to find another method to get that lot mowed… but please don’t be “death foolish” and drive your tractor there…

markct · May 22, 2003

Re: NH1320 on paved road-no, No, NO, NO!

john, people do it all the time, heck some guys that do hay and stuff even have a tow bar on there pickup so they can tow there truck with there tractor, works great if ya gota take your tractor to a field somewheres where ya will be using it for a few days,ya can leave the tractor and then drive the truck back and forth. its not the end of the world,i dont see how a tractor is anymore dangerous than a motorcycle is on the road,ya got alot more metal around ya. trailering has its place,but 12 miles aint too far,and its hardly worth loading it up, chaining it down etc for that length trip. when i was doing work with a construction company often times they would drop me off somewheres and have me drive back equipment. sometime drives that were like 15 miles or more,it was about equal in time as it would be to load it on the tractor trailer,chain it down and all that stuff. i remember once my boss there drove an ariel lift back to the shop, it was only about 1/2 mile or less from the shop, but those lifts are real slow since ya dont want any fast movements on something that can put you 60ft up in the air on a long boom. he figured it would be roughly a 20 min drive,and it would be faster than getting the truck, well it took him over an hour, he said when he went thru the traffic light it changed 3 times before he cleared the intersection. so yes not all equipment should be driven on the road,but most tractors have a pretty good road gear so i wouldnt worry about it too much

MikePA · May 22, 2003

Re: NH1320 on paved road-no, No, NO, NO!

I agree with John on this one. Driving the tractor to the field would be my last choice, if it was a choice at all for me.

Depending on the kind of roads (hilly, flat), you are looking at somewhere between 2 to 3 hours on the road.
Do you have mirrors on the tractor to see what's coming up behind you?
Plenty of reflective tape?
Headlights on?
Flashers on?
How's that wheel on the rotary cutter? Good enough to roll 24 miles?
How wide is the berm of the road? Wide enough to get off the road, in both directions?

As a test, try driving there in a car and only go 10 mph. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Anonymous Poster · May 22, 2003

I use a my Ranger 4x4 with the 4.0 to pull a 14ft. car hauler with my JD670 and whatever attachment I need with no problem....well, it isn't exactly a PowerStroke but it does the job.

But as many before me said, I'd drive it as well if I didn't have the trailer. In fact, I really don't see what the big deal is about driving it. If it were THAT dangerous it would be outlawed and there would be no such thing as a SMV sign on the backs of our little tractors. During cotton harvest here, it seems as if there are as many tractors on the road as cars!

Egon · May 22, 2003

Rob:

Picture of my trailer with the B7100. Usually go out to the " Farm " for a week or so at a time and stay in the camper on the truck.

Egon

BillG_in_TX · May 22, 2003

I use our Mazda B4000 with a 4.0L V6 and towing package to pull a trailer with the tractor and cutter. I estimate about 4200 lbs total. It's only about 6 miles by county road from the shed to our property, but Larry's a little old for that much asphalt. Besides, I don't like those blind curves already, and that's in the pickup! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

And as someone else mentioned, this way I can carry all the other gear that I won't need (unless I leave it back at the house /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif).

Egon · May 22, 2003

Rob:
Mayhaps this time I can get a clear picture of trailer, truck and camper.

Egon

Bird · May 22, 2003

Re: NH1320 on paved road-no, No, NO, NO!

John, I think it depends a lot on where you live and what the roads and traffic are like. I don't know what it's like in his area of Ohio, but I drove my tractor nearly 8 miles to my brother's place several times. The road's paved and I might see 3 or 4 cars on the trip, while I might also not see a single car; might see a couple of other tractors, though. And when I was baling hay with my neighbor, we frequently drove the tractors 10 to 15 miles pulling a haybine or baler on the roads. It's quite common in farming country.

RoyJackson · May 22, 2003

I've driven my Deere 670 just over 10 miles to a house I was selling. Trip took just over an hour.
Now, I left the tractor there (at a former neighbor's house) for the week so I could do a little work after my normal working hours.

I'd have no problem doing this again, if need be. I had a friend follow me in a Ford pick up as an escort vehicle. As others have suggested, have your lights and flashers on as well as your SMV placard visible!!!! . If you don't have a strobe, you might want to think about getting one (magnetic base type). I know if I were going to drive on the road more or less regularly, I'd have a strobe wired in.
Depending on the traffic on your route, you may want the escort vehicle. Traffic coming up from behind is going to close at at least 10 to 20 mph..at least. If they hit you, it might be their fault, but you're gonna be hurtin' for certain.