Oil & Fuel Tractor Use of Red Dyed Fuel on Public Roads

[bdhsfz6]

In an effort to raise awareness of the importance of agriculture, many rural school districts across the country sponsor Drive Your Tractor to School Days. One such event in my area raised an interesting question at the diner this morning. Is it legal to use un taxed or red dyed fuel in a tractor while operating on a public highway?

Here in rural Pennsylvania, the law is vague on the issue. It prohibits vehicular use of RDF on public roads. Is a tractor considered to be a vehicle?

In my farm community, many of us use RDF in our tractors on the highway. Citations of any kind are rare. I have never heard of one being issued for RDF use.

I’m curious how this is handled in other states and if any here can offer knowledge or personal experience.

 

[swnoel]

As long as you keep it under 55 you should be ok! Seriously, I can't believe any DOT officer would hassle you about a tractor used 99% of the time off road.

 

[BrokenTrack]

In an effort to raise awareness of the importance of agriculture, many rural school districts across the country sponsor Drive Your Tractor to School Days. One such event in my area raised an interesting question at the diner this morning. Is it legal to use un taxed or red dyed fuel in a tractor while operating on a public highway?

Here in rural Pennsylvania, the law is vague on the issue. It prohibits vehicular use of RDF on public roads. Is a tractor considered to be a vehicle?

In my farm community, many of us use RDF in our tractors on the highway. Citations of any kind are rare. I have never heard of one being issued for RDF use.

I知 curious how this is handled in other states and if any here can offer knowledge or personal experience.

Here in the State of Maine anyway, and I assume many other places, it is lawful to use a tractor on public way when used in agricultural activity. Since the students are raising awareness of agriculture, a very sound argument could be made that they are indeed engaged in agriculture while using public roads in this manner with their tractors and therefore are still legal even if they are using dyed off road fuel.

But is a tractor a vehicle? YES! Across the country there have been many Operating under the Influence arrests when people were drunk on riding mowers.

So, while a farmer might get a good drunk going on while plowing a field A, he could easily be stopped and arrested for OUI (what we call it here in Maine) if he takes the highway to get to field B. However, because he is engaged in agricultural activities, his fuel tank would not be dipped to see if he was using off-road fuel, nor would he be fined if he was.

...
Two things have to be noted on this...

1. When it comes to agriculture, even in the gray areas, law almost always sides with the farmer. People have a heart for those engaged in farming, and many, many grandfather laws are in place making enforcement difficult.

2. When it comes to committees, people will often bring up the most silly arguments just to add their 2 cents. Most often, this 2 cents is negative in nature. Realize this and not dwell too much on what is said.

 

[BrokenTrack]

Note: Limited access highways (interstates) are not included because of the rules stated in their use. When I say public Roads, I just assumed that people knew these types of roads were out of bounds for use.

 

[Jim Timber]

MN doesn't license tractors, or even title them for that matter. It's not a motor vehicle by definition, and thus not subject to the restrictions of the on-highway fuel taxes.

I drive mine to the local wash-it-your-dang-self car wash a mile away from my house in the metro. I get smiles and waves. I use my turn signals and also hand signal lane changes and turns. Never been bothered by PD and I drive past a fire station on my way.

 

[Thomas]

Only known couple times a tractor was stop in my area,both times didn't show triangle sign on the rear.

 

[Oldoak]

The only time I have know a farm tractor driver was stopped while driving on a public road in my area is when his driver's license was suspended and he was using his farm tractor to drive back and forth to the local bar. :drool:

 

[smstonypoint]

The only time I have know a farm tractor driver was stopped while driving on a public road in my area is when his driver's license was suspended and he was using his farm tractor to drive back and forth to the local bar. :drool:

This reminds me of George "Possum" Jones.

George Jones & His Notorious Riding Lawnmower | Saving Country Music

Steve

 

[RickB]

Offroad equipment is not required to use fuel that has has highway use tax paid on it. Period. Whether or not off-road equipment operation on public roads is subject to vehicle and traffic laws is a separate discussion.

 

[Looking4new]

Here in Ontario, Canada if there are no license plates on it then run any colour fuel you want. Tractors are NOT vehicles as far as licensing goes.

 

[oosik]

Its just been in the last year or so that red dyed diesel fuel was even available in our area. Farmers don't generally pull up to a service station for a fill up. The local Chevron station has an off-road diesel hose. I've never heard of farmers, in this area, being confronted by county or state police for driving on the county roads or what type fuel they are using.

I will occasionally take my tractor over to the neighbors to clean out his feed lots. I'm on the county roads less than half an hour so contact with LEO has never happened.

 

[bdhsfz6]

Here in the State of Maine anyway, and I assume many other places, it is lawful to use a tractor on public way when used in agricultural activity. Since the students are raising awareness of agriculture, a very sound argument could be made that they are indeed engaged in agriculture while using public roads in this manner with their tractors and therefore are still legal even if they are using dyed off road fuel.

But is a tractor a vehicle? YES! Across the country there have been many Operating under the Influence arrests when people were drunk on riding mowers.

So, while a farmer might get a good drunk going on while plowing a field A, he could easily be stopped and arrested for OUI (what we call it here in Maine) if he takes the highway to get to field B. However, because he is engaged in agricultural activities, his fuel tank would not be dipped to see if he was using off-road fuel, nor would he be fined if he was.

...
Two things have to be noted on this...

1. When it comes to agriculture, even in the gray areas, law almost always sides with the farmer. People have a heart for those engaged in farming, and many, many grandfather laws are in place making enforcement difficult.

2. When it comes to committees, people will often bring up the most silly arguments just to add their 2 cents. Most often, this 2 cents is negative in nature. Realize this and not dwell too much on what is said.

Please don't misunderstand my reason for posting. I think the "Drive Your Tractor to School" program is a great thing. It is truly an inspiring sight to see a regional school parking lot filled with hundreds of tractors! Your point about the students raising agricultural awareness is well taken. The red fuel thing was just a bunch of good ole boys chewing the fat over coffee.

 

[Looking4new]

Please don't misunderstand my reason for posting. I think the "Drive Your Tractor to School" program is a great thing. It is truly an inspiring sight to see a regional school parking lot filled with hundreds of tractors! Your point about the students raising agricultural awareness is well taken. The red fuel thing was just a bunch of good ole boys chewing the fat over coffee.

I agree with you. We cannot drive ours on the multi lane, controlled access highway, but on the two lane roads we are 'good to go'. A DOT officer that I deliberately asked told me that I had two choices when driving my tractor on the road. Either all on the shoulder or all on the pavement, but not half and half.
I run my 4 way flashers and an amber carnival light in top just to be seen. That is in addition to the 'slow moving vehicle sign'. We all know how blind people in cars can be.

 

[Jstpssng]

Here in the State of Maine anyway, and I assume many other places, it is lawful to use a tractor on public way when used in agricultural activity. Since the students are raising awareness of agriculture, a very sound argument could be made that they are indeed engaged in agriculture while using public roads in this manner with their tractors and therefore are still legal even if they are using dyed off road fuel.

But is a tractor a vehicle? YES! Across the country there have been many Operating under the Influence arrests when people were drunk on riding mowers.

So, while a farmer might get a good drunk going on while plowing a field A, he could easily be stopped and arrested for OUI (what we call it here in Maine) if he takes the highway to get to field B. However, because he is engaged in agricultural activities, his fuel tank would not be dipped to see if he was using off-road fuel, nor would he be fined if he was.

...
Two things have to be noted on this...

1. When it comes to agriculture, even in the gray areas, law almost always sides with the farmer. People have a heart for those engaged in farming, and many, many grandfather laws are in place making enforcement difficult.

2. When it comes to committees, people will often bring up the most silly arguments just to add their 2 cents. Most often, this 2 cents is negative in nature. Realize this and not dwell too much on what is said.

Actually he can be summonsed while he's plowing; just as you can get an OUI while sitting in your driveway drinking and listening to the radio.

 

[RickB]

Actually he can be summonsed while he's plowing; just as you can get an OUI while sitting in your driveway drinking and listening to the radio.

Care to verify that nugget about an OUI while on a Tractor on private property? My BS meter just blew up.

 

[cabinhollow]

Care to verify that nugget about an OUI while on a Tractor on private property? My BS meter just blew up.

Happen here in KY a few years back.
A guy was drunk, got in a fight with his wife, she called the cops, he got on his tractor and starting mowing a field. When the cops showed up, DWI was one of the reason they took him in. I guy I know got arrested for DWI while riding his horse, on his land.

 

[majorwager]

Sounds like a rural legend or perhaps 3.

 

[ChiefBodie]

Mr. Jones' biographer either needs to lay off the sauce or stop writing about riding mowers with rotary engines.

 

[smstonypoint]

Mr. Jones' biographer either needs to lay off the sauce or stop writing about riding mowers with rotary engines.

:laughing:

I didn't catch that.

Steve

 

[/pine]

...When it comes to committees, people will often bring up the most silly arguments just to add their 2 cents. Most often, this 2 cents is negative in nature. Realize this and not dwell too much on what is said. ...

The same often applies to Internet forums...!