Tractors On Public Roads

[Harv]

Yesterday (Sunday) I finally had occassion to take my 'Bota out on the road. I was using my bucket forks to transport a large, modified doghouse out to the well head to use as a protective insulating structure. Because of the recent rains, I had to circumvent a marshy area, and the best way to do that was to go out on the road for about a hundred yards.

I had my SMV placard prominently displayed and lights a-flashing, plus I made the trip at 7:30 a.m., so all went smoothly without another car on the road.

My question is, what are the laws regarding tractors on public roads? I know the answer may be state or even county dependent, but I was just curious if there are any licensing or permit issues to consider?

RobertN -- you're in my neck of the woods, so to speak. Do you know how it works in our area?

 

[RobS]

Harv, I'm curious myself now. I drive my tractor from our house to our property (about 3 miles). I've got the SMV emblem, flashing lights and a VERY watchful eye over my shoulder. I'm also traveling in two states (interstate transport?). Occasionally, if she's out there with me, my wife will follow in a vehicle with flashers on. I don't know the laws, but my observations are that all the real farmers do it this way just to get from field to field and home. I believe if there are more than three vehicles stacked up behind the slow vehicle is supposed to pull over to allow passing.

I'm hoping this spring I'll have a trailer to haul the tractor behind my truck. Then I can have more than one implement with me at a time /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Rob

 

[jfakerj]

Rob

What kind of tire wear do you notice driving that far on the road. I've got some projects within about 3-4 miles from my home and am concerned about the tires driving that far on asphalt.

Jerry

 

[RobS]

Jerry, I think it's too early to tell on the tire wear. I got the tractor last fall and only made 6-7 round trips before the snows started. I certainly haven't noticed any wear yet. A friend of mine did a 16 mile round trip for 4 years on his Massey CUT. His tires still look nearly new. Both of us have R-1s.

Rob

 

[jfakerj]

Thanks Rob

I have R4s. I guess I won't worry about it for now.

Jerry

 

[stevepio]

From the NYS Vehicle & Traffic Law:
125. Motor vehicles
Every vehicle operated or driven upon a public highway which is propelled
by any power other than muscular power, except (a) electrically-driven
mobility assistance devices operated or driven by a person with a
disability, (b) vehicles which run only upon rails or tracks, (c)
snowmobiles as defined in article forty-seven of this chapter, and (d) all
terrain vehicles as defined in article forty-eight-B of this chapter. For
the purposes of title four, the term motor vehicle shall exclude fire and
police vehicles other than ambulances. For the purposes of titles four and
five the term motor vehicles shall exclude farm type tractors and all
terrain type vehicles used exclusively for agricultural purposes, or for
snow plowing, other than for hire, farm equipment, including
self-propelled machines used exclusively in growing, harvesting or
handling farm produce, and self-propelled caterpillar or crawler-type
equipment while being operated on the contract site.

Later a SMV emblem is mentioned. Yellow flashers come under the "hazard vehicle" section. The above section exempts tractors from insurance, registration, and driver licensing requirements. Note the "for hire" part.

 

[bpence]

In another life I grew up on a dairy farm and we had to transport on the road all the time. Working 800 acres, it was sometimes several miles to particular parcels and we'd transport tractors, equipment, wagons....you name it on the roads. Every piece of equipment that went out on the roads had an SMV attached. The tractors all had lights galore. The two we had with cabs had rotating yellow lights on top of the cab as well as standard flashers. We always turned all the lights on (head lights, tail lights, flashers) when on the roads. When we were transporting tandem hay or grain wagons, we always had a trailing vehicle with lights and flashers on and a magnetic SMV stuck on the back.

I guess that's a long winded way to say we lit up the area around any equipment we took out onto the road. Still today, doing hay rides for the youth group, I light the wagon up with portable yellow flashers and hang a couple of extra yellow flashers on the tractor when we head out. Knock on wood, we've never had a problem with traffic out on the roads.

Bob Pence

 

[Jag]

Harv.. Once making a run on an east Texas road, it was a main north-south route not some Farm and Market. I was runing about 65 in a 70 zone just coming out of a small town and getting up to speed about midnight on a Thursday night, rounded a cover and almost hit a little old man in a wagon pulled by a team of black mules. There were no lights, no reflectors, it was as black as the bottom of a coal mine at midnight. I had not seen a car on the road for better part of a half hour, I pulled into a little coffee a half mile down the road to settle down and in he comes, said he does it about three times a week for the last fifty years..... You never know.....

 

[Harv]

Jag -

Even if it turns out to be legal, you can bet I will not be taking my tractor out on a 70mph road. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

 

[RobertN]

From what I understand, you can run on the road, with your hazards flashing, and a SMV. The trick is that you need agricultural type implements installed. For anything but a short drive, it is a good idea to have a chase vehicle.

Another friend brought a '41 Deere "B" over a couple years ago. He had a SMV, and a chase vehicle. A couple CHP officers passed him, waving as they went by.

Where it gets stickly, is with something like a big backhoe. They have to have lights, SMV, and a license plate. A friend got pulled over on his way to my house, while driving his backhoe. We were going to do some groundwork for a shed. He got pulled over for all the above. He had just turned on the main road; the Deputy siad if he went home, he wouldn't ticket him. The deputy said he could act as a chase vehicle so Ken could continue over here, but he'd get a ticket for no commercial plate.

So, basically, agricultural is ok. Comercial on the street without plates and chase vehicle is a no-no.

I have a commercial driver handbook here; I was studying for driving a Fire Engine. I will check it further this evening...

Ca DMV has a good web site too...

RobertN in Shingle Springs Calif

 

[Thomas]

Harv,
Up here once you hit the road better have a SMV and license plate,and
flashing light aren't a must.

Even hauling farm equipment..hay bailers..rakes..speaders etc..SMV are a must.

If a tractor has agricultucal plates and SMV,age 12 and up can operate on a class 3 and up roads w/out a driver permit or license.

I believe its a matter of time when traveling the roads,tractors will have to have an inspection sticker. /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

Thomas..NH /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[Harv]

Robert -

Thanks for sharing your experiences. That helps paint the picture.

Not sure I understand the purpose of a "chase" vehicle, unless it's a CHP or other "official" vehicle. In all practicality, it doesn't seem like an ordinary car would be any more visible than a bright orange tractor with an SMV and flashing lights. Or do they act as a shock absorber when you get hit from behind? /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Yeah, I was thinking I ought to try the DMV web site, but I'm developing the dubious habit of asking this board for information before I even try to look it up myself. /w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif

 

[Harv]

<font color=blue>class 3 and up roads</font color=blue>

???

Thomas - I have no idea how much class my road has. You got any idea what the different classifications are?

 

[Thomas]

Harv,
My understanding In New hampshire a class one road is the interstate & class 2 road highly travel state road.
New Hampshire consider class 3 and up rural roads,even old roads subject to {pass at your own risk}gate and bars.

You may want to check your state laws.

Thomas..NH /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[Rowski]

A thought just came to mind. If you are on the road can you used off the road diesel fuel in a tractor? I'm sure this varies state to state.

Derek

 

[RobertN]

I don't know what thier thoughts are on chase vehicles. I know a lot of old tractors have no signal lights; maybe that is the reason. My Farmall "A" does not. Georges Deere "B" does not; I know both were available with headlights, but that's it.

I will give you the benefit of the doubt that our hazard flashers on our Kubota's are bright. However, for a evening ride, you will need headlights. Kubota's are notorious for junk headlights. My 18v DeWalt cordless light outshines the high-beams on my B8200 [shock]

Asking the board like this is definitely more interesting. We have feedback from various backgrounds and states.

RobertN in Shingle Springs Calif

 

[Harv]

Okay, I spent some time reading the California Motor Vehicle Code online. (Yawn)

The closest thing I could find to an answer to my question here was under the "Off-Highway Vehicles" section. If we assume that our tractors are classified as "Implements of Husbandry" (I couldn't find anything closer), then we are not required to register our tractors or display any sort of license to operate them on or off the highway (read, "public road").

When we do go out on the "highway", we are bound by all the normal driving laws, including speed limits (Slow To 25, guys /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif).

You are not required to carry a driver's license unless you are pulling a farm trailer full of produce between farms or to a processing point.

If you exceed 25 miles per hour, you must carry a valid class C driver's license (to get my L2500 up to that speed, I'd have to drive it over a cliff /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif).

SMV emblem is mandatory!

Double-faced amber turn signals may be flashed simultaneously as warning lights.

They specifically state that in order to operate such a vehicle, you must be able to reach all the controls and pedals (my wife barely qualifies /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif).

That's the best I could glean from the DMV docs, but I suppose I'll get the real answers from the first cop to pull me over -- if he can catch me. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[RobertN]

Yup, "Implements of Husbandry" is what we have /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Sounds funny though. Can't imagine explaining about showing a friend that brand new "Implement of Husbandry" /w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

RobertN in Shingle Springs Calif

 

[Jag]

HARV.. Here in the sticks most all farmers take there tractors out on the highway at some point. I have never seen, or even heard of a police officer of any kind stopping or giving a ticket to any farmer. (Unless maybe someone who was involved in and fender bender) Half of the old tractor I see on the road are without light of any kind, no flashers, no SMV. I know of several farmers who move some older tractors about three to five miles about twice a week. Now that I think about I have seen big, BIG combines moving between fields or running back to the dealer in town to be worked on... But we are really in for real farm country.

 

[Harv]

Derek -

My guess is that if you're driving a vehicle which is classified as off-road, like our "implements of husbandry", you are perfectly entitled to use the off-road diesel. The assumption, of course, is that you actually spend most of your time off the road. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif