what were the engineers thinking, why no road gear

Soundguy · Sep 11, 2003

( I once worked for a ........ the tractor is a tool, not a toy.)

I think you should be directing this at 'UNO' not me... I'm not arguing -for- tractors having to have a tag.... I was merely replying to his post...

Soundguy

Soundguy · Sep 11, 2003

( yea that is the one interesting thing about farm machinery, no need for a licence even on the road. here in connecticut ya cant even drive a moped without a licence )

That is one thing I've noticed. due to Americas big ag background .. agricultural work has always had a bit more leeway when coming to laws.. especially tax laws. For instance ag exemptions are great tax savings over other classifications, and as for licensing.. I'm sure it varies from state to state.. but where I live.. a farmer doesn't even have to have an occupational license.... or a retail sales license if he only sells products produced on his farm...

As for driving on the road. Simce the mile limit is something like 4000-6000 miles per year.. i think we are all safe... if you are driving your tractor more than 4000 miles per year on the road.. a trailer may be in your future. ( As far as i know.. the 4-6k mile rule pretty much only covers the fuel tax part.. if you drive more than that you have to buy on-road fuel.... I still don't think you need registration/license for the farm related work.)

Lets face it.. I'm sure the law is keyed towards benefit of doubt ( unless either you are being a wenie on purpose.. or the lawman is in a bad mood ). If you own ag property and some livestock.. and you are roading your tractor for a short distance to maintain or work that other property.... that pretty much at least satisfies spirit.. if not letter of the law.

Soundguy

Ledgemere Farm · Sep 11, 2003

Sure they pull over, but sometimes it's tough on a country lane with ditches on both sides when you are hauling a chopper and a wagon! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Bird · Sep 11, 2003

( using it for transportation and that wasn't allowed on public roads )

Sounds about the same as I understand Texas law. If it's used just for transportation, you'd have to have a drivers license, license plate, state safety inspection sticker, proof of liablity insurance, etc. Of course I've never known of an officer to stop a tractor on the road to ask where he was going or why unless the officer had reason to suspect the tractor driver was intoxicated.

markct · Sep 11, 2003

( Sure they pull over, but sometimes it's tough on a country lane with ditches on both sides when you are hauling a chopper and a wagon!
)

thats for sure, two of my hayfields are down a narrow windy dirt road with a few houses on it, but it also is a shortcut to a more populated road so it has a decent amount of traffic. when towing my baler and an empty wagon home there was a guy coming the other way, the road is only about 12 ft wide at the most, fence on one side and deep ditch on the other, well this guy got all [censored] off and wanted me to back up to where it was wider, i got out and told him that ya cant back up a baler and a wagon realy, he told me that i shouldnt be driving it if i didnt know how to back up. finnaly he backed up all [censored] off and let me go by. had i just had the tractor i would have gladly backed up but its not very practical if not impossible to do that with a baler and wagon

uno · Sep 11, 2003

( I'm not arguing -for- tractors having to have a tag.... )

I am not arguing for it either,I may have given that impression.As I stated in a previous post,it was an objective statement.

uno · Sep 11, 2003

( without a licensed driver )

I thought to drive a tractor on the road you had to be a licensed driver,even a tractor driver needs to know the basic's about the laws of driving on a road.

pruntyc · Sep 11, 2003

Uno, I get the feeling that you are not at all from farm country. Your thinking is kind of different to say the least. You don't drive a tractor to be driveing it down a road, but to get to another field or the barn. So all that takes is to keep to the right and go as fast as you safely can, its not a joy ride or shopping and you don't go to town, or the bar on the way. Not to hard to figure if there is a stop sign on the way to stop and look, even a kid would do that.

uno · Sep 11, 2003

There are farms where I live...and there is a substantial amount of traffic.There are farms and there are housing developements and then there are more farms and more houses. Now my thinking is different because I asked a couple of questions ?? Some tractors are driven on back roads and I have seen some on the highways with 15 cars and trucks waiting to get around them.Now would it be wise to have a child driving in a situation like that.
I was not thinking about joy riding on a tractor or going to the mall or cruising downtown to score some chicks....

markct · Sep 11, 2003

yea i know what ya mean about houses and farms spread out, here the suburbs have basicly moved in around us,to get to my fields i drive past a few dozen houses that are on half acre lots and most are owned by people who dont know which end of the cow the hay goes into. as to what was said about kids not driving tractors since they need to know the rules of the road, well i would say that most farm kids know the rules pretty good, its not all that much different as far as traffic rules as compared to a bicycle if ya think about it, alot more resposibility but i will say that my father didnt just put me on the tractor and say see ya, i drove many times on the road with him on the fender before he would even have considered letting me take the tractor out on my own. im sure he observed how i was driving and i know he would give me pointers on what was right and wrong, and from that he based his decision as to when i was ready to be trusted with the tractor on the road by myself. and like someone else said, its not like i was gona go for a joyride to pick up chicks or run to the mall, it was only when we needed to borrow an implement from a friend, or plow in the winter at my cousins.