I hate to see this...

[Tr3kker]

Growing up on a ranch...we learned how to be around and operate machinery at a young age.

We were fine and better off for it.

Damn, we're getting soft.

Maybe he can just “walk it off” if he runs over his foot. Just because you did something 50 years ago and you’re here today, isn’t proof that it’s right. Wanna know what’s different today? These kids, they have the attention span of a gnat. He’s going to get bored of mowing in straight lines after about 10 minutes and do something stupid like put it in the fence or in a ditch. But hey, if you want to throw your 5 year old on machine, not a toy, and put them to work, go for it.

Even at the amusement parks they have signs “must be this tall to ride on this ride”. The kid can’t even reach the controls. But hey, that’s how you did it, and you didn’t die, (but others did), so go for it. Why not let the kid drive himself to school while he’s at it.

 

[Tr3kker]

No experience with a zero turn but 4 is when I was in the drivers seat going up and down the windrows at the dairy farm.

It freed up an adult to pitch hay into the wagon as the tractor did a slow crawl down one row and back.

It was life changing in every good way for a kid with mechanical aptitude

That said there are 20 year olds that fail driving tests…

You should have stopped with “no experience with a zero turn”. It’s a totally different machine.

 

[Tr3kker]

my kid was on a zero turn at 5, and did fine, to each their own, we all have to decide our risk level. my son runs the backhoe on my larger tractor, better then my wife does.

Could he reach all the controls? I guess it’s fine, until it’s not.

 

[Tr3kker]

More they were there to free up a body to throw and stack hay. Because 5 year old girls that weigh 40 lbs are of no use throwing 55 lb hay bales all day

That makes perfect sense. I’ll put a 5 year old on a zero turn to mow my lawn, which will free up farm hands.

 

[kozal01]

What controls cant he reach? He has the two controls in his hands. My kids drive my ZTR, my tractor, golfcart, mini bike and my truck around my property. This safety police BS gets tiring, some of us learned to do things at an early age and are better off for it and Id wager my kids are in more danger every time they get into a car, or a school bus or walking to school along the side of a busy road than they are using my motorized equipment in my yard. As a kid I was mowing the field with my dads old Ford garden tractor with wood blocks on the pedals because I wasn't tall enough to reach them, I drove his truck around, plowed snow with it while sitting on his lap even. Im thankful I was taught this stuff when I was young and I will do the same with my kids.

 

[LittleBill21]

Could he reach all the controls? I guess it’s fine, until it’s not.

stuff can happen to anyone at any time. his reaction time is faster then mine

 

[Tr3kker]

What controls cant he reach? He has the two controls in his hands. My kids drive my ZTR, my tractor, golfcart, mini bike and my truck around my property. This safety police BS gets tiring, some of us learned to do things at an early age and are better off for it and Id wager my kids are in more danger every time they get into a car, or a school bus or walking to school along the side of a busy road than they are using my motorized equipment in my yard. As a kid I was mowing the field with my dads old Ford garden tractor with wood blocks on the pedals because I wasn't tall enough to reach them, I drove his truck around, plowed snow with it while sitting on his lap even. Im thankful I was taught this stuff when I was young and I will do the same with my kids.

You’ve obviously never operated a Kubota zero turn mower, he can’t reach the foot pedal that activates the parking brake. That could be important if he wants to get off the mower.

 

[Snobdds]

Maybe he can just “walk it off” if he runs over his foot. Just because you did something 50 years ago and you’re here today, isn’t proof that it’s right. Wanna know what’s different today? These kids, they have the attention span of a gnat. He’s going to get bored of mowing in straight lines after about 10 minutes and do something stupid like put it in the fence or in a ditch. But hey, if you want to throw your 5 year old on machine, not a toy, and put them to work, go for it.

Even at the amusement parks they have signs “must be this tall to ride on this ride”. The kid can’t even reach the controls. But hey, that’s how you did it, and you didn’t die, (but others did), so go for it. Why not let the kid drive himself to school while he’s at it.

Damn, maybe you need to be wrapped in bubble wrap too, along with the kid.

 

[Coffee drinker]

I think he is pretty young for that machine. I will say I would rather see him at the controls of the mower then some video game that might turn him into a violent person.

 

[Torvy]

I see both sides of this. I was I when I started running the riding mower on the farm acreage.

I also attended a funeral for a co-workers step son. His 'real' dad let him run a zero turn unsupervised on a hilly property. It only takes one accident to be fatal.

I lost a wee bit of fingernail on a old rotary push mower. Stick got caught. As soon as I removed the stick, it bit me. I was about 5 at the time. Still have the scar!