using a lawn mower for younger kids to drive around the farm....ideas?

[GPintheMitten]

It is a parent's primary responsibility to protect children. Parents have to make adult decisions, not just help their kids have fun.

 

[Jstpssng]

It is a parent's primary responsibility to protect children. Parents have to make adult decisions, not just help their kids have fun.

Yet they also need to help those same kids test their boundaries, while setting the parameters. Otherwise how will they learn?

 

[Capt Dan]

A mower rolling on a kid is bad. The way I read the first post made me think of them riding this without adults around. One thing that I thought of is them refilling the gas tank of a hot mower.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

One of the reasons I bought a riding mower was to teach my kids to drive. It's better than teaching with a go karat, as it only has stop and go. course I don't let them just drive it to drive it, they need to be doing something productive like mowing, since they now have to think about where they are going. I probably didn't start them on it till around 10, but I know one guy around here that has a 7 or 8 yr old that can run a skid steer real good.

 

[brownbr]

I'm definitely scared about my children being hurt. That's why I brought the question here. My dad had me disking (supervised from another tractor) on a WD45 at 6 years old. I think this was a little crazy. So my perspective is skewed, and because of that I don't know where a good middle ground is at.

That's why I thought about a smaller riding mower with the deck removed would be a good next step. And from this thread I'm thinking about adding a roll-bar, a bumper, remote shutdown, seatbelt with kill, and maybe a throttle or HST modification to block full speed. Those were my first take-aways from everyone's comments.

As for supervision this is going to be used for them following me driving around on my garden tractor doing work. But at some point, I'd probably feel they are capable of driving back to the house if they were getting tired, or needed to go to the toilet...ect. I can't predict how it would play out, it's my first time being a parent and I definitely don't have it figured out.

 

[GPintheMitten]

I'm definitely scared about my children being hurt. That's why I brought the question here. My dad had me disking (supervised from another tractor) on a WD45 at 6 years old. I think this was a little crazy. So my perspective is skewed, and because of that I don't know where a good middle ground is at.

That's why I thought about a smaller riding mower with the deck removed would be a good next step. And from this thread I'm thinking about adding a roll-bar, a bumper, remote shutdown, seatbelt with kill, and maybe a throttle or HST modification to block full speed. Those were my first take-aways from everyone's comments.

As for supervision this is going to be used for them following me driving around on my garden tractor doing work. But at some point, I'd probably feel they are capable of driving back to the house if they were getting tired, or needed to go to the toilet...ect. I can't predict how it would play out, it's my first time being a parent and I definitely don't have it figured out.

I don't think anyone has everything figured out. The reason my responses were more on the conservative side is the age range you gave. There's a big difference in the ability of children of the range of 4 to 7. 7 is just starting to be able to process consequences for decisions but it is very rudimentary.

Th as ts why I recommended bikes. As each gets older you can evaluate what the individual kid can handle but you need to err on the side of caution.

I know it's different but just this morning there was a news report of a kid falling off an atv and getting stuck in it.

There's plenty of time for a kid to learn to drive even if you waited til 10 or 11. But I could see giving a kid a chance to drive a mower with the mower off to see how they do and let them have some fun. But I don't see getting them their own machine at the ages you mentioned.

Good luck with however you go.

 

[ruffdog]

Growing up I LOVED my BMX bicycle and rode it everywhere. Later we had mini bikes, trikes(early ATV's), dirt bikes. I was also used as a extra farm hand driving tractors (standing...couldn't reach peddles). There were some close calls and minor injuries but I EXPERIENCED life. I have many memories I can look back on and laugh about. Only you as a parent can decide how you go forward.

 

[JimRB]

Learning to ride a bicycle is a rather good challenge to develop motor skills. Maybe if your kids can ride a bicycle well they can graduate to motorized vehicles. Personally I think that is a step backwards operating a dino fueled vehicle over a bicycle but that is just me who loves highly efficient things. Great that you are thinking things out.

 

[SPIKER]

look in local craigslist for old rider mowers, lots are on there and fall is best time to buy.

Old golf carts work well as does old junker trucks/cars when they get a bit older.

I worked farm and first tractor driving experience was 8/9n with FEL at 9 yrs old. At neighbors farm bringing tractor back while farm hand drove pickup... didn't turn out great but I did alright...

I started our girls out on rider mowing, (poor trees.) but little damage to anything else other than some scalped grass or bumped mowed over saplings.

I would think old trucks/cars that are beat up already are good for 13+ once they been on smaller slower stuff and set them up for low speed some how.

Mark

 

[bigtiller]

A nice slow lawnmower without a working deck sounds fun.

I'm just thinking about the four 14 year old boys that died riding a gator this weekend in Iowa.

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/2014/08/03/teens-killed-dubuque-county/13547391/