You "Road" Your Tractor?

[Hay Dude]

Crossing the tracks.

 

[Old Time Mountain Farmer]

I do, but most of our roads in this part of North Carolina are 10ft wide one-lane dirt roads with minimal traffic, so it's low risk. Plus the roads are conducive to a trailer, although I've driven both a 16ft trailer and multiple fire apparatus on the roads without problem.

The pasture that I rent is only two miles away, but I gain about 500ft of elevation from 3400ft to 3900ft.

That pasture is South facing as opposed to the North facing on our property. That lets me get poultry on it three weeks earlier than the North facing pasture once the snow stops in Mid-may.

 

[rockinbbar]

Crossing the tracks.

View attachment 841137

Just got back in from putting hay out for cattle on a ranch I manage... It's 10 miles from my place.

Drove the tractor over there, speared and put out 2 bales, threw some bags of cubes on top of the spear tines, and gave them some range cubes, squared away the bags and wrap, and headed home.

Left at 3:37

Returned at 5:20

If I'd hooked up my Gooseneck, loaded the tractor, chained it, drove 10 miles, unchain and unload the tractor, then do the work, load it back up, and chain it, drive it home, unchain and unload, then unhook my trailer....

Well, I'd still be outside cussing my wife for not holding the flashlight in the right spot when trying to finish.

 

[Hay Dude]

10 miles is nothing if you can average 20-25MPH, you’d be there in 20-30 minutes. I wouldn’t want to do all that chaining down for that, unless i needed to also bring several attachments or tools.

 

[rockinbbar]

10 miles is nothing if you can average 20-25MPH, you’d be there in 20-30 minutes. I wouldn’t want to do all that chaining down for that, unless i needed to also bring several attachments or tools.

You do it right! (Per your area, needs and time frame)

That today drive is a rural county road that turns to a Farm to Market road for most of the 10 miles, then turns onto a gravel road to get to the ranch.

County Rd- about 18mph. It can get bumpy.

Farm to Market road- 25mph.

Gravel county road- 15mph.

Nothing's ever easy, just some things are less hard than they have to be.

You are a savvy guy! One day I'd like to talk to you about your hay operation. I've recently started acquiring some hay fields, and have a couple of questions about what you do. If you are so inclined.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

What if you road your tractor to pull a tractor to a job,

OR you need to get some loads of logs home,

OR even more loads of logs home,

Hook up and Get R Done!

SR

 

[Muley Gil]

I have driven my 8N from the shop to the house once, about 7 miles.

I live in a county with only two red lights, both in the county seat. We have more cows than people. I see tractors on the road almost every day, when I'm out and about. No big deal around here.

I had a deputy in the county north of me stop me while I was driving my Isuzu pick-up and he advised that the state troopers would write a ticket if you had a hitch ball mounted on a step bumper, as the ball partially covered the tag. I removed the ball and kept it and a big wrench under the seat.

 

[tacticalturnip]

In the late 70's, I was working on a farm in southwest Arizona. Owner came up to me one day and said let's go for a ride. Went to the IH dealer and looked at a used International 622 cotton picker. He bought it and guess what I did? Checked it over and then drove it home about 110 miles on Interstate 8. Did have leave it parked overnight about 3/4 the way home. We also would "road" our pickers about 20 miles to the owner's son's farm. We would do this 2 times during picking season. And NO cabs on them.

Might be a 602, but I imagine this wasn't much different than the machine you got to road trip.

No thank you, not down an interstate lol; of course I do have the luxury of not having to be placed in that position.

 

[Indian Territory]

I road mine to and from the farm at least a few times a week. It's about 7 miles one way. Not too bad at 23 mph. I guess I've been too afraid to call and ask the cops if it's legal, but my limited reading tells me I'm in the clear in my state. So far no troubles at least. For sure I see many larger tractors doing the same thing, and I stay on the county roads (except when I don't ). I'm usually pulling some weird implement because we're a berry farm. Pretty unusual to see in hay country. Once we sell a few more quarts I'll build a barn and save myself the wear and tear, but until then I'm down the gravel roads remembering that I'm lucky to be driving a tractor to the farm, instead of a car to a cubicle. (And NO, my kids do NOT get to ride to the farm like that!)

 

[Helogabals]

My office is 3 km/2mi apart from home and I have to plow snow, mow grass in both places. Obviously, I just drive. My Yanmar sa424 is road worthy, with lights, my extra lights and reg. plate.
Fun thing is, here tractor pilots have to have license. I was driving around without one. But recently law is changed, under 30 hp we can drive with regular car driver's license. So now I am on the road legally. Like I care

As my tractor has no cab, I have ordered and installed mudguards. Without them winter driving was mess. Now it's much better

And on my route is speed radar, so I always can check is my tractor at top performance. 20 kmph is stated in. tech. spec