A buddy is wanting me to help him move some stuff at his parents barn with my tractor, and maybe do some bush hogging. I don't have a full size truck, could borrow one, don't have a trailer, again could borrow one. Alot of hassle though. They live 7 miles away and we live in a rural area. I could take the back roads to get there. Just wondering what you all thought of this. if i was doing 14 mph, that means it would take me 30 minutes to get there. Thats alot of driving the tractor. wear and tear on the tires worth it? Thoughts? how far have you gone down the road?
How far do you travel on your tractor?
- Thread starter IronRyan
- Start date
Biker1mike
Well-known member
Equipment
B6200, Kubota 2030 Front Blade, King Cutter 60" finishing deck
For a good friend I would make the run. Flashers on and as far right as possible. Locals here are used to tractors on the side roads and pulling over every now and then to clear traffic is a big help. Sheriffs will wave and pass as long as you appear safe.
I would expect lunch and liquids as payment ! A bottle of top shelf and I would make the run a second time.
For some relatives I will not even turn the key ! I stay within a mile or so of the property but then again mine is the smallest tractor for several square miles. Garden tractors do not count.
I would expect lunch and liquids as payment ! A bottle of top shelf and I would make the run a second time.
For some relatives I will not even turn the key ! I stay within a mile or so of the property but then again mine is the smallest tractor for several square miles. Garden tractors do not count.
ve9aa
Well-known member
Equipment
TG1860, BX2380 -backblade, bx2830 snowblower, fel, weight box,pallet forks,etc
Does your insurance cover you "off site" ?
If it does and you don't have tire chains, I'd make the 7 mile trip in 2wd for a friend, sure.
If there's any chance you'd be travelling dawn/dusk/night, make sure you have lotsa lights and mirrors/seatbelt wouldn't hurt.
If it does and you don't have tire chains, I'd make the 7 mile trip in 2wd for a friend, sure.
If there's any chance you'd be travelling dawn/dusk/night, make sure you have lotsa lights and mirrors/seatbelt wouldn't hurt.
I concur with Mr. Mike. It's not all that far in Country Time. I have a magnetic mirror that I reposition when I go down the road. We are in the country, but I like to have an idea of what is coming up behind me. Just in case they don't see all the orange and lights.
Personally I don’t think the distance is an issue at all…extra hour on the meter is nothing and not measurable to your tread. Not knowing the situation what’s the reason the folks that live there don’t bush hog their own property? If not familiar with it I’d be more concerned about what’s in the pasture you can’t see than driving that little bit of distance. Honestly for that distance, it would take just as long to hitch up trailer and chain down than to just drive it. But if you drive over an old board with a nail in the pasture who pays? That’d be my concern (especially if you are doing for free)
It is rural here. My son lives down town and on the far side from us. It is 6 miles on a steady use back road and another mile thru town and beyond to his place. I have made this trip several times to do dirt work. Leave early, drive careful with the flashers, pull over if possible when a car approaches from behind. Never a problem.
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Its my buddies' parents property. His dad is in poor health and can't take care of anything. The father was a big car guy so he has all kinds of tranmissions, engine blocks, heavy metal mostly laying around that he needs help with. I suggested he get a metal dumpster brought out and we could throw it all in there.
fried1765
Well-known member
Equipment
Kubota L48 TLB, Ford 1920 FEL, Ford 8N, SCAG Liberty Z, Gravely Pro.
I'll play the devils advocate on this one... 7 miles!! Round trip is 14 miles. In a 3560? Tire tread damage will definitively NOT be negligible. Your tires will be 25 percent gone.
I'm rural, farmland and forest for miles and miles... I see the black marks on the roads from built up rubber as the farmers roll from field to field.
Rent a truck and trailer. Get your friend to pony up the transport.
On the dirt tractor tires will last a decade. On the asphalt / roads they are toast. Scrub factor alone will destroy your tires. Especially the front tires.
I'm rural, farmland and forest for miles and miles... I see the black marks on the roads from built up rubber as the farmers roll from field to field.
Rent a truck and trailer. Get your friend to pony up the transport.
On the dirt tractor tires will last a decade. On the asphalt / roads they are toast. Scrub factor alone will destroy your tires. Especially the front tires.
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Yep, definitely want a rear-view mirror of some type.
And FLASHERS that work....!
BAP
Well-known member
Lifetime Member
Equipment
2012 Kubota 2920, 60MMM, FEL, BH65 48" Bush Hog, 60"Backblade, B2782B Snowblower
I am not sure why you think 14 miles on asphalt is going to ruin tires. That’s an absurd statement. I farmed for 35 years and we had fields up to 20 miles away. We put up to 500 hours a year on some tractors and several hundred miles a year on the tractors traveling from the various fields. That’s not including field travel. Tires would last 4-5,000 hours. So a 14 mile trip is squat.
A one time help out a good buddy no problem, not that far away. I wouldn't offer to regularly cut grass or clear snow at that distance.
i drive my tractor now and then a mile up our road to help my 93-yr-old neighbor with various tasks. The road is unimproved and very rocky. It is only a 2-mile round trip but i do see extra wear on my ag' tires. They are certainly not ruined or anything, but the wear is noticeable.
I used to take my L4610 about 5 miles each way to our church for various chores. 2 lane semi-rural area. Yayhoos in pickups and clueless soccer moms were by far the most dangerous on the road, both impatient, typically going way too fast and not paying attention.
Suggestions:
Spend a little time checking out the traffic situation, turnout places, blind curves, etc., on the route you would take beforehand. Make sure you have mirrors, flashing lights, SMV triangle, etc., all ready to go. Figure out the best time of day to make your runs. Have backup available if needed. Check your 6:00 constantly. Good luck!
Suggestions:
Spend a little time checking out the traffic situation, turnout places, blind curves, etc., on the route you would take beforehand. Make sure you have mirrors, flashing lights, SMV triangle, etc., all ready to go. Figure out the best time of day to make your runs. Have backup available if needed. Check your 6:00 constantly. Good luck!
I mow about 500' of road frontage where there will be an assortment of Yayhoos and soccer moms to deal with every time. My observation is that 95% of the Yayhoos will move over and less than 1% of the soccer moms will move an inch. While the law says that I am not to throw the grass clippings on the road, I will not turn my back on the idiots which means the grass clippings end up on the road. If a cop confronts me with this I will ask him to do his job first and then worry about what I am doing.
Please, if you are driving a piece of Farm or ranch equipment, "own the lane" the most dangerous thing you can do is straddle the shoulder and the lane. If you are in the lane then vehicles have to slow and pass you correctly
johnjk
Well-known member
Lifetime Member
Equipment
B3200 w/loader, Woods RC5 brush hog, 4' box blade, tooth bar, B1700 MMM,
Hope they drive slower on your roads than ours. If it is shift change they are rolling 70+ on our road, passing and on their phones. Even the farmers around here stage their transport to avoid shift changes. At a minimum I would add more safety lighting like a couple amber strobes to your rops. You can’t be too visible.
I go a mile and half up to my other property to brush it and move wood all the time. Not a issue where i live in the sticks, flashers on and head lights and waves from the 5 Oh when they drive by.