I keep reading about tires but…

[jkrez]

Ok this is not Orange but can anyone guess where we were on Saturday?
These are not R14’s. I have known about these steel wheels on tractors for a long time as we live near here.
We stopped to get some fresh vegetables and I had to snap this picture. Glad no humans were near as I did not want to take anyone’s soul. Although I am pretty sure these were Mennonite and not Amish. Menonites can drive cars but everything must be blacked out. No chrome. I am surprised that it is not rattle can black.
You should have seen the parking lot. It was all pitted up but solid.
I bet it is one rough ride.

 

[85Hokie]

damn - that is wicked - takes 4 wheel drive to a new level

 

[lynnmor]

If we didn't have such gutless people in charge, those folks could be compelled to use rubber on the paved roads, much like we can't have studded tires in the summer.

 

[Nicfin36]

Hey, no flats!

 

[NCL4701]

I know these ride pretty rough on hard ground.

I could be remembering wrong but I believe the Farmall H tractors during the years rubber tires were an upgrade option had a lockout mechanism to prevent use of 5th gear (road gear) to limit speed for the steel wheeled models. Which sort of lends some logical credence to the explanation in the below video (at about 0:40s) that it was mandated by a bishop to prevent using tractors as cars when rubber tires came on the scene allowing higher road speeds for tractors.

Also lynnmoor’s comment made me wonder a bit: Maybe they don’t run them on the public roads at all since preventing use on public roads is the goal?

 

[ehenry]

No flat tires for him !! !

THere are some similar to these but way smaller scale for ZTR mowers that are to expensive for me.

 

[jkrez]

I know these ride pretty rough on hard ground.
View attachment 63339
I could be remembering wrong but I believe the Farmall H tractors during the years rubber tires were an upgrade option had a lockout mechanism to prevent use of 5th gear (road gear) to limit speed for the steel wheeled models. Which sort of lends some logical credence to the explanation in the below video (at about 0:40s) that it was mandated by a bishop to prevent using tractors as cars when rubber tires came on the scene allowing higher road speeds for tractors.

Also lynnmoor’s comment made me wonder a bit: Maybe they don’t run them on the public roads at all since preventing use on public roads is the goal?

Wow that is very informative. My picture was from Lancaster County, PA. Constantly running on the road would destroy the road in a short time.
Over 25 years ago I had heard that the farmland was some of the most fertile land in the world.
Most likely from good fertilizer and no chemicals.
Sadly much is being sold off for housing developments.

 

[lynnmor]

Wow that is very informative. My picture was from Lancaster County, PA. Constantly running on the road would destroy the road in a short time.
Over 25 years ago I had heard that the farmland was some of the most fertile land in the world.
Most likely from good fertilizer and no chemicals.
Sadly much is being sold off for housing developments.

I live right across the river and now have Amish all around me. Yes, the soil is good but so much of it is wasted on development which is pushing the iron wheels and carbide picked horse shoes out to destroy roads at my house. The Amish use whatever chemicals necessary to make a buck.

 

[L35]

I saw a lot of steel wheels out in Lancaster county this year as well. It was a first for me.

 

[mcfarmall]

When we run low on farmland, they'll stop building houses on it.

 

[forky]

Yep, the Amish are all around us. They pay top dollar for property at auctions and have run the price of property up around here. The carbide shoes on the horses do indeed ruin the blacktop. The sad part is they don't pay any road tax, but ruin the roads.

 

[BigG]

Yep, the Amish are all around us. They pay top dollar for property at auctions and have run the price of property up around here. The carbide shoes on the horses do indeed ruin the blacktop. The sad part is they don't pay any road tax, but ruin the roads.

And how many people in the area benefit from all the English that come to stare at the Amish? The Amish have every right to use the roads as you do.

 

[Henro]

And how many people in the area benefit from all the English that come to stare at the Amish? The Amish have every right to use the roads as you do.

We all should be treated equally.

I have to take my studded tires off every spring until late fall. Why should anyone that uses the roads be treated differently?

That would be the only question in my mind...

 

[BigG]

We all should be treated equally.

I have to take my studded tires off every spring until late fall. Why should anyone that uses the roads be treated differently?

That would be the only question in my mind...

Because they use the tools they choose due to religious beliefs.

 

[jimh406]

Because they use the tools they choose due to religious beliefs.

Obviously, their religious rules changed over time. They didn’t always have tractors or carbide, for instance. There are limits on what other people can do in the name of religion, so it seems fair that there would be some limits on how much damage they can do to roads as well.

In my area, we have a group that uses horses and wagons, but sometimes electric assisted bicycles, so it must be kind of complicated to keep up with what is allowed or not by their religion.

 

[lynnmor]

The laws regarding our vehicles change all the time, they should also pass laws to keep all people in check regarding property damage.

 

[BigG]

Obviously, their religious rules changed over time. They didn’t always have tractors or carbide, for instance. There are limits on what other people can do in the name of religion, so it seems fair that there would be some limits on how much damage they can do to roads as well.

In my area, we have a group that uses horses and wagons, but sometimes electric assisted bicycles, so it must be kind of complicated to keep up with what is allowed or not by their religion.

I do not know what they call their groups sort of like a parish but each group has their own understanding of the rules. Some use tractors some are forbidden from even using engines. So even if I do not know or understand their beliefs I will respect their right to practice them.

 

[Henro]

Because they use the tools they choose due to religious beliefs.

Not sure that gives anyone the right to destroy things (like roads) that the rest of us with different beliefs are fined $$ if we do. (And maybe horses aren't doing that anyway).

I can tell you that I only drove my old van on the road a couple hundred miles last year. The entire year. But if I drive it in the summer with the studded tires on it, I risk a fine that is over a hundred bucks, probably closer to two hundred, even though I drive less in a year than someone in the winter drives in a week.

Everyone is equal in my eyes...no exceptions really in my view. AND horses hoofs very likely NOT are covered by the law anyway, I am willing to bet.

Honestly, does a horse really damage the roads much? Regardless of what may be on its hoofs?

Sorry for biting on the previous comment...

 

[forky]

For those that don't live among the Amish...you have no clue how they use the system to their advantage without every paying for something......They enjoy the freedoms of living in America but never send their young men to die for it like the rest of us do!
They abuse animals like you would not believe in some cases. They are not as righteous as you are meant to believe they are. They need to help pay for roads they use and abuse....why should they get a free ride? They laugh at us because we pay and they don't have to.

 

[lynnmor]

For those that don't live among the Amish...you have no clue how they use the system to their advantage without every paying for something......They enjoy the freedoms of living in America but never send their young men to die for it like the rest of us do!
They abuse animals like you would not believe in some cases. They are not as righteous as you are meant to believe they are. They need to help pay for roads they use and abuse....why should they get a free ride? They laugh at us because we pay and they don't have to.

And that ain't the half of it!!!