Who do you let drive your tractor (unsupervised)?

[Lil Foot]

No one. Period. The wife gets to assist sometimes by driving while I chuck firewood, rock, or such things in the bucket or trailer, but basically it is supervised use. Learned long ago, more times that I like to admit, that most others just don't care or use common sense when using something they didn't have to work for.

Example: A (former) friend asked to borrow my new chain saw to drop a 6" tree, so I gave him the 5 min training session, and off he went. At the end of the day, he just dropped it off in my carport, without a word of thanks or anything. It was dirty, so when I went to clean it up, I found it would not run at all- no compression. He claimed it ran fine for him, I must have done something wrong. After he got up, his wife confessed what really happened. The 6" tree turned out to be a 36" diameter stump that he often hit with his mower, so he wanted to cut it flush with the dirt. When the saw would not get close enough to the ground to suit him, he removed the side cover & air cleaner, and proceeded to vacuum up all the dirt & rocks in his front yard, destroying the engine. His wife said he would pay for it, but he refused, saying it was my fault for loaning it to him, and that it was a life lesson. I proceeded to teach him a life lesson. When I left, he was still on the ground. His wife came over the next day with $75, about a fourth of what it cost to replace. Funny, he never came over to borrow stuff anymore.

 

[Tooljunkie]

My friends like when i borrow their stuff.

Borrowed a plate compactor in spring. Clutch hung up at idle and wouldnt stop vibrating.
Pulled clutch, welded up worn shaft and machined to take new bearing. Works perfect now.

He just thanked me a couple weeks ago, as he hadnt used it since i returned it.
Plus sea foam in full tank of gas and fresh oil.
Cost me almost nothing.
Bet i can borrow anytime.

He was previous owner of my kubota, loaned it to me and i never gave it back. Paid for it and we both happy

 

[forceten]

Only me and my wife (she thinks its hers also *wink wink*). And my neighbor can if he wanted too but he never asks. He let me borrow his L series kubbie for years. Showed me how to use it and then said easier just for me to use it.

So if he ever needed a smaller BX to do something I have no trouble letting him use it. As for my wife - she is a pretty good operator. Almost better at the backhoe then me...... She thought she was funny when I went to go work on the tractor a few weeks ago and I saw that in the picture


Only good thing is we have joked (and me being serious in the joking) that she can have the BX and I will go get a bigger B or L series down the road. His and hers So I'm all set up to start working on her for a bigger kubota for me

 

[ZoomZoom71]

That's super cute, forceten. LoL

 

[oldrockfan]

Both of my sons know how to drive our tractor and I happily will let them drive it as long as I am there. I have a buddy who can also use it as he was raised on a farm and is very comfortable around tractors. Other than that... nobody else drives it.

 

[rpmgarage22]

Just my dad and my uncle. Actually, Dad will get to drive it before me...I have to be at work when it gets delivered, so he will put it in the garage!
My uncle would never ask..he has his own New Holland. But, he, my dad, and my maternal grandfather (deceased) taught me to operate all kinds of equipment over 35 years ago...so they can use anything I own.
I flipped a Minneapolis Moline when I was 9 while my grandfather watched. Since both me and the MM survived without a scratch, Papaw gave me my own 1949 John Deere B...and Dad gave me a whipping! (Because I knew I wasn't allowed to use the "independent" brakes on the hill!)
I sold the John Deere when I went to college...regret it to this day...

 

[L4740]

My wife will let me drive "her" BX, but only when she is not home! Yes, she has her own and will let you know that it is hers.

 

[DocHolladay]

My brother. He let me borrow his tractor on a few occasions and is letting me store the tractor at his house on the condition that he can put out round bales with it. His tractor isn't 4x4 and mine is, and can get across the field without getting stuck. I might let 2 of my best friends drive it at our lease, but only because both have operated heavy equipment in the past..... maybe...

 

[CaveCreekRay]

Frank,

"Break an anvil..." LOL!!!

I had a friend and neighbor like that. Almost everything I loaned him came back, bent, broken, or wankered-up. I finally quit loaning him anything.

I am a slow learner.

Ray

 

[jb62901]

NO ONE! The next thing your hear is.

 

[andmel]

Based on experience, only two close friends I know of that I would let use my tractor or chainsaw (they each have their own too). Loaned chainsaw twice. First time, saw came back with a bent bar. Second time, saw came back with a busted chain tensioner (overtorqued). BTW - My tractor is orange. My saw is orange and white.

 

[dfh1977]

Sounds like when buying any equipment to use on a farm as long as it is orange it will last almost forever. My dad brought a stihl weedeater 25 years ago. It has had 1 overhaul done and still runs. Have another stihl weedeater that has a higher hp and it is used with a gator blade setup to cut small trees and tough grass. About 10 years ago i brought him a 025 stihl chainsaw for fathers day. It is on its third chain and still easy to start. Still yet he has ever asked to drive my BX but has helped me install a horn on it this week. At same token i do not plan on asking him to let me borrow his honda valkyrie trike anytime soon.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[gregger]

I'll do work for anyone with my BX25D if asked, whether it be levelling dirt, tilling, snowblowing or backhoeing, but as far as loaning----I have two friends whom I possibly would lend to, but one of them insisted I do the work for them.
I have let my 30 year old daughter run it around the yard with her son (my grandson between her legs, but my biggest lesson to her was that when you're running close to something, a two inch turn of the steering wheel makes a two foot swing of the bucket. I made sure they stayed on level ground and only played with the bucket in my garden.

My toy, My rules.

 

[skeets]

I let the same people ride my HD as I let use my BX,,, sooo the answer is ahhhhhhh none, 0, nade , neit , no way hoza

 

[MadMax31]

I let my Wife do loader work once.....

I came home from work and see 20 yards of top soil gone, and the tractor not wher I left it. I walk over and look at levers... I cringe as I see "High range" and "2wd". Ask the wife how the loader work went:

"The back tires spun a bunch and it was real bouncy driving it around"

The keys are hidden now.

 

[bcbull378]

My son in law and my brother , of course it helps that both of them have nice equipment of there own and they know how to treat equipment to make it last.

 

[chieffan]

I let my SO drive it up the road and back a couple times to get used to it. (Open country little traffic area). Only have a deck so far but would let my one son and the neighbor. Son is real good with equipment and the neighbor trusted me many times with his $150K tractors and Haybine so darn sure would trust him.

 

[Daren Todd]

My Dad and Father in law. Dad's good with the equipment and my father in law gave me the tractor. If he needs it, he knows where the keys are. The only thing I ask is for a phone call to let me know he's got it. This way I don't freak if I go into the back yard and find the bota and trailer missing

 

[murky]

I let my Wife do loader work once.....

I came home from work and see 20 yards of top soil gone, and the tractor not wher I left it. I walk over and look at levers... I cringe as I see "High range" and "2wd". Ask the wife how the loader work went:

"The back tires spun a bunch and it was real bouncy driving it around"

The keys are hidden now.

She knew not to leave it in 4wd when she was done

 

[JFK52]

I can't run my Kubota anymore because my knees are so bad I can not work the clutch. I have a local to my land friend who has farm experience. I checked him out on the Kubota and he can do the mowing with it. He actually takes care of it like it is his own tractor. He is paid for his services.

Very rare in this day to find someone who is that responsible.