TRACTORS AND FARM MACHINES

-Corkie-

I am just wondering why their isnt a nct or doe for tractors and other machinery that travel the road. I nearly got pinned by a tractor earlier when i was passing him. Straight road on broken white line he had a trailer of bales with no lights at all or reflective markings or no mirrors on the tractor. He started to veer on to my side of the road when i started passing him. He never seen me as he had no mirrors at all. Why isnt their a test for vehicles like this.......

hoodie6029

definately should be test for all trailers not just agricultural ones. There should be a test for towing a trailer with a tractor too.
To drive a car with a one ton trailer I need to do a separate driving test but right now I can get in a tractor, attach a 40 foot lorry trailer on a dolly and i'll be driving completely legally. Gaps in the law like this need to be addressed.

BrianD3

Agree 100% and I have posted on this before. Here's a thread where I made reference to a roadworthiness survey of tractors in the UK. UK tractors are bad enough IMO Irish ones are probably worse.
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055049702

Muckie

You had a close call there Sarason, three kids were killed
a few years back where i'm from, they ploughed into a tractor
pulling a trailer, with no lights or markings.
Maybe it'll take a few more "accidents" like this before something
is done about it.

dirtydiesel

A 16 year old can drive a tractor, thats madness.

mista_2k10

dirtydiesel wrote: »

A 16 year old can drive a tractor, thats madness.

Ive a funny feeling about that being changed soon

-Corkie-

dirtydiesel wrote: »

A 16 year old can drive a tractor, thats madness.

Yes and as hoodie pointed out thats a tractor and a old lorry trailer 40ft long as well with a load as heavy as an articulated truck which requires professional training and experience......

An old friend of mine who drove trucks years ago always blew the horn when passing out tractors to let them know he was there, you would be amazed by of fellas that would jump as they wouldnt see him.

dirtydiesel

mista_2k10 wrote: »

Ive a funny feeling about that being changed soon

Hope so cos ive come round bends on narrow roads only to see a young head behind the wheel of a tractor, driving it at full speed. Not a pleasant experience.

dirtydiesel

SARASON wrote: »

Yes and as hoodie pointed out thats a tractor and a old lorry trailer 40ft long as well with a load as heavy as an articulated truck which requires professional training and experience......

An old friend of mine who drove trucks years ago always blew the horn when passing out tractors to let them know he was there, you would be amazed by of fellas that would jump as they wouldnt see him.

I hate overtaking a tractor for that very reason,you never know if they have seen you or not.

Theanswers

Do you think those young people are driving tractors for fun??? NO!
They are working... Leave them at it!
I tell you there would be uproar if this generally city aimed goverment tired to change the current rule!!

dirtydiesel

Theanswers wrote: »

Do you think those young people are driving tractors for fun??? NO!
They are working... Leave them at it!
I tell you there would be uproar if this generally city aimed goverment tired to change the current rule!!

By who a load of teenagers!

-Corkie-

dirtydiesel wrote: »

Hope so cos ive come round bends on narrow roads only to see a young head behind the wheel of a tractor, driving it at full speed. Not a pleasant experience.

Some of the old heads are lethal too:):)

peasant

My persoanl bugbear are the contraptions that pass as trailers in these parts.

Some pieces of flat iron and sheet metal welded to random axles, no lights, no brakes, no mudguards, no pressure in the bald tyres ...you know the kind.

Preferably loaded with two prize bulls or 2 tons of building rubble.

Give me the heeby-jeebies, them yokes

dirtydiesel

SARASON wrote: »

Some of the old heads are lethal too:):)

Would agree with you there!!!

-Corkie-

peasant wrote: »

My persoanl bugbear are the contraptions that pass as trailers in these parts.

Some pieces of flat iron and sheet metal welded to random axles, no lights, no brakes, no mudguards, no pressure in the bald tyres ...you know the kind.

Preferably loaded with two prize bulls or 2 tons of building rubble.

Give me the heeby-jeebies, them yokes

Well peasant there is a transport company beside me who had old artic trailers that wouldnt pass a test in a fit, the owner told me. Yet farmer joe down the road bought them home and cut the front of it and welded a hitch on it and hey presto!!!! he has a new trailer for transporting bales..

Theanswers

dirtydiesel wrote: »

By who a load of teenagers!

And, What's wrong with that? At least they are doing something worth while... Again, there some awful bad drivers out there.... Should they not be got rid of to?

Cause someone is young, dosent make them a bad driver. Tractors are used for work and therefore i have no problem with it... and I personaly dont think it will be changed.

-Corkie-

Theanswers wrote: »

And, What's wrong with that? At least they are doing something worth while... Again, there some awful bad drivers out there.... Should they not be got rid of to?

Cause someone is young, dosent make them a bad driver. Tractors are used for work and therefore i have no problem with it... and I personaly dont think it will be changed.

I agree with you whole heartatley their but its the tractors that is the problem being so unroadworthy.

peasant

SARASON wrote: »

Well peasant there is a transport company beside me who had old artic trailers that wouldnt pass a test in a fit, the owner told me. Yet farmer joe down the road bought them home and cut the front of it and welded a hitch on it and hey presto!!!! he has a new trailer for transporting bales..

Not just "farmer Joe" ...take a trip to your suburban recycling centre on a Saturday ...it'll make your eyes water.

peasant

Theanswers wrote: »

Cause someone is young, dosent make them a bad driver.

No, but insurance statistics do show that younger drivers are somewhat less risk aware than older ones.

A modern tractor, five tons of unsprung mass, bouncing along on our fabulous roads at 40 km/h, towing a 20 ton trailer ...now that's a biiiig risk.

pajero12

peasant wrote: »

No, but insurance statistics do show that younger drivers are somewhat less risk aware than older ones.

A modern tractor, five tons of unsprung mass, bouncing along on our fabulous roads at 40 km/h, towing a 20 ton trailer ...now that's a biiiig risk.

Alot of modern machines like that would stop just as quick as a car...Even from 50 km/h

pajero12

hoodie6029 wrote: »

definately should be test for all trailers not just agricultural ones. There should be a test for towing a trailer with a tractor too.
To drive a car with a one ton trailer I need to do a separate driving test but right now I can get in a tractor, attach a 40 foot lorry trailer on a dolly and i'll be driving completely legally. Gaps in the law like this need to be addressed.

Dollys are illegal btw

supersaint3

pajero12 wrote: »

Alot of modern machines like that would stop just as quick as a car...Even from 50 km/h

with a trailer??

Tea 1000

pajero12 wrote: »

Alot of modern machines like that would stop just as quick as a car...Even from 50 km/h

No they wouldn't, not even close. Agri tyres on a tractor don't have great grip.
Problem with the NCT is the local test centre from us is 16 miles away. A 32 mile round trip in a 135 is a long journey!!! It'd be like telling someone from Dublin that they have to NCT their car in Athlone... imagine the uproar on the Joe Duffy show if that were to happen!
The laws are there regarding what shape a tractor and trailer must be in, all that's needed is enforcement.
Typical Irish attitude though, introduce more laws to combat a problem!!
If you halved the laws and doubled the enforcement of the remaining ones you'd achieve much more.

peasant

pajero12 wrote: »

Alot of modern machines like that would stop just as quick as a car...Even from 50 km/h

It's not the stopping I'm particularly worried about ...it's the fact that (due to the bad roads and having no springs) these things are not actually fully in touch with the road at all times and are jumping all over the place.
Above a certain speed the whole train becomes close to uncontrollable ...your average 16 year old isn't particularly fazed by this, I am though ...especially when they're bouncing towards me.

KamiKazi

Also they should be heavily fined for leaving muck and shi1te on the road. Try coming round a corner on a motorbike to encounter a fvcking slurry pit in the middle of the road :mad:

pajero12

KamiKazi wrote: »

Also they should be heavily fined for leaving much and shi1te on the road. Try coming round a corner on a motorbike to encounter a fvcking slurry pit in the middle of the road :mad:

Certainly agree on this...the state of roads after some machines are Shocking

Tea 1000 wrote: »

No they wouldn't, not even close. Agri tyres on a tractor don't have great grip.
Problem with the NCT is the local test centre from us is 16 miles away. A 32 mile round trip in a 135 is a long journey!!! It'd be like telling someone from Dublin that they have to NCT their car in Athlone... imagine the uproar on the Joe Duffy show if that were to happen!
The laws are there regarding what shape a tractor and trailer must be in, all that's needed is enforcement.
Typical Irish attitude though, introduce more laws to combat a problem!!
If you halved the laws and doubled the enforcement of the remaining ones you'd achieve much more.

Which do you think has better grip...During the summer the tractor is was driving was pullin a tri axle full of wet silage..It has air and hydraulic brakes...On a wet road it stopped in 4 yards...Try that in a car...
A 135 isnt fit to stop itself

dirtydiesel

Theanswers wrote: »

And, What's wrong with that? At least they are doing something worth while... Again, there some awful bad drivers out there.... Should they not be got rid of to?

Cause someone is young, dosent make them a bad driver. Tractors are used for work and therefore i have no problem with it... and I personaly dont think it will be changed.

I have nothing against 16 yearolds working, I think its crazy that they can drive such a heavy vehicle pulling a heavily loaded trailer without supervision when they are not allowed behind the wheel of a car, look at all the lessons and driving tests required to get an artic licence, yet there is none for a tractor pulling a trailer.

Fishtits

Tea 1000 wrote: »

If you halved the laws and doubled the enforcement of the remaining ones you'd achieve much more.

Never a truer word said.

We're loosely legislated with undefinable definitions. What hope to enforce?

Tea 1000

pajero12 wrote: »

Certainly agree on this...the state of roads after some machines are Shocking










Which do you think has better grip...During the summer the tractor is was driving was pullin a tri axle full of wet silage..It has air and hydraulic brakes...On a wet road it stopped in 4 yards...Try that in a car...
A 135 isnt fit to stop itself

The bottom tyre, by far. The top one is designed for mud and loose and slippy surfaces. It's simple physics. The more contact the rubber has on the tarmac, the more grip it has.
And if you expect me to believe that you stopped 20-odd tonnes on agri tyres on a wet road from 60kph in 4 yards, you'd better do a you tube clip, cause I simply don't believe you. It doesn't matter what brakes you have, it's the friction that slows you.

mista_2k10

I think that the age should be changed for people who want to drive tractors with big dump trailers and heavy equipment, but it should be kept at 16 if your not going to be carrying big loads/equipment, but they should have to take some sort of test first though.

Tea 1000

mista_2k10 wrote: »

I think that the age should be changed for people who want to drive tractors with big dump trailers and heavy equipment, but it should be kept at 16 if your not going to be carrying big loads/equipment, but they should have to take some sort of test first though.

They should classify tractors similar to bikes. You can ride a bike at 16, but you can't hop on a Honda Blackbird, you need to work your way up. It should be the same for Tractors.