Tractors - why at rush hour?

ads20101

Before I start, I would like to state for the record that I am not anti farming or anti farmer, and I do appreciate that they are integral to the Clare economy.

However, that said -

I must ask why are there slow moving, often ill lit, tractors on main roads when there is people trying to commute to and from work?

I know that they have a right to use the road, but I am regularly seeing traffic backed up, and commuters getting frustrated and making stupid decisions in an attempt to get to work on time. I know that people should allow for time, but those agricultural vehicles can add 15 - 20mins to your journey.

Shannon757

Busy time of the year for farming you know.

Carazy

ads20101 wrote: »

Before I start, I would like to state for the record that I am not anti farming or anti farmer, and I do appreciate that they are integral to the Clare economy.

However, that said -

I must ask why are there slow moving, often ill lit, tractors on main roads when there is people trying to commute to and from work?

I know that they have a right to use the road, but I am regularly seeing traffic backed up, and commuters getting frustrated and making stupid decisions in an attempt to get to work on time. I know that people should allow for time, but those agricultural vehicles can add 15 - 20mins to your journey.

Tractors are generally slow moving.
They are on the road while you commute to work because they(farmers) are already at work.
Commuters making stupid decisions is not the fault of the tractor driver bit the fault of the commuter.
If commuters cannot allow for time then they could consider moving closer to their place of work and ideally away from a rural area also as the peaceful,slow moving ways of rural dwellers is not really suited to them and maybe a more urban setting is their cup of mocha.

ads20101

Carazy wrote: »

Tractors are generally slow moving.
They are on the road while you commute to work because they(farmers) are already at work.

Granted, but there is a need for shared traffic. Because farming obviously consists of a workload outside of the 9-5 day, surely it wouldn't be to tricky to avoid the main roads between 8-9am and 5-6pm. It would be safer for the farmer too surely. I'm sure they're also not fans of egits that make stupid and rash traffic decisions.

Commuters making stupid decisions is not the fault of the tractor driver bit the fault of the commuter.

Agreed, and as above.

If commuters cannot allow for time then they could consider moving closer to their place of work and ideally away from a rural area also as the peaceful,slow moving ways of rural dwellers is not really suited to them and maybe a more urban setting is their cup of mocha.

That's easier said than done, and to be honest in my opinion, a rather over simplistic answer.

Some people that commute live in rural areas and like doing so. Equally there are other reasons why people live where they do ie. family commitments, social reasons, nice property, community, low crime etc.

Equally, do you really feel that rural areas are just slow moving - That sounds disingenuous to a large amount of the rural population and perhaps a tad old fashioned. Or are you saying that someone that want's to add to a modern communal environment in a rural area is not welcome and should move out? I'm sure that isn't what you meant but there was a certain implication from your mocha comment. If we just pretend that we live in the 1940's then yes people will naturally migrate into higher populated areas and the natural victim will be the rural village and townlands.

BnB

I think it is a great idea OP.

All tractors (and slow moving jeeps) should be banned from the roads between 8 & 9 am and 5 & 6 pm.

In return, all car drivers will get off the road for the the 2 or 3 weeks of fine weather we get during the Summer to allow Farmers get on with cutting silage without Sunday driving and holidaying gombeens getting in the way.







Alternatively of course, we could all just use the road together and work around each other and not be so full of our own bloody importance..!!!!

Clareman

I think the Motors section would be a better fit for this discussion rather than a regional forum.

MarkR

ads20101 wrote: »

Granted, but there is a need for shared traffic. Because farming obviously consists of a workload outside of the 9-5 day, surely it wouldn't be to tricky to avoid the main roads between 8-9am and 5-6pm. It would be safer for the farmer too surely. I'm sure they're also not fans of egits that make stupid and rash traffic decisions.



Agreed, and as above.



That's easier said than done, and to be honest in my opinion, a rather over simplistic answer.

Some people that commute live in rural areas and like doing so. Equally there are other reasons why people live where they do ie. family commitments, social reasons, nice property, community, low crime etc.

Equally, do you really feel that rural areas are just slow moving - That sounds disingenuous to a large amount of the rural population and perhaps a tad old fashioned. Or are you saying that someone that want's to add to a modern communal environment in a rural area is not welcome and should move out? I'm sure that isn't what you meant but there was a certain implication from your mocha comment. If we just pretend that we live in the 1940's then yes people will naturally migrate into higher populated areas and the natural victim will be the rural village and townlands.

Farmers have to make hay while the sun shines. Perhaps you should work nights?

The Backwards Man

I know your pain OP.

It's kinda like how a lot of us that have to drive for a living feel when we are stuck behind a dozen private cars, each with a single occupant in them.

Infuriating.

Toyotafanboi

it can be stressful at times, but the real problem is the road network, not the tractor i reckon.

Waterford to Cork (my daily route) is by and large single lane roadway... you're often behind a tractor, or an Eddie Stobart behind a bin truck, or a dyna towing an ifor williams with a mini digger in it, or an starlet towing a cattle trailer, or someone in a micra that insists on doing 75 in a 100 zone half in - half out of the hard shoulder, or some combination of all of the above.

the tractor you can kind of get because they can't go much faster and are rarely going very far, but people driving overloaded ****e or who havn't got the balls to do the speed limit where the conditions permit should be ****ed off the road. they just cause road rage and dangerous overtaking etc.

in the end. if we had dual carriageways on more major routes, or even wide single lane roads, things would flow a lot better.

MuppetCheck

Carazy wrote: »

Tractors are generally slow moving.
They are on the road while you commute to work because they(farmers) are already at work.
Commuters making stupid decisions is not the fault of the tractor driver bit the fault of the commuter.
If commuters cannot allow for time then they could consider moving closer to their place of work and ideally away from a rural area also as the peaceful,slow moving ways of rural dwellers is not really suited to them and maybe a more urban setting is their cup of mocha.

So the tractor overtaking another tractor last night on the N25, a dual carriageway with a 120kph limit, and then staying in the overtaking lane bringing it to a standstill is the commuters fault?

biko

Tractors are a part of the rural way of life.
As a commuter in a rural area it can't be a very big surprise that it happens.
It is frustrating yes, but so are many other things (slow drivers, cyclists, UFOs, broken down vehicles, blah blah).
We all share the road and it's not like they do it to piss commuters off. Where I live they usually pull in to let the cars pass.


MuppetCheck, worst example ever...

MuppetCheck

biko wrote: »

MuppetCheck, worst example ever...

It's a common one though. I have no issue with tractors on the roads near me - its a fact of life living where I do. But there's a common trend with tractors ignoring the rules on certain stretches of road and its going to cause an accident.

biko

It will only cause an accident when someone in a car does something stupid
(I do understand your sentiment though, I see this lots with lorries and it's a PITA)

Toyotafanboi

MuppetCheck wrote: »

So the tractor overtaking another tractor last night on the N25, a dual carriageway with a 120kph limit, and then staying in the overtaking lane bringing it to a standstill is the commuters fault?

in fairness the N25 is a joke at the best of times. i remember there a few weeks ago when there was the thick fog in the mornings i was passing WIT Carriganore campus and there was a fella in the hard shoulder on a pushbike, no lights on :rolleyes:

as you say, often a tractor overtaking a tractor or someone who just doesn't appreciate it's a motorway doing 50km/h (in the outside lane if they feel like it)... regularly see people reversing out of the toll booths and driving horizontally to another booth too, now i know they are terribly marked but it's lethal behavior.

youtheman

I know a fellow who bought his son a tractor................... for commuting to school. And he ain't a farmer. He's 16, and I believe (though I could be wrong) it's perfectly legal to have a 16 driving a tractor on the main roads without a full licence.

frozenfrozen

I have no issue with being caught behind a tractor, in that they need the use of the road just as much as me, but when a tractor can see me coming but there's enough of a gap for them to pull out even though there's no car behind me, those tractors can go **** themselves and they clearly have no regard for other road-users.

I don't understand anyone pulling out in front of someone if they can obviously tell they won't be going as fast as them. like big massive lorries or tractors or just car drivers who never ever get up to the speed limit. They'll see someone coming in a car who is clearly doing a fair lick and the only thing going through their head is whether there's enough time to pull out in front of them without getting side swiped.

Truckermal

MuppetCheck wrote: »

So the tractor overtaking another tractor last night on the N25, a dual carriageway with a 120kph limit, and then staying in the overtaking lane bringing it to a standstill is the commuters fault?

I regularly see tractors in the middle lane on the N40 with poorly lit trailers etc etc. Some tractors drivers refuse to keep in to let traffic past which is very poor driver behaviour imo..

_Brian

Those driving tractors on public roads with poor lighting or any other defects should be held accountable, more needs to be done about this, its widespread where I live.

After that once they are taxed and insured they have a right to conduct their business as it is. Most older tractors are fairly slow - its not by choice, they just are.

Drivers should pull in "when its safe" but you do see many who don't seem bothered and it makes other drivers very irate - but there is no legal obligation to pull over because bobby bmw would like to go faster.

We can't start objecting to business sectors using the roads legally because it would quicken our commute. I'm stuck behind the same couple of school buses each morning - but it would be unreasonable to expect them off the road just so my drive to work is easier.

I would like to see guards out doing more about agri vehicles being roadworthy - its a near daily event to see them with defective lights and still I know of no farmer locally who has been pulled up on it.

Shannon757

_Brian wrote: »

Those driving tractors on public roads with poor lighting or any other defects should be held accountable, more needs to be done about this, its widespread where I live.

After that once they are taxed and insured they have a right to conduct their business as it is. Most older tractors are fairly slow - its not by choice, they just are.

Drivers should pull in "when its safe" but you do see many who don't seem bothered and it makes other drivers very irate - but there is no legal obligation to pull over because bobby bmw would like to go faster.

We can't start objecting to business sectors using the roads legally because it would quicken our commute. I'm stuck behind the same couple of school buses each morning - but it would be unreasonable to expect them off the road just so my drive to work is easier.

I would like to see guards out doing more about agri vehicles being roadworthy - its a near daily event to see them with defective lights and still I know of no farmer locally who has been pulled up on it.

The guards have been clamping down on it recently here in Limerick and have seized some.

duffman3833

Any vehicle whether it tractor, lorry, caravan etc if they are driving slow and causing a tailback they should pull over in the nearest and safe place to allow traffic to get past safely and then continue on the journey. I remember i was in a queue behind a tractor and trailer on a bendy road and unable to overtake, but the tractor had many opportunities to pull in to allow cars to pass knowing the road was bendy and minimal chance to overtake safely.

Farmers are doing there job, so i don't agree with banning them from certain times as said above. Farmers are probably up earlier than most of the cars on road and on a tractor so they cant get anywhere fast. If that ban came into place it would make a farmers day far longer and frustrating

johnny osbourne

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lmE17Dg23w

Del2005

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

in fairness the N25 is a joke at the best of times. i remember there a few weeks ago when there was the thick fog in the mornings i was passing WIT Carriganore campus and there was a fella in the hard shoulder on a pushbike, no lights on :rolleyes:

as you say, often a tractor overtaking a tractor or someone who just doesn't appreciate it's a motorway doing 50km/h (in the outside lane if they feel like it)... regularly see people reversing out of the toll booths and driving horizontally to another booth too, now i know they are terribly marked but it's lethal behavior.

The N25 isn't a motorway, the clue is in the name. Even it it was a motorway it's still legal to drive at 50km/h, or less, as we have no minimum limit on our motorways, just that the vehicle has to be able to exceed 50km/have. If a driver on a road can't figure out that they are approaching a slow moving vehicle, and adjust their speed or lane, they need to get their eyes checked

've been stuck behind plenty of cars which won't pull over when safe to do so, a good few posters here have stated that they don't pull over. So what is the speed where people should pull over to let faster moving traffic past? You can't say that a tractor has to pull over yet a nervous nelly doing a tiny bit more in a car doesn't.

As for lighting. I mainly drive in urban areas and see plenty of cars with bad lights, or the new phenomenon of morons in new cars using DRLs at night. The Gardai don't enforce lighting laws for any type of vehicle.

For the original post. The tractors are most likely commuting to work also. With the huge increase in part time farming a lot more work is getting done by contractors and they have to get around. Yes maybe they should pull over but if it's a busy road there's a chance that they'll never get back out, as no one will ever let a tractor out in front of them!

duffman3833

Del2005 wrote: »

Yes maybe they should pull over but if it's a busy road there's a chance that they'll never get back out, as no one will ever let a tractor out in front of them!

Its more the country roads where its near impossible to overtake where they should pull in, they will be able to get back out

Toyotafanboi

The N25 isn't a motorway, the clue is in the name. Even it it was a motorway it's still legal to drive at 50km/h, or less, as we have no minimum limit on our motorways, just that the vehicle has to be able to exceed 50km/have. If a driver on a road can't figure out that they are approaching a slow moving vehicle, and adjust their speed or lane, they need to get their eyes checked

"National Route" then. it's often not as clean cut as seeing an approaching slow moving vehicle and adjusting yourself accordingly. of course if i'm creeping up on a bus doing 80km/h on a dual carriageway i can take evasive action but people going very very slow on dual carriageways any time i've seen them, have been causing chaos, it upsets the flow of traffic dramatically.

've been stuck behind plenty of cars which won't pull over when safe to do so, a good few posters here have stated that they don't pull over. So what is the speed where people should pull over to let faster moving traffic past? You can't say that a tractor has to pull over yet a nervous nelly doing a tiny bit more in a car doesn't.

tractors are going as fast as they can go and are often pulling heavy and obscure loads as part of a job, so i have a certain appreciation/ tolerance for them, it's also more common than not, i find, that most tractor drivers pull in to let cars pass when they get the chance.

but if we're on a single carriageway and the limit (not a target :rolleyes:) is 100km/h and conditions are good and there is a micra up front doing 75km/h for a sustained period of time with a clear road in front of it and a stream of 20-30 cars bumper to bumper behind it, it's clear that there is an issue and if you are the one causing it, you should certainly move over to let more competent people pass, not doing so would be ignorance. as Spock said, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of a few.

duffman3833

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

tractors are going as fast as they can go and are often pulling heavy and obscure loads as part of a job, so i have a certain appreciation/ tolerance for them, it's also more common than not, i find, that most tractor drivers pull in to let cars pass when they get the chance.

but if we're on a single carriageway and the limit (not a target :rolleyes:) is 100km/h and conditions are good and there is a micra up front doing 75km/h for a sustained period of time with a clear road in front of it and a stream of 20-30 cars bumper to bumper behind it, it's clear that there is an issue and if you are the one causing it, you should certainly move over to let more competent people pass, not doing so would be ignorance. as Spock said, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of a few.

Its just courtesy at the end of the day, the same as holding a door open for woman with pram or letting someone go ahead of you in line in supermarket if they only want to buy 1 or 3 items, instead of waiting on your trolley to be processed. It shouldn't have to be a rule for people to do it

BnB

MuppetCheck wrote: »

It's a common one though. ....

Tractors.... overtaking tractors on Dual Carriageways... and then staying in the outside lane...

.... a "common one"...!!!!!

It is in me hole.

Gazzmonkey

BnB wrote: »

Tractors.... overtaking tractors on Dual Carriageways... and then staying in the outside lane...

.... a "common one"...!!!!!

It is in me hole.

I've seen teenagers drag racing tractors on Donegal roads on several occasions, not really the same thing I know.

@ OP Something needs to be done about farmers holding us back from our schedules, I don't really have a solution other than aggressively overtake when the slightest opportunity arises since they rarely pull in.

AMGer

saw a tractor on the M9 this morning outside Thomastown - surely illegal, no?

Shannon757

AMGer wrote: »

saw a tractor on the M9 this morning outside Thomastown - surely illegal, no?

Depends if it can do 50km/h or not.

JohnBoy26

_Brian wrote: »

Those driving tractors on public roads with poor lighting or any other defects should be held accountable, more needs to be done about this, its widespread where I live.

After that once they are taxed and insured they have a right to conduct their business as it is. Most older tractors are fairly slow - its not by choice, they just are.

Drivers should pull in "when its safe" but you do see many who don't seem bothered and it makes other drivers very irate - but there is no legal obligation to pull over because bobby bmw would like to go faster.

We can't start objecting to business sectors using the roads legally because it would quicken our commute. I'm stuck behind the same couple of school buses each morning - but it would be unreasonable to expect them off the road just so my drive to work is easier.

I would like to see guards out doing more about agri vehicles being roadworthy - its a near daily event to see them with defective lights and still I know of no farmer locally who has been pulled up on it.

Probably not but in extreame cases.....
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/district-court/tractor-driver-banned-over-7km-traffic-tailback-1.2177126

MuppetCheck

BnB wrote: »

Tractors.... overtaking tractors on Dual Carriageways... and then staying in the outside lane...

.... a "common one"...!!!!!

It is in me hole.

That stretch of road is surrounded by farmland, two smaller roads run parallel to it on either side but its obviously quicker to use the dual carriageway. I've come across antics like that many times on there. And if not that it's shooting out from the side and joining the road without proper attention, not keeping in lane at the roundabout at the end of it, wandering between lanes, crossing the road when not safe to do so.

A lot of it is down to young fellas been handed to keys with feck all experience and driving on as if they were in a car.

selectamatic

Ah jaysus does every thread about tractors have to descend into blaming 16 year olds.
Also worth noting I'm not actually 16, I'll never see 25 again but blaming every issue people have with tractors on the road on young fella's is a horrid narrow minded approach that is used by an awful lot of people.

_Brian

Tractors have every right to be on the road providing they are road legal. Like any other motorist they should be driven with due care and respect for all other road users.. But its not like the odd tractor not pulling over is the only sin being committed on the roads..

Relax people..

MuppetCheck

_Brian wrote: »

Tractors have every right to be on the road providing they are road legal. Like any other motorist they should be driven with due care and respect for all other road users.. But its not like the odd tractor not pulling over is the only sin being committed on the roads..

Relax people..

That's true. If anything on the road I'm talking about isn't sufficient for the volume and type of traffic on it. You can more often than not find someone in a car/bike/truck doing the same tricks.

9935452

Del2005 wrote: »

As for lighting. I mainly drive in urban areas and see plenty of cars with bad lights, or the new phenomenon of morons in new cars using DRLs at night. The Gardai don't enforce lighting laws for any type of vehicle.

For the original post. The tractors are most likely commuting to work also. With the huge increase in part time farming a lot more work is getting done by contractors and they have to get around. Yes maybe they should pull over but if it's a busy road there's a chance that they'll never get back out, as no one will ever let a tractor out in front of them!

Dont forget about the lads who drive around with their foglights on the whole time , and the amount of cars that have blown headlights or tail lights.
If the guards stopped lads for the above there would be a barage of lads giving out that the guards should be catching real criminals rather than stopping for bad lighting.
Regarding indicators on tractors/trailers, from driving tractors myself i see cars just ignore them, more often or not id be turning right off a mainroad with the indicator on and about 10 cars overtake me on the right hand side.
regarding pulling in to let cars off , most tractor drivers will use the hard shoulder to let cars by even though there can be insurance issues with driving on a hard shoulder. One problem i would find with stopping to let cars by is the moment you pull out you will have another 10 cars behind you nearly instantly , then you need to stop continuously, its not practical in a lot of cases

H3llR4iser

Sorry folks, but some people are trying to defend the indefensible here.

It is certainly normal and to be expected to have tractors driving along the road in rural areas, just like you will most definitely find and excavator or a concrete mixer on the roads around a big building site. Often driving a tractor/work vehicle for few km on the public road is unavoidable and, although I would have reservations doing that myself (I'd try to be as little an hindrance as I could), some people simply have no choice.

That said, it gets ridiculous and dangerous. Some posters mentioned the N25/N40 and with reason. At certain times of the year, I regularly meet tractors happily hogging the middle lane, blissfully ignoring traffic around them, on the urban section - the one that cuts the Cork suburbs in half. Not much farmland in sight around there, which means they've been traveling around for kilometers and kilometers; Almost invariably, they are towing ridiculous sized loads whose securing is dubious at least, it's not rare to find quite a lot of bale strewn across the road (for some reason, the Kinsale roundabout flyover seems to be a favourite spot). A couple of times I witnessed such loads barely fitting under or even skirting the horizontal exit signs up above.

All this together is a clear indication that maybe, and just maybe, it'd be a better idea to actually arrange a different form of transportation for such heavy requirements in terms of distance, load and frequency.
Also, I've seen no 16-years olds at the wheel but plenty of grey hair, which should know better.

In the end, there's a very valid reason why tractors are banned from dual carriageways in a lot of countries...

creedp

H3llR4iser wrote: »

All this together is a clear indication that maybe, and just maybe, it'd be a better idea to actually arrange a different form of transportation for such heavy requirements in terms of distance, load and frequency.
Also, I've seen no 16-years olds at the wheel but plenty of grey hair, which should know better.

In the end, there's a very valid reason why tractors are banned from dual carriageways in a lot of countries...

Agree, increasingly tractor are being used on public roads for far more than a farmer or farm contractor moving from farm to farm for agricultural purposes. For instance, it seems to becoming popular lately for tractors to draw diggers and the like around on public roads effectively doing what trucks were used for in the past. I saw one today on the quays in Dublin and regularly see them on national routes. Presumably a major reason for this is the ability to use green diesel and substantially reduce costs for contractors. While it may be legitimate it causes significant traffic problems when these slow moving vehicles cause tail backs all around the county on single laned roads. Begs the question why these tractors are allowed to be taxed and fuelled as agricultural vehicles when they are effectively used as haulage vehicles.

_Brian

creedp wrote: »

Agree, increasingly tractor are being used on public roads for far more than a farmer or farm contractor moving from farm to farm for agricultural purposes. For instance, it seems to becoming popular lately for tractors to draw diggers and the like around on public roads effectively doing what trucks were used for in the past. I saw one today on the quays in Dublin and regularly see them on national routes. Presumably a major reason for this is the ability to use green diesel and substantially reduce costs for contractors. While it may be legitimate it causes significant traffic problems when these slow moving vehicles cause tail backs all around the county on single laned roads. Begs the question why these tractors are allowed to be taxed and fuelled as agricultural vehicles when they are effectively used as haulage vehicles.

Typically these are tractors owned by contractors who carry out a range of works, that same tractor when it gets to site could be pulling a dump trailer drawing earth away from the digger or stone into drainage works where trucks can't go. On other days it could be cutting hedges or spreading slurry. Once they are insured for the works they are performing.
Anyhow, this is just looking for excuses to dislike tractors being on the roads. What is important is that the tractors are fit to be on the roads, legal and driven with respect for other road users.

Having a dickhead behind the wheel doesn't only happen with tractors, there are multiple numbers driving regular cars !

creedp

_Brian wrote: »

Typically these are tractors owned by contractors who carry out a range of works, that same tractor when it gets to site could be pulling a dump trailer drawing earth away from the digger or stone into drainage works where trucks can't go. On other days it could be cutting hedges or spreading slurry. Once they are insured for the works they are performing.
Anyhow, this is just looking for excuses to dislike tractors being on the roads. What is important is that the tractors are fit to be on the roads, legal and driven with respect for other road users.

Having a dickhead behind the wheel doesn't only happen with tractors, there are multiple numbers driving regular cars !

Agree that dickheads can be found driving all categories of vehicles! Just on the issue of tractors on public roads still don't see why tractors doing a mix of haulage work and agri work should be treated differently to 4x4s whose predominant function is hauling cattle to marts/factories with rest of time spent working in farmyard/land. Big difference is 4x4 is much more suitable for road haulage.

_Brian

creedp wrote: »

Agree that dickheads can be found driving all categories of vehicles! Just on the issue of tractors on public roads still don't see why tractors doing a mix of haulage work and agri work should be treated differently to 4x4s whose predominant function is hauling cattle to marts/factories with rest of time spent working in farmyard/land. Big difference is 4x4 is much more suitable for road haulage.

Tractors a tractor and a jeep is a jeep.. very different vehicles.
Tractors probably spend 80% of their life on the farm and jeeps 80% on the road.. Thus one uses agri diesel and one road diesel..

Tractors work in the fields, can draw 12 ton of grain from a combine to the yard or stores. Can draw stone from a quarry to the farm and then into the field to where its needed, same tractor is likely to spend days spreading muck or ploughing, how could it use anything but agri diesel..

creedp

creedp wrote: »

Agree, increasingly tractor are being used on public roads for far more than a farmer or farm contractor moving from farm to farm for agricultural purposes. For instance, it seems to becoming popular lately for tractors to draw diggers and the like around on public roads effectively doing what trucks were used for in the past. I saw one today on the quays in Dublin and regularly see them on national routes. Presumably a major reason for this is the ability to use green diesel and substantially reduce costs for contractors. While it may be legitimate it causes significant traffic problems when these slow moving vehicles cause tail backs all around the county on single laned roads. Begs the question why these tractors are allowed to be taxed and fuelled as agricultural vehicles when they are effectively used as haulage vehicles.

Tractors have always been used for moving machines etc and for very good reasons. Equipment is expensive enough as it it without a person having to go through all the crap to get an artic licence and then go out and buy an artic to haul around machine that their tractor is more than capable of. It would fold most business doing ground work over night if something like this was introduced. A tractor can do all the jobs while an truck can only move machines so is basically useless and costing massive money.

On top of the a truck can't drive into a field to unload a machine as is often necessary.

You would sear people are driving around in Massey 135's hauling 20 tonnes the way they talk. Modern tractors are just as able to haul loads as trucks, they have massive horse power, 50kmh or 60kmh boxes, air brakes etc. Trucks don't travel much faster with big loads anyway and cars often the travel at these speeds (I've kept up with cars on back roads in our 55kmh ish capable tractor). If you can't see a big tractor with flashing beacons up ahead on a dual carriage way or motor way you aren't fit to drive imo.

Shannon757

Zander Famous Revolutionary wrote: »

Tractors have always been used for moving machines etc and for very good reasons. Equipment is expensive enough as it it without a person having to go through all the crap to get an artic licence and then go out and buy an artic to haul around machine that their tractor is more than capable of. It would fold most business doing ground work over night if something like this was introduced. A tractor can do all the jobs while an truck can only move machines so is basically useless and costing massive money.

On top of the a truck can't drive into a field to unload a machine as is often necessary.

You would sear people are driving around in Massey 135's hauling 20 tonnes the way they talk. Modern tractors are just as able to haul loads as trucks, they have massive horse power, 50kmh or 60kmh boxes, air brakes etc. Trucks don't travel much faster with big loads anyway and cars often the travel at these speeds (I've kept up with cars on back roads in our 55kmh ish capable tractor). If you can't see a big tractor with flashing beacons up ahead on a dual carriage way or motor way you aren't fit to drive imo.

Is it a Fendt?:D

selectamatic

Shannon757 wrote: »

Is it a Fendt?:D

Have seen a massey 35 with a 65 gearbox, a 168 sandwich/extension plate and a 135 engine, top out at 60kmph
Not all fast tractors cost 100k or are green for that matter

Shannon757

selectamatic wrote: »

Have seen a massey 35 with a 65 gearbox, a 168 sandwich/extension plate and a 135 engine, top out at 60kmph
Not all fast tractors cost 100k or are green for that matter

Didn't answer the question

selectamatic

Shannon757 wrote: »

Didn't answer the question

Could be a major either some of them were fast enough on the road straight from the factory, some of the ones that have gotten new six pot hearts are frighteningly quick
I guess we'll have to wait for the answer, chance's are it'll be a fendt though.
Unless of course it's a jcb fastrac with no top gear

InTheTrees

A lot of the US states have a good solution. If you're slower than the limit and have four or more vehicles behind you then you have to pull over and let them by or risk a ticket.

Seems fair enough.

selectamatic

it's not a bad rule but if a man had 10+ ton behind him it can be hard find a safe spot to pull in. Better have a few cars behind ya then end up in the drain. I really do think the problem of tractors on the road is massively exaggerated. It is also accentuated by some car driver's being incapable of performing an overtaking maneuver, so they sit behind thus creating the beginning of the tail back.

9935452

selectamatic wrote: »

Could be a major either some of them were fast enough on the road straight from the factory, some of the ones that have gotten new six pot hearts are frighteningly quick
I guess we'll have to wait for the answer, chance's are it'll be a fendt though.
Unless of course it's a jcb fastrac with no top gear

we've a couple of landini legends with 40k boxes that are doing 55k on the road.
I believe some john deeres will do it too with the speed sensor disconnected

selectamatic

9935452 wrote: »

we've a couple of landini legends with 40k boxes that are doing 55k on the road.
I believe some john deeres will do it too with the speed sensor disconnected

The landini's are good fast tractors on the road alright very under appreciated nice simple tractors, especially the legends.
A grey fergie 20 on row crop wheels with the governor well loosened is another interesting spin

Shannon757

Shannon757 wrote: »

Is it a Fendt?:D

fendts, Class, JDs etc with 50kmh boxes with all go a bit over the 50. I'v driven many of them and all are able to travel plenty fast enough on the road and as fast as some people drive cars.