I just took delivery on my new tractor a couple days ago. Right after the delivery and walk-through I got out my torque wrench and went around and checked all the wheel lug nuts, and loader bolts. Loader bolts were tight, found several of the lug nuts on the rear wheels that were not tight, fronts were fine, just the rears about 1/2 of them were not torqued down. Checked all the fluids, and found a hydraulic leak at one of the rear hydraulic lines off the HST. A quick turn of a wrench and fixed that. You aren't kidding when you say you need to double check all these things that the dealer is supposed to do. Your videos are extremely helpful in the fact you are teaching many of us new tractor owners the right things to do from the get go. I've already made my rounds with my grease gun on the loader, lots of grease points, and it really only took maybe 5 minutes for me to hit those grease points on the loader.
Yeah, I'm all for saving money, but I don't think I'd want to drive a tractor 30 miles. I drove mine 4.5 miles to my parents house (and back) and the thing I missed the most was not having mirrors to see behind me. And most people have no patience with slow moving vehicles. Thanks for the video Mike.
I once, 6 years ago, bought a 1949 AC WD and drove it 18 miles home and it came with a bush hog. My trailer was unavailable. It was about 5PM, in August and it was over 100 degrees. We live in a rural area, big Kansas county of 18,000 people. We drove it down gravel roads almost all the home, except for one stretch of paved road with a 55mph limit, a stretch of about a half mile. I had my wife in our car behind us and we encountered very few cars on the road. We had zero issues, except for sweat in my eyes. I doubt I would ever do it again. Older and wiser.
Mike, one consideration that you didn't mention was the wear on the tires, especially if they're R1's. I've heard that rears are around $1200.00 each now, depending on size. Trailer it and save your tires, plus all the other things Mike mentioned.
Growing up driving tractors on the road was a way of life. We put up hay commercially and went farm to farm across 2 counties first and second cuttings. So I have logged a lot of road miles as a young teenager sitting in the seat. But where I live farming is every where and tractors on our local roads are a daily practice. Heck it's not uncommon here for someone to ride there lawn tractor on a little road trip.
Mike ! You just gave all of us valuable instructions o how to travel with agricultural equipment ! You may not realize how how valuable you really are! THANK YOU!
You mentioned hearing protection. For an open station tractor, I'd also recommend face protection, a pair of safety glasses at the very least. If you're rolling down the road on a tractor at say...15 mph, a bug hitting you in the face will definitely get your attention and, if it hits you in the eye, it'll get your attention even more. Now, think about even the smallest piece of gravel kicked up by a vehicle going in the opposite direction hitting you. That'll ruin your day real quick! F.Y.I. In my younger days, I "roaded" several tractors up to 25 miles or so in all kinds of weather. Our 7080 was fine no matter what but, the D-17 and Super M...not so much lol!
Hello Mike. Mike Mitchell a farmer from Sk, Canada posted a video of roading his sprayer 300 miles home! He did it at night because of less traffic. His wife followed him with pick anf flashing light bar so not to get rear ended.
I read a story once in a Swedish magazine, about a forestry contractor who had invested in a 200hp farm tractor and a machinery trailer to move his forwarder and harvester between sites. He said that if the distance was less than 25 miles, it was quicker than waiting for a truck to do the hauling. Besides, any of his forwarder/harvester operators could drive the tractor-trailer combo, in contrast to the truck-trailer which needed somebody with a CDL-equivalent license.
Mike, I’m still using an 1994 Agco Allis MFWF 4650 I bought used from your dealership about 2003. It’s a heavy well built tractor that still serves me well. (I’ve never had any major breakdown and all needed small repairs have been done at the house). The simplicity of the air cooled engine is a plus in my mind but like you said….. they are LOUD.
Lol. The tires are over inflated because they pump them up to the maximum psi to seat the bead.. Always check everything out before you buy!!! Make sure it has an SMV emblem on it that is in good condition. If not, get one!! You should have grown up on a JD 4010.. didn't have ear plugs back then either. Good video Mike!!!!
Nice video sir. Thanks. I would like to mention that some people may want to index mark their lug nuts to rims with a stamp set so they can tell at a glance if nuts have backed off or use a weatherproof oil crayon. This can help save time. Hope this is a good suggestion. Have a good summer and God bless.
I agree. So many factors with the type of road, it's size, it's condition, the weather conditions, and the amount of traffic just to name a few. Go drive your route first and look for rough spots in the road and especially bridge seams. Know where any potential obstacles may be and where you will need to slow down ahead of time to avoid them. Look out for mail boxes on the edge of the road too. You can surge a 3 point hitch on a larger tractor with a heavy implement on the back and give it a case of the "hiccups" if you hit one of those seams too fast. Also you will be nearly launched out of your seat and hit your head on the roof of the cab especially if you're a big guy like me.
Passed a big ole JD at the 74/411 headed north towards Benton. Spent over 2 hrs on that service call north of Etowah, passed him opposite on my way back just as I left the gate of the fiberglass plant. I'd drive at least that far if not farther. Gotta get after it sometimes.
We had a neighbor when I was a kid that went on a vacation to Georgia and bought an Oliver 88 and drove it home to Central Illinois with his wife following him. Took him 3 days, when asked why he said his crops were laid by and he had time on his hands!
I know when Dad was in High School, grandpa used to send him to move snow at the IGA about 20 miles from the farm in the 3020 with the wrap around canvas.
I drove my NH Workmaster 55 to a work site 30 miles away. I live in Montana and needed to use the 2 lane highway to get there. I called the Montana State Highway Patrol to make sure it was ok. They said I could use the highway but had to have a traffic triangle, warning lights and could not have more then 3 cars backed behind me. I put it in 2 wd and picked a time that had little traffic. No problems.
The farthest I can recall roading one of our tractors, was around 15 miles. That was tractor only. I drove the tractor, while my dad used a pickup to pull a 256 (I think that was the correct model 🤔) New Holland rake...then he went back home to get the 214T John Deere baler. He got both pieces from the house to the field, before I got the tractor there.😁 This was back in the 1970s.
The reason you see tires over inflated on AG equipment after hauling is so that the tires don’t compress and and bounce when chained down during transport. That way the chains don’t come undone or let the machine bounce and scoot around on the trailer.
But, if it's chained down properly, the added air pressure really doesn't help. And you have to deflate to proper pressure before putting the equipment to work. I have seen people deflate by 10 psi, then chain it, then reinflate, which further tightens the chains, potentially enough to break things...
Drove my Ford 601 35 miles after purchase. My little Nissan pickup was not pulling it home. Brakes were good, steering was tight. It just took a while. I got it done.
Here in Australia we have events called tractor trecking where a bunch of tractors take some caravans and go for a tour sometimes short 50 to 600km right up to 4000km some older tractors can hit 45km/h but my old 36 Allis-Chalmers model U is slow but goes up mountains and down them at the same speed
I bought a big old belarus tractor at auction .I had my brother drive it home while i followed. This was a nerve racking experience to say the least ! We made it but all these things aregoing through your head as you travel
@@txtpqb and if something breaks down, that the dealer wasn't aware of... well, I would rather break down 2 miles from home and tools...than 30 miles from home. But that's just me.😁
The tractors are chained down with the Tires Deflated, and then over inflated, to tighten the chains as much as possible. Most dealers upon receipt don't bother to correct.
I can agree with you on this I roaded my koitit tractor with my trailer and other attachments I couldn't take in one trip on trailer deck I only went 5 miles but it felt like a million 🤣
I drive my RK55 half a mile down to the gas station any time I need diesel, and it's actually really pleasant because it's a nice country road with a 25mph speed limit and a one-lane bridge halfway there, so people can only drive so fast. The actual gas station is on a much busier, faster road just past the end of the country road, and I have to cross the busy road to get to the gas station. That 50 feet crossing the busy road is much worse than the 2000 feet on the country road. I'd say on some roads 30 miles wouldn't be bad at all if you take your time and (especially) if you have a cab, but you couldn't pay me enough to drive a tenth of that on a busy road.
My Dad bought John Deere backhoe in the late 90's. He had a buddy that would haul it, but was unable to haul it right away. Hard headed dad just had to get it home as it was already paid for. My 2 brothers went to get it for him and road it home. They were on the road a couple days and put around 150 miles on it. Lots of gas and 1 flat tire.
Hi Mike, The answer to the question of how far to drive a tractor on the road depends on the tractor. I have twice driven my large John Deere farm tractor with duals around 60 miles. Also I have driven some larger farm tractors many times, around 15 to 20 miles down the road having either a chisel plow or auger wagon. Having a fast road gear, +18 miles per hour and being very large, if far less intimidating than taking a small compact tractor down the road at slower speeds. Another very important consideration is the road that it will be driven on.
I have two utility tractors, John Deere 5085E and 1023E. The 5085 is capable of 22 mph and I routinely drive it to jobs 10 miles one way, The 1023 is capable of just under 9 mph and I won't drive it much farther than 2 or 3 miles one way. The time the job will take also determines if I will trailer the tractors. Also If I need more tools and supplies than i can safely carry with me in/on the tractor, I'll transport them. Many of my jobs are 30 minutes or less and the rest are 1-2 hrs. I'll transport the tractor for jobs longer 2 hrs. Especially jobs that will take all day or multiple days. If you're a one man gang like me, you're gonna need to go somewhere after a cpl of hrs, go for lunch or more supplies, or go home at the end of the day and come back the next. Also, will your equipment need maintenance/repair while on a job site and can you perform it on site or will it be need to be transported somewhere to perform the service.
Very good information. I would pay to have it delivered. Much safer! It's not fun to drive a tractor on the roads today. A lot of people are not very nice on todays roads. Any more 10 miles would be my max on driving one on the road today.
Back in the 70s, my dad sent me with a silage cutter to my uncle's farm. Top speed was around 8 mph and about 55 miles away, horrible experience. Another time I was working for another farmer discing a field with a non cab 4020, I ran out of water and finished the field. I was looking for a hydrant or anything on the 20 mile trip back before they found me.
My John Deere needed diesel, and just having had abdominal surgery (ruptured appendix) I was unable to lift 5 gal jugs to fuel up. Drove my tractor to my nearest station on the back roads to fill it up directly from the pump. It was only 6 miles, but seemed to take forever..
Great vid👍know your state n interstate road laws sometimes it easier transport farm machinery, ask insurance company if you are covered, take drum of water, hydraulic fluid especially if leaks out of steering,
I work for Public Works and I drive my tractor all over town, which can easily be 20-40 miles per day, on top of the mowing I do with it. But my tractor is only 3 years old (JD 5075E) also, it’s regularly maintained by me and our shop. It is registered for over the road driving.
The most I have driven mine is about 3 miles on back roads. But I had the Mrs behind me in the truck because I was worried about what was going on behind me. An open cab compact tractor is not something you want to be driving on main roads - you forget how slow they are and how fast everyone else is relative to you!
Great points!! Points to consider on your next video - we’ve had several people die in SE Idaho because they got ran into while on the highway and even freeway. None of them that I’m aware of had escort cars or anything similar.
I Drove my Kubota L4701 home from the Dealer and it was about 3 miles I’m guessing. At 13 mph in high gear, this was about as far as I wanted to drive it. I would look more at the route then the distance. Some routes that have no shoulder and blind hills or curves would be a no-go for me.
I'd be curious to hear from the experts. I have a Kubota L4802, it goes 16 mph. R4 tires (Industrial). I'm really wanting to avoid buying a trailer and truck to haul it, my current vehicle wouldn't (with tires filled, implements, plus trailer weight...). My current trending and projected drives are this on pavement/off my farm: 1.5 miles to fuel station (twice/month max), 2.5 miles to the farm supply store (once/month, sometimes once/two months) and 5.8 miles to furthest family farm land (rare - just to help with projects/clearing).
Mike, I'd prefer to stay within a 10 mile maximum traveling on an open road. My neighbor told me he traveled 35 miles one way to a job he had with his tractor. He no longer has the tractor. I never asked if it died or whether he was retired from tractoring. Either way, I haven't seen him on a tractor in years. Again, I'd stay to 10 miles or less. If he has a friend with a reliable trailer he might be able to strike up a deal to have it hauled. My local tractor dealer charges 90 bucks for a haul 25 to 30 miles. I hope this viewer heeds you wise words to check his tractor over thoroughly before getting out on the main road with his tractor. Have a fine week, Mike. 👍🏽🙂
My uncle bought an estate mower at an auction about 5 years ago, that was basically a 4000 Ford tractor that was built to drive with the engine behind you. Had a big mower on the end with 2 big wings. Made it about 2 miles up the road trying to get it home before it overheated and boiled over. Ended up trailering it home. Lesson learned. Also, didn’t take into account how difficult it would be to drive, as it was built so it steered in the rear. Not a great high speed set up
With all the good advice you've dispensed RE tractors, it would make for a good episode to hear back how those suggestions were applied and the eventual outcomes .
I’ve used things like google maps to prepare a route that is all or mostly gravel. If I must go on a paved road, I look at traffic levels and shoulder width.
The problem with gravel roads is those passing you kicking up the dust cloud. Unless it rained. Here, they paved the gravel road. Big help when driving my tactor home from the dealer!
All good points Mike. I feel much safer driving distances in a large tractor. The bigger the better. Also I try to find secondary roads preferably through rural areas where people know what a tractor is rather than main roads with a lot of urbanite drivers that are not familiar with tractor speeds.
I believe new tractor tires are over inflated due to the time they may set till they are sold. It’s recommended to over inflate tires on a auto if its going to set awhile, this helps keep them from flat siding and damaging the sidewalls. I’m guessing the strategy is the same here?
I met a man who told about he and his father buying an old tractor at auction over 100 miles from their home. They had just started on the trip home when their truck broke down and they towed the truck home with the tractor.
Hew mike, I'm in Osage County... do you use a summer additive for lubricity in your diesels? I know a winter additive is necessary for gelling but I'm unsure about the summer season.
@@RantzBizGroup I believe it can help remove moisture in the fuel and the interim tier and final tier engines hate moisture in the fuel and in my case have a sensor in the water separator that gives a if the tiny bowl has too much water and will eventually shut the engine off when it reaches it's max on my JD 5985E. The bowl actually froze last winter and had to wait 2 weeks for the weather to break. Can't get the alarm to stop when you turn the key on and again when you crank the engine. Waring light won't stop flashing. OK to run per JD. Sensor could still have moisture stuck in it, but ordered a new one just in case. $140.00 Also should have changed the fuel filter on transfer tank more often. It catches some moisture too and my filter was way overdue to be changed.
For anyone else, like me, that is a bit slow, he said, "I've *roaded* a tractor 30 miles." (*Not* "roded".) I'm not uesd to hearing road used as a verb, but it makes perfect sense in context.
The farthest i have driven my tractors on the open road is about 4 miles and that was to our church to do some bushhogging around the church and when my oldest one had to go to the dealer for service I would have them come and pick it up and return it.
Drive tractor 30 miles on open road--how much tire wear will you have- expensive to replace. How much insurance do yo have. Have another vehicle with their hazard blinkers on follow behind tractor
from experience I think a second vehicle following with hazard lights on just creates a worse situation , when someone gets or takes a chance to pass they have two vehicles to go around instead of one and in these situations they will pass you in the worst places. Many times I have had people shoot out to pass on the left side about the time you go to make a left hand turn and thats with blinker on and arm stuck out ,slow theses cars down and they go nuts
Kind of an odd question, but should you have vehicle insurance to road your tractor? I am confident the past farmers in my family that routinely went down the road from field to field did not, but in a casual conversation with our agent, they seemed to think it was a good idea. Ignoring their potential motivations related to sales numbers, any thoughts on how seriously one should consider this? As a side, I bought an old (redundant) '54 Ford NAA a few months back and contemplated driving it home from about 45 min. away when I was struggling to come up with a rental trailer that matched up with the Nissan Pathfinder we have now. I had recently sold off my 8.1 liter Sububan and the 24 ft. Pace trailer I used in my racing days and was starting to regret it. In the end, I looked a little harder and found a U-Haul car hauler which did the trick. I shudder to think what could have happened if I had attempted to drive it home. I might still be out there somewhere.... Thanks for the content!
Better safe than sorry have someone bring it to you . Too much can happen on open road. If it’s a use tractor you don’t know what problems tractor could have.
The laws regarding lighting on tractors, and whether you are allowed to even use your flashers at all, vary quite a bit from state to state. If you are planning on driving a tractor any kind of distance on the road your best bet is to call the state police and ask them what the laws say. In some states, it is illegal to have an SMV sign if you are travelling more than 25 miles per hour. One thing I didn't hear you mention is how fast the tractor can travel at highway speed. I have some tractors that I am comfortable driving on the road and some that I am not because their top speed is simply too slow. I have one tractor that tops out at maybe 12 miles per hour. That is an accident waiting to happen. It's not like a bicycle that you can just take onto the shoulder any time. I don't take it on the road at all other than going between fields that are close to one another.
Mike.. My Tractor's(Kubota 3010 4x4)Top Speed Is Under 30mph.. You? Have To Register(To Drive On A Public Way It's Not Farm Business?) Your Tractor(Money), Wear On Your Tires, Fuel, Your Time Or Paying Someone Too Drive It 30 Miles On Two Lane Roads.. This Would Cost More? Then Just Hirer Some One Too Move It For You And Safely. Hey!! Mike? Your Looking Good!! Have Not Tune-In Lately.. Have A Great Summer & Hope All's Well In Your World.
"check the bolts that hold the wheel to the rim" WHERE WERE YOU 2 WEEKS AGO WHEN I LOST MY FRONT TIRE?!?!?!??!!?! fortunately I had a loader to lift my axle up, and i was able to just reverse the tire and use the good bolt holes as the others had all augered out as the lugs loosened.
I wouldn't consider driving a tractor that far under any circumstance. Just pay the guy to have it done right and don't risk damaging your equipment or finding out the hard way you don't have brakes or a bad transmission ect, too much hassle for just saving a dollar.
Depends on the tractor. I would not consider it with a tractor that weighs as much as or more than the tow vehicle. Check the manuals. Some hydrostatics can be destroyed. Tractors are typically top-heavy and narrow for their height and it's generally unsafe to go faster than the tractor could drive in road gear. Make sure it's not in any 4WD setting. That would completely ruin your day. I'd only consider the dolly for a manual transmission compact that broke down a couple of miles from the tractor shed or dealer. Might as well rent the correct trailer as renting the dolly, since the cost difference wouldn't be much.
NO most dollies cannot handle rear tires ( if dolly has brakes ). Most of the weight is on the rear tires. Even if you can get into neutral, the tire speed limit still applies. So you are not saving time, and is dangerous.
Here’s one, that No one has mentioned - DON’T DRIVE A TRACTOR DOWN A ROAD YOU DON’T KNOW, and, have not traveled lately… Back roads/less traveled roads, are always best - Especially, if it’s not much further than the direct route… As someone else mentioned, avoid going Through towns, if at all possible… And, above all, watch out for people/vehicles to do Stupid stuff - like zooming past you, only to hit the brakes to nearly stop, for a turn…
Drive it I wouldn't give it a second thought myself but it's something I've done for 20 years just get a orange triangle and go but follow Mike's advice and check everything out first
I ran away from home when I was 12 years old and I drove a 1520 John Deere tractor from our farm that is close to Brownsboro Texas all the way to down town Dallas. Google maps says it's 81.5 miles away, but I did quite a bit of riding around the big city before I drove it to the tallest building in Dallas. The bank building the one with the green stripes on it. My aunt worked there on the 5th floor. But after i got there I drove the tractor around "downtown" for a long time trying to find a parking meter. Idk why but I did not want to park it on one of those lots. So I found a place to park it, i put a dime in the meter. Then I walked to the bank building and went up to the fifth floor where my aunt was working. You should have seen her face when I stepped off that elevator. She said boy everybody is looking for you. they even had an APB out for you. Which explains why I had to outrun the fuz in South Oak Cliff. Lol True story ! I did that with a series of right and left turns. Starting with the very next right I came to when I saw they were starting to come after me. I never saw them again ! My aunt said do you want me to call your dad and "just" let him know you're okay? I said "NO"....... Call him and tell him to come and get me. Because I've had enough of these big city drivers ! Lol.. so that was about 100 miles I put on it that day. I left out at 4:30 that morning. The tractor burned very little fuel not being under a load. In fact I had enough fuel I could have drove it back and maybe a little more. And with no noticeable wear on the tires either I'm sure there was a little wear on them . But it was not noticeable to me. And we kept that tractor for years after that happened and it never had any mechanical issues
I believe it's a matter of how you value your time.. It's either drive it home 30 miles or drive it 5 miles and it brakes down on you..then who you going to pay
I'm almost 30 miles away from the closest dealer location, so it's about 1 1/2 hrs one way in my tractor capable of 22 mph. I'll pay $100'ish service call fee and save myself the 3 hrs. Unfortunately if special parts are needed, it's a second visit. 2 service call fees is still cheaper than hiring a transporter, especially if the tractor isn't running.
I have to move my tractors from one far to the other often and considering the way that DOT and other law enforcement agencies are getting these days its about less of a hassle to just drive the dam thing where your going instead of loading it on a trailer. You load tractor on trailer start down the road they will stop you faster than if you just robbed a bank or committed murder. If DOT pulls you over they will find something wrong
And when you're on the road look behind you and see how much traffic you got heldup. If you got a lot of traffic pull over and let them by. Agpro out from Huntsville Alabama had 2 combiners going down the road On US72 Which is a 4 lane highway doing 15 to 20 mph going towards Gurley Alabama They had traffic backed up just about all the way to Huntsville And when we did get to go around the escort vehicle on the back was too busy on the cell phone to pay attention what was What was going on around him .. So please don't be like Agpro ..
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I just took delivery on my new tractor a couple days ago. Right after the delivery and walk-through I got out my torque wrench and went around and checked all the wheel lug nuts, and loader bolts. Loader bolts were tight, found several of the lug nuts on the rear wheels that were not tight, fronts were fine, just the rears about 1/2 of them were not torqued down. Checked all the fluids, and found a hydraulic leak at one of the rear hydraulic lines off the HST. A quick turn of a wrench and fixed that.
You aren't kidding when you say you need to double check all these things that the dealer is supposed to do. Your videos are extremely helpful in the fact you are teaching many of us new tractor owners the right things to do from the get go. I've already made my rounds with my grease gun on the loader, lots of grease points, and it really only took maybe 5 minutes for me to hit those grease points on the loader.
65 miles - Rode on an International “M” with my Dad from one farm to another. Just takes a while. 1960.
Yeah, I'm all for saving money, but I don't think I'd want to drive a tractor 30 miles. I drove mine 4.5 miles to my parents house (and back) and the thing I missed the most was not having mirrors to see behind me. And most people have no patience with slow moving vehicles. Thanks for the video Mike.
I once, 6 years ago, bought a 1949 AC WD and drove it 18 miles home and it came with a bush hog. My trailer was unavailable. It was about 5PM, in August and it was over 100 degrees. We live in a rural area, big Kansas county of 18,000 people. We drove it down gravel roads almost all the home, except for one stretch of paved road with a 55mph limit, a stretch of about a half mile. I had my wife in our car behind us and we encountered very few cars on the road. We had zero issues, except for sweat in my eyes. I doubt I would ever do it again. Older and wiser.
Mike, one consideration that you didn't mention was the wear on the tires, especially if they're R1's. I've heard that rears are around $1200.00 each now, depending on size. Trailer it and save your tires, plus all the other things Mike mentioned.
Growing up driving tractors on the road was a way of life. We put up hay commercially and went farm to farm across 2 counties first and second cuttings. So I have logged a lot of road miles as a young teenager sitting in the seat. But where I live farming is every where and tractors on our local roads are a daily practice. Heck it's not uncommon here for someone to ride there lawn tractor on a little road trip.
9 years ago dad gave me his old Massey 135 State mowing tractor. I walked it 55 miles to my house one (long,) afternoon.
Mike ! You just gave all of us valuable instructions o how to travel with agricultural equipment ! You may not realize how how valuable you really are! THANK YOU!
You mentioned hearing protection. For an open station tractor, I'd also recommend face protection, a pair of safety glasses at the very least. If you're rolling down the road on a tractor at say...15 mph, a bug hitting you in the face will definitely get your attention and, if it hits you in the eye, it'll get your attention even more. Now, think about even the smallest piece of gravel kicked up by a vehicle going in the opposite direction hitting you. That'll ruin your day real quick!
F.Y.I. In my younger days, I "roaded" several tractors up to 25 miles or so in all kinds of weather. Our 7080 was fine no matter what but, the D-17 and Super M...not so much lol!
Hello Mike. Mike Mitchell a farmer from Sk, Canada posted a video of roading his sprayer 300 miles home! He did it at night because of less traffic. His wife followed him with pick anf flashing light bar so not to get rear ended.
I read a story once in a Swedish magazine, about a forestry contractor who had invested in a 200hp farm tractor and a machinery trailer to move his forwarder and harvester between sites. He said that if the distance was less than 25 miles, it was quicker than waiting for a truck to do the hauling. Besides, any of his forwarder/harvester operators could drive the tractor-trailer combo, in contrast to the truck-trailer which needed somebody with a CDL-equivalent license.
Excellent topic, the one thing I would add is to take your tractor out of 4WD if equipped, 4WD doesn't like pavement
Got that right
My guess tires are over inflated so when they are on the ship. They arent bouncing the tie downs loose
Mike, I’m still using an 1994 Agco Allis MFWF 4650 I bought used from your dealership about 2003. It’s a heavy well built tractor that still serves me well. (I’ve never had any major breakdown and all needed small repairs have been done at the house). The simplicity of the air cooled engine is a plus in my mind but like you said….. they are LOUD.
Lol. The tires are over inflated because they pump them up to the maximum psi to seat the bead..
Always check everything out before you buy!!!
Make sure it has an SMV emblem on it that is in good condition. If not, get one!!
You should have grown up on a JD 4010.. didn't have ear plugs back then either. Good video Mike!!!!
Nice video sir. Thanks. I would like to mention that some people may want to index mark their lug nuts to rims with a stamp set so they can tell at a glance if nuts have backed off or use a weatherproof oil crayon. This can help save time. Hope this is a good suggestion. Have a good summer and God bless.
It all depends on the route. Some roads I wouldn’t go a mile on.
I agree.
So many factors with the type of road, it's size, it's condition, the weather conditions, and the amount of traffic just to name a few.
Go drive your route first and look for rough spots in the road and especially bridge seams. Know where any potential obstacles may be and where you will need to slow down ahead of time to avoid them. Look out for mail boxes on the edge of the road too.
You can surge a 3 point hitch on a larger tractor with a heavy implement on the back and give it a case of the "hiccups" if you hit one of those seams too fast. Also you will be nearly launched out of your seat and hit your head on the roof of the cab especially if you're a big guy like me.
U.S. 51 in Illinois is a major highway that ruins front ends and it will even cause you to lose a tooth or two.
I can drive for hours on some old gravel roads and not meet a car.
Passed a big ole JD at the 74/411 headed north towards Benton. Spent over 2 hrs on that service call north of Etowah, passed him opposite on my way back just as I left the gate of the fiberglass plant. I'd drive at least that far if not farther. Gotta get after it sometimes.
We had a neighbor when I was a kid that went on a vacation to Georgia and bought an Oliver 88 and drove it home to Central Illinois with his wife following him. Took him 3 days, when asked why he said his crops were laid by and he had time on his hands!
Wow
I like your 'trailer' series and how to drive a tractor on the open road.
I drove my used New Holland TC35 home from the dealer - it was 18 miles with good shoulders most of the way. 30 miles would be the limit for me too.
I know when Dad was in High School, grandpa used to send him to move snow at the IGA about 20 miles from the farm in the 3020 with the wrap around canvas.
I drove my NH Workmaster 55 to a work site 30 miles away. I live in Montana and needed to use the 2 lane highway to get there. I called the Montana State Highway Patrol to make sure it was ok. They said I could use the highway but had to have a traffic triangle, warning lights and could not have more then 3 cars backed behind me. I put it in 2 wd and picked a time that had little traffic. No problems.
My dad bought a wide front end case in Archabold Ohio an drove it to Centreville, Michigan that's about 150miles. Had no problems.
The farthest I can recall roading one of our tractors, was around 15 miles.
That was tractor only.
I drove the tractor, while my dad used a pickup to pull a 256 (I think that was the correct model 🤔) New Holland rake...then he went back home to get the 214T John Deere baler.
He got both pieces from the house to the field, before I got the tractor there.😁
This was back in the 1970s.
The reason you see tires over inflated on AG equipment after hauling is so that the tires don’t compress and and bounce when chained down during transport. That way the chains don’t come undone or let the machine bounce and scoot around on the trailer.
But, if it's chained down properly, the added air pressure really doesn't help.
And you have to deflate to proper pressure before putting the equipment to work.
I have seen people deflate by 10 psi, then chain it, then reinflate, which further tightens the chains, potentially enough to break things...
Drove my Ford 601 35 miles after purchase. My little Nissan pickup was not pulling it home. Brakes were good, steering was tight. It just took a while. I got it done.
Here in Australia we have events called tractor trecking where a bunch of tractors take some caravans and go for a tour sometimes short 50 to 600km right up to 4000km some older tractors can hit 45km/h but my old 36 Allis-Chalmers model U is slow but goes up mountains and down them at the same speed
I bought a big old belarus tractor at auction .I had my brother drive it home while i followed. This was a nerve racking experience to say the least ! We made it but all these things aregoing through your head as you travel
Moral of the story; if buying an unknown used tractor, just pay the money to have it towed home. Don’t be cheap.
Completely agree.. we drive crop tractors that far but I know their condition.
why not drive a reasonable distance? You'll know definitely what condition its in by the time you get there.
@@txtpqb and if something breaks down, that the dealer wasn't aware of... well, I would rather break down 2 miles from home and tools...than 30 miles from home.
But that's just me.😁
The tractors are chained down with the Tires Deflated, and then over inflated, to tighten the chains as much as possible. Most dealers upon receipt don't bother to correct.
Good topic Mike....somethings we may not always consider !
pc
I can agree with you on this I roaded my koitit tractor with my trailer and other attachments I couldn't take in one trip on trailer deck I only went 5 miles but it felt like a million 🤣
I drive my RK55 half a mile down to the gas station any time I need diesel, and it's actually really pleasant because it's a nice country road with a 25mph speed limit and a one-lane bridge halfway there, so people can only drive so fast. The actual gas station is on a much busier, faster road just past the end of the country road, and I have to cross the busy road to get to the gas station. That 50 feet crossing the busy road is much worse than the 2000 feet on the country road. I'd say on some roads 30 miles wouldn't be bad at all if you take your time and (especially) if you have a cab, but you couldn't pay me enough to drive a tenth of that on a busy road.
My Dad bought John Deere backhoe in the late 90's. He had a buddy that would haul it, but was unable to haul it right away. Hard headed dad just had to get it home as it was already paid for. My 2 brothers went to get it for him and road it home. They were on the road a couple days and put around 150 miles on it. Lots of gas and 1 flat tire.
Hi Mike,
The answer to the question of how far to drive a tractor on the road depends on the tractor. I have twice driven my large John Deere farm tractor with duals around 60 miles.
Also I have driven some larger farm tractors many times, around 15 to 20 miles down the road having either a chisel plow or auger wagon. Having a fast road gear, +18 miles per hour and being very large, if far less intimidating than taking a small compact tractor down the road at slower speeds.
Another very important consideration is the road that it will be driven on.
I have two utility tractors, John Deere 5085E and 1023E.
The 5085 is capable of 22 mph and I routinely drive it to jobs 10 miles one way,
The 1023 is capable of just under 9 mph and I won't drive it much farther than 2 or 3 miles one way.
The time the job will take also determines if I will trailer the tractors. Also If I need more tools and supplies than i can safely carry with me in/on the tractor, I'll transport them.
Many of my jobs are 30 minutes or less and the rest are 1-2 hrs. I'll transport the tractor for jobs longer 2 hrs. Especially jobs that will take all day or multiple days. If you're a one man gang like me, you're gonna need to go somewhere after a cpl of hrs, go for lunch or more supplies, or go home at the end of the day and come back the next.
Also, will your equipment need maintenance/repair while on a job site and can you perform it on site or will it be need to be transported somewhere to perform the service.
Very good information. I would pay to have it delivered. Much safer! It's not fun to drive a tractor on the roads today. A lot of people are not very nice on todays roads. Any more 10 miles would be my max on driving one on the road today.
Hey Mike, In the scene where you check the air pressure the tire has "Not for Highway Service" on the side!
Back in the 70s, my dad sent me with a silage cutter to my uncle's farm. Top speed was around 8 mph and about 55 miles away, horrible experience. Another time I was working for another farmer discing a field with a non cab 4020, I ran out of water and finished the field. I was looking for a hydrant or anything on the 20 mile trip back before they found me.
Awesome tips Mike
My John Deere needed diesel, and just having had abdominal surgery (ruptured appendix) I was unable to lift 5 gal jugs to fuel up. Drove my tractor to my nearest station on the back roads to fill it up directly from the pump. It was only 6 miles, but seemed to take forever..
Forever it might be at 11.5 MPH
Great vid👍know your state n interstate road laws sometimes it easier transport farm machinery, ask insurance company if you are covered, take drum of water, hydraulic fluid especially if leaks out of steering,
I work for Public Works and I drive my tractor all over town, which can easily be 20-40 miles per day, on top of the mowing I do with it. But my tractor is only 3 years old (JD 5075E) also, it’s regularly maintained by me and our shop. It is registered for over the road driving.
I came across your channel and knew lots of things 🤗here in India few years back we used to ride around 150 to 200 kms when we buy a new one😩
The most I have driven mine is about 3 miles on back roads. But I had the Mrs behind me in the truck because I was worried about what was going on behind me. An open cab compact tractor is not something you want to be driving on main roads - you forget how slow they are and how fast everyone else is relative to you!
Great points!! Points to consider on your next video - we’ve had several people die in SE Idaho because they got ran into while on the highway and even freeway. None of them that I’m aware of had escort cars or anything similar.
I Drove my Kubota L4701 home from the Dealer and it was about 3 miles I’m guessing. At 13 mph in high gear, this was about as far as I wanted to drive it. I would look more at the route then the distance. Some routes that have no shoulder and blind hills or curves would be a no-go for me.
I'd be curious to hear from the experts. I have a Kubota L4802, it goes 16 mph. R4 tires (Industrial). I'm really wanting to avoid buying a trailer and truck to haul it, my current vehicle wouldn't (with tires filled, implements, plus trailer weight...). My current trending and projected drives are this on pavement/off my farm: 1.5 miles to fuel station (twice/month max), 2.5 miles to the farm supply store (once/month, sometimes once/two months) and 5.8 miles to furthest family farm land (rare - just to help with projects/clearing).
Great list! Absolutely will subscribe to your channel.
Mike, I'd prefer to stay within a 10 mile maximum traveling on an open road. My neighbor told me he traveled 35 miles one way to a job he had with his tractor. He no longer has the tractor. I never asked if it died or whether he was retired from tractoring. Either way, I haven't seen him on a tractor in years. Again, I'd stay to 10 miles or less. If he has a friend with a reliable trailer he might be able to strike up a deal to have it hauled. My local tractor dealer charges 90 bucks for a haul 25 to 30 miles. I hope this viewer heeds you wise words to check his tractor over thoroughly before getting out on the main road with his tractor. Have a fine week, Mike. 👍🏽🙂
Drove mine 17 miles. Never saw so many passed off people in my life !
My uncle bought an estate mower at an auction about 5 years ago, that was basically a 4000 Ford tractor that was built to drive with the engine behind you. Had a big mower on the end with 2 big wings. Made it about 2 miles up the road trying to get it home before it overheated and boiled over. Ended up trailering it home. Lesson learned. Also, didn’t take into account how difficult it would be to drive, as it was built so it steered in the rear. Not a great high speed set up
With all the good advice you've dispensed RE tractors, it would make for a good episode to hear back how those suggestions were applied
and the eventual outcomes .
I’ve used things like google maps to prepare a route that is all or mostly gravel. If I must go on a paved road, I look at traffic levels and shoulder width.
The problem with gravel roads is those passing you kicking up the dust cloud. Unless it rained. Here, they paved the gravel road. Big help when driving my tactor home from the dealer!
All good points Mike. I feel much safer driving distances in a large tractor. The bigger the better. Also I try to find secondary roads preferably through rural areas where people know what a tractor is rather than main roads with a lot of urbanite drivers that are not familiar with tractor speeds.
I have found that a hay spear mounted on front and back set at about windshield level helps to keep road rage down somewhat
Great advice. Thanks for sharing.
God Bless
I drove a John Deere 9630 with two scrapers from Winnsboro, La to Charleston, Ms. 209 miles and 15 hours later I swore never again.
I believe new tractor tires are over inflated due to the time they may set till they are sold. It’s recommended to over inflate tires on a auto if its going to set awhile, this helps keep them from flat siding and damaging the sidewalls. I’m guessing the strategy is the same here?
I met a man who told about he and his father buying an old tractor at auction over 100 miles from their home. They had just started on the trip home when their truck broke down and they towed the truck home with the tractor.
Great list. I think a trailer is called for.
Hew mike, I'm in Osage County... do you use a summer additive for lubricity in your diesels? I know a winter additive is necessary for gelling but I'm unsure about the summer season.
I don't but I should. It's a good idea to avoid injection system issues.
@@TractorMike would you use a winter additive during the summer season?
@@RantzBizGroup I believe it can help remove moisture in the fuel and the interim tier and final tier engines hate moisture in the fuel and in my case have a sensor in the water separator that gives a if the tiny bowl has too much water and will eventually shut the engine off when it reaches it's max on my JD 5985E.
The bowl actually froze last winter and had to wait 2 weeks for the weather to break. Can't get the alarm to stop when you turn the key on and again when you crank the engine. Waring light won't stop flashing. OK to run per JD. Sensor could still have moisture stuck in it, but ordered a new one just in case. $140.00
Also should have changed the fuel filter on transfer tank more often. It catches some moisture too and my filter was way overdue to be changed.
For the distance is it mainly because of liability or is it hard on a tractor to drive it further like two or three hours of driving.
For anyone else, like me, that is a bit slow, he said, "I've *roaded* a tractor 30 miles." (*Not* "roded".) I'm not uesd to hearing road used as a verb, but it makes perfect sense in context.
Don't forget a wire or zip tie on that SMV sign, they bounce out on a good bump
The farthest i have driven my tractors on the open road is about 4 miles and that was to our church to do some bushhogging around the church and when my oldest one had to go to the dealer for service I would have them come and pick it up and return it.
Drive tractor 30 miles on open road--how much tire wear will you have- expensive to replace. How much insurance do yo have. Have another vehicle with their hazard blinkers on follow behind tractor
from experience I think a second vehicle following with hazard lights on just creates a worse situation , when someone gets or takes a chance to pass they have two vehicles to go around instead of one and in these situations they will pass you in the worst places. Many times I have had people shoot out to pass on the left side about the time you go to make a left hand turn and thats with blinker on and arm stuck out ,slow theses cars down and they go nuts
My Kubota B2601 tops out at 15mph. The furthest I’ve driven was 7 miles. It was a long ride!
30 miles, a good supply of Gold Bond Menthol Powder.
I have the Craftsman T240 Turn Tight Kohler 7000 series 22 horsepower 725cc V Twin engine drove it 6 miles did just fine
Drove a tractor and implement 130 mi for someone from an auction years ago. Crossed a major river system with help from local police. Never again.
I think it would also depend on the size or hp of the tractor. Big difference between 200hp and 20hp for 30 miles.
20 hp is a lawn mower lol
Stephen, trailer it and save yourself a bunch of aggravation and possibly heartache.
Kind of an odd question, but should you have vehicle insurance to road your tractor? I am confident the past farmers in my family that routinely went down the road from field to field did not, but in a casual conversation with our agent, they seemed to think it was a good idea. Ignoring their potential motivations related to sales numbers, any thoughts on how seriously one should consider this?
As a side, I bought an old (redundant) '54 Ford NAA a few months back and contemplated driving it home from about 45 min. away when I was struggling to come up with a rental trailer that matched up with the Nissan Pathfinder we have now. I had recently sold off my 8.1 liter Sububan and the 24 ft. Pace trailer I used in my racing days and was starting to regret it. In the end, I looked a little harder and found a U-Haul car hauler which did the trick. I shudder to think what could have happened if I had attempted to drive it home. I might still be out there somewhere.... Thanks for the content!
Better safe than sorry have someone bring it to you . Too much can happen on open road. If it’s a use tractor you don’t know what problems tractor could have.
The laws regarding lighting on tractors, and whether you are allowed to even use your flashers at all, vary quite a bit from state to state. If you are planning on driving a tractor any kind of distance on the road your best bet is to call the state police and ask them what the laws say. In some states, it is illegal to have an SMV sign if you are travelling more than 25 miles per hour.
One thing I didn't hear you mention is how fast the tractor can travel at highway speed. I have some tractors that I am comfortable driving on the road and some that I am not because their top speed is simply too slow. I have one tractor that tops out at maybe 12 miles per hour. That is an accident waiting to happen. It's not like a bicycle that you can just take onto the shoulder any time. I don't take it on the road at all other than going between fields that are close to one another.
Always good 👍
Do I need to worry about getting caught with off road diesel in the tank if I’m driving on the road?
Off road diesel in your tractor? No. In your pickup? Yes.
Mike.. My Tractor's(Kubota 3010 4x4)Top Speed Is Under 30mph.. You? Have To Register(To Drive On A Public Way It's Not Farm Business?) Your Tractor(Money), Wear On Your Tires, Fuel, Your Time Or Paying Someone Too Drive It 30 Miles On Two Lane Roads.. This Would Cost More? Then Just Hirer Some One Too Move It For You And Safely. Hey!! Mike? Your Looking Good!! Have Not Tune-In Lately.. Have A Great Summer & Hope All's Well In Your World.
ROPS up to.
My first tractor was a 1969 John Deere 4020. I drove it 81 miles home
"check the bolts that hold the wheel to the rim" WHERE WERE YOU 2 WEEKS AGO WHEN I LOST MY FRONT TIRE?!?!?!??!!?! fortunately I had a loader to lift my axle up, and i was able to just reverse the tire and use the good bolt holes as the others had all augered out as the lugs loosened.
I would add insurance is a must.
The real question is do you have insurance..for the road.. house insurance generally doesnt cover you on the road
Exactly right!
I have done 64 miles, but that is for a tractor run and we had stops.
we road them up to 200 miles between farms and pull the implements
I wouldn't consider driving a tractor that far under any circumstance. Just pay the guy to have it done right and don't risk damaging your equipment or finding out the hard way you don't have brakes or a bad transmission ect, too much hassle for just saving a dollar.
What do you think about renting a 2 wheel car dolly and tow the tractor home.
Depends on the tractor.
I would not consider it with a tractor that weighs as much as or more than the tow vehicle.
Check the manuals. Some hydrostatics can be destroyed.
Tractors are typically top-heavy and narrow for their height and it's generally unsafe to go faster than the tractor could drive in road gear.
Make sure it's not in any 4WD setting. That would completely ruin your day.
I'd only consider the dolly for a manual transmission compact that broke down a couple of miles from the tractor shed or dealer. Might as well rent the correct trailer as renting the dolly, since the cost difference wouldn't be much.
NO most dollies cannot handle rear tires ( if dolly has brakes ). Most of the weight is on the rear tires. Even if you can get into neutral, the tire speed limit still applies. So you are not saving time, and is dangerous.
Here’s one, that No one has mentioned - DON’T DRIVE A TRACTOR DOWN A ROAD YOU DON’T KNOW, and, have not traveled lately… Back roads/less traveled roads, are always best - Especially, if it’s not much further than the direct route… As someone else mentioned, avoid going Through towns, if at all possible… And, above all, watch out for people/vehicles to do Stupid stuff - like zooming past you, only to hit the brakes to nearly stop, for a turn…
Drive it I wouldn't give it a second thought myself but it's something I've done for 20 years just get a orange triangle and go but follow Mike's advice and check everything out first
WHO Radio Des Moines sponsors Tractor Rides (12MPH or less) every year and they go 50 to 75 miles. Come on Mike That would be fun.
But if the tractor will fit on the trailer and the truck pulls it okay and stops it safely then anything over 8 or 10 miles I would haul it.
I ran away from home when I was 12 years old and I drove a 1520 John Deere tractor from our farm that is close to Brownsboro Texas all the way to down town Dallas. Google maps says it's 81.5 miles away, but I did quite a bit of riding around the big city before I drove it to the tallest building in Dallas. The bank building the one with the green stripes on it. My aunt worked there on the 5th floor. But after i got there I drove the tractor around "downtown" for a long time trying to find a parking meter. Idk why but I did not want to park it on one of those lots.
So I found a place to park it, i put a dime in the meter. Then I walked to the bank building and went up to the fifth floor where my aunt was working. You should have seen her face when I stepped off that elevator. She said boy everybody is looking for you. they even had an APB out for you. Which explains why I had to outrun the fuz in South Oak Cliff. Lol
True story ! I did that with a series of right and left turns. Starting with the very next right I came to when I saw they were starting to come after me.
I never saw them again ! My aunt said do you want me to call your dad and "just" let him know you're okay?
I said "NO"....... Call him and tell him to come and get me. Because I've had enough of these big city drivers ! Lol.. so that was about 100 miles I put on it that day. I left out at 4:30 that morning. The tractor burned very little fuel not being under a load. In fact I had enough fuel I could have drove it back and maybe a little more. And with no noticeable wear on the tires either I'm sure there was a little wear on them . But it was not noticeable to me. And we kept that tractor for years after that happened and it never had any mechanical issues
I believe it's a matter of how you value your time.. It's either drive it home 30 miles or drive it 5 miles and it brakes down on you..then who you going to pay
I'm almost 30 miles away from the closest dealer location, so it's about 1 1/2 hrs one way in my tractor capable of 22 mph. I'll pay $100'ish service call fee and save myself the 3 hrs.
Unfortunately if special parts are needed, it's a second visit. 2 service call fees is still cheaper than hiring a transporter, especially if the tractor isn't running.
Just one more on the checklist:
Fuel ⛽️
I have to move my tractors from one far to the other often and considering the way that DOT and other law enforcement agencies are getting these days its about less of a hassle to just drive the dam thing where your going instead of loading it on a trailer. You load tractor on trailer start down the road they will stop you faster than if you just robbed a bank or committed murder. If DOT pulls you over they will find something wrong
By the time I drove my compact tractor 10 on the road I'd be ready to sell it.
And when you're on the road look behind you and see how much traffic you got heldup. If you got a lot of traffic pull over and let them by. Agpro out from Huntsville Alabama had 2 combiners going down the road On US72 Which is a 4 lane highway doing 15 to 20 mph going towards Gurley Alabama They had traffic backed up just about all the way to Huntsville And when we did get to go around the escort vehicle on the back was too busy on the cell phone to pay attention what was What was going on around him .. So please don't be like Agpro ..
Add to your list,, INSECT Repellant,Gloves, cellphone, water,food,
and by all means, clean the orange triangle sign off once in awhile. Does no good if it isn't clean.
30miles? I'd give it go. I just drove 12 miles yesterday, to and from my destination.