todays extra pic. got me wondering

flying belgian · Feb 14, 2019

When does a tractor become a road vehicle in need of license? And vice-versa? Some of todays tractors and especially some of those applicators can go down the road 40 mph. or more. And some of those off road trucks can easily pull a plow and even some street trucks but they need to be licensed. What about the UDLX back in the day. Did it need license? Something to wonder about on a cold Mn. day.

Mutt and Jeff · Feb 14, 2019

When the constable writes you up.
each cop and jurisdiction can consider themselves LAW
look to your particular state police and or Dept of Motor vehicles ask them?

47fivewindow · Feb 14, 2019

I believe Md. restricts triangle tags slow moving vehicles to 25 mph.

Bob Bancroft · Feb 14, 2019

Seems like I recall here in NY when backhoes had "SPEC-COMM" plates on them. Don't see that any more. Maybe the "special-commercial" plates don't exist any more?

Determined · Feb 14, 2019

(quoted from post at 08:21:44 02/14/19) When does a tractor become a road vehicle in need of license? And vice-versa? Some of todays tractors and especially some of those applicators can go down the road 40 mph. or more. And some of those off road trucks can easily pull a plow and even some street trucks but they need to be licensed. What about the UDLX back in the day. Did it need license? Something to wonder about on a cold Mn. day.

I knew a guy years ago that had a Unimog.

He drove it on the streets all the time without a plate on it.

He insisted it was a farm vehicle and therefore exempt.

Finally one day he got pulled over and the officer wrote him up for driving without registration, license plate etc.

He took it to court and won his case, according to him because it had a PTO on it and could power farm implements.
The judge agreed with his position.

From then on he carried a copy of the judgement with him and successfully used it several times when he was pulled over.

Now this was 20+ years ago in Canada no idea what the law says elsewhere.

Traditional Farmer · Feb 14, 2019

Doesn't matter in VA as we can run any farm use vehicle up to 75 miles from the farm with no state bought license or registration.Just need to ID something like a pickup
with Farm USE written on it,get the tags from TSC or Farm Bureau.On the other hand ANY vehicle not used in farm use just used for transportation even if it is a tractor is required to license and go by motor vehicle laws.Never seen it enforced on a tractor though.

Michael Soldan · Feb 14, 2019

Was that in Grand Bend Ontario ? I knew a guy from there that got charged for driving his Unimog down main street. Ricky Hendrick was his name.

fixerupper · Feb 14, 2019

Here in Iowa I remember seeing small license plates on the back of farm wagons when I was a little kid. Those licenses might not have been required even in my lifetime but were carryovers from the past. I have seen them on old wagons at farm sales. Same thing with backhoes and cranes. We never had license plates on our wagons. Now that I think about it, those little license plates might have been issued by the county and not the state. None of the plates I saw had our county number on them.

Mike M · Feb 14, 2019

Well so far in the USA tractors are exempt from license plates. Don't know how many more years until they start doing it as a source of tax revenue like overseas countries do now ?
I remember talking to a JCB salesman years ago he was telling me about how they were special in that SMV signs were for like 25 mph and under ? and there was not a law then in Ohio for these that could go faster like the JCB fastrac which I followed one going 50 mph once. I think soon after Ohio did address it in that you had to have flashing warning lights on the tractor and any pulled implements. I still don't think you have to have insurance on them ? If they were not so darn expensive I'd think about getting one to drive to work. Fuel mileage likely is not too good though ?

Determined · Feb 14, 2019

(quoted from post at 09:09:59 02/14/19) Was that in Grand Bend Ontario ? I knew a guy from there that got charged for driving his Unimog down main street. Ricky Hendrick was his name.

No this guy was from Calgary.

Traditional Farmer · Feb 14, 2019

I bought a couple tractors out of New Jersey from a nursery they had NJ Tractor license plates on them,the owner said they were required if the tractor was run on the public road.
Since licensing requirements are state mandated every state is different.

Bob Bancroft · Feb 14, 2019

That sounds correct. And I'm now remembering, I think the law was just changed in NY to up that speed limit.

flembo · Feb 14, 2019

Here in New Hampshire I could probably get away without it but, for the cost, I think it's only $15 why not.

coshoo · Feb 14, 2019

We had an old guy here who had several DUI's, and decided if he drove his Ferguson 30 around (without a driver's license, of course) he'd be OK. Problem was, he drove it to the tavern and got liquored up, and was stopped by cop on the way home. He said "I don't have to have a license to drive a tractor." Maybe so, said the cop, but you can't drive drunk with or without a license. So off to the pokey for another stint. I worked in the jail at the time (1973), and when he came in he was immediately made a "trustee"- slept in a cell with the door unlocked, had the run of the place. We'd send him off to the corner grocery for smokes or snacks, and always gave him a little extra for himself. I think he preferred jail to home (lived alone), especially in the winter. When he couldn't sleep and I was on night shift, he'd come out and we'd talk farming.

Rich'sToys · Feb 14, 2019

Not exactly the same thing, but I know of several cases where some guy for whatever reason did not have a valid drivers license, but would drive his tractor into town.

Adirondack case guy · Feb 14, 2019

Yea, along with town mower tractors, graders and self propelled rotary brooms, and rollers.
Loren

kcm.MN · Feb 14, 2019

Not exactly the same thing, but I know of several cases where some guy for whatever reason did not have a valid drivers license, but would drive his tractor into town.

At our last place, we used to see older men driving their riding mowers to the bars at night. Was a fairly common thing then (20 years ago).

Traditional Farmer · Feb 14, 2019

In Virginia if a person's driver's license is revoked for any reason they are then barred from driving any motorized machine on the public highway.Neighbor's hired hand had his license revoked for a DUI,neighbor went to court with him to ask the judge for an exemption so his help could cross the road that ran thru his farm.

jeffcat · Feb 14, 2019

Agree with you. Around the farm from field to farm via roads they just look the other way. I took the big tractor to dairy days and that is when we got a plate and insurance rider. Cheap enough. Check with other farmers or county agent. The DMV most likely doesn't know.

D beatty · Feb 14, 2019

We had a neighbor that lost his drivers license for drunk driving. He drove a Farmall H for years and wore it out and ended with a IH 350 that he drove till he couldn't get on and off it. He had a heathouser for it in the winter.

Roger Tomfohrde · Feb 14, 2019

20 Years ago a neighbor did that.. The patrol was not amused and took even his lawn mower away when caught going to town to drink.

todays extra pic. got me wondering

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