Driving Purchased Tractors Home

in-too-deep

Well-known Member
Do you folks have stories about driving tractors home as a new owner? Distance? Hours? 100+/- miles?

The tractors in my shopping range are right at or somewhat above my trailer, pickup, and comfort weight capacity, not to mention that V-10 is thirsty.

What kinda MPG could one expect from a 90-140hp 2wd diesel tractor in road gear?

Thank you for your thoughts.
 
In 1966 my brother and I (13 & 15) drove a 201O JD 130 miles pulling a silage chopper and a wagon filled with as much farm stuff as we could get to our new farm. We had a spare tire and jack and grease gun. took us most of a day. It was a gutless wonder.
 
Bring along snacks and refreshments.

It does not matter how good you can sing you will get sick of your own voice after 7-8 hours so bring a radio.

A set of ear plugs will help reduce how deaf you will feel when you finally get home if the tractor has a noisy exhaust.

SMV sign and a set of magnet mount battery powered lights if you won't be making it home before dark.

Whatever mpg you get won't really matter unless you are going half way across the country, a full tank on any tractor I have ever owned will last for a full long day of work, should be a bit better in road gear.

Ask the seller on the phone before you even go to look at if he thinks the tractor would have any problem making a 100 mile road trip.
Some will hmm and haw that maybe you should bring a trailer.

Others will be straight up and reply yes that won't be any problem. This also gives you a good idea if you should even waste your time to go and look at it.

Even if you planned it on the safe side and allowed for 4 gallons per hour a 60 gallon tank will be good for 15 hours.

Plan out your route, sometimes a few extra miles on gravel is less stressful than being on a busy highway.

Throw in a few basic tools, bring a cell phone and of course check all fluids, tires etc before leaving.
 
(quoted from post at 11:58:04 05/25/22) Do you folks have stories about driving tractors home as a new owner? Distance? Hours? 100+/- miles?

The tractors in my shopping range are right at or somewhat above my trailer, pickup, and comfort weight capacity, not to mention that V-10 is thirsty.

What kinda MPG could one expect from a 90-140hp 2wd diesel tractor in road gear?

Thank you for your thoughts.
ought my F-14 from a neighbor 3 miles away. My 4 year old son and I drove it home. Probably an hour and a half. He fell asleep standing up in front of me. A cherished memory all these many years later.
 
One of my neighbors drove a John Deer 4440 from Bloomington Il. up here to about 10 miles from the Wi. state line. He blew a front tire about twenty miles from home. Another old retired farmer I used to work with said he drove a JD 4020 from up by the Wisconsin Dells to Shannon Illinois.
 
Drove a 9500 JD combine about 60 miles one time (seemed like 100). It wasn't my deal. It was for the people I was working for. They had sent it to the dealership for repairs, and that's just how they went about getting it back home. Don't remember if fuel was high at the time or not.
They probably figured it was cheaper for them to send me home with it, rather than hire the dealership to haul it back home, which is how they got it up there. Who knows? I just remember driving it that far, just to get it home.

Local guy drove a swather home from out of state. I presume he figured the law would leave him alone (extra wide), if he drove it home rather than hauling it.
 
I went to town to buy a radiator cap. They were having an auction. Spring , 1993. Ended up buying a 36 JD A. Thought I could drive it 20 miles home like I had with the 806. Well , With a top speed of 6 mph , took a long time to get the A home. My wife was not happy. And I only had a light jacket. It was a cold ride home.
 
I drove a 410 massy combine 140 miles to deliver to an amish buyer. Really wasn't that bad. No header. All he wanted was the perkins diesel engine off of it as they don't use combines. Hence the reason for me driving it down there.
 
Spring of '86 I drove my jd 4430 60 miles home from a farm sale. It had bias tires and fluid so I stayed off the paved roads as much as possible to keep from wearing the tires down. It was an easy ride. Still have it.
 
I drove my first Farmall M home 20 miles. That was more than enough for me. I had to take state highways so I decided to do it early on a Sunday morning so there wouldnt be traffic. Well luckily there was no traffic but there was heavy fog that morning. I couldnt see past the end of the tractor! I had a 5 gallon bucket with parts and tools in it and a flashlight hanging on the back. It felt like it took longer that it really did. That old M handled it fine, hummed right along!
 
I had an uncle that bought a M Farmal and was driving it home. Don't know how far he had to go but he got hit from behind by a car. Apparently the car didn't move completely into the other lane when going around and hit his rear tire. Broke the wheel off and put him in the ditch.
 
It will probably only burn two or three gallons per hour at wide open throttle in road gear. At 18 MPH I would expect 6 to 9 MPG. The labor cost to drive it will be more than the fuel cost.
 
Here's a story about driving one home: I bought a non-running IH 240 Utility at an auction in early January on impulse (recommend never doing that on something you can't lift and carry). My trailer was a 120 mile round trip and buried in waist-deep snow.

We jump started it off my dad's truck, it started and ran. The alternator started charging and oil pressure was good. The auction was only 17 miles from the farm so we shrugged our shoulders and hit the road.

About halfway home the tractor started running badly, needed choke to stay running. It quit on me in the middle of a busy intersection on the bottom of a steep hill, but I got it going again.

Turns out later the fuel tank vent was plugged and it was under a vacuum. The gurgling sound from the tank should have been a dead giveaway but I was panicking at the time. Had I simply opened the fuel tank cap I would have prevented a couple of headaches.

It would run with full choke so we pressed on. We almost made it. Got to the bottom of the last hill before the downhill run to the farm when the radiator EXPLODED and blew hot coolant everywhere. Got towed the last 3/4 of a mile behind Dad's truck.
 
My Dad bought a John Deere 40T when I was a kid back in the early 60s, dont know why he didnt bother to borrow a trailer, Dad drove it from where he bought it all the way home, about 52 mlles, Mom followed him on a Volkswagen van, took about most of the day. I remember the VW was air cooled and Mom would have to pass him and cool the VW off and then come get back behind him with the flashers on and follow him some more then she would do it all over again, good times !
 
Drove a hand crank Farmall A home about 10 miles. Wife followed behind. Could have cut it in half but didnt want to drive down a busy state road.

Vito
 

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Bought this 4230 from a farmer down the road,drove it about 12 miles to my place.Rear tires were dry rotted one outside dual was flat.Made it home tho.



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Hauled this 4250 home,about 250 miles.Was actually kinda fun hauling it with my lbz duramax and big tex trailer.

Plus too many other tractors and implements to mention.
Paul
 
When I was about 14 my dad bought a JD4320. We took the 73 mustang to the auction so no trailer. My dad told me to get in the tractor and keep an eye on him as he would use his turn signals to guide me on the right route. Tractor was bought in Bryan OH and I drove it somewhere around 130 miles home. It burnt about 3/4 of a tank of fuel ~35 gal. I thought it was great fun at the time.

I still have that tractor and use it quite a bit.
 
In the 70s and 80s we would drive a 503 international combine 75 miles every summer to harvest my bosses crop in sw La.then 3 weeks later drive it back to harvest the other farms crop.my job was to follow with 2 grain carts behind the combine.16 mph and gas was so cheap then we never paid attention how much we used
 
One year dad rented some land about 30 miles from home. made that trip several times that year on a tractor. I have farmed lots of land in a 10 mile radius of home. Drove a few combines 30 miles from a consignment auction in our area. Have a neighbor that drove a 9500 Deere combine from central MN to southwest WI. Had to be 250 miles. Tom
 
Ive mentioned before on here and its kinda in your neighborhood. Back in 59 Pa and uncle Gene bought a JD A and 50 on auction in Enderlin ND. So the 50 was hooked behind the A which was followed by the 52 Ford PU and they took turns in the tractor seat roaring their purchases home to Albany MN.
 
Seems I remember seeing a PTO driven three point auxiliary axle contraption in Farm Show that pushed a tractor at higher speed for long distance transports. Made out of a RWD car axle. Trans in neutral, engage PTO, lower three point until tires push tractor, and advance throttle to desired speed. Or limits of one's sanity, if the front end is loose. Couldn't find a picture on the web, maybe someone else can.
 
I bought my first terramite that was 300 miles away and 300 miles back home. I bought a trailer before buying the terramite.

I'll never sell my implement trailer or my truck as long as I have tractors...
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On April 30,May 1st,2004 I drove this MM G-1000 Vista Wheatland 280 miles home from Minneapolis,Kansas..It took about 14 hours driving time....The only problem was some plugged fuel filters and I had spares..This picture was taken on Teter Hill east of Cassoday,KS..We mostly took the back roads home and it was a blast.

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On April 14,15,2006 I drove this 6030 John Deere 230 miles home from Lindsborg,Kansas....It took about 20 hours driving time..The only problem was a blown front tire which I was expecting..I had 2 spares...The picture was taken in the exact same place as the MM one..The 2nd trip was as much fun as the first one...

The tractors averaged abut 20 mph and got from 4.5 to 5 mpg each...The tire wear was almost nothing and it was much cheaper to drive then than haul them.I had a story about each trip on here.
 
I didnt proof read good...It took nearly 12 hours to drive the 6030 JD home...Its a heavy tractor and weighed 9-10 tons..
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Here we are taking a break on Teter Hill..
 
A few years back dad and purchase a 1945 JD B which was shipped on steel but had cut offs and rubber tires on the front. I drove it home about 20 miles using the back roads. I think top speed was about 4 MPH, it took most of Saturday but I got a good look at the countryside. I wish I still had it flat back, hand start, on cutoffs.
 
Drove my 4630 a pretty good ways down US 40 in western IN when I brought it home. You can really take in the sights when you are on a tractor.
 
About 15 years ago, I purchased an Oliver 66 on a farm sale. It wasn't in running condition and I considered it to be something to get running when I retire.
Fast forward to about two years ago and out of the blue I get a call from a complete stranger. Him: Did you buy an Oliver 66 on what's-his-face's farm sale a dozen years ago? Me: Yes. Who are you? He goes on to explain that the 66 tractor that I bought was his dad's tractor and that his dad bought that tractor on a farm sale many years ago. The next day, the dad took (the present phone caller) to where this tractor was sold and dropped him off to drive it home. It was early in the morning, about 8:00-ish AM and the dad gave him a little gas money and told him to drive it home, even if it takes all day. This 10-year old kid (now the caller on the phone), said he drove it all day long in the heat, then an afternoon rain storm, and then finally got it home to dad about when it was getting dark. The dad never checked on him during the whole day. The kid driver is now about 60, so that had to have been about 50 years ago. He knew that his dad's tractor had been sold on a certain farm sale, contacted the guy who put on this farm sale (15 years ago) and just by chance, the guy remembered who purchased the old Oliver 66. So then the guy calls me and wants me to sell him HIS DAD'S TRACTOR. I haven't heard from him again. Probably the next time he'll call is when the overhaul is complete and he then wants it back and claims again that it's his.
Anyway, the caller told me where he started off in the morning and where he got home at night. That was a long drive for an old gasoline-powered tractor. I also think it was borderline child abuse, but it wasn't for me to decide.
 
>The tractors averaged abut 20 mph and got from 4.5 to 5 mpg each...<

I think that MPG is better than an old Dodge Ramcharger that I used to own.....
 
I drove my 38 Deere A 15 miles from the old house to my new house. Started in the morning with a tank of gas and a sunny day. Took 3 hours. Great trip to be honest. Parked in the new drive and went in to have some lunch. Went out to move the tractor around the shed for the night...and as I came around that 20 extra feet it ran out of gas. Lucky I guess.
 
Years ago I drove my Farmall B 14 miles each way to get to Okabena MN for the 4th of July parade. It was always on back roads and I took my .22 revolver and tried to hit the striped gophers on the go. Don't think I ever hit one, but scared quite a few!
 
I drove my 4010 from Grainfield KS to Sharon Springs KS , about 85 miles one afternoon when our local dealer wouldn't haul it home after I offered him $100 cash , they drove right by it empty ,this was in 1989.
 
I bought a WD 45 miles from home. I drove it home pulling a wagon load of stuff another guy had bought and couldn't pull the wagon with his car. I was in the sixth grade.
 
Dove my 806 from Eureka MI to Owosso MI about 25-30 miles and made a few trips back and forth with other tractors. My brother bought a 7720 combine near Alma MI drove it to Ovid MI about 50 miles then a few years later drove it to St.Louis MI for some service work and drove it back home again. Drove a 9610 from Bancroft Mi to Ovid MI about 15-20 miles.
 
I sold an IH 5088 and NH 1431 discbine and buyer drove the pair 14 hours New Years day with a backup truck following,5 hours after dark.
 
I haven't driven one home that I bought, but I have been on a few tractor rides where we do 80 miles a day with a morning and afternoon break and stop for lunch. My 1550 used 10 gallon one day and 11 the nest. A couple of years ago, I had planned to go on the WMT Tractorcade and the parts didn't come in for my tractor hauler in time to haul it to Montecello, Ia for the ride. It was right at 80 miles, so I took off in the morning and drove the 1850 from across the river from Muscatine, Ia to Montecello the day before and had my wife come and pick me up. I had a 4 day ride instead of a 3 day ride. I put new tires on the 1550 last spring and kept track of the miles from the tractor rides. I put just under 1000 miles on it last year, the tires show very little wear. Hope I can afford the gas to do it again this year!! If you figure time to load and unload and drive there, anything less than 50 miles, you might as well drive it instead of haul it.
Several years ago, I had a 2 row pull type picker that I would take to the show in Geneseo, Ill. I would pull it there with the 1850. I didn't want to pull it thru the Quad Cities, so I took the long route on backroads to avoid traffic. It was a little over 80 miles and I could make it in 4 1/2 hours. The trip up was good, but it usually turned colder and wet after the show was done and it would get miserable driving it home. I finally sold the picker and bought a trailer.
 
When I was a senior in high school my dad bought a WD9 about 75 miles from home, it was my job to drive it home , It was fun (better then school) I don't remember how long it took but it was dark when I got home, we checked the lights before I took off from the farm, a family friend lived close to the road and she called my mom when I drove by to let my parents know I was close to home . A friend told of someone he knew that bought a super 92 Massey combine by Devils lake ND and drove it home to Fergas Falls MN ,It took days he would pull of the road at night and sleep under the combine get up the next day and go again . Bryan
 
Massey 2805 237 miles middle of winter in a blizzard just about the only one the road when i started weather was fine made 50 bucks pulling a milk truck up a hill i did not want it but he put it in the cab from Iowa to central WI.
 
WMT and WHO Tractor drives normally average about 75 miles per day. Most tractors are in the 50 -80 hp range. Some greater than 100. Few fuel up at lunch. Most tractors will run 10 hours at 2/3 throttle in road gear. 100 hp tractor with a 25 gallon tank will get you home
 
I drove several big tractors that we had purchased from our former local dealer home. It took about 2 hrs on average for each one on a major highway until reaching the exit for our home. They were not bad with a backup vehicle following to keep from getting ran over as they would stay contained in one lane. The combine with the corn head attached was a different story. We had to have it now on account of an incoming hurricane to try to pick as much corn as possible. All of the dealer loaner head carts were tied up. Traffic was horrible being it was on the beach evacuation route. Sure enough as predicted, parts of the dealership lot flooded which made me glad we went ahead and brought it home.
 
I drove a JD 2010 from Cisco TX down past Ranger TX about 30 miles. It had a weird trans, and wouldn't pull in high gear(6th?), but in 5th it would move. Took over 2 hours. Not much compared to others, but seemed like forever to me at the time.

It was a propane tractor and used maybe 3-4 gallons of propane. I sold it on the same lot, and drove it back there for the sale, took the same amount of time and propane to get it back.
 
I drove a JD 2010 from Cisco TX down past Ranger TX about 30 miles. It had a weird trans, and wouldn't pull in high gear(6th?), but in 5th it would move. Took over 2 hours. Not much compared to others, but seemed like forever to me at the time.

It was a propane tractor and used maybe 3-4 gallons of propane. I sold it on the same lot, and drove it back there for the sale, took the same amount of time and propane to get it back.
 
Had a neighbor who would buy equipment in Indiana and Illinois and drive it home to Pennsylvania.
Til he fell asleep coming up on some cars at a stop sign.
 

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