Harvest Virgin

Arran Jones

Member
Arable Farmer
Arran, firstly good luck and stay safe. I would much rather a lad in any profession come to me and say I am not confident, or I need more training than trying to pick up the pieces after.

Assuming you have your own transport, bike, car, moped? See if you can drive all of the likely routes first, I remember my driving instructor took me some weird and wonderful routes, at the time I had no idea why, but when it came to my test I remember coming round a bend and remembering there is a massive hill here, so I was in the right gear before I went up.

Could another member of staff let you sit on or visa versa on the first round?

as @Exfarmer says, a 15t trailer can push you around, just take it slow and steady.

What area are you in, there may be some local knowledge on here?

Bon Chance.
Thank you,
Area is Leckhampton Gloucester...am doing it for Hartley farms
 

Pilatus

Member
Location
cotswolds
To be fair, we don’t know anything about the chap other than he’s asking for advice, instead of assuming he knows it all. Good on him.

Might be a furloughed fighter pilot, driving instructor or fast response driver by trade.
I certainly wasn’t trying to offend the person who was very sensible to start the thread.It was his boss that I was boss that I was getting at.
 

glasshouse

Member
Location
lothians
Hi there,
I am starting grain carting for the 1st time next week..
My only question is..when i have a 15tonne trailer behind me and i need to slow right down for a corner or to a stop..should i change down gears first and use the brake to actually stop?
And also on a steep hill i should change down gears before so i dont have to dip the clutch on the slope?

MT
Arran
Are u serious?
 

Pilatus

Member
Location
cotswolds
Thank you,
Area is Leckhampton Gloucester...am doing it for Hartley farms
It’s a small world I know the area you will be hauling .The A435 through Colesbourne is a fast road but not very hilly. It’s the narrow country lanes are the problem !! Stay safe and think their is an idiot driving at high speed towards me around every narrow country lane bend.
 
It may be that this poster has experience of other machinery already or was asking for advice on more modern machines, i.e automatic powershifts or even vario type etc. It could be that his question, as posted, is being interpreted wrongly by us. I think the important thing to get across is that he should seek some initial training on the exact machinery he will be using, which, to be fair, I would ask for as well if the tractor was unfamiliar to me.
 

sherg

Member
Location
shropshire
On a john deere put your tipping pipe in the first spool so when you pull the lever/switch backwards it tips, the 2 pipes for the tailgate put them in so as when you push the lever forwards it opens. It sounds stupid but might save you a sh!t load if shoveling
Modern trailers have a device that stops you accidentally opening the back door but I always get them to work opposite
 

Exfarmer

Member
Location
Bury St Edmunds
We borrowed a trailer with a hydraulic tail gate a few years ago .it was in the gravel yard full of beans, dad was in the tractor and thought he would find out which lever tipped the trailer, he chose the wrong one .I handed him a shovel and found something else to do for half an hour
There was a farmer did exactly that on a weighbridge in a certain grain merchants yard in Snetterton one day in the middle of harvest. He was not very popular, they had to lift the bridge to clean it out while a very long queue built up
 

Tractorstant

Member
Location
Monaco.
Seriously asking about when to change gears and getting let loose with a 15 ton trailer?

Yes I think we all get that bit, but hat's off to the Lad for asking for help/advice.

All got to start somewhere, no?

Sadly I think gone are the days where we start on a Dexter with a 4 ton trailer on the back....mind you, looking back probably equally as dangerous at the age of 13 looking back.
 

glasshouse

Member
Location
lothians
Yes I think we all get that bit, but hat's off to the Lad for asking for help/advice.

All got to start somewhere, no?

Sadly I think gone are the days where we start on a Dexter with a 4 ton trailer on the back....mind you, looking back probably equally as dangerous at the age of 13 looking back.
A dexter was not dangerous to other drivers
 

Arran Jones

Member
Arable Farmer
Thanks for everyones replies...some trying to scare me lols..
What i would say...its not the 1st time ive driven tractors as ive helped my unlce out a bit before cutting grass fields but just haven't done grain carting before..so i know exactly how to basically drive a tractor with small weights..just some things change with higher weights
 

Pilatus

Member
Location
cotswolds
Thanks for everyones replies...some trying to scare me lols..
What i would say...its not the 1st time ive driven tractors as ive helped my unlce out a bit before cutting grass fields but just haven't done grain carting before..so i know exactly how to basically drive a tractor with small weights..just some things change with higher weights
With your attitude I am sure you will be fine.Take it steady to begin with, if the farmer has any sense he should accompany you on the tractor for the first couple of loads. The trouble starts when they ask you to go faster than you are confident with to keep up with the combine ( not keeping it waiting due to grain tank full).
 

Brisel

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Midlands
Thanks for everyones replies...some trying to scare me lols..
What i would say...its not the 1st time ive driven tractors as ive helped my unlce out a bit before cutting grass fields but just haven't done grain carting before..so i know exactly how to basically drive a tractor with small weights..just some things change with higher weights
Gears to go, brakes to slow. What transmission does the tractor have? Try not to over rev the engine as it is not designed to do so and I have had a student blow an Autopower gearbox from pulling the stick back to slow.

Don’t worry about some of the comments above. At least you have had the balls to ask for tips in here rather than try and make it up as you go along. It’s always best to ask if you are not sure. Good luck and stay safe 👍
 

Arran Jones

Member
Arable Farmer
As a message of thanks to everyone
Day yesterday went extremley well...no near accidents or anything
Was driving a 7280R john deere with a 16t grain trailer.
All went well until the combine had a blowout and couldnt be fixed until today but then it rained.
So back on with it tommorrow
20210812_135713.jpg
 

DTR5

New Member
Hi Guys, I have family farming connections and have spent many a day in the cab as a passenger of combines and grain carting but only now that I'm 16 am I doing my first harvest working for a farm and getting paid. Just wondering if people could share some tips/ advice on grain carting dos and donts so I'm a bit clued up. I know it comes with experience and I will likely do something wrong but just want some advice before I start. Also are there any things you would say I definitely should get for harvest ? Got dust masks and that kind of thing, any other essentials for the bag / in the cab?
Thanks in advance
Ed
1st thing in munch bag is bog roll. 😂
 

Pilatus

Member
Location
cotswolds
As a message of thanks to everyone
Day yesterday went extremley well...no near accidents or anything
Was driving a 7280R john deere with a 16t grain trailer.
All went well until the combine had a blowout and couldnt be fixed until today but then it rained.
So back on with it tommorrow
View attachment 979582
Was that the back tyre of the NH combine as I thought it was on tracks but may be, I am thinking of someone’s else’s NH combine in the same area.
 

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