Tractor driving license

[Spotty Dog]

Can you drive a Telehandler on the road if you just have a tractor licence but no car licence ?

 

[Shutesy]

Can you drive a Telehandler on the road if you just have a tractor licence but no car licence ?

No you need to be 21 and have a full UK driving license.

 

[Spotty Dog]

Ok thanks.

 

[Shutesy]

Telehandlers are driven on a cat B license so the driver needs to have passed a car test, then it up to 3.5 tonnes for 17 year olds, up to 7.5 tonnes for 18 year olds and only over 7.5 tonnes if you are over 21. I think you’d have to have a cat B+E if you were towing a trailer over 750kgs with a handler, certainly you need a B+E for a combine ( cat B) and header trailer.
Reg 50 paragraph 1(a) and Reg 51 paragraph f of the motor vehicle ( driving licenses ) Regs 1999 exempt Ag motor vehicles from the need to have a cat C or C1 license.

The above is a quote from another thread a couple of years ago, the 21 year old limit is for machines over 7.5t, over 18 and its machines upto 7.5t which is probably most handlers.

 

[Spotty Dog]

My Manitou 741 is 8.25t with muck grab on the front. The 18 year old lad i'm employing better stick to just the tractors for now.

 

[Phil P]

The above is a quote from another thread a couple of years ago, the 21 year old limit is for machines over 7.5t, over 18 and its machines upto 7.5t which is probably most handlers.

You’d be surprised what a telehander weighs in at, my 3200 which isn’t that big compared to newer machines tips the scale at 7.25t with just pallet forks. Decent size grain bucket will tip it over the 7.5t mark.

 

[Shutesy]

You’d be surprised what a telehander weighs in at, my 3200 which isn’t that big compared to newer machines tips the scale at 7.25t with just pallet forks. Decent size grain bucket will tip it over the 7.5t mark.

Fair point and I doubt new machines are getting lighter!

 

[Exfarmer]

Depends if it is taxed as a tractor or an agricultural vehicle.
there is a very fine line and unless you are certain21 is the safe bet, however tractors can be driven at 16 after passing a test.
telehandlers taxed as agricultural tractors, most are, as otherwise they pay £165 tax, are legal to drive and weight of attahments is irrelevant

 

[Simon Chiles]

Depends if it is taxed as a tractor or an agricultural vehicle.
there is a very fine line and unless you are certain21 is the safe bet, however tractors can be driven at 16 after passing a test.
telehandlers taxed as agricultural tractors, most are, as otherwise they pay £165 tax, are legal to drive and weight of attahments is irrelevant

Most telehandler’s should be taxed as special vehicles under the Agricultural Motor Vehicle category because they don’t have 3 point linkage, pto etc that allows them to be in the Agricultural Tractor category. No AMV has to pay a road fund tax whether it’s a tractor, special vehicle or Agricultural Engine ( Combine, SP Sprayer, SPFH, or even an attic converted to clean grain or mill feed).

 

[Exfarmer]

Most telehandler’s should be taxed as special vehicles under the Agricultural Motor Vehicle category because they don’t have 3 point linkage, pto etc that allows them to be in the Agricultural Tractor category. No AMV has to pay a road fund tax whether it’s a tractor, special vehicle or Agricultural Engine ( Combine, SP Sprayer, SPFH, or even an attic converted to clean grain or mill feed).

Stand corrected again
but I just love the vision of all these attics converted to grain cleaning , running about, hopefully no grannies living up there