Tractors in Canada and America.

[76masseyman]

A lot of interesting videos about of farmers working across the pond. One thing I’ve noticed though is that I never seem to see any farm tractors or combines with number plates on.
I have a few old USA number plates hung in the shed, which are obviously from cars, and I appreciate that many agricultural vehicles over there may not even venture on the public highway.
So........are their vehicles exempt, or does the system work in a particular way ?

 

[Lowland1]

A lot of interesting videos about of farmers working across the pond. One thing I’ve noticed though is that I never seem to see any farm tractors or combines with number plates on.
I have a few old USA number plates hung in the shed, which are obviously from cars, and I appreciate that many agricultural vehicles over there may not even venture on the public highway.
So........are their vehicles exempt, or does the system work in a particular way ?

I worked on farms throughout the states. I don't ever recall a number plate on any tractor i drove.

 

[Acke]

In Sweden we have no numberplats on combines!

 

[Macsky]

Not when I was in Canada. Had some extra reflective triangles and I think you might have had to have your hazards on if you were on the road? That could be nonsense tho, definitely no number plates tho.

 

[Deerefarmer]

Ag equipment is exempted no registration or plates required. However it is required to display an SMV emblem (slow moving vehicle) on farm equipment or anything that moves slower than normal traffic. Tractors and other self propelled farm machines can be driven on most any road except the interstate highways. That is strictly against the law(unless it's 1 or 2 am and no one is looking )
Each state's laws vary a bit but that is pretty much it

 

[Dead Rabbits]

Also no driver’s license, insurance, width restrictions or minimum age to drive one.

 

[Deerefarmer]

Although most farmers I know with capable children will not allow them to drive on the road before they are 15 or 16

 

[76masseyman]

Ag equipment is exempted no registration or plates required. However it is required to display an SMV emblem (slow moving vehicle) on farm equipment or anything that moves slower than normal traffic. Tractors and other self propelled farm machines can be driven on most any road except the interstate highways. That is strictly against the law(unless it's 1 or 2 am and no one is looking )
Each state's laws vary a bit but that is pretty much it

Thank you for that. Does amaze me to see how wide the things are that get moved on the public roads. A good friend who drove combines there said they often moved with the the headers on.

 

[76masseyman]

Also no driver’s license, insurance, width restrictions or minimum age to drive one.

Sadly, there may be a few like that around here, that know they shouldn’t be.

 

[Macsky]

Thank you for that. Does amaze me to see how wide the things are that get moved on the public roads. A good friend who drove combines there said they often moved with the the headers on.

I drove an artic JD with duals a good distance from farm to field, long straight roads, you could see the cars taking to the ditches for miles ahead ?

 

[Deerefarmer]

Reading on here listening to you guys who have came and visited/ spent time in USA is a bit like listening in on the 6 blind men discussing the elephant no offense meant....
Some of you see/have seen the the vast areas of the midwest/ western parts of the country, the dimensions which are impressive even for me,an eastern born kid... there are heavily populated areas in the east that would have a lot of you guy feeling right at home... tractors on the road.... narrow winding roads you get the picture

 

[deleted user 837354]

Thank you for that. Does amaze me to see how wide the things are that get moved on the public roads. A good friend who drove combines there said they often moved with the the headers on.

Some of the roads are literally endless and see very little traffic.

Others would be very very similar to the UK.

 

[averageguy54]

Here in my province, farm tractors don't require a plate. Combines are treated as tractors. Children 13 or older can get a specific licence to drive a tractor on the road with no restrictions. Farm trucks do need a plate but are eligible for a farm plate which is a fraction of the price of a regular plate, and are restricted to within 25 miles of the farm. Trailers and wagons are not required to have either brakes or plates or working lights, as of yet. Most manufacturers are starting to install implement lights on towed equipment and farmers are using them, some are even starting to do it on their own initiative.

 

[Deerefarmer]

Very similar here as well you can get farm plates for pickups and trucks so as long as it's used for your farm. Still requires a registration and safety inspection. Or say you have an old pickup that you simply use as a get about on the farm and only occasionally take the road there is a free plate required says Farm Use on it,doesn't require safety inspection you can drive anywhere inside the state as long as it's for strictly farm purposes (no personal trips) and no crossing state lines
About every farmer has one or two of these, usually a ragged out Ranger or something like that

 

[TripleSix]

It's the using an Artic wagon on Agri plates with no special license that makes me jealous!

 

[oakleaf]

Thank you for that. Does amaze me to see how wide the things are that get moved on the public roads. A good friend who drove combines there said they often moved with the the headers on.

Back in the 80's l fulfilled an ambition to follow an American wheat harvest from south to north.
We often went 40 miles with 25 foot headers on. There is a lot of space out in the midwest. Other traffic always pulled over.
Once we were trundling along with 3 combines headers on and a few miles up ahead l could see a similar convoy heading towards us and wondered what would happen. As l was the middle machine it was not going to be my decision so l sat back and awaited. We kept going and so did they. Maybe they were turning off at the next intersection l thought but no each convoy continued on their collision course.
Not untill the two front combines were 50 yards apart did each pull over to its right and we passed with a smile and a wave. A minute amount of uncut wheat got trampled and nobody lost any time.
When l next got the chance l asked the boss would the farmer not be upset at us driving down his wheat crop he simply replied
"Out here you can loose all your crop in a hailstorm in less than an hour , nobody is bothered about loosing a couple of bushels to facilitate the custom cutter"

 

[Roger Perry]

No plates on tractors in Colorado.
Farm plates on pickups / trucks pay a lower annual road tax than non farm. If you purchase a new replacement vehicle you just transfer the plates to the new vehicle, think in this state you are given 2-3 months to re-register. Its' all pretty user friendly. No annual testing out in the country although if you live in Denver you have to do the annual drive thru emissions test.

 

[adam_farming]

Reading on here listening to you guys who have came and visited/ spent time in USA is a bit like listening in on the 6 blind men discussing the elephant no offense meant....
Some of you see/have seen the the vast areas of the midwest/ western parts of the country, the dimensions which are impressive even for me,an eastern born kid... there are heavily populated areas in the east that would have a lot of you guy feeling right at home... tractors on the road.... narrow winding roads you get the picture

I "see" myself as one of these blind men now

I'd love to see more of the USA and its farming, having come back from the harvest run thinking all of the US was like Kansas, Texas and Montana I've since seen how much diversity there is. I follow some farmers on social media from the northeastern US area and some of the photos could easily be from northern Europe.

 

[deleted user 837354]

I love Ford F series pick ups. They are fudging ace. If I lived there I would drive no other vehicle.

 

[adam_farming]

I love Ford F series pick ups. They are fudging ace. If I lived there I would drive no other vehicle.

We had the whole set if I remember rightly apart from a 450.
F150 (older type) for chasing cattle back at base,
F250 6.7l (?) gas/petrol which averaged 11mpg on a 1600 mile round trip to North Dakota to fetch a header we left behind
F250 diesel for the boss
F350 diesel for the other boss
2x F550 service trucks.

Sometimes see F150's near here from the USAF bases and they are HUGE next to UK pickups, but over there they look small!