Farm tractors

AdrianC

Iceweasel wrote: »

But the latest thing up here...

Aye, sounds like the kind of shenanigans you'd expect in a deprived war-torn developing economy like [STRIKE]Bosnia[/STRIKE]Aberdeen

Mark_Mark

Iceweasel wrote: »

Hmm - that's running legal - but if they reckon they can get a 2nd layer of potato boxes on - they will.

So a farm trailer meant to carry 8 boxes at 1.25 tonnes each get a second lot stacked on top - so 16 X 1.25 = 20 tonnes.

And let's have a 2nd trailer as well - so that's 40 tonnes of tatties - plus the weight of the tractor and trailers.

All rolling along at 50 mph and no requirement for any MOT at all.

But the latest thing up here is a HGV failure trailer, bought for peanuts, with a single-axle bogie under the 5th wheel coupling - towed by a T1 tractor.

Of course it's on red diesel as well.

Formidable is not the word.

That makes it unsafe then.

Iceweasel

Mark_Mark wrote: »

That makes it unsafe then.

I see lots of tractors on busy main roads with the fearful spiky bits pointing forward just as the OP described.

I have many friends who are farmers, and I don't want to be seen as farmer-bashing. Not at all.

It's just that are a growing number of 'rogue' farmers who seem to think that having bought a monster 4X4 tractor able to pull some mind-boggling tonnage, they are exempt from traffic rules that other mortals have to abide by.

It's like their speed limits depend on the horse-power rather than the law.

Every other day I see the Customs and Excise guys checking for the red diesel, but no-one seems to be bothering about the speeds they do or the loads they carry.

Lomast

If its a common occurrence its probably worth speaking to your local PCSO certainly around here they are pretty good at coming out and eyeballing a situation for themselves and getting things done about it.

We had an issue where i am with HGVs using our road as a cut through even though its limited to 7.5t except for access, she came out a couple of times and saw for herself then got traffic units to patrol the area and start talking to the drivers it has made a big difference

LudaMusser

My biggest issue with farmers driving tractors that are towing a trailor is the huge lack of any lights on the rear i.e indicators, brake lights and side lights. They also don't very often bother to have a rear numberplate

I've been driving behind a tractor and trailor more than once and as it has no light board on the back you don't realise it's slowing down and then going to turn into a field or driveway

They are probably in my top three pet hates of driving

goonarmy

Mark_Mark wrote: »

That makes it unsafe then.

Just everything else.

AdrianC

LudaMusser wrote: »

My biggest issue with farmers driving tractors that are towing a trailor is the huge lack of any lights on the rear i.e indicators, brake lights and side lights. They also don't very often bother to have a rear numberplate

There should be a law against it!

Oh, wait a sec. There is.