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| I was 5 just driving the tractor on the farm from one barn to another, at 6 I had a permanent job all summer driving the IH560 on our square baler pulling a wagon behind it. At 10 I was running a 2 row mounted picker on the 560 and even drove it 35 miles up the highway to another farm the family owned.
I started Charlie driving the pickup with a gooseneck in the field picking up round bales when he was 4. Put it in low range and just let him steer it as I sat bales on it with the Bobcat. At 6 he was driving the 4wd with an 800 bu Kinze wagon. At 10 he was cultivating with a 12 row on a 4wd, also ran his first excavator and drove the semi on the farm when he was 10. At age 13 he was driving the semi on the road to nurse the sprayer. Wasn't an ideal situation, but I was busy with my late wife between her operations and chemo.
I'd say it depends on the kids and how they were brought up. In my case Charlie was with me almost every day from the time he was out of diapers. When he was just 3 I started him downshifting the tractor while I was cultivating, lifting the cultivator, counting rows and steering it around the corner, I'd help get it back on the row and he'd sit it down and up shift again. Now he can count a bunch of rows off and be back in the correct one with the sprayer in half the time I can. | |
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How old were you when your dad started you driving?
