At What Age Do You Teach The Young Ones

[mtntopper]

I was wondering at what age everyone thought they should start teaching the younger ones to operate their tractors and other equipment. My grandson now 12 lives on a ranch and has been helping his dad and mom now for several years. He is involved in driving tractors to feed livestock, hay, running skid steers, 4 wheelers checking and moving cattle and other ranch jobs using vehicles and equipment. I taught him how to operate a snow cat several years ago with someone aboard to supervise. He can now drive it in an emergency and is not scared to try new tasks on different types of equipment. Today for fun and basic experience I turned him loose on the Kubota backhoe. He had a job to do as the pictures show. He actually caught on very quick to running the backhoe and did very well. He laid to rest one of his old broken down bicycles that was in poor shape.

 

[jwstewar]

My kids are now 6 & 7. I have had them on the tractor with me since I bought it in 2003. Mind you, never while working but just for rides. The are between my legs. For the last couple of years I've let them do the stearing while I control the hydro. I would let the do the hydro, but they can't reach it w/o standing up and that is too hard to control. They are at least starting to get familiar with it. We do let them both drive the golf cart around the yard.

By the time I was 6 or 7 I was driving Dad's old Sears Suburban around the yard that had a 3 x 2 transmission. Didn't have the mower deck at that time, but eventually got one for it. He still has it, I'm trying to get him to let me work on it so I can put it back in service doing duty as cart puller and tight quarters mower. Not that in reality in can really go to many more places than the New Holland - but a little bit smaller.

 

[Doc]

Sure wish I had a back hoe to play with when I was younger .....heck I wish I had one to play with now that I'm older.

Each kid can be different, but I started my boy out around 9 on a lawn tractor. He listened and did as instructed. He drove a boat at 11 and a jet ski at 13. When it came time to get his drivers license it was a breeze. He was 18 when I got our 30hp kubota and he has done well on it, but I still prefer most of the seat time for myself.

He did have one little mishap when he was 9 er so & using the lawn tractor. He was mowing our river lot and making a turn. He misjudged (trying to come to close and cut down on weed eating) and ran into our camper.
His mom and I were inside at the time and feel a big ole BUMP. He learned from that and never did that again.

 

[PBinWA]

My four year old is really good driving her Barbie Jeep. She can actually steer my tractor pretty good too. The two (almost three) year old is a different story - with her care free attitude she may never see the seat of a lawnmower.

I'm putting them on my lawnmower as soon as I can. I need some help around this place!

 

[bczoom]

I've found it depends on how responsible (and not crazy) the kid is.

My 9 year old daughter is good and has been driving everything since she's been able to reach the pedals. She started on her own tractor that her grandfather gave her at about 4. She then got a a 50cc quad at 6, moved to an 80cc at 7 or 8 and now drives the 250cc and my RTV. She still doesn't drive the tractor.

My 5 year old son is too crazy and I don't see him driving anything (other than the Power Wheels) for awhile. He's the type that just wants to drive everything as fast as it'll go and on the wildest terrain he can find. I let him do the steering but I have control on the speed.

 

[Mith]

All depends on the child I guess.
There are some people who I wont let drive my stuff, and there are much younger people who I would let loose on it.

I have a friend who lets his 8 (I think) year old run his 45,000lb excavator and mini excavator.
My parents rented me a mini excavator for my 10th birthday.

If I had children I'd let them have a go as soon as they showed an interest. In low range gear, on flat ground there cant be much to go wrong?

 

[Big D]

My son just turned two and he loves to go for rides on the 1955 Ferguson I have now. I think that it is a good idea to have him on it at a young age and of coure at low speeds and not working impliments so he gets use to how they operate. When i think he is old enough to understand then I will teach him the dangers and show his how to properly operate it. I feel if you don't then he is going to get on it when your not around and may get into trouble like most little boys do. The younger they know about them the less likley they are to get in trouble with them. Just rember to be patient with your kids because most likley someone was patient with you.