JoshParkinson Posted September 6, 2011 Share Posted September 6, 2011 I've had a couple of people ask me whether i've taken a junior tractor driving course, i know a mate of mine down Hereford way has taken one, but i'm just wondering what they are all about really? I'm 14 and i thought they were a proper college course so that's why i haven't looked into them further, but i've heard they are just a couple of days and you can take them before you are 16? Do i contact my nearest ag college or is there a proper company that does them or what? And if anybody has taken one i'd be interested to hear whether it really is worth it? Cheers in advance. Josh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jordantaylor Posted September 6, 2011 Share Posted September 6, 2011 never even heard of them mate, when i started college we were put on 2 rebuilt massey ferguson 230 tractors, we wre watched by our tutor as we were made to reverse dolly trailers, box trailers, hook up to different kit ploughs, trailers ect... then we were moved up onto a john deere 6230 premium and new holland T6020- we then as the year went by were using all of the farm kit doing all the field work, most of the yard work ect... we do all the scrapping out, bedding up, ploughing, muck spreading, silage, maize carting, grain carting. loader work is done when we get our certificates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jordantaylor Posted September 6, 2011 Share Posted September 6, 2011 forgot to add when they could see we could drive tractors we did workshop work instead, learning how to maintain the kit, repair it ect... we have done all the work on the plough, tractors we service all the time, we serviced and repaired the muck spreaders. its all part of a good agriculture course, what other colleges are like i dont know but what i do know is students travel a hell of a distance to come and do the agriculture course at walford as its well rated. we have people from south wales come up just to do it, living on site. if im honest mate, do it if you think you need to, how do you feel behind the wheel, what have other people said about you behind the wheel it may also look good on a cv to future employers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshParkinson Posted September 6, 2011 Author Share Posted September 6, 2011 Ahh yeah, so it was a student run farm then basically? I've just been doing a bit more research and found this... http://www.lantra-awards.co.uk/catalogue/tracdriving.aspx I looked at something on another website which basically said it was entering and exiting the cab (that sounds pointless) checking the tractor is safe, moving in forwards and reverse, hitching up implements, and working a front loader. I feel perfectly confident behind the wheel and am quite happy hitching up both trailed and mounted implements, adjusting the implement when in the field, reversing into tight spaces with trailed implements, loading trailers with the loadall etc, but like you said it would look better on my cv to a future employer and while i'm younger it might make people take me a bit more seriously. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJB1 Posted September 7, 2011 Share Posted September 7, 2011 Ahh yeah, so it was a student run farm then basically? I've just been doing a bit more research and found this... http://www.lantra-awards.co.uk/catalogue/tracdriving.aspx I looked at something on another website which basically said it was entering and exiting the cab (that sounds pointless) checking the tractor is safe, moving in forwards and reverse, hitching up implements, and working a front loader. I feel perfectly confident behind the wheel and am quite happy hitching up both trailed and mounted implements, adjusting the implement when in the field, reversing into tight spaces with trailed implements, loading trailers with the loadall etc, but like you said it would look better on my cv to a future employer and while i'm younger it might make people take me a bit more seriously. it's those pointless bits that save lives, create the difference between a safe competent driver & a dead incompetent driver, the things we do everyday , that if done wrongly infront of an examiner could be be a fail grade on a certificate. silly things like moving a bale from a flat 8 formation to be able to bass on the next row with the baler , if an examiner saw you hop out from the rhs of the tractor you'd fail a competency course , because you'd be getting out in front of the baler pick up , you always leave the cab from the lhs of the cab & walk around . you climb up into a cab using the hand rails , & you should exit the same way , but i see & i do it too , people just walk out of the cab & hop down the steps , i've also seen someone break their ankle in this way too never disregard the silly pointless things ,it's usually it's the obvious mundane things that will catch you out i have a forklift refresher near the end of the month , it's the stupid obvious things i'll fail on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJB1 Posted September 7, 2011 Share Posted September 7, 2011 i think i must add i'm surprised so many young people dont 'get it'. it's not just all about hitching up & unhitching trailers & implements , reversing trailers ertc, the whole point of some of these courses are knowing the capability & safe limits of yourself & the machines you will encounter . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
masseyjack590 Posted September 7, 2011 Share Posted September 7, 2011 i did this course when i was 13 because a friends dad wanted him to do it and needed some more people it was useful because i'd only really just starting driving tractors they teach you stuff you your boss (my dad in my case) sort of passes over like the safety stuff you probably wouldn't learn that much but it would be useful to have Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jdeere6910 Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 I did it when I was 14, baisically they teach you safety and good driving techniques, it was very useful as I never realised how many bad habits I had picked up from watching other people Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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