Tractor Driving

Should I buy this experience?

Who it's for

You don't have to be a farmer to drive a tractor! Anyone who's ever watched tractors trundling around a field mowing, ploughing, baling, planting or cultivating and said to themselves 'I fancy having a go at that', this is your crop gear moment. As these tractor driving experiences take place on farms or private land, there's no need for a licence. And don't worry if you've never driven a Massey Ferguson, John Deere or New Holland tractor before, no previous experience is necessary!

Who it's not for

It can be a bit bumpy and bouncy in a tractor and if your experience is on an actual working farm it might be a bit muddy, but other than that, we can't actually think of any reason to not want to drive a tractor. 

Tractor driving FAQs

• How old do you have to be to drive a tractor?
• Is it hard to drive a tractor?
• How long will I get to drive the tractor for?
• Are tractors all fully automatic?
• Have tractors got double clutches?
• Why do tractors have so many gears?
• Which tractor is best?
• How powerful are the tractors?
• Are these tractor driving experiences in modern or vintage tractors?
• Can you drive a tractor on the public roads?
• Will I be driving the tractor on the road for these experiences?
• Will I be able to have a go at ploughing a field?
• Do these drives take place on proper farms?
• Will I get muddy?
• Why do tractors have big rear wheels?
• Do I get to hook up a trailer to the tractor?
• Can I move hay bales around with a tractor?
• Where can I do a tractor driving experience near me?

How old do you have to be to drive a tractor?

You can officially drive a tractor (within a certain size limit) from 16 years old. You have to wait until you’re 18 to be able to drive anything big like a combine harvester though. For these tractor driver experiences the minimum ages vary according to the venue. As they all take place off road, there’s technically no lower age and kids as young as 8 years old can take part at our Essex venue.

Is it hard to drive a tractor?

Ah now that depends on what you need to do in your tractor! It takes a serious amount of skill to carry out the daily tasks a farmer does with a tractor. Driving the thing is very different to a normal car, but modern tractors are comfortable and relatively easy to drive with lots of driver aids.

How long will I get to drive the tractor for?

The actual driving time depends on each individual experience, but you can count on anything between 15-minutes and 60-minutes at the wheel of your tractor.

Are tractors all fully automatic?

Modern tractors usually have either powershift or CVT transmission. Powershift is basically pressing buttons to move up and down the gears. CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) is a clever system whereby you select the speed you need and the tractor does the rest - a bit like cruise control in your car.

Have tractors got double clutches?

Older generation manual transmission tractors do indeed have double clutches. That’s to say, to change gear you have to go into neutral each time. So it’s an ‘into neutral, clutch, into gear, clutch, into neutral, clutch, into gear’ type scenario!

Why do tractors have so many gears?

Tractors can have high and low ratio, which means a six gear tractor actually has 12 gears (six in low gear, plus six in high gear). This all means your tractor has huge amounts of torque at all speeds, enabling them to lift, shift, plough and do all sorts of useful things around the farm.

Which tractor is best?

The best-known tractor manufacturers include John Deere, Massey Ferguson, New Holland, Case International, Fendt, Deutz-Fahr, Caterpillar and Kubota. You are going to be driving one of these brands on your tractor driving experience.

How powerful are the tractors?

Tractors are the workhorses of the agricultural world and they are powerful with lots of torque even at low speeds. Many tractors are turbocharged and boast 4.5 or even 6.8l engines, with up to 400bhp.

Are these tractor driving experiences in modern or vintage tractors?

Both! We have the latest models from the likes of John Deere and vintage 1980s Case tractors for you to drive on these fun sessions too.

Can you drive a tractor on the public roads?

Yes! There are (as you might imagine) endless rules and regulations regarding vehicle identification, lights, signals and even the amount of mud you leave on the road and the number of cars behind you before you should move over to let them pass. But yes, tractors can be driven on public roads..but not motorways.

Will I be driving the tractor on the road for these experiences?

No. All experiences take place on private land, where you don’t need to have a licence to drive your tractor.

Will I be able to have a go at ploughing a field?

Yes! Take a close look at each listing, as the programme for each experience varies. You could be carrying out all sorts of tasks, from loading hay bales and shifting sacks of animal feed, to hooking up trailers and ploughing a field.

Do these drives take place on proper farms?

Yes they all take place on actual working farms or on farmland.

Will I get muddy?

If you're on a farm it might be muddy, so you need to dress for being outdoors in a possibly muddy environment. But once you're up high in your tractor cab you'll be all nice and cosy in there away from the elements!

Why do tractors have big rear wheels?

Good question! Tractors are actually rear-wheel drive, so all the power is going to those big wheels on the back. Their size helps with grip, traction and weight distribution. The two smaller wheels at the front are for steering, so the smaller size makes them more manoeuvrable. Now you know!

Do I get to hook up a trailer to the tractor?

On some of our tractor driving experiences you do indeed get the chance to hook up a trailer and tow it with your tractor. Let’s see how you get on with the reversing challenge!

Can I move hay bales around with a tractor?

This is one of the most important jobs for a tractor and yes, on some of our experiences you will be doing just that.

Where can I do a tractor driving experience near me?

We have several locations around the UK for you to drive a tractor. The experiences are proving really popular, so make sure you buy your voucher and book well in advance. Get trundling along in your tractor at:

• Essex
• Wiltshire
• Doncaster
• Dumfries

Always fancied driving a tractor on a farm? Book your tractor drive now!