A Beginner’s Guide to Driving a Tractor

If you’ve recently purchased your first tractor, you may find some of the controls a bit confusing, or struggle to get your machine up and running. If this is the case for you, there’s no need to worry! Learning to drive a tractor isn’t as easy as it sounds, and many first-time buyers tend to struggle. To help you understand the basics of starting, stopping, and driving a tractor, we’ve written up the helpful guide below.

Starting Your Tractor 

To start your tractor, you’ll first need to place your gear shift into neutral and activate your parking brake, before pressing your clutch pedal to the floor and turning the ignition. Once your tractor begins to turn over, you’ll want to use your other foot to also press your brake pedal to the ground until your engine finally starts up. Now that your engine is running, you’ll want to let it idle for a few minutes before shifting into first gear and releasing your parking brake. When you're ready to move forward, simply remove one foot from the brake pedal, and slowly lift the other off the clutch. 

Stopping Your Tractor

The faster you lift your foot off the clutch, the faster your machinery will rocket forward. Until you have a better understanding of your tractor’s controls, we advise taking things very slowly in order to avoid an accident. Once you’re finally ready to speed things up, all you have to do is carefully remove some of the pressure you’ve applied to your clutch pedal. When you’re ready to come to a stop, simply press both the clutch and brake pedal to the floorboards and place your gear shaft back in neutral. To park, simply re-engage the parking brake and remove your key before climbing out of the cab. 

If you still haven’t found the right tractor for you and your farm, we encourage you to visit us here at Flieg's Equipment to browse our expansive inventory of models! We have two convenient locations nearby in Ste. Genevieve and Leadington, Missouri, and also offer helpful financing services and manufacturer promotions. If you’re located nearby in Farmington or Park Hills, Missouri, we hope to see you soon here at Flieg’s Equipment.