Bill Edwards
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- 4,959
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- Scarborough, North Yorkshire
The speed limit for a normal tractor is 25mph, only recently raised from 20 I believe, that is with a train weight of 32t I think though. High speed tractors or whatever they're referred to as such as fast tracs and mb tracs can go quicker, 45 if I remember correctly
Edit - May have been thinking of unimogs not mb tracs that are allowed to travel at the higher speed
Unimogs are interesting things and I don't know about them as I have never directly met them used in serious farm haulage.
Yes the speed for a normal tractor is now 25, upped from 20. But 30-33 ish have been around for many years now and are common and people don't seem to get done for it (though I'm sure they would if they caused an accident where speed was considered a contributing factor).
It's the Fastrac's that are the serious pieces of kit that're mainly used for properly fast tractors, and do 44 mph (or 50 down a slight hill, the buzzer starts beeping at 48... ).
Whatever speed those tractors or whatever can do or are doing, can they stop, under control, on their own side of the road in the conditions, and forward visibility afforded by the class of road they are using.
Speed appropriate for the situation/circumstances is what counts. Which equals what speed you should be doing, not what you can do.
Yes, but not all of them.
They have air brakes with ABS both on the tractor and trailer and can probably stop as well as most cars in some circumstances. The cab view from a Fastrac is magnificent and of course you're seated very high - blooming stepladder to climb in really. And can they corner... oh yes.
But there's also many dodgy pieces of equipment around too, most drivers know the condition of the equipment and drive accordingly. I've driven a huge variety of things in various, err, condition, and it isn't actually dangerous provided you alter the driving style to suit. Like I say most drivers do, though as with anything there are always idiots out there too.