Fastrac compared to unimog

[twistedhicap]

You are correct, sorry I thought you were saying that mogs and fastracks could not exceed 20mph

 

No worries its kind of my pet subject having worked in an Ag college in the workshops etc also weight is another issue where its easy to excceed nowadays without realising it

 

Mogs and Fastracs are in a league of there own mind you lets not forget that the Trantor was the first true british High Speed Tractor lol !

 

Introduction | Trantor® Tractors

[renewablejohn]

I think you need to be careful with the regs for fastracs. This is the best analysis I have seen but I dont know if it is totally up to date.

 

http://www.hse.gov.uk/aboutus/meetings/iacs/aiac/transport/conference0308/paper2.pdf

[twistedhicap]

I think you need to be careful with the regs for fastracs. This is the best analysis I have seen but I dont know if it is totally up to date.

 

http://www.hse.gov.uk/aboutus/meetings/iacs/aiac/transport/conference0308/paper2.pdf

 

HA ha yes O licences White derv tachos and driving hours !

 

The government are not stupid they do catch up in the end !

[nick channer]

There aren't mant tractors on the road now that don't do 50k and prob 80-90% will be doing 40k. I've never heard of a problem doing more than 20mph.

We 've had some pretty serious collisions over yrs and no of local contractor who unfortunately had fatality in an accident... Not his fault.. All tractors exeeded 20mph with no mention by police or accident enquiry..

[skyhuck]

There aren't mant tractors on the road now that don't do 50k and prob 80-90% will be doing 40k. I've never heard of a problem doing more than 20mph.

We 've had some pretty serious collisions over yrs and no of local contractor who unfortunately had fatality in an accident... Not his fault.. All tractors exeeded 20mph with no mention by police or accident enquiry..

 

Most cars in the fast lane of the motorway are doing 80+, I pass police cars at 80 on the motorway, no action is taken but the legal limit is 70.

[nick channer]

Most cars in the fast lane of the motorway are doing 80+, I pass police cars at 80 on the motorway, no action is taken but the legal limit is 70.

Speed limit for cars is heavily enforced.... Would you say same for tractors...

All I'm saying is we bought our first 40 k tractor in 1992.. And I'd driven them for someone else for year previously..

In 22 yrs of drivin at 40-50k never had problem nor has anyone I no in same time so I wouldn't not base buying a 50k tractor on fact it's illegal...

As for what CTS was saying about fast rac being gutless towing 12 ton... Are you telling me a mog is any diff.... I no my 1600 is painfull with a 12 ton trailer full logs on back... You need min 280hp to tow 12 ton plus trailer around at 40 or 50 k...

[skyhuck]

Speed limit for cars is heavily enforced.... Would you say same for tractors...

All I'm saying is we bought our first 40 k tractor in 1992.. And I'd driven them for someone else for year previously..

.

 

The point I was making is the 70mph limit on the mway is not enforced at all, you need to be doing well over 80 before you'll get pulled, however you are still committing a motoring offence if you exceed 70, but you are very,very unlikely to get done.

 

Just because the police choose not to pull tractors doing over 20, does not mean its not an offence, the legislation clearly states that unless you have air brakes and full suspension (and I think you need directly connected steering, not hydraulic rams) you should not exceed 20mph and are committing an offence if you do.

[nick channer]

The point I was making is the 70mph limit on the mway is not enforced at all, you need to be doing well over 80 before you'll get pulled, however you are still committing a motoring offence if you exceed 70, but you are very,very unlikely to get done.

 

Just because the police choose not to pull tractors doing over 20, does not mean its not an offence, the legislation clearly states that unless you have air brakes and full suspension (and I think you need directly connected steering, not hydraulic rams) you should not exceed 20mph and are committing an offence if you do.

 

I don't dispute that. Every tractor we have has sticker from new in window saying do not exceed 20mph...

Just wouldn't not buy a 50k tractor and use it at that speed cos its illegal..

[JamesNI]

Thread derail! Did anyone ask for an arguement about tractor speed limits? No, it was fastrac vs unimog!

[LGP Eddie]

I think it's fairly obvious that if at tractor will do 50k, then people will make full use of that capability.

In my own instance, the places you will actually get up to speed loaded will not be a great percentage. The uphills soon put a stop to any of that, and the downhills command great respect even with a really good setup.

 

However empty trailer or just the tractor on it's own and it's just much better to be able to keep the pace up a little more.

 

My concerns would be more aimed at the straightforward lack of any enforcement for the massive Tractor combinations that are hurled around the lanes, usually by young inexperienced drivers.

If anyone took notice of the weight regs where would all these contractors be?

I've seen some classics that deserve to have the book thrown at them but they just keep getting away with it.

Plenty around here moving 20tonne excavators on tri axle low loaders with Tractors and one guy even towed a 20tonne Joskin dump trailer behind the low loader so he could use it when he got to site!!!

Hard to quantify but I'd guess at approx 45 tonne plus all up?

 

The days of a 100-120hp 30k tractor (considered massive back then) and a 10 tonne trailer being driven by some casuals at harvest time are long gone and the whole Tractor/Weight/Braking/Age/Licensing needs a complete review.

 

The fact that the LGV regulations have gone completely over the top is one contributory factor in all this?

Many would be simply much better of with a Truck that is much better suited to haulage tasks, but the complete minefield for someone starting out or even just trying to comply is beyond belief.

It's a serious issue that holds back many business from expanding, even the jump from 3.5 tonne to the 7.5 tonne truck so many people would be better off or even safer running is much harder than it ever needs to be.

 

Back to the Fastrac, there's also another point to factor and that's all Vosa and Customs seem pre programmed to stop a Fastrac whilst ignoring almost all other tractors?

 

Eddie.

 

Discuss the legalities of this then!