Poll: Would you guys try this?

An idea just crossed my mind—I'd be curious to see if there's actually any appetite for this kind of thing.
Somewhere out in the outskirts of Washington, D.C., you could find a massive tractor waiting for you... an opportunity to actually get behind the wheel, plow some soil, or take it "off-road" through those muddy, water-logged forest tracks. And to round it all out, we’d provide the rustic farmhouse experience—think local sausages, spicy salami, smoked bacon... the works.
All of this for a price point of, say, $50.

Does this sound like something worth pursuing? Would anyone actually step up and try it?
I'm looking forward to your thoughts and comments... thanks.

ruggedmoose39 said:I just had this random idea pop into my head and wanted to see if anyone would actually be into it.
Somewhere out near Washington, D.C., you’ve got these massive tractors, and people could come out to try driving them, plowing some fields, or doing some serious off-roading through muddy forest trails. And on top of all that, they'd get a full rustic spread. Homemade sausages, jerky, bacon...
All of this for, let's say, $50.

Does that sound interesting? Would anyone actually give it a shot?
Let me know what you think. Thanks.

And the food! 😍 Man, I’d be down. 😁 But would you be getting groups of people coming through, $50 and how much would it cost per person? It only really works if you have multiple tractors so people can race them. If people are just sitting around waiting their turn, I can think of much better ways to spend $50. You’d need to come up with a whole itinerary—maybe some live music or throwing frisbees or something.

Personally, if that tractor belonged to me, I’d be terrified that some amateur would wreck it on their first go because they don't care about anything. They could literally flip the thing and die. Or just smash the tractor to pieces.

Anyway, cool idea. 👍

I don't think America is ready for this. Not yet. You could probably slide it past people if we were talking about ATVs or something similar. But the concept itself isn't bad—who would turn down some off-roading through the mud and a massive homemade sandwich with some spicy salami, with no women in sight 🙂 :testosteron: 😁?

It honestly feels like the OP hasn't actually laid eyes on a tractor unless they've spent their life typing "massive farm equipment" into Google. 😉
But hey, when it comes to those sandwiches—I think we can all finally agree on something there. 😁

Actually, I’m about to go whip one up for myself right now. 🙂

That’s a solid idea. 🙏🙏🙏

First off, thanks to everyone for the replies—I’m genuinely glad to see so many positive takes on this.

The core concept is to give people from the city—folks who have never even sat in a tractor seat—a real chance to get their hands dirty... plowing, sowing wheat... maybe dealing with some water, mud, or a steep hill. Naturally, it would all depend on their skill level, and there would absolutely need to be someone supervising them at all times. Besides, you can't just rip a tractor apart easily! When I say a "big" tractor, I’m talking about something around 80 horsepower with four-wheel drive. The main thing is having a spacious cab that fits at least three people. We’d look at a price of roughly $150 per hour—maybe a small surcharge if you bring a larger group.

Keep in mind, this idea is still in its infancy; it would be run as a side hustle during afternoons and weekends. We’d first need to determine if there’s actually any real profitability here.

What on earth made you think I only know about tractors from watching videos online, analoglynx23?

I think your idea misses the mark for a couple of reasons: first, you’re relying on just one "big" tractor.
Second, if by "big" you mean a modern machine pushing more than 120 HP, we're talking about something that costs as much as several mid-sized SUVs. Only a complete fool would hand over a machine like that to some total outsider who’s likely to blow out the transmission, snap an axle, or just wreck the whole thing for a cool $50—not even counting the cost of repairs, maintenance, or a tank of diesel.

That said, if you're running a family farm and looking to pivot into agritourism, knowing how to operate a tractor should definitely be a prerequisite.

EDIT: Just caught your previous post.
If you consider an 80-horsepower tractor to be a "big" tractor, then you're clearly living in a different reality altogether. For anyone actually making a living off the land, a machine like that is just a helper, nothing more.😉
You'll see soon enough how easily a front axle snaps when some kid tries to haul a heavy log at speeds over 15 mph.
But look, if you've got the guts, the drive, and the patience to deal with the headaches, and you have a heavy-duty, reliable tractor ready to go... then go for it. I hope it works out for you.

The idea is killer, but man, was it actually smart to go public with something this good?!
Idea thieves are always lurking around here, just waiting to pounce.
I've got a tractor myself, and honestly, I could probably find plenty of stuff to stock up my smokehouse with too!
You feel me? Just kidding!
Seriously though, your idea is awesome.

Look, tractors aren't exactly foolproof machines. You actually need a person behind the wheel who knows what they're doing—knowing which pedal does what, how to handle the transmission, all that stuff. God forbid you hook up an implement where the controls are more complicated than just simple up/down hydraulics; some people would struggle even with that. If there's no cab, it's pretty risky. If there is one, it feels kind of sterile. A roll bar paired with some light wire mesh would be my go-to setup.

ruggedmoose39 said:And man, trying to unhook a tractor is a nightmare too. I’m talking about those heavy-duty beasts, maybe an 80hp model with dual traction. Honestly, the main thing is just having a massive cab—enough room for the driver plus two others.

Forget a tractor with a cab. Personally? I'd go with those little red ones without any enclosure at all. They used to call them the Tomo Vinković models. 😍

placidcanyon2 said:Tractors aren't just "set it and forget it" machines. You actually need a person behind the wheel who knows what they're doing—knowing which pedal does what, how to handle the transmission, all that stuff. God forbid you hook up an implement that requires more precision than just basic hydraulic up/down movement; some people would struggle with even that. If there’s no cab, it's a huge safety risk. If there is one, it's basically a sterile environment. A roll bar paired with some decent wire mesh would be fine for me.

I mean, it's not like you're planning on racing it...
Once harvest season rolls around, I'll give you guys a shout out to come help...
But we'll have to get those hay bales loaded first.
And we'll definitely need someone to man the tractor.
Sorry, it won't be perfectly "sterile"... but if it's a problem for you, we can just sprinkle some moonshine on it to sanitize it.🤣 🤣

Wire mesh??? WTF... what is this, a backyard DIY project in rural Ohio??🤷

ruggedmoose39 said:Hey analoglynx23, where on earth did you get the idea that my knowledge of tractors is limited to what I read online?

Look, hiddensailor14 hit on a good chunk of why this doesn't work, and I can certainly flesh out the rest of the story for you.
A tractor is a tool—a heavy-duty, working machine built to be tough because that’s exactly what it was designed for.

The real headache starts when people start abusing that heavy-duty build; they push them way past their limits, and eventually, you end up with tractors breaking down more often than something delicate like a sewing machine. And here's the kicker: a repair on a brand-new John Deere is going to cost you an absolute fortune, whereas fixing up those old clunkers from Rakovica might be half the price—but then again, they'll probably break down three times as often. If you factor in the reality of dealing with semi-pros or actual professionals who are using these things daily, you'll quickly see that your little plan isn't nearly as profitable as it looks on paper.

And don't even get me started on the potential accidents—God forbid. If you know anything about tractors, you know just how easy it is for one to roll over. If you don't, well, just take my word for it.

In theory, the concept is fine, but it needs to be part of a bigger picture. Like, if it were part of a full-scale family farm operation or some kind of rural agritourism setup—where you bring people in for a whole day, they help out from sunrise until the guest house is cleaned up at night, and you charge them for the experience—then we're talking. That could actually work.
But charging per $50 just for a sandwich and a quick tractor ride? It's way too expensive for the customer, and frankly, it's not worth the hassle of keeping everything running for you.

You just connect with Waterlily and people like them who need an extra set of hands to get a big job done.
It’s like a perfect little ecosystem—one person handles the driving, another gathers the hay, someone else clears the stalls, and then you’ve got folks picking apples or digging up potatoes depending on the season.
And then, the next weekend, you head over to help out 😬.

Love that idea!

hiddensailor14 said:Your idea is fundamentally flawed because:

For anyone who might actually be a customer here, an 80-horsepower machine is basically a massive tractor. People with zero connection to rural life—you know, the ones just hopping out of their SUVs—would see that as a huge piece of equipment... and frankly, I doubt they’d even dream of driving it like a maniac.
Who was it that brought up buying a used tractor from about 15 years ago? Something in the 70-80 HP range for maybe $7,000. And if you can't move that kind of machine, it's easy enough to flip.
I personally know plenty of farmers—serious operations, too—for whom a tractor like that is the largest piece of machinery on their entire farm.

The pricing I mentioned is just a rough estimate—realistically, we would need to conduct actual market research to nail down the numbers. This is just the skeletal framework of the concept... obviously, we would still need to develop the actual content to make the whole thing engaging and, more importantly, profitable.