On 2/11/12 8:04 AM, Robert Green wrote:

I've certainly seen adults I wouldn't trust with a burned out match that
couldn't pour **** out of a boot if the instructions were written on the
heel. However, that doesn't change the fact that there's really no
compelling reason for an 11 year old kid to operate a powerful combine. At
least I've yet to hear it.


Well, that kid is probably safer in the combine than running
the auger wagon and doing the unloading. The wagon runner could be
dumping into a pit or semi trailer. He could be running various augers,
checking the bin, scooping or whatever.
Some farmers' wives would run the combines while their husbands took
care of the other stuff.
Modern farm equipment is much safer than the older equipment. It has
rollover protection,
cabs, and a bunch of safety shields not found on the older stuff.
Some problems arise when Farmer Brown takes the shields off for whatever
reason, then doesn't replace them.
One problem is the physical size of the equipment nowadays. It's a
matter of being able to see to the sides or behind the equipment.
Harvest is like a lot of other things in farming. There is a lot
of work to do in a short amount of time. It's basically all hands on
deck.
Custom combine crews I've heard of usually do wheat harvest. They
start in Texas then work their way north. I don't know of any doing
corn or soybean harvest.

Humans are essentially "monkeys with car keys"