Despite the topshot, I have never driven construction equipment – my apologies if you were hoping for a riveting tale of backhoe operating experience. I have, however, driven a few not-cars in my life, excluding two-wheeled motorcycles – which certainly count, but aren’t really in the spirit of the question, though I am for sure interested to hear what bikes you’ve driven.
… or trikes, which is why I made the rather odd clarification of “two-wheeled motorcycles” above. While a traditional motorcycle is likely the most common not-car for a person to have “driven,” three-wheeled motorcycles are much less common. Same for four-wheeled ATVs, but especially three-wheeled off-roaders, having been banned and all.
Pre-ban, I got a lot of seat time on the neighbor kid’s ATC 200 just like the one below. On my first ride, I instinctively stuck out my leg to lean into a turn, only to discover solid-axle ATVs do not lean. I also ran over my own leg. I quickly learned to keep my foot on the pegs, and if I wanted the thing to turn with any kind of speed, I had to hang myself way off the side of the saddle lest the contraption go up on two wheels. Fun once you got the hang of it, but I definitely preferred two-wheelers.
Another weird-ish Honda off-roader I’ve piloted is the original Odyssey (aka FL250), which kid-me thought was going to me some kind of Pismo Beach thrill fest, but when I finally got to ride one on a sketchy go-kart track’s timid off-road course, my whelm was under. Even after I defeated the throttle limiter (a spacer taped under the throttle lever? Come on man), the thing just bogged around with little power and lots of slip from the torque converter, and the rigid rear end threatened to launch me out of the seat. Blech.
Your turn:
What Have You Driven That Isn’t A Car?
Top graphic image: DepositPhotos.com
There is a photo of me, aged 8, plowing a small garden on an ’48 Allis Chalmers Model B. I’ve driven so many different tractors, fork-lifts, front end loaders, backhoes, it’s hard to even keep track.
I’m so thrilled to say that my son, at the tender age of 7 had watched myself and his grandfather operate an Allis Chalmers B that he was able to hop on, start it and let out the clutch with zero teaching from an adult.
I drove tractors a few times back in high school, which was definitely fun. I’ve also run our Ditch Witch for clearing trails, which reminds me I need to come up with an excuse to do that again. 😉
There was a company here in Virginia Beach that would do tours in amphibious vehicles around the oceanfront, then drive right into the water in First Landing State Park. They would let people jump in the driver’s seat and drive while it was in the water and you bet yer ass I immediately volunteered to drive that thing. There was very little I could do to screw things up since it was very slow and steering didn’t do much. But I still want one.
I drove an actual steam roller a couple of years back, I think it was from 1920ish
And all sorts of other things, Basically if somebody asks me if I want a go I just say yes every time.
Found a pic of the very one
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/nU3erez1-DY/hq720.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEhCK4FEIIDSFryq4qpAxMIARUAAAAAGAElAADIQj0AgKJD&rs=AOn4CLAxbcSi4RKOTp6dTMLiFNyyDK6XvQ
It’s at the Barrow Hill roundhouse, UK.
https://tanktownusa.com/
I made a trip while visiting The Dragon and Gatlinburg with the GF and her kiddo. I drove an APC (mostly a tank) around a mud and water course, and for another $100 or so I got operate an excavator. Both were worth it for a bucket list thing.
Forgot I got to drive a forklift a couple times in my life. Once was the one day the factory went on strike when I worked in the lab, the shop mgr was hopeless and the lab mgr had me boot him off and drive it. Best day in 5 years at that place.
Oh, and I won a door prize for an arrive-n-drive go kart experience at a racing convention. Kart, suit, basically a pit crew, it was awesome. They didn’t tell me it was during a real season event and I tried my best to stay out of their way. I spun it 180 once and saw 5 guys all right on my butt and I was trying like a madman to steer out of the way into the grass.
Excavator, forklift, fire engine, 44 passenger bus, Duce and a half, HUMMWV, quad cycle, and a catamaran (do you drive a sailboat?). I’m sure there are more but I’m blanking.
I (semi)daily a M35A2. Tons of fun (literally). Had the motorcycle but ditched it when I had kids. Ride around on my Ford 2110 tractor on my property and a Kubota L series at the sportsmans club. Go karts as kids but other that pretty boring!
Excluding non-motorized: spud trucks (think dump truck size, not semi), tractors (up to maybe 45 hp – nothing
huge, articulated or tracked), a skid steer that bucked like a bronco, various three and four wheel ATVs, snowmobiles, and a few small boats (under say 20 feet).
So other than maybe the loaded spud truck flying down the highway at more miles per hour over the speed limit than I had months on my driver’s license, nothing real impressive.
Experiencing a Wave Runner on ocean swells is highly recommended, though.
Edit: oh yeah, forgot about the golf carts.
I rented a mini-excavator to run a water main and it was AWESOME.
I used to pretty regularly drive the forklifts at work, we had Toyota and Nissan electrics, a Flexi narrow aisle (it was articulated in the middle like a loader), and I also used to drive the company GMC Topkick box truck, it was diesel with a six-speed manual. I also drove the bigger International 10-wheeler box truck, but just to move it on/off the dock and around the parking lot since I don’t have a CDL (air brakes).
I’m an Engineer. According to a lot of people, I drive Trains!
I used to drive lawnmowers, got sick of mowing my own lawn (the weedeating sucked). I used to drive golf carts, but got banned (look if they don’t want me to spin it down a hill, they should put brakes on the front too).
I still have my motorcycle still, so that’s obvious. I had a Honda ruckus moped for a bit before the motorcycles. drove some go-karts a few times.
but the most un-car like thing have been tractors, mostly to mow fields, we had one of those classic Farmall’s with the angled front wheels and the huge grass mower attachment. at least that’s what I called it, that’s what it did, lol.
I drove that when I was far too young, long before I got a license, things were different and kids did things parents wouldn’t let them now lol
Since I was only 5, I didn’t get to drive it, but I have ridden in a wheelie wagon.
It was 1976, and my Dad was in charge of the Bicentennial Parade in our city. The day before it happened, he took my sister and me to the staging area and put us in what appeared to just be an old Model T touring car.
There was this Shriner who drove it, and he immediately popped it up on the rear wheels and spun it in place!! It was amazing! It would bang and pop like the engine was going to explode, and it did all those crazy wheel stands. Loved it!
Just recently I drove what felt like a very fast electric go-kart on an indoor track.
It had insane lateral grip and would allegedly do 50mph – in a straight line, presumably, not on the tight track.
It was worlds ahead of the 5hp Briggs&Stratton-powered go-kart I had as a kid.
About 10 years ago, I tried those. It was interesting. The quick way to drive it was to 1 pedal drive them. Lift on entry to plant the nose, back on the gas to prevent a spin (in theory). I figured out how to get turn in with the lift, but couldn’t get the timing right on planting the back end and ran out of laps before I could get the things to not spin or understeer.
These were definitely a one-pedal affair (brake?? lol no) but had no under- or oversteer: there was only steer.
Even with Hugh Jass behind the wheel and Newton’s laws working against them, the tires just stuck. Think I need to go back for more laps 🙂
Mine understeered like a pig and getting it to rotate without over rotating was something I couldn’t figure out. The way the teenagers running the place told us was to lift before entry, turn in and accelerate after exit. Which although slow was quicker than me. If you didn’t lift, it wouldn’t turn in. If you fed gas before the exit, it would understeer right into the barrier. If I had gotten to where I lifted enough to rotate the back (without a snap spin) I could have wooded the throttle and be straight on exit like an old school 911. But like an old school 911, once the back end stepped out, you were in trouble.
I could tell they would have been insanely quick once you got that right.
Place didn’t last long, which was a shame.
Quads, Trikes, Dirt Bikes, Motorcycles, Tractors, Forklifts, Boats and Jet Skis, A plane or two.
Front-end loader (once), backhoe (one), GMC Topkick dump truck (once), aircraft tug (once), snowmobile (once), and a dirt bike (more than once).
Also taxied an airplane once
Well of course bikes, trikes, motorcycles, go karts, and cars. Throw in jetskis, boats, quads, and side by sides. Driven box trucks across the country a couple times. Ancient tractors.
Maybe least common things would be mini bajas in college, part moving tuggers at work, and a strange car moving device called a Stringo.
Bulldozer
Excavator
Front end loader
Forklift
I have operated these:
Motorcycle, 3 wheeler, Quad, Side by Side, Train, Single Engine Airplane, Bulldozer, Backhoe, Excavator, Forklift, Skid Steer, Ladder Truck, Fire Truck, Ambulance, Airport Fire Truck, Speed Boat, Skidoo, Sea doo, Farm Tractor, School Bus, etc.
I have been a passenger in the following:
Good Year Blimp, Hot Air Balloon, Steam Engine Powered Train, subway, airport taxi (Dulles), Trams, Monorails, cable car, helicopter, twin engine prop airplane, commercial airliner, the sub ride at Disney, etc.
Wow, just think of all the forms of transportation we have had… mind boggling.
How did you do a train?
I spent high school and summers in college trying to get hired to drive the train at the local theme park… no dice.
I ride motorcycles, I have a class B CDL with air and passenger endorsement, and I have worked another odd industry.
So, many motorcycles, including side cars (though that was a vespa so…. slightly different) and trash heap of mopeds and scooters.
Transit and coach busses. These are more fun than they look and they drive so much better full than empty. Stink more that way though… college night bus so the vomit was always a risk. Also once drove a “dump” truck for work because no one else could drive stick. I think it was an old international grain truck with a dump bed.
Various boats on vacation, mostly pontoon and ski boats.
Those gator 6 wheel things a few times and golf carts. My father in law has a side by side, but I have never driven one.
I train and drive forklifts in my current job, including the 4ws off road type on occasion. mostly an indoor 12k lbs yale lift. Also rent bobcats and other smaller diggers for work on occasion.
I spent every summer in high school driving a diesel John Deere around our town mowing the schools. Nothing says small Midwest town like a teen sun burnt on a 40 year old tractor doing 10 miles an hour through town.
I have yet to fly a plane, or sail.
My oddest not a car was a hearse for one summer. Mostly a car, but just slow gliding around town. Got the job because I knew how to brake without lurching to a stop.
Combining the two, I’ve driven a Wagner Scoopmobile. My father bought it as surplus from the Oregon Department of Transportation and it now belongs to my brother. Here’s a brief description of one, with photos:
https://www.vannattabros.com/road8.html
Motorcycles (including some tiny dirt bikes), lots of time on 4-wheelers, some time on a 3-wheel ATV (promptly followed by nope, this is terrifying, give me back my 4th wheel), a few tractors (both farm and lawn), combine harvester, side by sides, golf cars, go kart, jet ski, and some boats.
That list got a lot longer than I was thinking at first, it helps that I have family that farms (wheat on one side, cattle on the other) and I’ve visited and “helped”.
Lots of random stuff I guess.
Bicycles
Motorcycles
ATV
PWC
Snowmobile
Semi tractor (I reversed it 100 yards, it was still awesome)
single engine boat
twin engine boat (it’s easier than you think)
Cessna 172 (twice)
I’ve driven boats, jet skis, a Polaris Slingshot, and then in terms of construction equipment, a steam roller, a skid-steer, and a retired FedEx Truck that we carried equipment around in.
Forklift, skid-steer, lawn tractor, a few boats, Vespa, jet-ski…