For those who are not familiar with farm tractors, choosing a suitable one for a small farm can be an intimidating task.
The best approach to begin with choosing a small farm tractor is to be clear why you need it. If you want to mow an acre or two, or need to cart small bales of hay, a mower or a quad bike with a tow bar would suffice.
On the contrary, if you want to cultivate soil, feed out large round bales or spread some fertilizer, you need what is called a real tractor. When talking about a real tractor, it is full unit construction where the transmission, engine and rear drive train are housed in rugged castings. It also comprises of a three point linkage, Power Take Off (PTO) as well as external hydraulics capability.
Why is tractor size important?
The choice of tractor size depends on the job that you want to do with it. For many people out there, it often becomes an exercise to determine how much time they want to spend on a job, and deciding upon an appropriate implement and tractor to do it. Matching the size of the implement to the tractor is important to ensure that the tractor and the implement work at the optimum speed. Don't make the mistake of purchasing an over-sized implement for your tractor only because it will get the job done quicker. Doing so, you might be forced to operate in low range.
Compare horsepower ratings
Horsepower ratings for compact tractors, as stated by tractor manufacturer India, are usually gross horsepower values for engine operating at a stated speed, for instance 30 KW at 2800 rpm. Often, the figures stated for the tractors are the horsepower as evaluated at the PTO, and they are approximately 75% of the gross values. If you come across two tractors with similar horsepower but different stated engine speeds, the one delivering power at lower speed will be more useful as it will have more torque.
Transmission type
Be it traditional manual gearbox, fully automated hydrostatic type or clutch-actuated type, transmission types vary. Considering the fact that modern machinery is more dependable than ever, there is not much to differentiate the options other than convenience and price. If your job involves a lot of forwarding and reversing, it is viable to opt for automatic transmission type.
External hydraulics
Make sure that your tractor has a hydraulic outlet to power a hydraulic cylinder. A large number of implements use this feature. If you want to fit an external hydraulic motor or a front-end loader, inspect the hydraulic capabilities of the tractor, including the speed of action, lifting capacity, as well as its ability to perform multiple hydraulic functions simultaneously. A tractor dealer India can guide you on this.
While the initial investment in farm tractor can be high, it can easily last 30 years or more, if maintained properly. Unlike other farm machinery like quad bikes that usually last only 5 to 10 years, a tractor is one of the most economical investments you can make in farming.
The best approach to begin with choosing a small farm tractor is to be clear why you need it. If you want to mow an acre or two, or need to cart small bales of hay, a mower or a quad bike with a tow bar would suffice.
On the contrary, if you want to cultivate soil, feed out large round bales or spread some fertilizer, you need what is called a real tractor. When talking about a real tractor, it is full unit construction where the transmission, engine and rear drive train are housed in rugged castings. It also comprises of a three point linkage, Power Take Off (PTO) as well as external hydraulics capability.
Why is tractor size important?
The choice of tractor size depends on the job that you want to do with it. For many people out there, it often becomes an exercise to determine how much time they want to spend on a job, and deciding upon an appropriate implement and tractor to do it. Matching the size of the implement to the tractor is important to ensure that the tractor and the implement work at the optimum speed. Don't make the mistake of purchasing an over-sized implement for your tractor only because it will get the job done quicker. Doing so, you might be forced to operate in low range.
Compare horsepower ratings
Horsepower ratings for compact tractors, as stated by tractor manufacturer India, are usually gross horsepower values for engine operating at a stated speed, for instance 30 KW at 2800 rpm. Often, the figures stated for the tractors are the horsepower as evaluated at the PTO, and they are approximately 75% of the gross values. If you come across two tractors with similar horsepower but different stated engine speeds, the one delivering power at lower speed will be more useful as it will have more torque.
Transmission type
Be it traditional manual gearbox, fully automated hydrostatic type or clutch-actuated type, transmission types vary. Considering the fact that modern machinery is more dependable than ever, there is not much to differentiate the options other than convenience and price. If your job involves a lot of forwarding and reversing, it is viable to opt for automatic transmission type.
External hydraulics
Make sure that your tractor has a hydraulic outlet to power a hydraulic cylinder. A large number of implements use this feature. If you want to fit an external hydraulic motor or a front-end loader, inspect the hydraulic capabilities of the tractor, including the speed of action, lifting capacity, as well as its ability to perform multiple hydraulic functions simultaneously. A tractor dealer India can guide you on this.
While the initial investment in farm tractor can be high, it can easily last 30 years or more, if maintained properly. Unlike other farm machinery like quad bikes that usually last only 5 to 10 years, a tractor is one of the most economical investments you can make in farming.
