How to choose a tractor

Choosing a tractor can depend on many things; how much area you have, what you want to use the tractor for, how much you want to pay, and would you need a tractor that can have lots of implements fitted for various jobs. Ideally, to answer some of these questions, search the internet to view various models or find the nearest tractor dealer in your area, and you could even buy some farming magazines to find out about various models of tractors as to what each one can and cannot do.

The first step would be to know exactly what area you require the tractor to cover, so have a good look at your property and maybe even write a few notes down. As machinery of any description can be costly, the first purchase has to be the right one. When it comes to tractors, bigger is not always the best, especially if you have some tight maneuvering to do, a smaller machine can save you time rather than a larger model.

Perhaps as an example, you have seven or eight acres of land and the vast majority of it is flat, with maybe a pond. The one acre around the house you would like to keep a well maintained lawn. There may be a couple of acres that you would like to keep in field or pasture, but prefer to keep it cut down and tidy. The driveway is gravel, with the remaining land woodland with small undergrowth and saplings. If you plan something like this on paper it will give you a good idea as to what tractor and equipment will work best for you.

The lawn area around the house has to be kept well mowed, mowing options have to be considered if it is all open then a 5’ to 6’ wide cut would be sufficient. If there are areas with shrubs and flower borders, a lot of maneuvering will be done so a 4’ to 5’ wide cut would be enough. Tight maneuvering would require a mid-mount mower as this is more compact. If there is a pond, creek, ditch bank, low trees or shrubs, a rear mount will work better. This will enable you to mow under low vegetation, shrubs or small trees and keep areas tidy around the pond.

A rotary cutter is used by many to keep a field or pasture cut down. If you would like a cleaner cut, a rear discharge grooming mower can be used; setting the wheels up high on the mower gives the same height cut. The grooming mower, however, cannot handle tall grass as the rotary cutter can, so mowing has to be done more frequently.

Often, people with woodland areas like to keep the underbrush down. This can also be a personal choice. To contain underbrush, it is best to use a rotary cutter. These come in different grades; standard, medium and heavy. A standard cutter can easily handle material up to 1 inch in diameter. There is a choice of shear bolt or slip clutch drive shaft.

For mostly grassy material, the shear bolt works well; to cut heavier material, a slip clutch is preferable. Using the shear bolt cutter has the advantage if you hit a large object, the shear bolt will break to protect the PTO and more important, the tractor from costly damage.

Remember, when buying a tractor, choose a reputable dealer. If you would like to search from eBay, you could also find many reputable tractor supply company tractor listing, like you can see on this page.

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