HOW TO SELECT A COMPACT TRACTOR
(Page 2 of 7)
April/May 2002
By Ken Burner
But beware: Some manufacturers place overpowered motors into light-duty tractors in order to make them more attractive to buyers. This causes stress and strain beyond the tractor's design limits, resulting in rapid failure of the drivetrain, suspension, steering or other mechanisms.
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On the other hand, heavy-duty equipment is typically expensive to purchase, has more required maintenance, is usually based on a steel frame (although certainly will contain sheet metal and plastic parts), often has true axles with castiron housings, is shaft driven, has long-term parts availability and is designed to last for many years with proper care. Most breakdowns on heavy-duty tractors can be repaired, although parts can be very expensive. It is common for users of heavy-duty equipment to "trade up" to a newer model after several years, as with automobiles. This means there is a good supply of used heavy-duty tractors to choose from.
The chart in the Image Gallery, "Lawn and Garden Tractor Brands," shows several popular brands of light- and heavy-duty lawn and garden tractors.
Estate tractors, also known as compact diesel tractors, are nearly all heavy-duty machines. These tractors lack many of the safety features of consumer tractors and should only be considered by experienced users with several acres or more of land. What differentiates brands in this category are reliability and parts availability.
Some brands have reputations for breaking down more than others. Parts for some manufacturers' tractors are more difficult to obtain. Some brands simply have inferior "fit and finish" in comparison to other brands, and some makes have consistently lower resale values than their competitors. For the purposes of this topic, I group estate tractors into two groups, service challenged and service neutral. The purchase of one of these tractors is a major investment, and replacement parts are expensive. It is a great benefit to establish a relationship with a nearby dealer who is knowledgeable, free with advice and stocks parts for your tractor.
Another table in the Image Gallery, "Estate Tractor Serviceability," shows the service category for popular brands of compact (and some not so-compact) tractors currently being manufactured.
What are the problems with a tractor that is too small or too big?
If you have a large yard to mow, a too-small tractor may take all day to do the job. If your land is too hilly, an underpowered tractor may not be able to climb the slopes. If your land is uneven, a too-small tractor may not have enough ground clearance to negotiate the bumps. If you expect to do heavy chores, an undersized tractor may bend or break with the strain.
You should consider carefully what tasks you want to do with your tractor now, as well as what you may want to do with it in the future. Many people are surprised at just how useful a tractor can be. Thinking only of lawn mowing, they get a machine that is adequate to do the job. Then when it comes time to till the garden, clear snow or cart heavy loads, they wish their little tractor were a little more powerful, a little heavier or built a little stronger. It is generally better to slightly oversize your tractor purchase. But read on:
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