Discover Versatile Compact Tractors
(Page 7 of 9)
April/May 2006
By Bryan Welch
To remove deeper snow, you’ll want to consider a front-mounted snow blower or snow auger attachment that throws snow high and to the side.
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Livestock farmers cherish their posthole augers. A good auger with an appropriate diameter and plenty of horsepower turns the backbreaking labor of digging postholes into a brief, satisfying chore. A rancher friend of mine says that smart stockmen consider themselves fully equipped with a pickup, a stock trailer and a small tractor with a posthole auger. Augers generally are mounted on the tractor’s rear three-point hitch and driven by the rear PTO.
Another attachment to consider is a hydraulic backhoe (see photo). You probably won’t want to equip a tractor smaller than about 50 horsepower with a backhoe, unless you’re only going to dig in soft ground. With a 50 horsepower tractor, however, the backhoe attachment makes short work of major projects such as digging trenches. Massey Ferguson’s backhoe attachments are particularly well-integrated when used on the company’s midsize utility tractors.
If you want to secure your homestead’s power supply, then consider a PTO-driven power generator. They are efficient, powerful and comparatively inexpensive. In the event of a utility grid failure, you can make sure the house stays warm and the freezer stays cold — the only fuel you’ll need is for the tractor. These handy generators are usually mounted on wheels and can be pulled quickly to the location where you need the power.
One final note on attachments: You might save money if you buy your attachments separately. Some tractor manufacturers charge a premium for attachments, and you will find that many attachments on the market are one-size-fits-all from specialized manufacturers. We particularly liked the rototiller we tested from Buhler.
PENNY WISE, POUND FOOLISH
Because most of us can hire someone with a tractor to do work fairly inexpensively, there’s no sense in buying the cheapest tractor available — unless it’s also the best tractor for your needs. You may find that a relatively inexpensive machine fulfills all your needs. Good for you. But if you buy a tractor that is almost good enough in order to save 10 percent or 15 percent off the initial price, you’ll pay for the difference in years of frustration.
If you find that the machine you need is just too expensive, then hire a neighbor and keep saving your money for a couple more years. Once you can afford it, the joy of owning the tractor that’s perfect for you will be all the sweeter.
UTVs & LOADERS
Before you decide to buy a traditional tractor, you may want to consider a couple of unconventional options.
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