HOW TO CHOOSE A NEW GARDEN TRACTOR

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THE CHOICE IS YOURS!

Everyone likes to make the best possible buy on a costly item such as a garden tractor . . . this is one place in the homestead budget where you can't afford to make a mistake. In earlier years (when prices weren't so astronomical) such a gardening "luxury" could, perhaps, have been treated more lightly. But homegrowin' convenience is extremely expensive today, and anyone who hopes to choose the right machine on his or her first try should be ready to give the matter a little careful thought.

Consequently, I decided to try to sort out the variables in the field by [1] taking a look at some of the features of these modern machines, [2] talking to dealers, and [3] speaking to both the satisfied and dissatisfied customers who had actually put the machines to work on their home vegetable plots.

As a result of this investigation, I've identified five cardinal guidelines for the buyer to consider before making his or her "big purchase".

[1] Is the machine big enough? The most frequent warning I heard from garden tractor owners was, "Don't buy a machine that's too small." Ten horsepower may sound like a lot of push compared to what Grandpa's of Dobbin could put out, but tractors and critters use their strength in different ways. Your grandfather's mare delivered one horsepower . . . but she worked with every bit of it. A 10-horsepower engine-on the other hand-may deliver only 7 "horses" to the wheels . . . while 2-1/2 of those "ponies" do no more than move the weight of the machine itself, and one or both drive tires may start to slip before the remaining power can be transmitted to a plow.

This example may be a bit extreme, but the little machines are notorious for poor traction. Wheel weights and tire chains will be of some help if you don't mind the nuisance of putting them on and taking them off . . . but-if you plan to do plenty of gardening-there's no substitute for extra power coupled with extra chassis weight. Serious backyard growers should buy a machine in the 14- to 20 HP class.

Also, be certain to study the selection of speeds offered-especially on the gearand belt-driven models-because earthcontacting tools need time to "do their thing". Garden work will demand speeds down around 0.5 or 1.0 miles per hour, and machines with minimum speeds of 2-3 MPH are only suitable for lawn work . . . not for plowing or rototilling.

[2] Can you change the tractor's attachments quickly and easily? The second most common complaint that I encountered had to do with the difficulties of putting on attachments for use or removing them for storage.

The three-point hitch on a typical farm tractor makes it possible to switch implements in very short order . . . usually about two minutes to attach a plow or disc harrow, and five to ten minutes to hook up a rotovator or mower.

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