Compact Tractor Buyers Guide For First Timers

Buying your first Compact Tractor may very well lead you to ask yourself what to do before buying your first to ensure that you get the right one, so we’ve made this Compact Tractor Buyers Guide for those that are ensure on what to get. There are several choices to be made in the initial purchase stages and can be difficult to keep track of them all.

The fact remains though, Compact Tractors aren’t all made equal and that’s one of the reason that a Compact Tractor Buyers Guide is so ‘Handy’. Some are more expensive while others have more horsepower and attachments available to them, and some simply won’t perform properly on the land that you are farming or developing on.

Let’s take a look at some core subjects that will help you filter out what model of Compact Tractor is best for your farm. Before purchasing a compact tractor, a first-time buyer should know exactly what purpose their new machine will be used for.

What Do You Need Your Compact Tractor To Do?

Before purchasing a Compact Tractor, a first-time buyer should think about what they want to accomplish with it. So it’s a good idea to write a list of everything you’ll be doing with your tractor. The following are the most important factors that we advise you to think about:

– How large or small is your budget?
– Is the tractor to be used in a residential or commercial area?
– Will the terrain of the area need a tractor with more horsepower?
– Does the tractor need to move heavy loads?
– Does the tractor need to lift heavy loads as well as move them?

How Much Land Area Can A Compact Tractor Handle

When choosing a compact tractor, there are several elements to consider, including the amount of acreage you’ll be working on and the landscape it’s situated on. For instance, if you’ll be farming over level terrain with no hills and a few trees dotted around, a tractor with 15 to 30 horsepower could be plenty.

However, if you operate in more difficult terrain with many obstructions like boulders or thick tree roots that might get trapped beneath your small tractor’s tires, you should choose a Compact Tractor that is closer to the 30 to 50 horsepower range.

Knowing what kind of ground you’ll have to plough through, such as gravelly terrains, heavy soils, and so on, will play a role in determining which size tractor will satisfy your demands as well as being cost-effective and not leading to the engine of the tractor becoming overloaded.

Be careful not to underestimate the amount of usage required from your tractor when predicting how much work you’ll have. It’s also a must that your tractor is efficient. Horsepower affects the speed of your tractor and how much distance you can cover, with speeds varying from around 5 mph to 20 mph.

Compact Tractor Horsepower Ranges

Your horsepower needs should be determined by the duties and tasks you want your tractor to complete. A good example of this is the Kubota compact tractor range, which provides a wide range of horsepower. This starts from 15 hp for the smallest tractors and rises to 40 hp for the largest models. A compact tractor has an average horsepower of around 30.

If you want to use your compact tractor to handle big equipment like ploughing fields or transporting larger trailers, you’ll want to consider a compact tractor with around 50 horsepower. The amount of horsepower you’ll need depends on how much you want to pull and how heavy you want to lift.

PTO Horsepower – What Does It Mean?

The input power or energy that is given to the machine is measured by a PTO horsepower (or power) rating. It’s derived by multiplying torque by revolutions per minute (RPM), and it’s commonly used to run rotary cutters and rotary tillers.

Compact Tractor Implements And Attachments

A compact tractor with a hydraulic system may connect a number of different attachments and has a variety of implements to make any operation simpler. Attachments for small tractors include front end loaders, pallet forks, backhoes, box blades, and mowers, to name a few.

Front Compact Tractor Attachments

Front End Loaders

The Front End Loader attachment is perfect for moving heavy objects around the farm such as soil, wood, stones or gravel. A simple and effective attachment for any compact tractor.

Pallet Forks

You can use the Pallet Fork attachment to move around and lift heavier objects with ease. The forks themselves are spread in a way that helps alleviate pressure on either side of the tractor.

Mid Compact Tractor Attachments

Mower Deck

You can attach the Mower Deck to the middle underbelly of the tractor in under 60 seconds if done correctly and is a great tool to keep your grounds looking tidy all year round.

Rotary Cutter

The Rotary Cutter is a more heavy-duty implement that is used to cut down reeds, grass and overgrown vegetation that’s become too tall for a standard mower attachment to handle.

Rear Compact Tractor Attachments

Box Blade

The Box Blade is mainly used for shaping soil and gravel-covered areas. This implement can easily level out and smooth down ground making it ready for seed planting to commence.

Backhoe

This is a handy attachment to have in your arsenal and its main use is to lift earth or dig holes. Save time and energy with this piece of kit.

Tyre Choices For A Compact Tractor

If this is your first time buying a compact tractor, you should pay close attention to the tread kinds that are appropriate for your activity.

– What kind of terrain will you be working on?
– Is the ground flat or hilly?
– Is it dry and hard or wet and soft?

Depending on what you’re doing, the treads on your compact tractor can be the difference between a hard day or an easy day of farm work.

Hilly Or Wet & Soft Terrain Tyres

You’ll definitely need a lot of traction/grip when you’re using your compact tractor on terrain that is covered with hills or is wet and soft. You’ll want deep grooves and more lugs on the tyres so that they can handle this kind of terrain and stop your machine from slipping backwards. Where grip it required for soil engaging attachments, these type of tyres are a must.

Flat Or Dry & Hard Terrain Tyres

Smaller grooves and fewer lugs than the smooth terrain tyres are advised for flat terrain. This will keep your tractor running smoothly and even save money as you will have less wear and tear that’s caused by friction. you’ll also want to consider using these tyres if your maintaining a sports ground or for the best finish when cutting grass to avoid leaving lug marks in the ground and tearing up grass.

For all your compact tractor needs, contact us today.