How to Select Your Tractor

General

A tractor is an engineering vehicle specifically designed to deliver at a high tractive effort at slow speeds, for the purposes of hauling a trailer or machinery used in agriculture or construction.

The farm tractor is used for pulling or pushing agricultural machinery or trailers, for plowing, tilling, disking, harrowing, planting, and similar tasks. The word tractor was taken from Latin, being the agent noun of trahere “to pull”. Another definition is combining two words – traction and motor. The first recorded use of the word meaning “an engine or vehicle for pulling wagons or ploughs” occurred in 1896, from the earlier term “traction engine”.

Tractor engine is used as a prime mover for active tools and stationary farm operations through power take-off shaft or belt pulley.

Tractors can be generally classified by number of axles or wheels, with main categories of two-wheel tractors (single-axle tractors) and four-wheel tractors (two-axle tractors).

Tractor Classification

Tractors classified on type of construction:

• Riding type tractors – Tractors in which a driver can sit and drive e.g., General purpose four wheel tractors.
• (b) Walking type tractors – Tractors with which the operator walks along e.g., garden tractors, power tillers.

Tractors based on type of drive:

• Track type tractors – In this type of tractors, instead of wheels; one track is fitted on either side. This track gets drive from the sprocket run by rear axle shaft. To steer the tractor, there is not steering gear fitted. The tractor is steered by applying brakes to one side of the track with the other track moving. These are used for bulldozing or land clearing work.
• Wheel type of tractors – These are most commonly used agricultural tractors. They can run fast and wheel tyres absorb a certain amount of field shocks also.

Wheel type tractors

• Two-wheel tractors – These tractors are used for small farms, hilly area and gardening purposes and are called power tillers. They are also termed as Power Tillers.
• Three-wheel tractors – These tractors were very popular 15 years back but now its place has been taken by four wheel tractors. These tractors had single or dual wheel fitted at the front end in the center and were considered good for negotiable shorter turns.
• Four-wheel tractors – These are most commonly used tractors in the country. These are also known as all-purpose tractors.

Tractors based on power of tractors

• Small tractors – 15 to 25 hp.
• Medium tractors – 25 to 45 hp.
• Large tractors – more than 45 hp.

Tractors based on specific purpose of use

• Utility tractors – Built for one specific purpose.
• All-purpose tractor – Built to meet practically all demands for agricultural purposes such as ploughing, harrowing, leveling, pulling, seed drill, operating threshers, and pumps through its P.T.O.
• Orchard type tractors – Built especially to be used in orchards. Are much higher in height so that operations on the trees could be performed. No part of tractor protrudes and tractor can safely go in between trees.
• Garden tractors – Built smaller than normal for use in kitchen or vegetable gardens.
• Rotary Tillers – Built for very small holdings or on hills where fields are very small and are at different levels where ordinary tractors cannot work efficiently. Tined blades are fitted to the tillers to prepare the seedbeds quite effectively by pulverizing the soil. These are also used in rice fields for puddling and other operations.
• Earth Moving tractors – Built strong and heavy in weight both as tract and tyre type. These are used for earth moving work on dams, quarries and other constructional works.

How To Select Your Tractor

Let us turn to selection of a tractor by a farmer and what important requirements are needed to be considered. The tractor should be selected based on the following factors:

Utility

• Land holding: Under a single cropping pattern, it is normally recommended to consider 1 hp for every 2 hectares of land. In other words, one tractor 20-25 hp is suitable for 40 hectares farm.

• Cropping pattern: Generally 1.5 hectare/hp been recommended where adequate irrigation facilities are available and more than one crop is taken. So a 30-35 hp tractor is suitable for 40 hectares farm.

• Soil conditions: A tractor with less wheel base, higher ground clearance and low overall weight may work successfully in lighter soil but it will not be able to give sufficient depth in black cotton soil.

• Climatic conditions: For very hot zone and desert area, air cooled engines are preferred over water cooled engines. Similarly for higher altitude, air cooled engines are preferred because water is liable to be frozen at higher altitude.

• Weight of the tractor is considered depending on primary used for. Remember extra weight is good for front end loading, but not good for field work.

Hydraulics

Work of a tractor involves a lot of turning and lifting. The hydraulic system is what makes this possible. Hydraulic fluid transmits energy through the hydraulic system and makes it possible for a tractor to move and work. Same fluid is also responsible for lubrication and control heat transfer. Therefore, before you take a tractor home, ensure that the hydraulic system is functioning optimally.

Comfort and Safety

Look for the comfort and safety of the tractor while buying. Few common things on which you can focus are:

• Sufficient space between pedals and fenders
• Proper design of the operator’s platform
• Seat adjustability and steering wheel
• Accessibility of controls from a normal range of reach
• Fine condition of handholds
• Visibility of panel lights

Transmission

• Hydrostatic transmission
• Mechanical transmission

A mechanical transmission is more power-efficient than hydro static transmission. However, the hydro static transmission provides the freedom to select any ground (or engine) speed between zero and the maximum, and thus, it is more efficient in terms of operation.

Repairing Facilities

Check and ensure that the tractor to be purchased has a dealer at nearby place with all the technical skills for repair and maintenance of machine.

Running cost

Tractors with less specific fuel consumption should be preferred over others so that running cost may be less.

Initial Cost And Resale Value

Farmer may not count on adding capabilities later on to a tractor. As farmers requirement increase, it is easy to exchange old tractor with new one. Also one could have more than one tractor for varied uses.

Summary: Check your requirement, check horsepower required, check your budget, what innovative features are available, the resale value, the degree of comfort and safety of operation, and nearness of repair facility.

For Further Reading:

http://ecoursesonline.iasri.res.in/

About nkp

Hi ; I have had opportunity to travel widely and have keen watched whatever farming practices the local farmers were engaged in. Back home been growing gerberas mostly in polyhouses, but outside in kitchen garden as well. i love these hardy perennials. good for business too if done in a routine orderly scientific manner. Also engaged in farming of wheat and organic vegetables on a small scale for me and family. My service profile has been that of an electronic and telecom engineer and now am engaged in web site creation and blogging.