Best Compact Tractor

The mound was just tall enough to bottom out the mower and raise the right rear wheel slightly off the ground, which meant that the mower was stuck. The left wheel, as if finally realizing that the task wasn't as hard as it seemed, gripped the ground...

One of the most useful is the three-point hitch, which includes a hydraulic lift for raising and lowering attached equipment; simple drawbar hitches are also common, as well as specialized hitches for attachments such as front-end loaders and forklifts.

Horsepower: approximately 25 to 65 This article originally appeared in the January/February 2017 issue of Hobby Farms. If you have a modest-sized lawn to maintain and have an occasional need to move a few supplies around with a small trailer, then a lawn...

Recreation Throw a few bales on a flatbed trailer (hay wagons are great), and you have the makings of a hayride. Trail Maintenance Building trails takes planning, hard work and the right equipment.

A true walk-behind tractor shares the same durable, high-quality design one would expect in a traditional tractor: all-gear drive, automotive-style clutch, commercial gas or diesel engine, and shaft-driven implements.

I later found out that the Vintage Harvest is an annual affair held the last weekend of every August. A group of friends working with the county's historical museum at nearby Davenport, Wash., had refurbished farm equipment from a half-century or more...

My brother recalls a story that illustrates this perfectly. On many occasions, you need to run your tractor at full throttle—you certainly wouldn't want to go mow thick grass on the turtle setting.

Whether you're traveling from the barn to the pasture with a load of hay or toting veggies back from the garden, regularly used access roads on your farm eventually erode, becoming veritable rivers during rains.

For hobby farmers, mowing can be a particularly time-consuming task because the amount of grass that needs mowing on a farm can be extensive. Mowing the lawn is a recurring task of spring and summer .

It was started by the Cassani family in the late 1920s, and in the 1970s, the last official act of the Cassani patriarch was to purchase the Lamborghini tractor division. “A Lamborghini tractor is much better made than a Lamborghini car,” one grizzled...

Take, for example, attaching implements to a tractor using the three-point hitch. It might sound cliche, but it's easy to get caught up in the rush of everyday life and overlook just how much we all have to be thankful for.

Although the first time or two may take a while, oil changes will become quick and easy as you do them more often. A tractor oil change should be performed according to the hours specified in your machine's owner's manual or at least every six months.

Anyone with a gravel driveway is probably familiar with the way that potholes can form over time, attracting water during rainstorms to form mud puddles that gradually grow larger until your driveway is quite uneven and bumpy.

The patch will then stick to in the hole and stop the leak—far and away the most affordable of fixes, though again, you cannot patch a busted sidewall. This should be printed on the tire's sidewall, somewhere above the rim—you might have to scrape...

It's a team effort, and to keep things running smoothly I've found that you need at least a half-dozen people (preferably more). While it's impossible to prepare yourself for every possible scenario, having a supply of replacements parts for your machinery—and...

This applies not only to hand tools but to machines as well; in fact, a couple of years back I expounded on the virtues of old tractors, including “Little Mo,” the John Deere Model 40 that has been faithfully serving my farm for more than 60 years.

Being a person that thrives on routine, I was initially reluctant to change plans, but the time-saving potential that the hydraulic lift offered was appealing, and we decided to give it a try.

(Although, having the leading edge of the board hover ever so slightly above the ground will help it slide smoothly and not get caught on bumpy ground.) While I wouldn't recommend this approach for huge projects, like clearing a field—you'll obviously...

Winter Use Maintenance You might intend to keep some machines in use all winter, or perhaps you have a machine such as a snow blower that sees use only during the cold months. Farm machinery is often asked to perform in dusty environments that can take...

Don't be caught unprepared and searching for your winter gear on the morning that six inches of snow has fallen from the sky. Safety goggles (to protect your eyes) and salt (which lowers the freezing point of water and can help melt ice) should also be...

Let the engine cool so oil will be safe to handle. Check inside the filler neck for debris of any kind, indicating a need to flush the system. If annual service is sufficient, spread it across the calendar year or set aside a day in the fall to do everything.

Farmstead cleanup is a multifaceted chore, and the right tools make all the difference. The right tool saves time and effort, making cleanup easier and more fun to do. Choose the right piece (or pieces) of farm equipment to complete your spring farm-maintenance...

Www.glwholesale.com Learn more and inquire about pricing at Great Lakes Wholesale Group This story originally appeared in the September/October 2017 issue of Hobby Farms magazine. Mat Mover The EZGrip Mat Mover is specially designed with a large tooth...

Stump grinders exist as tractor attachments as well, saving you from having to maintain a separate machine. Because I don't recommend that anyone blast stumps out of the ground with dynamite like in The Fields of Home by Ralph Moody (one of my favorite...

One such specimen is the giant rock on the edge of one of my fields—it's about five feet across in every direction. That said, most rock-removal tasks can be achieved with less effort.

If you don't have your owner's manual, visit a dealer that sells your tractor's brand. Depending on the age and popularity of the model, they might have a manual on hand or be able to order one for you.

Check air filter (optional). Any dirt or debris should be cleared out using air pressure to avoid damaging the fins on the radiator. If your tractor cab is equipped with air conditioning, take a minute to check the condenser, and remove any debris built...