Best Tractor

A tractor can never have too many features. This is important for the mower to make tight turns without damaging the tires, but in some circumstances, it can cause difficulty. It's not a prominent or oft-used feature, but the differential lock on a tractor...

The heart of the tractor, the engine provides the power to do heavy work. Power Take-Off One of the most important parts of your machine, the PTO is a spinning shaft commonly located at the rear of the tractor.

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 tractor might be all you need. While they don't have quite the same horsepower as a utility model, compact tractors...

Livestock Care & Feeding The good visibility, large tires and precise control allow you to position your load of hay or grain with precision to minimize lifting and carrying. Drilling holes goes faster with an auger, whether for a pole barn or setting...

Typical care consists of oil and filter changes, like any equipment; yearly control cable lubrication; occasionally checking the tightness of high-stress fasteners, like the bolts that hold the implements on; and replacement of worn parts—mower blades,...

The exposition included not only the combines and crawler tractors of the day but also old farm trucks that had been restored. A group of friends working with the county's historical museum at nearby Davenport, Wash., had refurbished farm equipment from...

The same principle extends to full-size utility tractors as well; tasks such as plowing fields and baling hay might require as much power as the engine can generate. And when it comes to utility tractors, they have power to spare for simple projects,...

Tractor Maintenance Tip All that dust and dirt can take a toll on your tractor. In addition to safety features and proper technique, your equipment needs to be prepared for the job at hand.

While I don't claim to be an expert on mowing, I've certainly done a lot of it and have developed a few thoughts of my own on this debate. Assuming that your mower discharges its clippings from the right side of the machine, it's generally best to follow...

At the end of World War II, there was a great demand for agricultural machinery in Europe, and it seems like almost everybody was thinking about making tractors. Among the many Italian farmers to whom I have spoken about Lamborghini tractors, the brand...

The ability to lock an implement directly behind the tractor—preventing the implement from shifting around at the end of a drawbar—is a huge asset for some projects such as plowing fields, making the task considerably safer and easier.

Although an oil change is something any farm equipment service shop is willing and able to handle, for the hobby farmer who'd like to bypass a day hauling that machine into the shop or waiting on a service call list, an oil change is a great way to build...

A front-end loader can be a difficult tool to use for grading a driveway, but adding a tooth bar can increase its ability to break through hard ground. Another option, particularly if your tractor doesn't have a front-end loader, is to attach a rear grading...

Shop Locally For Tires Don Graham/Flickr If you've determined you need or want a new tire—or at least want to price it out—the first place you should go is your local farm supply store or co-op .

Particularly if the weather is hot, there's no reason to be understaffed while working on such a difficult project. Baling hay is a satisfying and worthwhile effort, but it's challenging.

That power is evident by the roar of its engine; unlike Little Mo, whose “Johnny Popper” engine is pretty quiet by tractor standards, the Massey's engine has a deep, throaty growl, so it's not hard to persuade yourself that the Massey can accomplish...

Be prepared to release the lift if you feel the tractor start to move instead of the post. Unfortunately, not all projects go so easily. Work the soil with a digging bar and wiggle the post back and forth to free it from the ground before you let the...

You don't need fancy equipment to lift heavy objects around the farm—a simple piece of wood will do. Whatever materials you use to tow the wood, make sure that you provide enough slack and distance between the wood and the tractor so that the wood will...

Gregory Johnston Check Spark Plugs: How long a spark plug lasts depends on lot on the machine and how it's used. (By the way, never drain the fuel from a diesel tractor or run the tank dry for storage; this creates huge headaches.

If you need to change the oil or spark plugs, now is the time to do it, and make sure you've got plenty of fuel on hand. Draining the fuel tank or adding a fuel stabilizer might also be necessary depending on the type of fuel you use and the length of...

“It only costs $10 to $12 per sample, and you get a readout of any contaminants in the oil.” 2. Let the engine cool so oil will be safe to handle. Living in the country, you might have a neighbor like him whom you can turn to for tractor-maintenance...

Whatever it is, the guide below will help you make the best equipment decisions for the work that lays before you. Tags farm equipment , tractor , UTV Maybe you need a tractor to repair fencing, a UTV to check on livestock or a chainsaw to remove brush...

Mat Mover The EZGrip Mat Mover is specially designed with a large tooth for moving heavy rubber stall mats and won't slip even on old or wet mats. Starting at $50 at Garden Tool Co. 8.

Let's put it simply—removing tree stumps can be a monumental task, even if you have good equipment. Whether you need a stump grinder will depend on the size and number of stumps you intend to remove.

Like, “Remember that time we hit the big boulder with the hay wagon?” Tags Lists Most hobby farmers must eventually deal with removing rocks from their fields or yards. Keep in mind that some rocks might be too big to move with anything short of professional-level...

Tags small farm tractor , tractor maintenance , tractor owner's manual Manuals for older tractors can be more difficult to find. Properly carried out, regular maintenance, both daily and longer term, is multipurpose: Engine components are protected, and...

“Watch for air restrictions that affect power and also for dusty operating conditions that can put an extra load on air filters,” Tammel says. Loader use may go more smoothly with a few more pounds in the front tires, while heavy lifting on the rear...