Iseki Compact Tractor

Before I knew it, I had driven right across the top of the anthill, and suddenly the mower wasn't moving anymore. The mower was stuck in the first place because it has a differential, in essence a gear train that lets the two rear driving wheels spin...

However, they're not as simple to handle as tractors with foot pedals. Rollover Protective Structure Most modern tractors of any significant size and power come equipped with a rollover protection structure to protect the driver from injury in the event...

These tractors are a great choice if you need a lawn mower that will withstand heavy use and give you options for working on other farm projects. Subcompact Tractor While the smallest of subcompact tractors are similar in appearance to garden tractors,...

Depending on your situation, you might get by without four-wheel drive, but the added utility makes it a highly desirable feature. For heavy loads, a rear carrier might be just what you need, because it has more lift capacity and puts the weight on the...

Walk-behinds allow you to get your work done and get good exercise while you're at it—truly the best of both worlds for a hobby farmer. A really cool feature of modern European walk-behind tractors is a reversible set of handlebars, putting the operator...

Bigger isn't always better. If you are heading west out of Spokane, Wash., on Highway 2 the last weekend in August, watch for old combines working in fields on the north side of the road.

Under this setup, the mower would run for weeks or even months without needing to be refueled. And when it comes to utility tractors, they have power to spare for simple projects, so you can handle tasks such as pulling a wagon of hay while running your...

Before and after each use, check and service all implements and equipment. In addition to safety features and proper technique, your equipment needs to be prepared for the job at hand.

Once the perimeter has been mowed, determining the best mowing direction for the remainder of the area can be a question of whether the grass is short or long. Keeping your lawn short and tidy is ideal from an aesthetic perspective, and it can also help...

Deutz-Fahr tractors are built alongside the Lamborghini tractors, and besides the color difference (Lamborghini in silver and Deutz-Fahr in green), both looked very similar to me. Among the many Italian farmers to whom I have spoken about Lamborghini...

Designed and improved during the 1920s and 1930s by Harry Ferguson, the three-point hitch first rose to prominence thanks to its use on a series of Ford tractors starting in 1939. Of course, this can apply to all areas of life, even farm machinery .

If you have a torque wrench and a service manual with torque specs, now's a great time to use them. The filter needs to be tight but not wrenched on. What size and type of oil filter fits the machine?

Arguably the best option for a hobby farmer is to use an attachment called a box blade . The reason is simple—the driveways on many farms can be quite lengthy, and they're often made of gravel, which can lead to a variety of issues .

These numbers aren't always in the same order, but there will always be a width and rim size. They might also be able to help you find the tire if it is truly rare and even they don't have any in stock.

Try to get started early in the afternoon so that you have plenty of time to finish before nightfall—it's no fun trying to put away hay bales in the dark, and if there's still hay on the fields when night comes, it could get wet all over again as dew...

In addition, the Massey has a very wide wheelbase and sits low to the ground, giving it a low center of gravity ideal for negotiating somewhat hilly hayfields. If you read my articles on this site, then you know that I like old-fashioned, tried-and-true...

Work the soil with a digging bar and wiggle the post back and forth to free it from the ground before you let the tractor do the lifting. As always, farm machines have the potential to be dangerous, and caution should always be foremost when using machines...

(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...

ATV and UTV users riding in dusty conditions should be extra cautious, checking the air filter perhaps daily. Use a designated drive chain lube for this job. This could include maintenance on accessory items such as buckets, winches and snowplows.

As winter approaches, it's time for hobby farmers to prepare their equipment and tools for cold weather. Don't be caught unprepared and searching for your winter gear on the morning that six inches of snow has fallen from the sky.

If either freezing- or boiling-point requirements aren't met, flush and replace the coolant. Wait until the tractor engine has cooled. Carefully pour off oil from the collection pan, and look for signs of metal filings that can indicate other problems,...

Use the infographic below to figure out what piece of farm machinery will help you complete your springtime chores. Farmstead cleanup is a multifaceted chore, and the right tools make all the difference.

Power Wheelbarrow Yardmax's Power Wheelbarrow has a load capacity of 660 pounds and offers the traction and stability needed to move heavy loads across rugged, uneven, muddy and wet landscapes.

Stump Grinder A stump grinder, as the name implies, is a machine used to grind away stumps and reduce them to chips and dust. You might not want to use a mattock for removing a giant stump from something like a maple tree (that's a lot of tough roots...

Of course, removing these rocks can also be troublesome, and if you want rock-free fields you need the appropriate rock-removing tools on hand. One such specimen is the giant rock on the edge of one of my fields—it's about five feet across in every...

Living in the country, you might have a neighbor can turn to for tractor-maintenance advice and counsel, but your tractor owner's manual can give you most of the answers you're looking for.

If not, start the engine, and let it warm up before checking the oil. (It prevents the tractor from starting while in gear.) 2. Check the tractor's radiator-fluid level. If you run tires with excessively low tire pressure, tread wear increases dramatically,...