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The purchase of a tractor and associated equipment is a substantial investment. The result of improper size can be costly - - a tractor too small can result in long hours in the field, excessive delays and premature replacement.A tractor too large can result in excessive operating and overhead costs. It is important to know how to determine the size and number of tractors needed for a farm operation. The ideal equipment should get the work completed on time at the lowest possible cost. The size of the largest tractor should be based on getting critical, high-horsepower jobs done within a specified time period.
Tractors can be divided into 3 categories: 2-wheel drive, front-wheel assist or unequal 4-wheel drive and equal 4-wheel drive tractors. Each one of these tractors has different tire configurations and different ballast requirements.
Not only do you need to understand the 3 categories of tractors but you also need to understand some terminology as well. Several terms are used by equipment manufacturers to describe the capacity of their tractors such as horsepower (HP), brake horsepower and power-take-off-horsepower and draft (drawbar) horsepower.
To learn about the 3 categories of tractors and terminology associated with tractors, read the University of Georgia publication "What Size Farm Tractor Do I Need?"
Shouldn't the article also question, "do I need a tractor?" There are successful farms and ranches that do not have tractors, hiring out the few jobs that would require one. As a general rule, if you do not use a tractor 1000 Hrs/year, it may make more dollars and sense to hire a neighbor. Remember, the capital cost of a tractor needs to pull its own financial weight in terms of profit.
ReplyDeleteA good example is a grazing operation with purchased hay or that uses stockpiled pasture in the winter. Hay is unloaded at or near point of use and can be moved with a pickup if required. This is especially beneficial for small operations where the capital expenditure per cow is higher due to having fewer cows to spread the expense over. However, it is scalable as Greg Judy currently runs 1100 cows on 1500 acres in Missouri without a tractor.
I won't dispute, that row crops pretty much require a tractor (owned or leased). Moving down the scale though, many market gardens would be better served hiring a primary tillage done and following up with owned lower HP equipment for secondary tillage and cultivation that could even be a tiller or walk behind tractor (like a BCS) that was not mentioned in the article. (I won't get into zero tillage here.)
From a second angle, the tractor generally depreciates while the produce generally appreciates. Does the opportunity cost of owning the tractor increase profits versus owning more cows, land, or other profit generators? To quote the article, "The ideal equipment should get the work completed on time at the lowest possible cost." First ask yourself if you really need a tractor before deciding on what kind to buy.
Don't let me discourage you from buying a tractor if you need one or you want one for a hobby farm. I write this as I've seen too many people want to farm (especially on a small scale), buy a tractor and land (consider leasing land also), and then get stuck without enough capital to buy the stuff that makes money.