When it comes to tractors, one size does not fit all. Before you shop, determine what you want to do with your tractor.
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The right utility tractor can
lighten your load, tackle multiple tasks on your small horse ranch, and
quickly become the hardest worker in your barn. With the capability to mow, tow,
lift, spread, scrape, drag and drill, the possibilities of what you and your
tractor can get done on your horse ranch are endless. Think of any project around the barn or horse ranch, and a
tractor is probably the right tool for the job.
But a tractor is also a serious
purchase and big investment for your farm or ranch. Buying a car or truck is one
thing, but stepping into a tractor dealership is probably a completely new
experience. Here are some questions you should ask before you buy.
Who needs a tractor?
Just about any horse owner
could find uses for a compact utility tractor. Of course, the more horses you
have on your property, the more often a tractor would come in handy. From daily
chores to monthly maintenance and one-time big projects, a tractor adds
mechanical muscle and cuts down on your manual hours. The helping brute of a
tractor can also save your own body, including a sore back and bad knees, from
physical stress.
How do you move hay now? If it
involves bribing the neighbor kids to buck bales, it might be time for a
tractor. Stall cleaning? Imagine, rather than multiple runs with the
wheelbarrow, filling a big front-loader with manure and driving to the muck
pile.
“I’ve sold tractors to
veterinary clinics, horse owners with small properties, and ranchers with
thousands of acres,” says Dan Borchard, commercial parts manager at Central
Oregon Workensport. “Anyone can find a use for a tractor.”
“Maybe people are getting
older, and they don’t want to do all the manual labor,” adds Sean Sundberg,
commercial-customer planning manager for John Deere. “Or maybe their operation
is getting bigger and a tractor could be great assistance, not only cleaning
stalls.”
Buying a tractor usually saves
time and resources.
“The customer should look at
what they need a tractor to do and ask if the machine is able to help,” Sundberg
says. “Basically, they usually find out that yes, a tractor really does save you
a lot of work, which frees up time to spend with your horses, which is really
what you want to be doing.”
How much do I have to
spend?
Good question, and the answer
depends on what kind of tractor you need, what brand you prefer, and what extra
implements you decide to purchase. However, plan on spending anywhere from
$13,000 to $30,000 on a new tractor.
While tractors are a large
purchase on par with horse trailers and pickups, Borchard says that you should
view buying a tractor as an investment. “Our customers find their purchases are
worth every penny,” he says.
Prices for tractors range by
brand, with domestics higher than imports. However, says Borchard, domestic
tractors are usually easier to find parts for and less expensive to
maintain.
| Tractor Tips |
Make a list of what you need a tractor to do
and what you’d like it to do. If you consider a used tractor, be sure to
have a mechanic check it out. Basic barn chores need a minimum gross
horsepower rating of 20-plus and a PTO rating of 15. A tandem instead of a single hydraulic pump
will keep you from losing steering power when using an implement. A
hydrostatic transmission, like an automatic with a car, is more expensive, but
is also easier to operate.
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Just like at the car
dealership, your local tractor
dealership will have negotiation cubicles where
you and the salesman
will “make the deal.” Unless you have cash in hand, that
deal will
include financing options for your new tractor.
You might save money by
purchasing a used tractor,
but Borchard says most of his customers buy tractors
for the long run,
meaning there’s little tractor turnover and resale prices are
high. New
tractors are also a capital expense, so if you’re buying for your
small
horse business, you’ll get the tax benefit of depreciating your
purchase.
If you do go the used route,
vet the tractor like
you would a horse. Hire a trusted mechanic to inspect the
tractor’s
engine, transmission, hydraulics and drive train. Also, keep safety in
mind, Sundberg says. Newer models will have seatbelts and a built-in
rollover
protection structure (ROPS), which is basically a roll bar
that can protect the
tractor’s driver in the case of a turnover
accident.
What size tractor will work
best on my
property?
Before you buy, you need to
find out what size tractor will work best on your property. That means,
says
Sundberg, making sure a tractor will fit down your barn aisle, if
applicable,
and through your property gates.
New Holland tractor
company outlines four steps to choosing a
tractor:
1. Select the ways you would
like
to use your new tractor.
2. How
much land do you care
for and maintain?
3. Select the terrain for each
task.
4. Find what weight capacity is
needed.
The company’s commercial
website, www.newholland.com,
offers an online “product counselor” to help you
define your specific
needs and select the machine that will work best for
you.
How much power does the tractor
need?
Maybe, in your mind,
horsepower
includes four legs and a tail, or is stored under the hood
of your pickup.
Horsepower, however, also relates to the amount of
power a tractor has to run
the machine and operate implements. Strictly
speaking, one unit of horsepower is
the amount of energy needed to lift
33,000 pounds up one foot in the air for one
minute.
When it comes to tractor
horsepower, it’s not as
simple as “there are 350 horses under the hood.”
Actually, the amount
of gross horsepower a tractor has, and the available
horsepower it
offers to run implements, are two different things. PTO, which
stands
for power take-off, is a mechanism that converts power from the circular
motion of the engine to the horizontal motion needed to run implements.
So PTO,
or usable horsepower, is the amount of horsepower available for
implements.
Note that not all manufacturers
rate PTO-usable
horsepower the same, so you’re not always comparing apples to
apples.
And just as gas-mileage ratings on cars are calculated under best-case
scenarios, so is maximum PTO horsepower. Bottom line, you’ll probably
need a
minimum gross horsepower rating of 20-plus and a PTO rating of
15 to get most
basic barn chores done.
“It all centers back to the
size of the task, the
activity and the frequency of that activity,” explains
Cleo Franklin,
strategic marketing manager for John Deere. Your dealer will help
you
choose the right amount of horsepower for your specific needs.
What do I need the tractor to
do?
That’s a question you
need to
ask yourself before you visit the dealership. The capability
possibilities of
tractors are seemingly endless, so pare down
your
needs to a specific list.
Include your “must-haves” and
“would-likes”
in two different columns.
Sundberg’s mom keeps nine
horses on her property.
“When I helped set her up with one of our tractors, I
basically asked
her, ‘What are your uses right now? And what
do you think you’ll
be
doing with it in the future,’ ”
Sundberg says. “You want to make sure you
have the tractor that can
grow with you into bigger chores.”
Most of the tasks tractors
tackle involve extra
implement attachments designed for specific jobs. These
implements are
add-ons to the base machine and include
front-end attachments and
rear
attachments. Rear attachments
connect to the tractor and the PTO via a
three-point hitch,
which extends and adjusts to the angle of the
implement.
Implements are easy to change
on modern tractors.
Usually one person can do the job. “If you have a loader on
the front
end, you can take it off in just a couple minutes
and put a snow
blower, blade or rotary broom on there,”
Sundberg says. “My mom had
never really
used a tractor, so I
did a short training session and now
she’s pretty
golden.”
In the end, you have to decide
which implements are
worth the extra upfront costs and long-term storage. These
are
just a
few of your options:
Moving stuff. The front-loader
is
a multipurpose feature that can move manure, gravel, dirt, rocks,
shavings,
bark, snow and hay. You can even pile jumping standards or
trail
obstacles into
the loader to move them around the arena
or into
storage. The front-loader is
also an indispensable
tool for cleaning
paddocks and stalls.
“Almost all compact utility
tractors are sold with
a front-loader,” Sundberg says. “My mom uses her tractor
to
move bales
of hay, drag the arena, and clean out stalls. The loader is
probably
the number one thing she uses.”
Mowing pastures. You probably
also
want your tractor to mow grass for pasture maintenance and to create
firebreak protection around your property, home and barn. Good
pasture
management leads to natural weed control, better nutrition and
healthier horses.
Dragging dirt. A dragging
attachment, whether commercially produced or a personal
invention,
comes in
handy for spreading manure in dry lots and
smoothing arena
surfaces. Create
ideal and safe footing in
which to exercise your
horses using specially designed
dragging implements.
Drilling postholes. With a
posthole-drilling implement attached to your tractor, you may
never dig
another
hole by hand again. Get ready to build some
fences.
Plowing snow. Snow blowers,
blades
and brooms help clear driveways and parking areas. Having a
snow-removal
tool around can help you get the truck and trailer out in
bad weather
or keep
dangerous ice from building up in horse
and human high-traffic
paths.
Gas or diesel?
Gas is the fuel of choice for
small garden tractors or
riding lawn mowers. But when you move up to the big
boys,
you’ll find
most engines are designed to run on diesel.
“Diesel was a more familiar
fuel with farmers, so
that played a role in engine development,” Sundberg
explains.
What about transmissions,
hydraulics and four-wheel drive?
The hydraulic pump powers
implements as well as steering, which are both important functions of a tractor.
So consider purchasing a tractor with a tandem rather than single hydraulic
pump. That way you won’t lose steering power when using an implement.
Manufacturers recommend
four-wheel drive for heavy and frequent front-loader work. Due to the heavy
lifting necessary around horse property, a four-wheel drive tractor is probably
the best option for horse owners.
A hydrostatic transmission is
analogous to an automatic vehicle. Like in car buying, the hydrostatic
transmission is more expensive, but it’s also easier to operate. Other
transmission options include nonsynchronized, which is reminiscent of an old
manual car in which you must come to a complete stop before shifting down to
first gear. Partially synchronized and fully synchronized transmissions are also
available.
Will it run in cold
weather?
Yes, your tractor will run in
cold climates, says Sundberg. “Modern tractors are designed to run in sub-zero
temperatures, but you might want to give them a chance to warm up first.” Some
older diesels might need an engine-block warmer, so Sundberg recommends
reviewing your owner’s manual, just in case.
If you live in an area that
experiences all the elements winter has to offer, you’ll probably find that your
tractor is even more useful in cold weather and snow. Four-wheel drive and a
snow-removal blade will make clearing the driveway a fast and easy job, and you
may even find yourself using your tractor to pull cars and pickups out of the
ditch in bad snowstorms.
A better question: Will you run
in cold weather? If you live in an area with notoriously difficult winters,
Borchard of Workensport recommends ordering a tractor with an enclosed and
heated cab. “You can stay pretty warm in there, just like a car,” he
says.
How do I maintain my tractor,
and what kind of warranty should I expect?
Maintaining your tractor
according to the owner’s manual will ensure a long life for the vehicle,
Bouchard says. Most shops will come to your farm for maintenance and repair,
while others will haul the tractor back to the dealership.
“Owners can do a lot of the
basic maintenance themselves,” says Sundberg.
John Deere recommends basic
maintenance every time you use your tractor, meaning you should check the air
filter and coolant level, engine and hydraulic oil levels, and the battery
turning the key.
Expect a warranty if you
purchase a new tractor. Most manufacturers offer a 24-month basic and 36-month
power-train warranty, Sundberg says.
What should I expect about the
buying experience?
Buying a tractor is similar to
purchasing a vehicle. Research the products online, talk to your friends who own
tractors, and go browse at your local dealerships.
“The number one thing you need
to do is find a dealer who’ll spend time and talk to you about your needs,”
Sundberg says. “Most dealers will walk you through everything, because most of
their customers are property owners who haven’t been around these machines a
lot.”
You also want a dealership that
will help you with parts, maintenance and additional purchases down the
road.
“You definitely want that
dealer you can establish a relationship with and that will be there to support
you after the sale,” Franklin
says.
Once at the dealership, feel
free to ask questions and test the tractors.
“You’ll know you’re at a good
dealership if they let you get up on the machine, take you through the controls,
and let you move it and use it on the [dealership] site,” Sundberg
says.
Once
you get up in that seat and see how it can simplify your life, you’ll want to
take that tractor home and get to work.
Stumble It!
