A buyers guide to Compact Tractors
As a smallholder you may have been debating whether to buy a compact tractor for a while. There is a lot more to them than meets the eye, essentially, they are a fully-fledged tractor in a pint-sized package!
The first thing to consider are the jobs you will be using it for. Most compact tractors can accommodate a range of attachments using rear linkage, hydraulic spools, PTO and front loaders. Does your driveway need grading, grass need cutting, heavy goods need moving in a trailer? a compact tractor will manage all of this and much more…
Following from this… how much use will it have? You will need to decide how robust your tractor needs to be. Will it be used in tough conditions? What is the ground like it will be mostly used on? If it will be working in tougher conditions you will need to consider something with a higher horsepower to cope with this.
This leads on to the next question… which horsepower tractor should you consider? This all depends on the use it will have, the ground it will be being used on and the jobs it will be used for. If you have a lot of land you will need a more powerful tractor otherwise jobs like mowing will take a lot longer than they need too! Another thing to consider is how sloped your land is… the steeper the more horsepower you will need.
The next thing that needs some thought is where you will be storing the tractor. If you have outbuildings or a garage to store it in this would be perfect as you ideally want to keep it out of the elements! You will need to consider the size of the tractor compared to the storage you have. Another option If you do not have outbuildings available is a tough, waterproof tarpaulin.
And finally, budget, this will be a key factor in your purchase. An outlay of several thousand pounds is not to be taken lightly but you should consider the amount of time the tractor will save you, the amount of money it could save you by not having to hire so much help at certain times of the year. You also save money by not having to hire different machines throughout the year as a compact tractor with the right attachments will mean less hiring!
You can always find good compact tractor and attachment deals. Feel free to contact us if you would like further information..