What is a Tractor?
In general a tractor is a piece of heavy machinery that is designed to carry out some type of work. The type of work a tractor can do depends on its size, the type of attachments it has or can support and the type of tasks it is designed to accomplish. Technically a tractor can be the engine of a tractor trailer truck, but more commonly, tractors are known as s personal mowers or those that are used for agricultural purposes. Tractors are also used in excavation, in manufacturing and industry or on construction sites.
For personal residential use, a tractor can be a general piece of equipment that can perform a variety of home maintenance tasks. You can use a tractor for mowing in the summer, landscaping projects and plowing in the winter. Tractors are also good for hauling materials from one area of lawn to another because their tires are specially designed to not tear up grass and concrete as badly as excavating equipment tends to do.
A personal tractor is usually small to mid-size, powered by a 20 to 80 horsepower engine. The largest tractors used for heavy work can have as high as 200 horsepower engines. Horsepower is the biggest factor in differentiating between the different types of tractors. Tractor engines are typically powered by either unleaded or diesel fuel, though some can run on grain.
Another key determining factor for a tractor is its versatility regarding attachments and which ones it is able to support. The more options for connecting attachments to the tractor, the higher the cost will be. In addition, the horsepower of a tractor’s engine must be considered in regards to which attachments will work efficiently. The most common tractor attachments include front end loaders, mowers, box blades, spreaders, tillers, plows, trailers and backhoes. Most tractor attachments are interchangeable so they can be used with different machines.
In addition to the tractors’ invaluable work there are many tractor enthusiasts that collect and restore antique tractors, participate in tractor clubs and hobbyists that collect or build model tractors. Many people even use their tractor to participate in recreational sports such as tractor races and tractor pulling.
Written by J.Gunsch
