What Should I Consider When Buying a Compact Tractor?

A compact tractor is used by many people for purposes, such as gardening, ground clearance, and light duty agricultural and construction use. When deciding what compact tractor to purchase, there are several things to take into consideration. These considerations include the size and terrain of the land, other uses you may have for the tractor, features and attachments, and costs.

The terrain of your land is the biggest consideration in choosing a compact tractor to purchase. If you were to choose a lawn tractor to plow hilly terrain, it simply will not work, and it may even tip and cause injury to the rider. Mowing flat terrain involves the use of a riding mower or lawn or garden tractor, while an estate tractor is necessary to mow hilly terrain.

Choosing a compact tractor to purchase also involves considering the amount of acreage you own. Riding mowers and lawn and garden tractors are the best compact tractors for mowing land that is one-half, to three acres in size, as long as the terrain is flat. An estate tractor is recommended for tilling land that is three acres and larger in size. Using a smaller tractor may result in overheating and therefore, damaging your machine.

Consider what other tasks you may want to use the compact tractor for, besides mowing the lawn. The riding mower can be used for snow removal, tilling, and grading the dirt. The lawn and garden tractor can be used for all of the above, as well as towing, field mowing, loader work and light digging. The all-powerful estate tractor can be used for all the tasks the lawn and garden tractor can accomplish, as well as for excavating and attaching implements such as rotary cutters and hay rakes. Using a compact tractor for a task in which it wasn't designed can cause severe damage to your machine, as well as injury to the rider.

When considering which of the compact tractors to purchase, think about any attachments you may want to add. Due to the varying levels of horse-power between the different styles of tractors, not all machines can be used with the attachments. The different accessories include aerators, backhoe loaders, bale carriers and spears, blades, boom poles, cultivators, front end loaders, harrows, mulchers, plows, rototillers, scoops, seeders, sprayers, wood chippers, as well as several others. Research the attachments to learn which compact tractors they are recommended for.

The cost of compact tractors vary greatly according to the horse-power and its various uses. A riding mower with 8 to 10 horse-power costs between $800 to $2,000 US Dollars (USD). A lawn tractor with 10 to 16 horse-power costs between $900 to $3,100 USD. Garden tractors cost between $2,500 to $7,000 USD as their horse-power is between 14 to 25. The gran-daddy of all compact tractors, the estate tractor, has a horse-power range of 15 to 30, which can cost the buyer up to $20,000 USD.