Best Used Compact Tractor

Before I knew it, I had driven right across the top of the anthill, and suddenly the mower wasn't moving anymore. Starting up the mower once again, I engaged the differential lock and slowly pushed the accelerator.

It provides power to attachments such as mowers and hay balers, and often has its own horsepower rating separate from the tractor's engine. This type of transmission makes it easy to maintain a constant speed; the operator simply puts it in the appropriate...

Here are four classes of tractors to consider for your hobby farm, along with a few guidelines to give you an idea of the type you need. Horsepower: approximately 17 to 22 2. As a hobby farmer, you know the value of a quality tractor.

For heavy loads, a rear carrier might be just what you need, because it has more lift capacity and puts the weight on the tractor's more robust rear axle. Connect a 110-volt inverter to your tractor battery for a power supply that will run saws, drills,...

Two Italian brands that can be found in North America are BCS America (based in Portland, Ore.) and Grillo, with BCS being the most established, as they have been imported since the mid-1970s.

A sign off to the side of the road announced the Vintage Harvest. You'll not only see history, you'll see some pretty darn good technology. A group of friends working with the county's historical museum at nearby Davenport, Wash., had refurbished farm...

This strategy had a couple of interesting effects. Even a simple lawn mower, running at full throttle, can quickly guzzle through a full tank of gas. But can you learn a lesson from the slow and steady tortoise?

Investing a few minutes before you start your tractor and a few hours throughout the year can keep it running smoothly for the long haul. Maintenance checks also serve as an early warning system to catch small problems before they become big problems.

Overheating due to radiator-debris buildup can void the warranty in many cases. While you're checking for free airflow, inspect the rest of the tractor to make sure no sharp sticks have been flipped into the engine or penetrated tires.

For hobby farmers, mowing can be a particularly time-consuming task because the amount of grass that needs mowing on a farm can be extensive. This will discharge the clippings toward the middle of the mowing area, which is much more desirable than discharging...

Sadly for my stateside friends, Lamborghini tractors are not sold in the United States. Modern Lamborghini tractors are produced by the Same Deutz-Fahr group, the largest privately owned agricultural-machinery manufacturer in the world.

Take, for example, attaching implements to a tractor using the three-point hitch. But for all its strengths, the three-point hitch hasn't always been a standardized feature for tractors.

Step 4: Collect Supplies As the oil drains, pick up supplies from a farm store or dealership, using the specs collected in step 1. Look for number labels such as 30W, 15W40, 20W50, et cetera.

Anyone with a gravel driveway is probably familiar with the way that potholes can form over time, attracting water during rainstorms to form mud puddles that gradually grow larger until your driveway is quite uneven and bumpy.

The patch will then stick to in the hole and stop the leak—far and away the most affordable of fixes, though again, you cannot patch a busted sidewall. Whether you collect old tractors , inherited grandpa's trusty Minneapolis Moline, or are a vegetable...

The phrase “make hay while the sun shines” says it all—ideally, you'll bale hay on warm, sunny days, and because the process can be quite strenuous, beware of the mix of hot temperatures and hard work.

This applies not only to hand tools but to machines as well; in fact, a couple of years back I expounded on the virtues of old tractors, including “Little Mo,” the John Deere Model 40 that has been faithfully serving my farm for more than 60 years.

Using a chain, we tied the arms securely to the post, and then—as we watched with curiosity and hope—my brother engaged the hydraulic lift. We had two choices—we could dig up the entire post and block of concrete, leaving a gaping hole in the soggy...

That's where the Bicitractor comes in. According to Make , the Bicitractor was “[c]reated by farmers for farmers [and] it performs a variety of agricultural tasks, working the soil to a maximum depth of 5 cm (not quite 2 inches), which is popular with...

Two perfect examples are tree stumps and large rocks—they're very heavy and often oddly shaped, presenting a challenge when it comes to moving them to a better location (i.e., out of your hay field or barnyard.) So how do you move large objects like...

Use Block Heaters: Installing an electric engine-block heater in your tractor can help keep it ready to run after an extremely cold night; it works great for your vehicles as well.

Gather Winter Clothes So … just where are those warm winter gloves that you put away for the summer? Here a simple to-do list to help you get started. If items need washing, do that now; if your boots are wearing out and won't survive another winter,...

If annual service is sufficient, spread it across the calendar year or set aside a day in the fall to do everything. Replace the filter and reattach fuel lines before reopening the fuel line to the tank.

Tags farm equipment , tractor , UTV Think about the task ahead and the tools you need to get the job done. Maybe you need a tractor to repair fencing, a UTV to check on livestock or a chainsaw to remove brush and fell trees.

Learn more about it and find a dealer at John Deere . $39.99 per pair at EZGrip Mat Mover 4. Every issue of Hobby Farms magazine, our editors search for items that are useful to hobby farmers, whether they're heavier equipment such as tractor attachments,...

There are also safety concerns, because stump grinders are powerful and throw out plenty of wood chips while they work. (You might need to cut some of the main roots first.) Of course, you should use caution with any effort to forcibly remove a stump,...

Most hobby farmers eventually have to deal with rocks in their fields or yards. Backhoe Attachment If you're looking to dig up huge boulders, then you might want to skip the digging bar and let your tractor do the work with a backhoe attachment.