Tractors, what would we do without them? They’re the workhorse with humble origins dating back to late 19th century and have certainly come a long way with regard to design, ability and versatility. The modern tractor of today looks slightly similar to the ones of yesteryear but are somewhat smaller in size and power.
The modern day farm tractor is a distinctive, multi-purpose farm vehicle and would certainly be regarded as the most essential of all the types of farm machinery currently out there. Farm tractors such as the Kioti DK Series in Lincolnshire can be used along with a wide variety of farm equipment to help carry out different agricultural duties. These would include:
- Ploughing
- Shovelling
- Tilling
- Disking
- Harrowing
- Planting
- Hauling
- Pushing
- Lifting
- Transporting
- And even providing a power supply!
These vehicles which first made an appearance in the mid to late 1800’s were steam-powered portable and traction engine type vehicles. These were then followed by oil-burning and petrol powered engines. Petrol powered, internal combustion engines were the norm after about 1920. Many of these earlier models were also usually three wheeled and not that easy to handle.
From Three to Four Wheels
The later four-wheel tractors, however, were much easier and safer to manage and were also a lot less likely to keel over than the three wheeled types and also proved more suitable for mechanised farming.
Regarding the design:
- The four-wheel type of tractor has two large, powerful driving wheels and two steerable front ones.
- The driving wheels are fixed to an axle and the steerable front wheels are beneath the engine compartment.
- The driving seat and steering wheel are situated towards the rear of the four wheels, and in most cases inside an enclosed weatherproof cab.
Abundant Versatility
The modern tractor design can come as:
- An eight-wheel drive unit
- With caterpillar tracks
- With articulated and non-articulated tracks
They may have electrical or computer controls and are capable of a multitude of different functions.
New Heights in Farming
Different kinds of tractors have been developed for different farming requirements. These include:
- Row crop
- Wheat land
- High crop
The row crop and high crop kind of tractors have adjustable treads that allow for careful movement through crop rows. These vehicles can make their way through rows of tomatoes, corn, wheat or other crops without doing any kind of damage to any of the plants. The high crop models have a heightened ground clearance and are suited for farm work with vegetables or higher growing crops.
Modern Workhorses Are Us!
The larger tractors which are geared towards grain farming are used for heavier field work on large tracts of farmland, whereas the utility type is commonly smaller, general purpose vehicles. These are usually employed for non-farming types of activities such as gardening, landscaping and excavation and fitted out with softer tyres than the regular agricultural types.
If you’re looking for quality, go with a tractor company that you can trust and you will have no regrets.