So, you just made the decision to become a farmer, but the question is “have you ever grown a crop before?”. However you’ve envisioned your future calling of living and making money off the earth, know it is nothing like sitting in your rocking chair and overlooking the crops. It is more like standing knee-deep in a muddy earth, planting, fertilizing, harvesting, being covered in dirt or engine oil. Make sure you are aware of the gap between vision and reality before you get into this industry.
Also make sure you know what it takes to grow quality crops. Aside from using quality seeds, knowing how to deal with diseases and when and how to plant, you need to get quality equipment as well. The first thing you need is a tractor – the multitasking piece of machinery and your right-hand man. First tractor powered by gasoline was invented and built in 1892 by an American inventor, John Froelich. Since, many designs and implements were introduced which set new trends within farming industry, and some within car industry as a result of a rivalry between two Italian supercars, Ferrari and Lamborghini.
Choosing the right tractor (model, make, size), can save you money and boost your production. Deciding on your perfect mechanical partner to make your farming easier, you need to go through great research and consideration. Whether searching the listings of brands and models of tractor for sale in Qld or any other Australian state, the first thing you need to consider is the size of the land or farm and if you’ll need the machinery to be used for agriculture or construction tasks.
If it is a big property, you will need to consider a model with the horsepower in the range of 45hp to 70hp (for smaller properties, a tractor of 35hp or less will do just fine), to ensure the vehicle will be able to perform multiple tasks, like tiling and mowing. There are two types of rating manufactures use to state and measure the power of a tractor: Engine horsepower and PTO horsepower. The choice of horsepower will depend on the size of your land and a number of tasks that will be done on the farm. PTO horse-powered tractors are not recommended for the novice farmers due to the fact they are “power available” to operate complex types of equipment.
The next thing is to plan ahead. Know exactly what you will be using the tractor for as upgrading it later can be very costly. Tractors of suitable horsepower, need to team up with specific attachments to get a certain task done. Listing down all the daily, monthly and annual tasks will help you answer many questions, such as whether or not you need hay making equipment or post-hole digger.
Whether you are searching for dealers that offer tractor for sale in Qld or any other Australian state, make sure you specify the type of transmission you want – hydrostatic or mechanical. A mechanical transmission is more power-efficient than the hydrostatic transmission but gives you the freedom to select any engine speed between zero to the maximum, being more efficient than the hydrostatic transmission engines.
Driving this monster of a machine can be very difficult to do or deal with, a task that requires much training, servicing and maintenance. If you did not grow up on a farm or have doubts about operating this kind of machinery, you may gain some knowledge and experience from attending a tractor-training course. Safety should always be a priority. With your knowledge gained, when operating the tractor you will be able to provide adequate power with ease and deal with any type of operation.
There are a few other things you need to consider to ensure you make the right selection. You need to get the model that ensures comfort, safety, a platform with proper design of operation; adequate space between fenders and pedals surrounding it; flexibility with adjusting your seat and steering wheel; visibility of the control switches and panel lights; good condition of handholds on each side of the stairs.
Searching a tractor for sale can be as difficult as searching for the perfect crop to plant. Attend courses and seminars to always be up-to-date with the newest challenges and upgrades for you tractor because every information can save you money and give you a insight into a new approach of advancing you farming.
