What size tractor do I need for 40 acres?
The kind of tractor you should purchase for your farm should depend primarily on the acreage. The number of acres of your farmland should be considered first before getting a tractor.
Over time, I have received lots of questions from people asking me the most suitable tractor size for their acre of farmland. This is an intelligent question, and I will be answering it in this article. Kindly read through if you also have the same inquiry.
Survey has shown that 50% of farmlands are usually between 1-2 acres. As long as your farmland is already measuring up to an acre of land, it would be best to consider getting a tractor. Let me brief you on why you need a tractor.
Tractors are used for mowing, plowing, snowing, hauling, Tillage, and land cultivation.
The use of tractors is not limited to just these, as new uses are discovered every time. Tractors are also used to spread seeds evenly across a piece of land. Pouring seeds manually on your farmland might be pretty ineffective as there might be a case of overpopulation in a single spot.
The tractor can disperse seeds when the natural dispersal media, such as wind and water, fail. Asides from using tractors as seed dispersal machinery, their use as haulage vehicles on the farm cannot be overemphasized.
Several farm implements, such as plows, Tillage implements, etc., can be attached to the tractor to fulfill their purposes.
In addition, tractors are used to spread fertilizer or pesticides on the farm. Large and already-measured quantities of fertilizer are attached to the tractor and moved across the land. The fertilizer is released as the tractor moves.
So let’s cut the long story and get straight down to business. Different options are available for getting a tractor, concerning size and capability.
In this article, I will reveal the size of tractor you should get for your 1,2, 5, 10, 15, 20, over 20 – 40 acres and commercial farmlands. It is necessary to read this piece before purchasing a tractor, as it will not be nice if you get a tractor with a power that is too low or too large for your acreage.
Every size of land has a tractor size that suits it. Keep this in mind. Remember I told you that different kinds of tractors are suitable for different acres of farmland?
Here, you will see how these machines differ in their features, specifications, size, weight, and, most importantly, horsepower. Let’s ride.
What size Tractor do I need for 1-2 Acres?
Tractors made to work on farmlands in this acre range are called Lawn Tractors. “Lawn tractors” in the sense that they are used on Lawn-sized farms, such as the size of a football pitch. This is quite comprehensive.
They can perform minor or small jobs in the yard, such as mowing. The primary function of lawn tractors is mowing.
One exciting feature about Lawn tractors is that they are easy to maneuver and can even be operated by women. They come with an electric Power Take Off (PTO) system and a small fuel tank. The fuel tank is usually between 2-3 gallons in size.
Also, the tires are not so dense, so they don’t leave unnecessary tracks on the lawn. This keeps your mini farmland neat.
For an acre of land, you can get a lawn tractor with a 14-15 horsepower engine. However, if your land is more extensive but not bigger than 2 acres, a tractor with a 16-horsepower engine is enough. Try this and thank me later.
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What size Tractor do I need for 3-10 acres?
Tractors used on lands within 3-10 acres are called Garden tractors. They are larger than the Lawn Tractors on two or fewer acres.
Like Lawn Tractors, Garden tractors can also be used for mowing, but there is more to their functions. Garden tractors can perform heavier jobs on even more extensive properties.
An exciting feature is that they come with various attachments that allow you to move snow, haul, dump small loads, cultivate the land, till, plow, and even spread fertilizer or pesticide.
These are stunts that a Lawn Tractor can’t pull. Lawn Tractors are specific in functions and don’t have diverse capabilities like Garden tractors. Note that there are also limits to using garden Tractors.
A garden tractor usually has a 5- or 6-gallon fuel tank, PTO, and a hydraulic clutch. It may have four-wheel drive and enough power to tackle heavy jobs such as hauling manure out of the barn, carrying feed to animals, and many more.
Remember that if you need an excellent tractor for your extensive farmland, which might be up to 19 acres, Garden tractors should be your go.
They aren’t large but are not as small as lawn tractors. They might be more complicated to operate than lawn tractors. Also, they are more rugged, with aggressive wheels.
Garden tractors for 3-10 acres usually come with a 15- to 29-horsepower engine. This is, obviously, larger than that of lawn tractors; hence you can tell that they should have a higher performance than the latter.
What size tractor do I need for 11-20 Acres?
11 Acres is such a substantial piece of land! However, it’s not too large for a tractor to be efficient. Farmlands in the range of 11-20 acres can be worked on by Compact and Sub-compact tractors.
These tractors usually come with two, or sometimes, 3-cylinder diesel engines and fuel tanks that can hold up to 8 gallons of diesel fuel.
This is larger than that of Garden tractors and Lawn Tractors combined. They are easy to maneuver and operate on slightly large properties.
As the name suggests, Sub-compact Tractors have lower horsepower engines when compared to compact tractors. Sub-compact tractors usually have 25-35 horsepower engines and are suitable for use on farmlands between 5-10 acres.
On the other hand, Compact tractors have between 35-50 horsepower engines and are quite suitable for use on farmlands between 10-20 acres.
You should go for a compact tractor if you have 20 acres of land. However, both compact and Sub-compact tractors come with many attachments and can perform a wide range of functions on the farm.
What size tractor do I need for 40 acres?
Any farmland up to 40 acres is usually for commercial purposes. However, this doesn’t mean that all these acreage lands are commercial.
So, I’ll highlight the kinds of tractors suitable for non-commercial lands below 40 acres.
These kinds of tractors are called Utility tractors. They are taller, bigger, and more powerful than any of the tractors mentioned in this article.
The primary purpose of tractors of this size is to manage heavy-duty attachments and perform challenging tasks, which include handling large loads, digging post holes, clearing deep snow, etc.
Typically, Utility tractors come with a minimum of 45 horsepower engines. This is why they are ideal for vast acres of land. This machine is helpful, especially if you own a wide farmland.
What size tractor do I need for Commercial Farming?
Commercial farm tractors usually come with the highest horsepower engines. These might range from 85 horsepower to 450 horsepower.
They are typically run with a 4 to 6-cylinder diesel engine and are designed for commercial farming. If you have a small land, you don’t need this tractor as it is unnecessary.
Asides from the essential functions and specifications that come with these kinds of tractors, there is also a bit of luxury, which includes a comfortable enclosed cab complete with AC, heating, adjustable power seat, GPS, tilt steering wheel, sound system, and many more.
If you are a farmer with an extraordinary land expanse, you should get one of these tractors for your farmland. If you also have up to 40 acres of farmland, these kinds of tractors might be better than utility tractors.
With this, you don’t need to spend all day on the farm doing minor and heavy tasks that a machine could handle for you.
Things to consider before purchasing a Tractor
When you are about to purchase a tractor, you need to consider certain things. This will help you save a lot, including your money. Here is where I’m going.
Tractors with greater horsepower tend to cost more. So, it would be best if you tried to balance horsepower with your working ability.
Do not just go for any tractor with an unnecessarily high horsepower which will eventually become useless on your farm.
Secondly, take note of the Manufacturer’s Specifications. If you are looking to buy one from five tractors, you should carefully check out each specification, as this will significantly affect your output and the amount for purchase.
Another factor to consider is time. We all want to get something when it is pretty affordable. This should have come first, but I had to save the best for the last.
Study the market, and don’t buy a tractor when you feel you or any other farmer needs it. This is the time that the manufacturers tend to increase the prices.
So you should purchase one when there’s an ample supply and no one is buying yet. The price is usually relatively low at this time. Having said all of this, you should know what’s best for you by now.
