{"id":5429,"date":"2024-09-04T03:00:01","date_gmt":"2024-09-04T07:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hobbyfarms.com\/2015\/12\/28\/names-of-farm-equipment-4\/"},"modified":"2024-09-04T15:08:51","modified_gmt":"2024-09-04T19:08:51","slug":"names-of-farm-equipment-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hobbyfarms.com\/names-of-farm-equipment-4\/","title":{"rendered":"Farming Equipment Names: Know What You Need"},"content":{"rendered":"

Learning farming equipment names may seem trivial, but when you’re a farmer shopping at auctions, dealerships and estate sales, it’s hard to know where to begin. Knowing the names and uses of farm equipment is the basis for making a good purchase for your farm and wallet.<\/p>\n

1. Tractor<\/h2>\n

There never was a more broad category of farming equipment than the tractor. If only choosing a tractor was as simple as choosing a color\u2014though many farmers with brand allegiance will tell you it is.<\/p>\n

Tractors (one of which is pictured above) are available in sizes appropriate for farmers with 1 acre up to those working 1,000 acres or more. As versatile as these pieces of farm equipment are, a tractor is a pretty common-sense purchase for small-scale farmers. You want one that has the right amount of horsepower and the right hitch rating for the work you plan to do with it. Farm Journal\u2019s AgWeb offers a guide to determining the size of tractor you need for your farm. Hobby Farms has guides including 8 Things to Consider When Buying a Tractor<\/a><\/strong> and 4 Tractor Types to Consider for Your Farm<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Two-Wheeled Tractor<\/h2>\n

Also known as a walk-behind tractor<\/a><\/strong>, this piece of farming equipment is worth consideration for the smallest-scale farm. You truly do walk behind it, as the name implies, and you can use a range of attachments: hay baler, rototiller, snow blower, bed shaper, seeder, wagon and so on.<\/p>\n

2. ATV\/UTV<\/h2>\n

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All-terrain vehicles (or four-wheelers) and utility vehicles (think hefty golf carts) are really fun pieces of farming equipment, yet they\u2019re also really handy. If you have a large property, it\u2019s nice to have an option besides walking everywhere. ATVs and UTVs are great for hauling your harvest or equipment. They can tow small trailers, and you can get attachments for many models. (See also: 22 Attachments for Your ATV or UTV<\/a><\/strong>, 10 Uses for an ATV or UTV on Your Farm<\/a><\/strong> and If You Can’t Afford a Tractor, Use Your ATV or UTV to the Max<\/a>)<\/strong><\/p>\n

3. Farm Truck<\/h2>\n

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Sure, you can get by farming with your Prius or Mini, but when you need to put a goat in the hatchback, you might wish you had a truck. A host of small, midsize and full-size trucks can fit your farm\u2019s needs. Consider whether you need to pull a trailer, make long trips, put a cap on the bed or drive it through your fields. Once you know what kind of tasks you expect your truck to perform, you can find the right size and look at the makes and models available to you.<\/p>\n

4. Wagon<\/h2>\n

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A farm \u201cwagon\u201d might be akin to the little red wagon you had as a kid. On the opposite end of the spectrum, it might also be a large, four-wheel wooden piece of farming equipment designed for moving hay. There are wagons at many levels in between, too, and numerous uses for wagons aside from hauling hay<\/a>.<\/p>\n

5. Backhoe<\/h2>\n

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If digging is your thing, a backhoe is your tool; if you don\u2019t plan to dig holes on a regular basis, you\u2019d be better served to borrow or rent a backhoe rather than purchase your own. Backhoes can be purchased as separate hydraulic implements for some tractor types. According to the Louisiana State University Ag Center, most backhoe attachments are designed to dig as deep as 10 feet.<\/p>\n

6. Front-End Loader<\/h2>\n

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While backhoes look like fun, front-end loaders can be considered more useful on the small-scale farm on a regular basis. Not all tractors are equipped to handle a front-end loader, but if yours is, you can dig, move bulky items (including loose things such as soil and manure), lift heavy items and equipment, and perform some land-grading tasks.<\/p>\n

7. Cultivator<\/h2>\n

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Cultivators are used for\u2014you probably already guessed this\u2014soil cultivation. In particular, cultivators are used for weed control before planting into a bed, as well as incorporating crop or weed residues and preparing a seed bed. Cultivator tines can be properly spaced to be used in a garden bed or crop field after plants are growing to remove the weeds from around the plants. It takes someone with a steady hand to drive the tractor in a straight line and not hit the vegetable plants with the cultivator.<\/p>\n

8. Cultipacker<\/h2>\n

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Cultipackers are pulled behind tractors to firm seedbeds before seeding to set up your planting for good seed-to-soil contact. Following up broadcast seeding with a cultipacker pass will press the seeds into the soil.<\/p>\n

9. Plows<\/h2>\n

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There are more types of plows than you anyone cares to name. Select the right combination of plows for your farm based on your soil type, your type of crop production and the condition of the land.<\/p>\n