What Are the Benefits of Using a Tractor?

There are multiple advantages to having a tractor and using it during your agricultural processes. If you’ve started reading tractor seats reviews and other reviews related to these vehicles because you are seriously considering purchasing one, here are some of the main benefits you can gain by using a tractor.

How can you use a tractor?

Tractors can be used in many ways in agriculture. In fact, if you plan on earning a living through agriculture, it is very difficult to be able to manage your crops without using one. Tractors are deployed in a wide array of activities, helping farmers carry out different processes related to extensive production.

You might not need a tractor if you only plan on growing fruit and vegetables for your personal use. Although, if you have to manage a vast area of land it might become necessary. However, if you want to sell your produce, you will most likely need a tractor, first of all, in order to carry your crops from the field to the storage area, and then, to the market or place where you plan on selling them.

A tractor’s purpose is to ease your work and, together with other types of machinery, help you plant, grow, and gather your crops faster and easier.

To give you some quick examples that will help you understand how essential a tractor is, remember that you can perform the following operations with it:

– plow the area where you will grow plants

– prepare the land before cultivation by tilling it

– plant the seeds that will produce your crops

– perform soil-related works such as shoveling or weeds clearing

– help with tasks such as lifting or hauling that require a lot of time if they are performed manually

How were tractors developed and how do they work?

Tractors have been around for quite a while. They are vehicles designed for agricultural and industrial purposes. The first tractors started to appear in the early 19th century and they functioned based on a steam engine.

Later on, manufacturers started to produce tractors that worked on gasoline. In the beginning, tractors were rather slow and they were provided with steel wheels. After modern engines based on petrol and diesel were also introduced to tractors, these vehicles became faster and more efficient. At the same time, tractors were provided with large rubber tires and tracks.

The fact that manual work was no longer sufficient in order to satisfy an increasing demand for products, gave rise to the development of various agricultural machines. The tractor was an important addition to the list of mechanical technologies that aimed to ease agricultural operations.

Nowadays, there is a wide variety of tractors. They have different designs, shapes, capabilities, and of course, their prices also range tremendously based on what each model has to offer. Moreover, today, tractors are not only used for agricultural activities, but they can fulfill different tasks in helping maintain a farm. 

Managing a big farm without a tractor is almost impossible as other smaller vehicles could not be used with the same efficiency to haul or carry products and they could not offer support in field-related tasks.

The main benefits of using a tractor

These vehicles were designed to help farmers at every stage of the planting process. Here are some of the main advantages of using a tractor in agricultural activities.

Working on a large area 

Covering a hundred-acre area with crops would be impossible within a specific time frame without the help of a tractor and, in agriculture, time is limited as each type of plant has its own growing season.

One of the main advantages of using a tractor is being able to plant on larger surfaces of land which means more work, but also more crops that can translate into profit.

If you plan on expanding your farm or you want to start a business in agriculture, you will definitely need a tractor to complete the tasks related to preparing the land, sowing, and planting. Moreover, you will also need it to carry the food that you use to feed your livestock.

Efficiency

As we previously mentioned, time is essential when you deal with crops and there is a strict timeline you have to follow in planting the crops, taking care of their needs, and gathering them. Postponing the work by only a few days can lead to significant loss. For example, if you plant the seeds too late, it means that your crops will develop late, which will affect your production and your earnings. 

With the help of a tractor, you can get the work done in a timely manner. Compared to manual operations, a tractor can reduce your work time to a few hours and, if you have a vast land, a few days. Imagine how many days it would take to plant rice on a hundred acres. With a tractor, you can get this job done in only one day.

Completing regular farm-related tasks

You are not going to use a tractor only for agricultural works. Once you have one, you will realize that this is a multi-purpose vehicle that can be useful in different areas. Many other activities related to your farm’s maintenance can be completed faster if you have a tractor that can be used for hauling.

You probably don’t want to ruin your car by using it to get the farm works done. Also, there are areas where you cannot possibly drive a car, and where you require a strong vehicle with big tires such as the tractor.

Another great advantage of owning a tractor is that you can attach different other types of equipment to it, such as loaders or a back hose that can further aid your farming job.

Precision

There are two main reasons why machinery was introduced in agriculture. First, these machines allowed people to work on larger surfaces in less time and, as a result, produce more crops faster. The other main advantage was precision as working the land using machines meant fewer errors.

This is also one of the benefits of using a tractor. Whether you need it for plowing or during the planting process, a tractor will help you work in a uniform and precise manner. If carried out manually, these operations will be exhausting, and tiredness often leads to mistakes.

For example, let’s say you need to fertilize the land and you want to do this by applying liquid fertilizer from a heavy container. You will need hours to cover all the land and you will not be able to apply equal amounts to all the areas. As a result, some crops will be stronger and grow faster than others, creating an imbalance.

You cannot possibly work like a machine and repeat the same move, with minimum deviation, but a tractor can.

What to look for when buying a tractor

When buying a tractor, there are many aspects you have to take into account. You might be tempted to look for the most affordable options first but what you should actually start with is the purpose of your activity.

Different tractors can help in different operations. Depending on how many requirements your crops have or on how much work you have to carry out around your farm, you will realize that some tractor models are more suitable than others.

As a general rule, the basic models can support you in plowing the land, applying fertilizers, and treatments on your field. However, they might not be able to help you spread the seeds on the field, and this is quite a time-consuming task that also requires high precision. If you want to do this the right way, you should opt for a model that can also carry out this operation.

Moreover, you can use the tractor to water the land, which also helps you avoid significant time waste and ensure you do it uniformly. Another common problem in growing crops is the weeds that compete with the plants for nutrients and make them weaker. Some tractors can help you eliminate weeds effectively and, when harvesting time comes, you can also use them to collect your crops with ease.

Nowadays, tractors play a key role in the activities of any farmland. If you haven’t bought a tractor yet and you plan on practicing agriculture extensively, it’s time to get one.