I don't drive a tractor, but they are handy on an acreage.
A farmer expects to tend hay and let the animals graze the pasture. But if you're not a farmer, and you have a pasture that's small and too secluded to rent to a farmer, you might need a tractor.
A few things I never expected about tractor ownership:
1. When brush hogging, a bit of material you've just cleared can puncture a tire, or perhaps even a radiator. And this can happen right after you the tractor has been returned from the shop.
2. When a tractor breaks down, it's never close to a shop. Never. It can break down at very inconvenient places. To hire someone to take your tractor to the shop becomes just a normal expense.
3. Brush may need cleared to get the wrecker to the tractor, and if a wrecker takes out a part of the fence...oops.
4. The tractor needs driven occasionally, even in the winter when there's almost nothing to use it for if you don't have livestock. Whether it's to keep the battery working, or to keep the motor seals working—or both, I'm not sure. But it's not recommended to just let the vehicles sit. Which means, the owner can't sit through the winter. If you do, you might need the wrecker again.
.
But it's easy to get fond of having one. Tractors with a front end loader are so helpful. An overgrown path can be cleared. A trailer on the back helps when picking up storm debris. The front end loader moves gravel or dirt.
I never expected to need farm equipment. But, it does come in handy.
A farmer expects to tend hay and let the animals graze the pasture. But if you're not a farmer, and you have a pasture that's small and too secluded to rent to a farmer, you might need a tractor.
A few things I never expected about tractor ownership:
1. When brush hogging, a bit of material you've just cleared can puncture a tire, or perhaps even a radiator. And this can happen right after you the tractor has been returned from the shop.
2. When a tractor breaks down, it's never close to a shop. Never. It can break down at very inconvenient places. To hire someone to take your tractor to the shop becomes just a normal expense.
3. Brush may need cleared to get the wrecker to the tractor, and if a wrecker takes out a part of the fence...oops.
4. The tractor needs driven occasionally, even in the winter when there's almost nothing to use it for if you don't have livestock. Whether it's to keep the battery working, or to keep the motor seals working—or both, I'm not sure. But it's not recommended to just let the vehicles sit. Which means, the owner can't sit through the winter. If you do, you might need the wrecker again.
.
But it's easy to get fond of having one. Tractors with a front end loader are so helpful. An overgrown path can be cleared. A trailer on the back helps when picking up storm debris. The front end loader moves gravel or dirt.
I never expected to need farm equipment. But, it does come in handy.
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