Tractors are versatile vehicles that are used in various industries, including agriculture, construction, and road building. They come in different types, each designed for specific tasks and environments.
In this article, we will explore 13 types of tractors, their features, and their applications. From the basic single-axle walking tractor to the powerful articulated four-wheel-drive units, we will cover the most common types of tractors used today.
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Whether you are a farmer, a construction worker, or just curious about tractors, this article will provide you with a quick guide to the world of tractors.
13 Types of Tractors
Garden Tractors
Garden tractors are a type of lawn tractor designed for use in larger gardens or estates. They are typically more powerful than standard lawn tractors and have a wider cutting deck, making them ideal for mowing large areas of grass quickly and efficiently.
Here are some features of garden tractors based on the information from the search results:
- Garden tractors are designed for use in larger gardens or estates.
- They are typically more powerful than standard lawn tractors.
- Garden tractors have a wider cutting deck, making them ideal for mowing large areas of grass quickly and efficiently.
- They are fuelefficient and built to last with your comfort in mind.
- Garden tractors are designed with comfort and command in mind, allowing you to tackle your diverse lawn from season to season while enjoying a premium experience.
- They have a selection of attachments and accessories designed for a variety of jobs.
- Garden tractors are available in different horsepower and deck size options.
- They are built for heavyduty use and are ideal for professionallooking lawns.
- Garden tractors have features such as hydrostatic transmission, optional mowing accessories, and castiron front axle.
Orchard Tractors
Orchard tractors are designed to navigate through tight spots with ease without sacrificing power, torque, or capability.
They are used to support operations and protect valuable fruit and vegetable crops. Orchard tractors are also designed to provide the clearance to minimize crop disturbance and maximize row spacing accuracy. Some popular brands of orchard tractors include John Deere, Kubota, New Holland, and Same.
New Holland T4 F/V Series narrow tractors are designed for the narrow rows of orchards and nut groves. These tractors combine power, comfort, safety, and a sleek design. Orchard tractors are low enough to maneuver under raised poultry feeders, yet powerful enough to drive heavy-duty implements.
Orchard tractors are a vital part of the agriculture industry, supporting operations that produce fruit, vegetables, and wine.
Artillery Tractors
An artillery tractor is a specialized heavy-duty form of tractor unit used to tow artillery pieces of varying weights and calibers. There are two main types of artillery tractors, depending on the type of traction: wheeled and tracked.
Wheeled tractors are usually variations of lorries adapted for military service, while tracked tractors run on continuous track and in some cases are built on a modified tank chassis with the superstructure replaced with a compartment for the gun crew or ammunition.
The M6 High-Speed Tractor was an artillery tractor used by the US Army during World War II. Manufactured by Allis-Chalmers, it was used to tow heavy artillery pieces, such as the 8-inch Gun M1 and 240 mm howitzer M1. Its G-number was (G-184). The Royal Artillery persisted with specialist artillery tractors – known as “Field Artillery Tractors” (FAT) – such as the Morris “Quad”, Canadian Military Pattern (CMP) “Quad” and AEC Matador throughout World War II, rather than adopt a general-purpose vehicle.
Artillery tractors were different from “General Service” (GS) vehicles by having a compartment for the gun detachment immediately behind the driver’s position.
The importance of the tracked artillery tractors to the US Army may be judged from the number ordered. In 1917, after the USA entered WW1, 11,150 5-ton Holt civilian tracked tractors were ordered.
Autonomous Tractors
Autonomous tractors are a new iteration of the machine that has been core to farming for over a century. They are designed to process and calculate their own position and speed, and to avoid obstacles in the field such as humans, animals, and objects.
Autonomous tractors can be fully autonomous or monitored remotely. Tractors that function with supervised autonomy use automated technology, but with a supervising operator present.
John Deere is one of the companies that has developed autonomous tractors. The autonomous system of John Deere tractors uses advanced camera technology to give a 360º view of the tractor and implement. The autonomous tractor has six pairs of stereo cameras, which enables 360-degree obstacle detection and the calculation of distance.
Images captured by the cameras are passed through a deep neural network that classifies each pixel in approximately 100 milliseconds and determines if the machine continues to move or stops, depending on if an obstacle is detected.
Farmers can use John Deere Operations Center Mobile to start the machine and oversee a fleet from a remote location.
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Autonomous tractors promise to change how food is grown in America. They allow farmers to perform two jobs at once, which is beneficial given the labor shortage in the industry.
John Deere plans to support at least the past three years of tractors and may eventually support older machines.
Industrial Tractors
Industrial tractors, also known as tuggers, are designed for use in industrial applications, such as construction sites.
They are heavy-duty equipment compared to agricultural tractors, although they come in a variety of horsepower and strengths. Industrial tractors use a drawbar to attach implements, such as crane booms, as opposed to the three-point hitch used in farm tractors.
They also have four-wheel drive, making them suitable for off-road use. The primary uses for industrial tractors include towing the heaviest loads, such as logs, through a construction site or helping to accomplish land-clearing tasks.
Kubota offers a range of commercial tractors, including the M5L and M6L Low Profile tractors, which are built solid to withstand the toughest orchard conditions and are factory-ready to accept a Kubota-built front-end loader.
The M5 Series tractors are designed with features to provide the small hay/cattle producer and part-time farmer with productivity and comfort. The M6 Series tractor line-up delivers a powerful, adaptable, and practical series designed for hay, cattle, and ranchers.
The Kubota M Series Narrow tractors are designed for work in vineyards, orchards, or anywhere else that might require a narrow tractor that features M Series power.
John Deere offers a range of farming products, including tractors, harvesters, planting, seeding, and tillage equipment.
John Deere also offers unique technology solutions, such as the 1725C planter, which increases agronomic capability for cotton growers. John Deere’s autonomous technology takes everything you love about an 8R tractor and gives you the option to run it with or without an operator.
Earth Moving Tractors
Earthmoving tractors are heavy-duty machines that are used for construction and other earth-moving applications. They are equipped to move all types of debris, including dirt, mud, rocks, and lumber. The main types of earthmoving tractors include:
– Excavators: These vehicles are generally used to excavate the ground, meaning they’re equipped to dig deep and move tons of dirt or soil. Their design features a bucket, arm, and movable tracks to excavate and haul away debris.
– Bulldozers: These tractors are equipped with a large, upright blade at the front for clearing ground. Bulldozers are used to clear a variety of debris, like dirt, snow, rubble, and rock.
– Landscape grading: Earthmoving tractors can easily grade and flatten a surface to prepare it for work.
– Mining and drilling: Earthmoving tractors are also used in mining and drilling applications.
Row Crop Tractors
Row crop tractors are designed to cultivate row crops such as corn, sugar, and cotton. They are great for large area farmers since they can easily push and pull heavy implements.
Row crop tractors are versatile, powerful, and efficient machines that can be used for tilling, planting, applying, and hauling. They are available in different configurations, including wheel, two-track, and four-track.
John Deere is a popular brand that offers row crop tractors in the 6R, 7R, and 8R series, with horsepower ranging from 230 to 410. The 8 Series is designed with precision engineering for durability and reliability, and comes with integrated precision ag technology to help farmers make data-driven decisions that improve yields and increase productivity.
If you are looking for used row crop tractors, you can explore listings from dealers across North America on websites such as MachineFinder and Ag-Pro.
Rotary Tractors
A rotary tiller is a motorized cultivator that works the soil by means of rotating tines or blades. It is also known as a rototiller, power tiller, rotavator, rotary hoe, or rotary plow.
A tractor-mounted rotary tiller is a great tool for breaking down soil in an existing garden or turning a piece of land into a new garden space. Rotary tillers are available in a variety of sizes and designs, and they can be self-propelled or drawn as an attachment behind either a two-wheel tractor or four-wheel tractor.
When looking to purchase a rotary tiller, operators should always keep the width of their tractor’s rear tires in mind.
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The tiller should be at least as wide as the rear tractor tire base, otherwise, some parts of the garden may go un-tilled. When tilling the garden, operators should be sure to overlap with each pass.
A PTO-powered rotary tiller scrapes the soil and churns it into a clean, clod-free garden bed using a series of curved tines.
The working depth of a PTO-driven tiller can be modified using movable skid shoes. The bigger the tiller, the higher the optimum working depth.
Rotary tillers can be used for a variety of purposes, including breaking down soil in an existing garden, turning a piece of land into a new garden space, and weed removal. They are simple but effective tools that can improve the tractor’s stability by maintaining more weight on the tractor’s front wheels during the operation.
Two-Wheel Tractors
Two-wheel tractors, also known as walking tractors, are small, self-propelled machines that are designed to operate multiple interchangeable implements. They are commonly used in small-scale farming, gardening, and landscaping.
BCS is the largest manufacturer of two-wheel tractors in Europe, and their equipment is sold in the US by various dealers. BCS two-wheel tractors can power dozens of PTO-driven attachments for soil-working, mowing, property maintenance, landscaping, snow removal, and more.
BCS offers several models of two-wheel tractors, including the Model 710, Model 749, and Model 779. These models differ in engine horsepower, number of working speeds, weight distribution, and balance.
For example, the Model 749 is the gold standard two-wheel tractor for market farmers, with an upgraded hydraulic clutch, patented PowerSafe Clutch, and 3 forward and 3 reverse working gears.
The BCS 2-Wheeled Tractor is a versatile machine that can support an array of tasks on different types of soil. It is powered by a Honda engine that can work with a variety of implements that can be applied to the tractor, depending on your farm’s needs and environment.
Growers can use its two adjustable and reversible handles to maneuver the towed wheels of the tractor easily on freshly prepared beds without having to walk directly behind it.
Implement Carrier Tractors
Implement carrier tractors, also known as tool carriers, are machines that are designed to carry and operate multiple interchangeable implements. BCS two-wheel tractors can be equipped with a tool carrier kit to mount various attachments.
Here are some of the attachments that can be used with BCS tool carriers:
– Drag chain
– Snow thrower
– Ridger
– Buddy cart
– Mower
– Sickle bar mower
– Hay rake
– Pressure washer
– Dethatcher
– Power harrow
The tool carrier kit includes everything needed to mount drag implements to a BCS tractor, including a draw bar hitch and tool carrier.
The dual furrow action is possible when two ridgers are installed on the straight bar tool carrier. The buddy cart attachment is another handy attachment that can increase the versatility of the tool carrier.
Compact Tractors
Compact tractors are small agricultural tractors designed for homeowners or small farms. They are designed to take on the challenges that landowners face every day. Compact tractors are larger than sub-compact tractors and are therefore able to handle bigger jobs.
They are also easier to maneuver in small and narrow spaces. The primary uses of compact tractors include landscaping, snow removal, hauling and pulling.
Backhoe Loader Tractors
A backhoe loader, also known as a loader backhoe, is a heavy equipment vehicle that consists of a tractor-like unit fitted with a loader-style shovel/bucket on the front and a backhoe on the back. Backhoe loaders are versatile machines that can be used for a variety of tasks, including excavation, loading, backfilling, trenching, and landscaping. They are commonly used in urban engineering and small construction projects, as well as in developing countries.
The backhoe loader consists of several components, including stabilizer legs, the tractor, the backhoe, the bucket, and the cab.
The tractor is the core of the backhoe loader and is an all-terrain vehicle capable of moving across uneven ground thanks to its even weight distribution and heavy-duty tires.
The front loader is the backhoe bucket in front of the loader that lifts and moves material using a hydraulic system. The backhoe is the rear component of the loader, equipped with a digger bucket that’s sometimes called a dipper stick.
Stabilizer legs are located behind the rear wheels and are used for safety and to prevent the loader from tipping over. The cab is the component above the tractor that protects the operator from any flying objects or debris.
Tow Tractors
Tow tractors are electric vehicles designed to increase productivity and provide an efficient horizontal transportation solution for delivering materials throughout a facility.
They are used for tugging and towing tasks, such as low-level order picking and horizontal transport over short distances. Here are some features of tow tractors:
- Electric: Tow tractors are electric vehicles, which means they are environmentally friendly and produce zero emissions.
- Powerful: They are powerful enough to handle even the toughest jobs, with the ability to securely pull loads of up to 200,000 lbs.
- Efficient: Tow tractors are designed to be energy efficient, with regenerative braking and low maintenance AC drive motors.
- Maneuverable: They are designed to be highly maneuverable, making it easy to navigate through narrow aisles and tight spaces.
- Ergonomic: Many tow tractors are designed with ergonomic features to provide operator comfort and reduce fatigue during long shifts.
Sources: https://micdot.com
Category: Vehicles
