Garden tractor

Origin and uses of garden tractors

The word "tractor" is often understood as describing a large agricultural vehicle used to cultivate crops in the fields. But a comparison of all the ways in which the the term is used in countries across the world shows that it often refers primarily to a garden tractor. A garden tractor is basically an automotive engine used on farms for activities such as ploughing, harvesting or even pulling a trailer. It is also used to carry other agricultural equipment.

There are subtle differences between lawn tractors and garden tractors. Garden tractors are often used by municipalities to maintain public gardens or parks, and by landscape designers and small farms. Despite their small size, garden tractors are also used in the wine growing industry. Modern garden tractors are fitted with a 10 to 15 horsepower engine. Speed is of secondary concern for a tractor.

Ease of use

Garden tractors have a wide range of applications, including ploughing, harvesting, sowing, spraying and pulling various types of farm trailers. Apart from the more specialized varieties, such as combine harvesters, a large number of agricultural tractors can perform several functions. These include pulling agricultural machinery to plough a field or spray herbicide on crops.

History

The invention of the tractor cannot be credited to a single person. Some famous names such as Charles Hart, Charles Parr and Dan Albone played an important part in its inception. Albone was responsible for inventing the first commercial tractor in 1902.

Garden tractor manufacturers

The major tractor manufacturers are John Deere, Massey Ferguson and Kubota.These companies offer a wide range of models according to the requirements in question. For instance, a farm tractor used for ploughing will not need as much power as one used to pull a heavy load of agricultural products. For example, John Deere offers a range of very diverse models, from the combine harvester to all sorts of agricultural equipments.