If you are running a small or medium-sized farm, the equipment you need may vary depending on the farm’s focus, whether that is the cultivation of plants or livestock or both. If yours is a general-purpose farm that incorporates various agricultural components, you need to consider purchasing certain machines and peripheral items beyond harvesters or milking machines — such as a flail mower for tractor jobs, as starting implements. While you will likely expand beyond these, the following items belong inside or outside your barn or along your drive.
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Pickup Truck
The pickup truck serves as one of the across-the-board workhorses of the modern farm. Even if you already have a pickup, you may need to consider investing in a new one. Though these trucks have always been durable, practical vehicles, on a modern farm they have climbed to super-duty status, taking on a range of roles:
- Pulling trailers
- Hauling hay
- Carrying tools and building materials
- Irrigating fields
Additionally, today’s trucks are outfitted with comfortable interiors and suspension systems so that a ride into town is no longer a chore in itself.Â
Tractor
Large or compact tractors belong at the top of the list of essential farm equipment, perhaps above the place of the pickup truck. Their low-geared drivetrains, high-torque engines and oversize tires make them ideal machines for taking on a variety of jobs over rough surfaces and allowing them to pull or lift the heaviest loads. Their versatility is enhanced by the number of peripheral attachments they can accept, from mowers or lifters to pallet forks, mowing attachments, hay spears and rakes. You just have to ask yourself what loader fits my tractor when purchasing.
Utility Vehicle
Both tractors and pickups serve as the backbone of heavy-duty jobs. Sometimes, however, you want a vehicle for the less-intensive chores around the farm. Utility vehicles, which are smaller than trucks, can fill that general-purpose role. Look for a vehicle with two or four seats and a cargo bed. Then you and your helpers can move tools, manure loads or other farm essentials you need to distribute around the farm. Additionally, utility vehicles are small enough to maneuver into spaces too small for tall tractors and heavy-duty trucks.
Mower
Consider as optional equipment a small lawnmower or riding mower. This tool may make sense if your main house is surrounded by a small lawn bordered by curved decorative borders. A small mower can handle those edges while keeping the rest of the yard looking clean. However, for larger plots of land, especially those with thick grass and weeds, you need to turn once again to your tractor. By attaching a flail mower for tractor you can manage huge swaths of greenery much more quickly and without bogging down or damaging the machine.
Some farm equipment is necessary to sustain the business; you cannot milk herds of cows without milking machines, for example. However, you also need to rely on the right secondary machines and tools, such as pickups, tractors, and tractor peripherals, if you want to run your farm efficiently.
