If you're not familiar with farm tractors, choosing one that’s suitable for a small farm can be a daunting task. Will a compact tractor suffice and how important is tractor size?
A good starting point when choosing a small-farm tractor is to be clear just what you want a tractor for. If it is just to mow an acre or two, or to cart a few small bales of hay, then a ride-on mower or quad bike with a tow bar may be all you want.
However, if you need to cultivate soil, spread some fertiliser or feed out some large round bales, then you are likely to require what I like to term a ‘real tractor'. Unlike most ride-ons, a real tractor is full unit construction where the engine, transmission and rear drive train are all housed in rugged castings. It will also have a Power Take Off (PTO), a three-point linkage and external hydraulics capability.
For most small-farm operations, all your requirements can be found within the Compact Utility (compact) range of tractors. These are essentially small tractors of 15kW (kilowatt) to 50kW (20hp to 70hp) that have many of the exact same features that are found in larger, more expensive tractors.