Farm Machinery and Equipment: Tools, Tractors and Buying

The main types of farm machinery and implements

Agricultural machinery is easiest to understand by the job it does in the season. The tractor is the power unit, and most of the work is done by the implements it pulls, carries or powers. Self-propelled machines such as combines, sprayers and forage harvesters combine the two.

No-till farms skip most of the tillage row and rely more on the planter and sprayer, which is one reason their machinery line-up is usually smaller. Our list of farm tools and their names covers the hand tools and smaller kit as well.

Matching tractors and implements

The most common buying mistake is a tractor that’s too small or too large for the implements it has to run. A few specs decide the match:

• PTO horsepower, which is lower than the engine figure on the brochure, sets what a mower, baler or rotary tiller can draw.
• The three-point hitch category (0 to 4) has to match the implement’s pins, and lift capacity has to cover its weight with a margin.
• Hydraulic flow and the number of remote valves decide whether the tractor can run planters, air seeders and folding implements properly.
• Weight and ballast affect traction on heavy tillage, and tire choice affects soil compaction.

Dealers and implement makers publish horsepower ranges for each width, and they’re a sensible starting point. Soil type and slope push the requirement up or down.

Farming machinery buying guide: new, used, leased or hired

New machines come with warranty, finance offers and the latest guidance and data features. Used machines cost less up front but carry more risk, so check engine hours, service records, oil analysis if available, signs of welding or frame repair, and that the title is clear of liens. Our guide to buying repossessed tractors goes through those checks. Leasing spreads cost and suits machines you replace often.

For machines used only a few days a year, hiring a contractor can beat owning. University extension services publish custom rate surveys that show what contractors charge per acre or per hour in their state. We summarize one in MSU custom farming rates. Compare that rate with your own cost per acre before you buy.

Working out the cost of farm equipment per acre

The purchase price is only part of what a machine costs. Farm economists split machinery cost into two groups:

• Ownership costs, which you pay whether the machine runs or not: depreciation, interest on the money tied up, insurance, and housing.
• Operating costs, which rise with use: fuel, lubricants, repairs, and the operator’s labor.

Add up a year of both and divide by the acres the machine covers. Ownership cost per acre falls as use rises, which is why a combine that covers twice the acres can cost much less per acre, and why sharing machines or doing custom work for neighbors helps. Extension machinery cost worksheets use standard repair and depreciation factors if you don’t have your own records. Good maintenance is the cheapest way to keep repair costs down; our 15 machinery maintenance tips are a useful checklist before each season.

Farm machinery data and telematics

Most modern tractors, combines and sprayers record data: location, fuel use, engine load, as-applied rates and yield. Telematics sends that to the office in near real time. The value comes from using it. As-applied maps show where a planter or sprayer missed or doubled, fuel data shows which jobs or operators burn more, and yield maps show which parts of a field lose money. Our article on putting tractor data to work has examples, and GPS guidance for tractors covers the guidance side.

Before you commit to a brand’s data platform, check who owns the data, whether you can export it in a standard format and whether it works with your other machines. If you run a mixed fleet, our agriculture fleet management tool tracks vehicles by GPS, sets geofences with alerts and links machine work to crop data for scheduling.

Safety around farm machinery

Tractor overturns are among the leading causes of death on farms, and most could be prevented by a rollover protective structure (ROPS) and a fastened seatbelt. Older tractors without ROPS can often be retrofitted. The other common injuries come from power take-off shafts, so keep PTO shields in place and never step over a turning shaft. Don’t carry extra riders on machines built for one, lower implements and remove the key before getting off, and take care on public roads with slow-moving vehicle emblems and working lights. Our guide to farming safety equipment lists the protective gear worth having.