The modern tractor is a very powerful and flexible machine, capable of handling the most difficult agricultural tasks with ease. What was once required by animal teams and farmers can now be accomplished with one operator and one tractor; Everything from plowing to planting and general maintenance around the farm. Because of the incredible versatility that tractors bring to the farm, it’s no surprise that tractor service on and off the field continues to skyrocket around the world.
Plowing is of course one of the most common applications of modern farm tractors. Tractors accomplish this task using a variety of attachments depending on the type of soil as well as the intention of the farmer. Standard plow attachments turn the soil to prepare it for planting, while chisel plows allow the cultivator to loosen and aerate the soil with minimal disturbance, which is ideal for sustainable farming where it is desirable to leave organic matter near the surface. Harrow attachments can also be used to prepare soil for planting by breaking up large clumps after initial passing by a standard tiller.
Tractors are also widely used for farming on agricultural farms, replacing the need for a farmer’s hands to manually cultivate each row by hand. Using the planter attachment, a single operator can simultaneously plant anywhere from 2 to 48 rows at a time, greatly reducing the time needed for the job and allowing farmers to quickly plant their crops when only short opportunities are available. Older cultivators usually had a physical marker on the attachment that instructed the operator where to center the tractor for each lane, while on modern tractors the cultivating operation can be directed using GPS and auto-routing for maximum accuracy.
Tractors also have many applications that go beyond just plowing and planting. One of the common uses for a farm tractor today is general farm maintenance. Bulk mower attachments allow the tractor, for example, to clear the ground around the farm quickly and easily. Other common attachments include an auger for digging fence post holes and front loaders for moving large mounds of dirt, gravel, and other materials around the farm.
The modern tractor is a true engineering marvel. With a wide variety of possible applications, it is an indispensable tool on any farm. Capable of tackling any labor-intensive agricultural task from plowing to planting to performing general maintenance around the farm, the tractor completes every task with precision and speed. Because of this amazing versatility, tractor sales have remained strong for more than a century after their introduction to the modern farm.