Tractors Are Like Mother - Down To Earth, Hardworking, And Undervalued

The landscape of American farming changedhow fast the tractor can go) and through the
dramatically between 1850 and 1950 due in large partdifferential gear to the two large rear-drive wheels.
to the introduction of farm tractors. Initially, tractorsSome farm tractors can reach speeds up to 25 miles
used steam engines, until these gave way to internalper hour, but slow speeds are necessary to give the
combustion engines in the twentieth century. Thefarmer more control while doing field work.
turn-of-the-century steam engine tractor is giganticFarm tractors are designed to be operated with
and primitive looking, using chains on a rotating shaftadditional weight or ballast when pulling heavy loads
to steer.to reduce wheel slip. Insufficient ballast can cause
When tractors were introduced, farmers quicklyexcessive wheel slip and increased fuel consumption.
found that engine driven tractors were moreTractors need large tires to avoid compressing the
economical to use, as compared to keeping animalsearth, and to avoid digging in. Thus only the rear tires
for tillage, and tractors began selling widely. In manyreally need to be large and the front tires can be
cases agricultural machinery dealers received cattlesmall and smooth unless the tractor has four wheel
for the barter for tractors and they and in turn solddrive. Tractors used on ground of irregular contours
the cattle in the meat market. The Farmall is one ofhave tracks so mounted that their left and right
early tractors and the most familiar and famousfront ends rise and fall independently of each other.
names in tractor history. Tractors were made to beHowever, soil undulations induce tractor and machine
work horses, so niceties were minimal. This includedvibrations, reducing driver's comfort and their
foregoing a fuel gauge.capability of controlling the linked machinery.
Tractors are most useful for cultivation purposes, soTractors are usually used to pull, or in some cases,
a tractor or tractors have been a must for farmpush objects and are designed to pull either large
owners, but tractors are also used in excavation, inloads at slow speeds or lighter loads at higher speeds.
manufacturing and industry, or on construction sites.Field speeds up to 10 mph are typical, but rangeland
Farm size, availability of labor and custom services,applications usually vary from 2 to 5 mph. Tractors
crop selection, and cultural practices, such as choicecan be generally classified as two-wheel drive,
of tillage system, all affect the selection of antwo-wheel drive with front wheel assist, four-wheel
optimum equipment set and, ultimately, the numberdrive (often with articulated steering), or track
of tractors necessary to farm. Although demand fortractors (with either two or four powered rubber
tractor power generally increases with farm size,tracks).
many commercial farms operate efficiently with aTractors are equipped with a hitching point below the
single tractor.rear axles to prevent roll over. Unfortunately, some
Tractors are designed to operate at different travelpeople will attach to a point above the rear axle in a
speeds, but the final drives are not designed for allfoolish attempt to get more weight/traction on the
possible torques theoretically available. The enginedrive wheels and this can lead to disaster. Also, if a
may range from about 12 to 120 horsepower ortractor is used to free and tow a stuck vehicle, the
more and tractors over the years have been typicallyoperator should hitch the vehicles front-to-front and
offered in the range of 20 to 400 horsepower.drive the towing tractor in reverse, which minimizes
Engine power is transmitted to a gearbox typicallythe risk for rollover, by transmitting all the engine
having 4 to10 speeds (these transmissions arepower of the towing tractor through the chain to the
manually switched via a control lever to determineother vehicle.