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April 2009
by Anita Miller Fry Volume: 10-2 Page: 24 Subject: equipment Format: article When shopping for a tractor or utility vehicle for the farm, there are many questions to consider. First and foremost, “What purpose or chores will the vehicle be used for to help simplify the workload around the barn?” Tractors typically have four main purposes, according to the Cooperative Extension in Pennsylvania. They include: • moving or lifting loads through the use of a front-end loader; • running another piece of equipment through the use of a power take-off (PTO); • carrying another piece of equipment through the use of a three-point hitch; • transporting another piece of equipment through the use of a drawbar. Tractors have advanced backhoe capabilities and loader capabilities that a utility vehicle cannot match, says Aaron Hanlon, product marketing manager for Cub Cadet Yanmar. However, utility vehicles can seat more than one person, can get into smaller places, and they have a bed. Both tractors and utility vehicles can plow snow, move dirt, and other jobs around the facility. Tim Walter, who has been selling tractors and utility vehicles for 16 years, says the first thing he finds out from potential buyers is “what kind of equipment is currently being used, and whether the farming operation is going to stay the same in future years or grow larger or smaller.” Walter, who is with Heritage Tractor, a John Deere dealership in Topeka, Kansas, says answering an extensive list of questions, such as how many acres the vehicle will be used on, what types of uses there will be, and what kind of budget the person is working with are part of the equation to figure a good fit for an equine facility. “Most people who have a tractor find their needs get larger and they want to have a loader to move bedding or something,” Walter says. Bryan Zent, Bobcat marketing manager, says the most important thing an owner or manager needs to do is ask how he or she will be using the machine. “Is the machine primarily for transportation of people or tools, or will the machine be used more for work, such as cleaning barns, maintaining the land or arenas, or constructing fences,” Zent says. “Once these questions are answered, an owner or manager can start to narrow down the features and options that will best suit their needs.” Roger Gifford, compact product manager for Cub Cadet Yanmar, also says besides looking at the work that vehicle will be used for, the space it will have to operate in should be considered, as well. “While a larger compact tractor might be able to carry heavier loads through the barn, a small, sub-compact tractor may be more useful for maneuvering inside the barn and actually getting into horse stalls,” Gifford says. “In addition to considering things like overall size, be sure to factor in ROPS, turning radius and whether or not the product will go where you need it to go.” CONSIDERING THE OPTIONS Zent of Bobcat says prospective buyers should look at comfort features, such as a cab model with heat and air conditioning, if the machine will be operated in hot or cold environments. Other comfort features, such as suspension seats, should also be considered for tractors that will be operated for long periods of time. Machines that will have multiple operators will benefit from controls that are easy and intuitive to use, Zent says. He also says that if the machine is used for work tasks, then attachment and implement capabilities should be considered. Tractors can be equipped with front-end loaders, rear three-point hitches, and rear- and mid-mounted PTO systems that allow for numerous implements to be used. Commonly referred to as the PTO and located at the rear of the tractor, the power take-off shaft provides the power to the attached farm implements. One thing to note in shopping for a tractor is the ease with which the front-end loader can be equipped and removed, says Zent. The ease with which rear implements can be changed should also be considered, especially on farms where a variety of tasks will be handled. For most people with horse operations, Walter helps them determine if they need a garden-type tractor or a compact tractor. Walter says he can price both a garden tractor and a compact tractor—very similarly sized—but the compact tractor will hold its value much better over the years. Compact tractors also have roll-over protection and a seatbelt to keep the driver safer. Walter says he makes suggestions on what a potential buyer might want to consider, and he says there are lots of options to choose from, like fancy cabs and air conditioning all the way to entry level vehicles that still offer convenience. “It may not have the fancy hood or seats, but it does the job,” he says. ALL ABOUT IMPLEMENTS Walter says it’s important to figure all the ways a person may use the tractor for now and in the coming years to make sure those implements and attachments will fit the model selected. Implements often considered by the equine facility are arena drags such as harrows or rotary tillers (that don’t need PTO power); brush hog or rotary mower; bucket or front loader; front fork; manure spreader; scraper blades; post-hole diggers; haying equipment; or a utility trailer. Walter explains that most people keep their machines for eight to 10 years and may add implements as they go. There can be financial incentives to go ahead and buy more than one implement at the original purchase as some dealers will make a better deal as opposed to buying the implements separately in later years. Walter says he sometimes does packages that involve several implements and a trailer to haul them. FOCUS ON UTILITY Cub Cadet’s Hanlon says an equine manager should focus on both the requirements of the job as well as his or her employees when choosing the right utility vehicle. Several factors including the type of work, the environment of the jobsite, and the capacities required to complete the job should be considered. Barn managers should focus on the work utility segment when shopping for a utility vehicle. Heavy duty, robust vehicles that have large payloads, large capacities, and high-torque engines are ideal. Hanlon says in addition to the work specifications, the vehicle should also be comfortable for long days on the job. Fully independent suspensions with long wheel travel (at least 7 inches) allow smoother and less-strenuous trips to the barn and fields. The operator area of the vehicle should be comfortable and easy to get in and out of. Finally, the vehicle should also have a wide variety of attachments such as windshields, tops, mirrors, and auxiliary lights to make the job easier. A barn manager must make sure he or she is purchasing a solid work/utility vehicle, Hanlon says. The type of jobs that a barn manager performs requires work machines, not play machines. The utility vehicle market consists of both. As long as barn managers focus on heavy duty work machines, they will get a vehicle that will suit their needs. Zent of Bobcat says when shopping for a utility vehicle, the buyer can choose either a gasoline or diesel engine. The choice can be one of convenience, depending on what may already be available on the farm. Cub Cadet has four basic utility vehicle models for a equine farm manager, with both gasoline and diesel options. “Depending on the terrain and conditions of the farm, the choice between two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive on a utility vehicle could be a big factor,” Zent says. “If a four-wheel drive machine is desired, an owner or manager should look for a system that is easy to use, such as shift on the fly or automatic four-wheel drive, such as Bobcat’s IntelliTrak system.” “If the cargo box will be used frequently, it may be a good investment to look into a lift mechanism as well,” he says. Kubota has utility vehicles that offer the equine facility everything from a practical vehicle to do feeding to a utility vehicle equipped with a factory-installed cab, standard air conditioning, heater and defroster. “The Kubota RTV1100 with the Premium Grand Cab is a great combination of all-season protection, comfort and usability—summer or winter, rain or shine,” says Dan Muramoto, product manager for Kubota. The heavy duty vehicle is available in worksite or recreational models, and has a 1,100 lb. cargo-load capacity in the 16 cubic foot bed. The RTV500 is a gas-powered compact utility vehicle that Kubota says offers the features of a larger utility vehicle, but is compact enough to fit in the bed of a full-size, long-bed pickup truck. As with other manufacturers, Kubota has a complete line of tractors, performance-matched implements, and utility vehicles. Walter of John Deere says that utility vehicles have increased in popularity in the past few years as they gained speed, allowed two people to ride, and were more convenient for some chores compared to an all-terrain vehicle. “If you have to do a lot of bucket feeding, manual feeding with cubes, and go a great distance, then a utility vehicle may be the way to go,” Walter says. “A utility vehicle is a much faster way.” TRYING IT OUT Zent of Bobcat sums up the comparison of tractor versus utility vehicle shopping like this: “A tractor should be considered when the workload goes beyond the capabilities of a utility vehicle—moving people and tools and limited attachment capabilities,” he says. “A tractor has the power and versatility to be the workhorse of a farm and complete a wide range of tasks, from moving hay and mowing grass, to maintaining arenas and removing snow.” Gifford of Cub Cadet says the only way to know if a machine is the right fit is to get a demonstration. “Usually local dealers will bring out a tractor for the manager to try out. It’s important to make sure it will fit in the spaces you’ll need it to go as well as perform the tasks you’ll need it to perform,” Gifford says. “It might seem like a great idea to purchase the biggest tractor you see, but if it can’t get into the barn and perform the tasks you need, it won’t do you much good.” WRAPPING UP A DEAL When it comes to the final purchase, Walter finds out whether the person wants to pay cash or to finance through the dealership or another financial institution. Most companies will offer a cash incentive if the person pays up front and doesn’t need financing. Whatever the scenario, people should get all of their financing questions answered and know all the numbers before they make the deal. Walter also encourages people to look into discount programs such as the one that the American Quarter Horse Association has with John Deere. He says other horse breed and trade associations have discount programs with tractor manufacturers and it may mean 12 to to 25 percent off retail prices. “It’s worth your while to ask,” he says. Along with checking for possible discounts, make sure to understand the warranty on the new machine. John Deere garden tractors have a four-year warranty and the hours depends on the type of tractor, while the compact tractor is two years and 2,000 hours. Cub Cadet Yanmar offers a two-year, bumper-to-bumper warranty as well as a three-year warranty on the drive unit. Most utility vehicles have 6-month to 1-year warranties. Suppliers to Check Out • Arctic Cat: www.arctic-cat.com • Bobcat Co.: www.bobcat.com • Branson Tractor: www.bransontractor.com • Case New Holland: www.cnh.com • Club Car: www.clubcar.com • Cub Cadet Yanmar: www.cubcadetyanmar.com • E-Z-Go Textron: www.ezgo.com • Honda: www.honda.com • John Deere: www.deere.com • Kawasaki: www.kawasaki.com • Kioti: www.kioti.com • Kubota: www.kubota.com • Land Pride: www.landpride.com • Lenar: www.lenarusa.com • Mahindra: www.mahindrausa.com • Massey-Ferguson AGCO: www.masseyferguson.com • McCormick: www.mccormickusa.com • Montana Tractors: www.montanatractors.com • Polaris: www.polarisindustries.com • Toro: www.toro.com • TYM: www.tym-tractors.com • Yamaha: www.yamaha-motor.com • Zetor: www.zetorna.com Click Here To Order Back to this issue
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