How to Choose a Multifunctional Tractor for Your Hobby Farm or Large Estate

Although compact utility tractors are not as rugged as row-crop tractors, they can still handle livestock production on a smaller scale. These small farm tractors are essentially tool carriers, capable of being equipped with a wide range of attachments from mowers and tillers to buckets and augers, giving them a steady purpose on all sorts of genuine farm-type properties. While small farms sometimes grow traditional crops such as corn, wheat, soybeans, sorghum and hay, Mark Davey, compact utility tractor market manager, says most of their customers "prefer to grow their own food through gardening" and "also raise a variety of animals, from cattle and horses to sheep, goats and pigs." These are hobby farms. They focus on small-scale agriculture primarily for fun rather than as a primary source of income. This lifestyle allows nature lovers to get close to the natural world and may even provide a secondary income. Customers of Kioti brand tractors are mostly small farmers, landowners and hay growers. However, Joel Hicks, tractor byproduct line manager, says that in most cases "farming is not their primary source of income." Regardless of what smaller plots are used for, their equipment needs differ from those of commercial farms. Although compact tractors are smaller in size, they are more than capable of meeting the various needs of this market. "These customers want to do many different jobs on their land," Davey confirms. Tasks commonly performed by customers in this market include mowing, material handling, grading, tilling, digging, feeding livestock, haying and arena maintenance. Hobby farmers have different needs when it comes to machinery and equipment. Below, we take a look at the equipment options and applications for compact tractors.