# Farmers Have Trouble Choosing a Tractor: Better to Rely on Yourself Than Others — Here Are Some Key Points for Selection

Agricultural production cannot do without tractors. Now that temperatures are warming up and the pandemic is over, many farmers have begun preparing for spring plowing. To improve productivity, some farmers choose to buy new tractors. Buying new machinery is originally a good thing, but for villager Li, it has become a dilemma. Although Old Li is a seasoned grower and is no stranger to agricultural tractors, when it comes to actually buying a new tractor, he himself does not really understand how to choose one. Due to technological progress, there are now many types of tractors, dazzling and varied, which for a time left Old Li not knowing how to choose, and he does not understand mechanical principles very well either, so he decided to ask two agricultural machinery experts to help him come up with ideas. Finding one person would have been fine, but the two experts he found did not agree with each other. One said the other family's was good, and the other said another family's was good, which made Old Li even more confused. He went to the agricultural machinery market several times but still could not decide which one to buy. In fact, to make a decision quickly, as long as you are clear about the following points, you can avoid agonizing over it. I. Factors to consider when purchasing a tractor 1. Budget When purchasing a tractor, act according to your means and look at your own budget. You should also consider whether the tractor's scope of use is for self-use or business services, transportation or field work. Only after considering these can you decide which model of tractor to buy. If it is used for harvesting, rotary tillage, or specialized transportation, you should also conduct appropriate research on market ownership to avoid economic losses. In addition, you should also consider whether supporting facilities can meet local agronomic needs. 2. Brand and local ownership When purchasing a tractor, consider choosing a tractor produced by a large enterprise or one with relatively high local ownership. Such manufacturers have a better reputation and have already established thoughtful after-sales service systems locally, so you do not need to worry about untimely parts supply or "three guarantees" service personnel not being in place. Give priority to purchasing a tractor bearing the Ministry of Agriculture's "Agricultural Machinery Promotion License" mark or having passed "Agricultural Machinery Product Quality Certification (CAM certification)"; if it does not, it is best to purchase cautiously, because the quality of these products may not be guaranteed. 3. Cost-effectiveness For farmers, buying a tractor is an investment behavior. Therefore, whether buying a tractor is worthwhile is an issue that cannot be ignored in terms of cost-effectiveness. When many farmers buy tractors, they only seek a cheap price and are happy for a moment, but after returning home, the product often has quality problems, and three-guarantee service cannot be guaranteed either. Buying a tractor with a low price and slightly poorer performance, even if after-sales service is good, will still delay some effective working time; after the warranty period, service and repair costs will increase, and the work efficiency is low, so the loss outweighs the gain. 4. Type and model Agricultural tractors include three types: walking tractors, wheeled tractors, and crawler tractors; by power, they can be divided into large and medium-sized and small tractors. Among them, walking tractors are mostly small tractors, so they are generally used for agricultural production on small plots or short-distance transportation, and are relatively common in rural areas in the south. Large wheeled tractors have high output power and high work efficiency, so they are more suitable for use in large-area farmland production, so that their effects can be better brought into play. When the workload is large, especially when there is a lot of transportation work, a four-wheel tractor with high power should be selected; otherwise, a walking tractor or small four-wheel tractor can be selected. II. Precautions when buying a tractor 1. Check the production date clearly, and do not buy one whose production date is too far back. 2. Ask for the instruction manual and warranty sheet (card); carefully check whether the data marked on the machine nameplate matches what is stated in the manual; carefully check whether the official seals on the warranty sheet (card) are complete; whether the warranty unit clearly defines the warranty terms and content; whether it carefully checks and verifies the vulnerable parts provided with the machine; whether the random accessories and tools match those in the product manual. 3. Ask for "one invoice and two certificates" so that if quality problems occur later, a claim can be made according to relevant laws and regulations. One invoice refers to the invoice, and two certificates refer to the product qualification certificate and the three-guarantee certificate. These are important documents stipulated in the "Provisions on the Responsibility for Repair, Replacement, and Return of Agricultural Machinery Products" issued by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine and three other departments. III. Inspection before purchasing a tractor 1. Appearance When buying a tractor, choose a model that is aesthetically pleasing and elegant, carefully check the paint surface to see whether the gloss is uniform, and also pay attention to whether there are scratches; if buying a tractor with a cab, also check the doors, windows, and glass of the cab to see whether there is any damage or whether they open and close poorly. Check each welded part of the tractor to see whether the welding is firm and neat; the connecting bolts at each part should be tight; check whether there is oil leakage, water leakage, or air leakage at each part; check whether tire quality meets requirements and whether parts are missing, etc.; check whether safety protection devices, warning signs, and lights are complete and effective, whether each control part has clear markings and symbols, and whether each dangerous part is equipped with a protective cover (device). 2. Diesel engine The power core of a tractor is the diesel engine. The quality of the diesel engine affects the tractor's performance, so when purchasing a tractor, you must carefully check the specific condition of the diesel engine. First, check the starting performance. After filling with enough fuel and water, starting at normal temperature should be light and quick. Second, carry out an idling inspection of the diesel engine. After the diesel engine starts, carefully check whether the relevant instrument indicator lights are normal, see whether the engine runs easily and smoothly, and also observe the exhaust smoke from the exhaust pipe. A normal engine's exhaust smoke should be light bluish. Finally, check the acceleration performance. If the diesel engine accelerates sensitively and decelerates quickly and rapidly, it indicates that the acceleration performance is good. 3. Chassis The chassis is the supporting body of the tractor. It not only affects the tractor's driving operability but also relates to personal safety. Focus on checking the following aspects: the adjustment of the steering gear assembly of the steering control system and the steering tie rod ball joint assembly should be appropriate, the left and right steering turns, turning radius, and toe-in adjustment should be correct, steering should be light and flexible with no jamming; braking should be easy, braking should be rapid and smooth, safe and reliable; the clutch should be able to disengage quickly and completely and engage smoothly and reliably, gear shifting should be easy and smooth, gear meshing should be safe and reliable, preventing dragging gears, jumping gears, and chaotic gear shifting, and operation should be normal with no abnormal noise; the front axle should have no abnormal noise during operation, no deviation or head swinging, and the front and rear wheel rims should not wobble. 4. Hydraulic and auxiliary systems The hydraulic system is the main mechanism for supporting operations with agricultural machinery, and its performance is also very important. First, hydraulic operation must be light and flexible, and each hydraulic component and oil pipe joint should be firmly connected with no leakage. 5. Lights and instrument devices Because electrical and instrument parts are not within the scope of the three guarantees, and lights and instruments are effective facilities for ensuring tractor safety, they must be carefully checked. Whether the front and rear headlights, turn signals, brake lights, electrical instruments, lubricating oil gauge, odometer, etc. are complete, firm, and reliable, and also carefully check the circuits to observe whether there is an open circuit or short circuit, and whether each circuit switch is sensitive and safe. For farmers, buying a tractor is a major matter. If they do not buy well, it will not only affect the driving experience but also affect agricultural production. As the saying goes, "It is better to rely on yourself than on others." If you want to buy a tractor, you still need to master more relevant knowledge yourself.