Compact Tractor Purchasing Guide

Ready to buy a compact tractor? Our purchasing guide will make shopping a stress-free experience, and help you choose the best machine to tackle your farming, construction, or property management tasks. 

What to Consider Before You Start Shopping

Before you start shopping for a compact tractor, you’ll need to decide on a few factors. Learn what pre-purchase considerations you need to finalize prior to starting your compact tractor search. 

Do You Want a Used or New Compact Tractor?

One of the first decisions you need to make is choosing whether you want to buy a new or used compact tractor. New compact tractors are a wonderful choice, but there are many benefits of buying used equipment including saving money on your purchase and avoiding depreciation. Knowing if you want to purchase new or used can help narrow down your options and simplify your shopping decisions. 

What is Your Budget?

Depending on the size of your budget, you may need to consider what kind of compact tractors you can afford. If your budget is tight, buying used can be an excellent way to get a high-quality, tried-and-true machine at an excellent value. Buying your tractor outright isn't the only option, either. Check with your local dealer for leasing options.

What Tasks Does Your Compact Tractor Need to Tackle?

What type of jobs will a compact tractor help you tackle? Will it be building driveways? Tilling soil? Lifting and towing heavy materials? Compact tractors are not all made alike. While one type of compact tractor may be perfect for a construction project, it may not be a good fit for farm work. Decide on the projects you need your compact tractor to handle so you choose the right one. 

Parts to Look at While Compact Tractor Shopping

Engine

Let’s start with the most important part of a compact tractor – its engine. Without a powerful engine, your compact tractor will not be able to perform in the ways you want. Compact tractors are built with gas or diesel engines, but the latter is generally considered more powerful. 

In addition to the engine type, you want to consider the horsepower of a tractor. The horsepower of an average compact tractor is 40 hp, but depending on the type of jobs you need it to perform, you may want your compact tractor to be equipped with more horsepower. 

Recommended Horsepower for Compact Tractor Tasks

• 20–35 horsepower: landscaping, gardening, hauling  
• 36–50 horsepower: property maintenance  
• 51–65 horsepower: heavy-duty tasks and farming work  

Transmission

Compact tractors come with different types of transmissions. Two popular types are the gear-drive and hydrostatic options. Each transmission type has its benefits. A gear-drive transmission can lock the tractor into one speed and works easily on slopes or rough terrain. A hydrostatic transmission is a favorite of new tractor operators because it works just like a car’s automatic transmission. Choose a transmission type based on your compact tractor’s daily tasks and landscapes where it will be working. 

Attachments 

Attachments – also known as implements – can transform your compact tractor into a versatile machine that can do so much more than a simple tractor without attachments. Need to dig a hole? Shovel snow? Haul hay bales? Simply attach the appropriate implement to your compact tractor and your work will be done in no time. 

Hitches 

Speaking of attachments, you’ll need the proper parts that allow you to connect an implement to your compact tractor. A hitch can help you do just that. There are two types of hitch attachments: the three-point hitch and the drawbar hitch. 

The three-point hitch features a hydraulic lift to make easy work of raising and lowering implements. The drawbar hitch is used specifically for forklifts and front-end loader attachments. Either hitch is a great addition to your compact tractor toolbox. Just make sure when you buy implements you also purchase the right hitch.  

Power Take-Off (PTO)

If you will be purchasing implements or attachments to enhance your compact tractor, they will need more of the engine’s power to perform. This is where the spinning shaft, also known as power take-off (PTO), can help. Located near the rear of a compact tractor, the PTO provides additional power to attachments such as a hay baler so that it can work without sapping too much power from the main engine.

Purchase Your Next Compact Tractor At TriGreen

These are just a few factors you need to consider when choosing a compact tractor. With this purchasing guide and the assistance of a knowledgeable TriGreen representative, you’ll be able to choose the right machine to meet your needs. Contact us to schedule an appointment online, over the phone, or visit one of our service locations.