When you manage a farm, one of the most important pieces of equipment you own is your tractor. While a tractor is indispensable for most farms, it is also a sizeable investment, so it's vital that the tractor you buy is able to carry out every job you expect it to as modifying the tractor later could prove to be a significant additional expense. Here are four factors you should bear in mind when visiting a company that has tractors for sale.

How big is your farm?

Think about the size of the farm, and don't forget to include any land you are considering buying in the future. When you visit a dealer with tractors for sale, there will be plenty of different models to choose from, but not all of them will be suitable. The larger the amount of land you need to cover, the more powerful your tractor will need to be. For a small farm, a tractor with 35hp or less will be fine, but for a bigger farm, a tractor in the 45–70hp would be a better purchase.

How will you use the tractor?

A tractor by itself isn't usually much use around a farm. Tractors normally need to be matched with suitable attachments to complete a task successfully. Before you start looking at tractors for sale, take some time to narrow your search by writing down all the jobs for which you will use the tractor. Once you know how the tractor will be used, you can determine what attachments and accessories you will need to purchase for each job and whether a prospective tractor can accommodate them.

Which transmission is best?

When looking at tractors for sale, you will note that there are two types of tractor transmission: hydrostatic and mechanical. Mechanical transmissions are more power efficient while hydrostatic transmissions are more operationally efficient with better speed control. Talk to your local sales representative if you would like to find out which would be best suited to your farm.

How comfortable is the tractor?

Power and speed are important for your tractor, as is an ability to do every job on the farm, but it's easy to forget that you will be spending quite a while riding the tractor. Your comfort is an important consideration since spending hours at a time being jolted around or struggling to control the tractor is not going to create a pleasant working environment. Take some time to look at the tractor. Assess the operator's platform, the way the controls are situated, the space around the pedals and the overall comfort it can offer, such as whether adjustments can be made to the steering wheel and seat. Pick a tractor that you can enjoy riding.

Look at all the tractors for sale and choose one that is comfortable and capable of carrying out every task on your farm.