Garden Tractors
Get serious about yard work with a lawn tractor
Garden tractors can make many jobs in the yard and garden easier. Most homeowners who have acreage can use a garden tractor.
For those with fewer than two acres, who mainly do lawn mowing and light garden work, a large lawn tractor may be the best choice. Lawn tractors with mower decks can handle most mowing chores and are good for light tilling and pulling carts for lawn cleaning and other yard jobs.
A good garden tractor might be a bit heavier. Some have implements such as a pull-behind tiller, disk blade and front-end blade. These tractors are a good choice if you plan to do large-scale gardening or landscaping. A large garden tractor can almost do the work of a bulldozer. If you are looking for more than a lawn mower, make sure before buying that your garden tractor can accommodate the implements you wish to use.
A John Deere garden tractor provides peace of mind, as the John Deere brand is a well-known name. A reliable John Deere lawn tractor and garden tractor dealer can also provide parts and service for the equipment they sell. A Case garden tractor is less known but still a good brand with a reliable history. A Honda garden tractor is another brand that can be useful in a wide variety of situations.
Use common sense when operating your garden tractor. Know what the capabilities of the machine are and don't overwork it for long periods. Pay attention to maintenance records, and for new machines look at the recommended schedule for servicing. A good dealer will have resources to maintain the tractors they sell. Be aware that if you buy a new vehicle with a warranty, any work must be done by a regular dealer in order to be covered by the warranty. Those not complying may find the warranty invalid.
For ordinary use, a regular maintenance program of checking belts and fluids is needed. Sharpen the blades as needed and service the tractor at the beginning and end of every season, as well as treating any fuel in the tractor to prevent damage from bad fuel. Lawn tractor tires are available often in farm stores as well as in tire stores. Many lawn tractor parts can be found at local farm stores.
Need more uses for your garden tractor? If you find you just can’t get enough of your tractor, look into garden tractor pulling. In this sport for adults and kids alike, people compete at dragging a weight behind their tractor. The tractor that can pull the most weight is the winner. Before competing in contests for garden tractor pulling, be sure to learn the rules and regulations and rules around it.
by Jan Hoadley
