Get Financing13 Things To Look For In A Used Orchard, Vineyard Or Compact Tractor
Tractors designed for the narrow rows of a vineyard or orchard share a number of characteristics besides slim widths. They typically have a tight turning radius, excellent stability on hills and slopes, and guards to protect branches, vines, and fragile fruit as the tractor drives past. They’re similar to other, less specialized compact tractors designed for more general usage on farms of any kind. Here’s a list of several aspects to consider when you’re in the market for a new or used orchard, vineyard, or other compact tractor.
(We’ll talk about in-row models in this article, but note that there are some over-the-row tractors for very narrow row applications, especially in Europe. Also, some over-the-row harvesters can be adapted to perform tractor tasks.)
1. Width
The width of your rows obviously affects the width of the tractor you need, on the ground and possibly at cab level. As vineyards and orchards have adopted narrower spacing to increase productivity, such as 4-foot (1,220-millimeter) rows, manufacturers have responded with slimmer tractors, like John Deere’s 5G at 38.7 inches (983 millimeters) wide and the diminutive Kubota B2320DTN at just 35.4 inches (899 millimeters) wide.
2. Price
The price of a tractor is also a concern in a competitive industry, whether you’re working your own land or managing vineyards or orchards for hire. At this writing, the orchard and vineyard tractors available for sale on SpecialtyCropEQ.com range from about $6,300 to nearly $86,000. Note that listings marked “Call For Price,” which dealers often prefer to put on their new equipment, do not factor into this pricing data.
3. Hours & Age
For any used tractor, the number of hours come into play. The vineyard and orchard tractors available on SpecialtyCropEQ.com range from brand-new machines with zero hours to used tractors with more than 11,000 hours. Model years currently range from 1995 to 2020 on the site.
Older models, if well-maintained, can be easier and cheaper to repair. On the other hand, a newer tractor will be more efficient and probably be more comfortable to operate. A newer diesel machine will also emit fewer crop-polluting particulates compared to an older diesel tractor.
Ask the seller whether the engine has been overhauled, how extensively, and by whom. Also ask for the tractor’s service records and other paperwork, if available. If an owner’s manual or other documentation comes with the machine, or any spare parts, so much the better.
4. Hydraulics
A very important factor is whether an orchard or vineyard tractor’s hydraulic pump(s) will provide enough flow for the attachments you’ll use. Depending upon your situation, a tractor flowing 10 to 17 gallons per minute (38 to 64 liters per minute) may be sufficient. Note the number and locations of a tractor’s remotes, and its number of selective control valves (SCVs) that will allow you to set different flow levels to different attachments. If there are any leaks in the system, consider the cost and downtime they’ll require to repair before you buy.
5. Safety
Orchards and especially vineyards often have hills and slopes, so investigate the ROPS (rollover protection system) on any tractor you’re considering. Some open station tractors have roll bars that can be folded down to pass under low-hanging branches.
If you plan to spray chemicals with an orchard or vineyard tractor, you’ll want a model with a pressurized cab with an air filtration system. A filtered cab can also keep out tree pollen, spores, and dust as well.
6. Condition
A used tractor could be a pampered machine that was always shedded, a basket case, or somewhere in between. An inspection by a mechanic is recommended, but it may not always be available in your situation.
Besides the usual things to look for in a used tractor, such as the amount of play in its bushings and the age of its tires, take a look at the features unique to the orchard/vineyard genre. Check out the condition of the fairings and guards that have likely brushed past thousands of plants. If it has a cab that’s pressurized for spraying operations, look for signs of leaks or blow-by that could potentially let dangerous chemicals into the operator station. If the tractor has cab-mounted lights or a folding roll bar, make sure that they haven’t been damaged by branches.
7. Engine
Narrow-width tractor engines typically run on either diesel or gasoline. At this writing, SpecialtyCropEQ.com lists orchard and vineyard tractors with engines ranging from 40 to 150 horsepower, with 75- to 105-HP models being the most common.
Metal shavings or flakes in the engine oil indicate damage requiring a teardown at the very least. Also, a laboratory analysis of a machine’s (used) oil can tell you whether its engine is in good condition or ready for a rebuild. Barring that, you can often tell by the look or smell of the engine oil and exhaust if something is amiss such as excessive oil blowing past the piston rings or antifreeze contamination in the oil and vice-versa. Look for leaks as the engine runs.
Note that tractors optimized for the close confines of vineyards and orchards may have automatic or manual reversing fans to intermittently blow leaves and other debris out of the cooling system.
8. Hitches & Mounts
Verify that a new or used tractor has the physical hitches or mounts for the implements and attachments you plan to use. If it has a Category I and/or II three-point hitch, for example, check for leaks in its hydraulic system and see whether its stabilizers are adjustable. If you need to use front-mounting attachments such as a loader or forks, make sure a tractor can support them.
9. Transmission Type
The type of transmission you need in an orchard or vineyard tractor may depend on the type of work you plan to do, or just your personal preference.
Transmissions with individual gears can be mechanical (synchro shifts) or power assisted (power shifts), as can their shuttle (forward/reverse lever). Some can be shifted with or without having to engage the clutch. The more gears available, the finer the control you’ll have over travel speed. This is important for spraying and other operations that require a set forward speed.
Infinitely variable or stepless transmissions are easier for inexperienced drivers to use, as there’s often just a pedal controlling forward and backward movement. Hydrostatic, mechanical-hydrostatic, IVT (infinitely variable transmission), and CVT (continuously variable transmission) units fall into this category. If you plan to spray with a tractor with one of these transmission types, make sure it has a cruise control to maintain a certain speed.
10. Tires & Tracks
Tires and especially tracks are expensive to replace, so take a good look at their condition and the age of the rubber, if so marked. In general, steel or rubber tracks cost more to maintain and replace, including parts in their undercarriage. That being said, they can provide additional traction in rugged terrain. Tracks also offer more stability on steep slopes and don’t compact the soil as much as wheels do. Some orchard and vineyard tractors are half-track models with wheels up front and tracks in the rear.
11. PTO
A rear and/or front power take-off (PTO) is arguably a little less important on an orchard or vineyard tractor than on a row crop or general-purpose model, but it does give the machine the versatility to handle mechanical weed control and more general tasks around the property. As PTO attachments are designed to run at either 540 or 1,000 rpm, you’ll need a tractor that supports the implements you plan to use. Recent models include a fuel-saving Eco mode, such as 540E, that maintains PTO speed while reducing the engine’s rpms.
It’s important to know that the amount of horsepower available at the PTO shaft is different than the engine’s HP rating, and always less. You’ll want to buy a tractor whose PTO horsepower is adequate to run your attachments. Note that the amount of HP available to the PTO will be less in Eco mode on tractors so equipped.
12. Special Features
Depending on the needs of your operation, you might be interested in some of the technologies available in orchard and vineyard machines today. Modern tractors offer telematics systems that can be used to locate, monitor, and troubleshoot them, as well as to document applications of materials such as insecticide. Many also support GPS guidance systems to automatically steer down each orchard or vineyard row.
Fendt teamed up with Braun to go one step further with its self-driving 200 V/F Vario that uses a Braun VPA (Vineyard Pilot Assistant) to automatically adjust intermediate axle and rear mechanical weeding implements. This not only eliminates the use of potentially harmful herbicides, it also speeds up the mechanical weeding process and demands much less effort from the operator.
13. Test Drive
If the seller is agreeable, give the tractor a test drive. Move the three-point hitch, loader (if present), and other powered systems through their ranges of motion. Similarly, turn the steering wheel from lock to lock and back again. Look for excessive slack in the bushings, brakes, and clutch, if applicable. If the machine is articulated or has a terrain-following front suspension, make sure that its moving parts travel freely. Also, keep an eye out for leaks that weren’t noticeable when the tractor was shut down.
Discover Your Next Orchard Or Vineyard Tractor
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