Basic Farming Equipment
Basic Farming Equipment
Pickup truck
Pickups are probably the most versatile and useful long-term investment you can make for your farm. They are essential for hauling everything from building supplies, tools, feed, firewood, etc. Teamed with a trailer you can move livestock and much more. Although a pickup is a big investment, when well cared for it is an investment that can last for decades, and good used pickups can often be bought at a reasonable price.
Add a basic topper(camper shell) to your pickup and you can haul items that need to be kept dry, use the truck for camping, or haul small animals. From chickens, rabbits, geese, goats, sheep, and small pigs are also easily moved under the topper.
ATV/Compact Tractor
Even if you dream of working your land with animals, a tractor or farm utility vehicle (an ATV, or a cargo-ATV, often called a “ute”) is a practical thing to have. An ATV can be almost invaluable in some cases; especially with a trailer. It can be used for hauling and pulling; many companies now make farming attachments that can be added to your ATV.
Compact tractors are versatile pieces of equipment that are perfect for small farms. Depending on the attachments you have, they can do just about anything: mowing acres of lawn, digging a foundation, baling hay, pushing snow, setting fence posts; it’s all possible with a compact tractor.
For those in the under 60-acre category, a ute will often do all the work you need done, for less investment than a tractor, and manufacturers now make attachments ranging from front-end loader buckets to manure spreaders, that are specially designed to work with these rigs. The fat tires, light weight, and low center of gravity make these units easy on the land. If money is not a big issue, and you have a larger piece of land (say 160 acres or more), having both a tractor and farm utility vehicle is the way to go. The tractor can do heavy work, like baling hay, but the utility vehicle can haul supplies, or get you across the farm quickly to move a paddock fence, or check on the stock and crops.
Two-wheel drive trucks, tractors, and utility vehicles are OK for flat ground that’s not too muddy, but if you’re in hilly terrain, a snowy climate, or tend to have frequent muddy conditions, invest the extra money up front in 4-wheel drive.
Livestock Trailer
If you intend to have large livestock (horses, cows, llamas, yaks …), plan on getting a stock trailer. Even if you don’t plan on hauling much livestock, a livestock trailer can be a great investment. You can haul animals, firewood, feed, hay and lumber. You can also use it as storage or rent it to another farmer or homesteader to make a little extra money.
Handcarts and Wheelbarrows
This should be one of the first tools to invest in. Depending on the model and size they can be fairly cheap to pick up. They are lightweight, yet they carry big loads easily. Best of all, they are balanced in such a way as to be easy on the back. Some carts come with an accessory that converts them to a trailer for pulling behind an ATV or small tractor.
In the garden or yard, they’re great for moving topsoil, plants, seed, fertilizer or tools. In the barn, they are handy for cleaning up small piles of manure, or dragging tack from point A to point B. They are perfectly sized for moving a bale of hay, or a few 50-pound bags of feed.
Manure Spreader
If you are going to have any livestock, sooner or later you need a manure spreader. Even if your animals will spend most of their time on pasture, piles of manure accumulate, and spreading this manure thinly over the land improves soil fertility, reduces contaminated runoff, and helps keep fly numbers down. Several manufacturers have come up with compact manure spreaders that are ideal for small farms. The tractor-driven units carry more manure in one trip, and are probably the best way to go if you have a significant number of animals that are kept in the barn regularly. The ATV units are good for operations with only a few animals stabled regularly, or with a larger herd that is out on pasture most of the time.
Electric Tools
There are dozens of electric power tools available at hardware and home stores, but there are two must-haves for any type of around-the-farm construction project: 1.) A circular saw; and 2.) A drill/driver. Need to build your own compost bin? Out comes the saw and drill. Hanging a new barn door? Get the saw and the drill.
You’ll find these two versatile tools are useful for myriad projects, so invest in the best heavy-duty models you can afford. If you plan to do lots of construction and remodeling, consider adding a heavy-duty reciprocating saw to the electric-tool collection
Hand Tools
Every farm needs a variety of hand tools. A 25-foot and a 100-foot tape measure; a good claw hammer; pliers; a socket and driver set; auger with attachments; adjustable wrenches in several sizes; a screwdriver set with both regular and Phillips head drivers. Don’t forget the nails.
Gardening Tools
Every small farm needs a flat spade and a pointed spade for digging. A good digging fork or rake is a multipurpose tool, used for breaking up and turning soil in the garden, harvesting, and for manure cleanup around the barn. A standard hoe and grub hoe are also vital gardening tools.