A primary agricultural power unit used to pull, push, and operate heavy machinery. It provides mechanical, hydraulic, and electrical power to attached implements like ploughs, seeders, and mowers through a drawbar, three-point hitch, and power take-off shaft. The high-torque engine and large drive wheels allow it to maintain traction over loose soil and uneven terrain while pulling heavy loads.
Hook the disc harrow up to the big tractor and make sure the PTO is disengaged before you turn the key.
Sizing a tractor correctly means matching its PTO horsepower to the heaviest implement it needs to run, rather than just looking at the raw engine horsepower.
Related terms
Plough
A heavy farm implement with a blade used to break up soil and cut furrows in preparation for sowing.
Seeder
A mechanical implement used to distribute and bury seeds in the soil at a controlled rate and depth.
Combine harvester
A large self-propelled machine that reaps, threshes, and cleans grain crops in one pass.
Mower-conditioner
A harvesting machine that cuts forage crops and crushes the stems to accelerate drying.