November 2001

Compact Tractors: The Horseowner’s Sports Car

Your choice of a compact tractor depends on your needs, but some options are simply non-negotiable.

Tractors with concealed mufflers and sloping ûfronts, like this New Holland Boomer, are be- ûcoming increasingly popular because of the ûneed for good visibility.

Whether you’ve got two acres or 20, you already know that a riding lawn mower just doesn’t cut it for horse-farm work. But that doesn’t mean you need a crop-farming behemoth tractor with a big-bucks price tag. Today, a simple compact tractor can take the back-straining labor out of many routine horse-farm chores.

However, since a compact tractor is still a hefty investment, with prices ranging from $9,500 to $20,000, it pays to know how you’ll use it—both now and in the future—and what implements you need before you walk into the dealer’s show room. Some pricey options are actually worth their cost in terms of safety and convenience, while a…