I just got a small tractor for my few acres. Money is limited so I cannot buy everything. Which implements should I buy first?
3 Answers
Buy in order of how often you use it and what you cannot easily hire. For most small farms the first purchases are a cultivator (or harrow) for field preparation and a trolley, because a trolley earns money and is useful all year for transport. A rotavator is very useful for fine seedbed and managing residue, but it is costly, so many small farmers hire it from a custom hiring centre until they have enough work to justify owning one. Sowing and spraying equipment can follow based on your crops. The general rule is: own the implements you use very frequently, and hire the expensive, occasional ones like rotavators, seed drills, harvesters and laser levellers. Match every implement to your tractor's HP range before buying. Decide based on your cropping pattern and what is available to hire nearby.
Trolley first for me. It paid for itself in transport and rental work within two seasons.
I hired a rotavator for two years before buying. No point locking money in a costly implement you use a few days a year.