AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY

FARM POWER

Agricultural Machinery
- term used to describe tractors, implements, machines and any other devices more sophisticated
than hand-tools which are animal or mechanically powered

Agricultural Equipment
- stationary mechanical devices
- e.g. irrigation pumps, threshers, grinders

Mechanize
- to use machines to accomplish tasks or operation

Agricultural Mechanization
- use of any machine to accomplish a task or operation involved in agricultural production
- employs a combination of three main sources of power: human, animal and mechanical engine

SOURCES OF POWER IN THE FARM

1. Tractive Work
-require pulling/drawing effort
2. Stationary Work
- usually accompanied by means of belts, gears, power take-off or direct drive

SOURCES OF POWER IN THE FARM

1. Human Power
2. Animal Power
3. Solar Energy
4. Wind Energy
5. Water Power
6. Electricity
7. Heat Engines

Human power
• 1 person can cultivate - 1 ha of land using hand tools
• Adopts a working mode that incorporates appropriate rest period
• Chooses the appropriate tools for a given production unit operation
• Changes from one task to another readily & rotationally, exhibiting versatility that no other
power source is capable of
•
Heat Engines

TRACTORS
-Mechanical device powered by an engine ranging from 3 hp to over 100 hp
-Equipped w/ a transmission system that produces high torque on its wheels for pulling various
implements in the farm
-Equipped w/ a hydraulic system for lifting & operating various implements in the farm
-Two-wheel or Four-wheel

TYPES OF TRACTORS
1. Hand tractor
-Machine w/ power ranging from 3 to 17 hp
-For tilling & crop production operations: planting, cultivating, harvesting
-2-wheel tractor, walking tractor, power tillers

2. Four-wheel tractor
-Machine w/ mobile power source
-For various agricultural tasks
- Towing implements
- Driving rotary equipment like rotavators, grass cutters, threshers, water pumps
Classification of Hand Tractors
1. Traction type
-Provide pulling power for farm operations:
• Plowing
• Harrowing
• Planting
• Harvesting & transport
-disadvantage : edges of the field cannot
be plowed to the width of cage wheel

Standard attachments/ accessories Purpose

a. Moldboard plow or disc plow plowing
b. Comb-tooth harrow harrowing
c. Steel cage wheels paddling the soil
d. Rubber tires mobilization
e. Trailer transporting
2. Rotary type
• Fitted w/ either rotary cutting blades or steel cage-wheels to accomplish both primary &
secondary tillage in one passing
• Fitted w/ tillage eqpt. that operates to slice the soil, chop residue & mix all the materials

Advantages:
a) Operation will result to rapid decay of residues
b) Better ability to operate in deep mud conditions

Classification according to their use:

i. Upland rotary hand tractor (3 – 5 hp)
ii. Lowland rotary hand tractor (5 – 17 hp)
3. General-Purpose type
• Used for either traction or rotary operations
• For upland: rubber tires & either the moldboard or disc plow are used; after plowing,
plow is replaced by rotavator for secondary tillage

Classification of 4-wheel Tractors

1. Compact
• w/ power rating below 32 hp
2. Standard
• Std light: 32 – 49 hp
• Std light medium: 50 – 69 hp
• Std medium: 70 – 89 hp
• Std heavy: 90 hp and above

Four-wheel Tractor (two-wheel drive)

- type of four-wheel tractor where power is transmitted to rear wheels with small front wheels being
pushed along
Four-wheel Tractor (four-wheel drive)
-type of four-wheel tractor where power is transmitted to all wheels

Tractor Controls