Full Bodied Performance

Compact tractors are versatile machines, offering help around orchards, farms, golf courses and landscapes, and even braving the cold for snow removal. Thanks to their small stature — mixed with big muscle and a variety of attachment choices — these machines even pack a powerful (and productive) punch around vineyards.  

“Compact tractors possess the horsepower, torque and hydraulic flow capabilities that are all important features to customers within this segment,” says Matt Blaylock, product manager at John Deere. “With the move to high-density crop practices, dimensions and maneuverability of the tractor are vital in order to minimize damage to the vines and trellis structure.”   

Vineyard owners looking to add this machine to their fleet have plenty of options to search through, with offerings from manufacturers such as John Deere, Massey Ferguson, Kubota and New Holland. A compact tractor can cost between $12,000 to $28,000, depending on options, as well as tire selection and attachments.

Grape Expectations

One of the biggest features of a compact tractor that make it attractive for vineyard applications is the machine’s maneuverability. Vineyards and orchards present plenty of tight work areas thanks to rows of crops and trellis structures. With that, the narrow profile of a compact tractor allows growers and operators to work within these spaces without damaging the plants or materials that support them.

“Maneuverability is definitely a big advantage of compact tractors,” says Roger Gifford, product marketing specialist for compact tractors with Massey Ferguson. “On a vineyard, these machines can be expected to transport the harvest to storage facilities or docks that may be restricted on space. Compact tractors can easily move through the tight rows of vines or in the limited space of a dock. Depending on what type of crop it is and the row spaces, the machines can even get inside and help cultivate.”

Stability is another key feature that compact tractors boast, making them ideal to travel the steep hills and uneven terrain of vineyards. To ensure even greater stability when traversing the open fields, Gifford mentions that ballasting the tires is a good way to add weight without increasing the machine’s tire width. Finding the correct width of a tractor and stability for the application is important to get the most out of your machine, while meeting the demands of a task.

“Stability and safety are incredibly important in vineyard work,” says Bruce Clark, national manager for
Antonio Carraro America. “Since orchards and vineyards can be steep, there’s a risk of rollover accidents where someone can get hurt or even killed. It takes the right balance of finding a tractor model that maintains a narrow, compact profile with good stability that allows growers to operate in more adverse conditions.”

Adding Attachments

In order for a compact tractor to get working in a vineyard, the machine needs to be outfitted with the right attachments for the tasks at hand. One of the most used attachments for a compact tractor is a front-end loader. This attachment is mainly used to load and haul materials around the field and move crops. Backhoe attachments are also popular and are ideal for light excavation, trenching and drainage.

Blaylock points out that sprayer attachments are widely used around vineyards, allowing a grower to spray down crops from the comfort of the tractor seat. Post hole diggers also come in handy for putting in the lattice to support the vines.

Mowers and rotary cutters are necessities for maintaining the lands throughout a vineyard. These implements allow growers to keep their fields and other grass materials down low and groomed. As for mowers, Clark suggests that using a bi-directional tractor — like the models that Antonio Carraro manufactures — allows an operator to push the mower in front of the tractor, which is a benefit in vineyard work.  

“In a vineyard application where they’re doing vine trimming, hedging and brush removal, you can do all of that in front of the tractor so you don’t run over anything,” says Clark. “The operator can see more of what he or she is doing, which increases productivity for the grower.”

Although adding attachments to a compact tractor allows an operator to diversify his or her applications, understanding how to use the implements properly is important to get the most out of your investment. One key feature to take advantage of and learn to use properly is the tractor’s electro-hydraulic three-point hitch. This feature offers operators an efficient and simple way to use their implements while out in the vineyard.

“With easy-to-use fingertip controls, the operator can precisely set their height and depth limits, raise and lower the hitch, set rate of drop and adjust draft sensing,” says Blaylock. “This allows for minimal effort from the operator, which reduces fatigue and allows for more precise implement settings.”

As for using the attachments properly, Gifford recommends that an operator follow the manufacturer’s specifications for usage. This way he or she can use both the machine and implement efficiently and avoid damaging either piece.  

“If you’re running a PTO attachment, always make sure to monitor the rpm rate as close as you can,” explains Gifford. “It’s never good to push the limits and go over the recommended rpm of a PTO-driven attachment, because you risk harming the tractor and the attachment. If you run above the recommended rates, you’ll generally create premature wear and tear, as well as waste fuel and productivity.”

Understanding Upkeep

Although a compact tractor acts as an unstoppable workhorse around the vineyard, it’s important to keep up a regular maintenance regimen to make sure the machine stays running properly and avoids downtime. The biggest tip from tractor manufacturers is to keep an eye on the operator’s manual. Here, you’ll find all the recommended maintenance checks and points of interest to take a look at and tend to on your equipment.

“Maintenance is an important aspect of working within a vineyard,” says Blaylock. “Downtime can be very costly and even with the best dealer network and parts availability, downtime costs money and, more importantly, time. It’s important to establish a clear process within your operation to track usage and follow the maintenance schedule within the operator’s manual. Something as simple as recording hours daily on a whiteboard in the shop can be helpful.”

Pam Stask is assistant editor of Compact Equipment, based in Peninsula, Ohio.

Reaping the Reward

Vineyard Owner Gabe Lopez Wins a Massey Ferguson Tractor in World Ag Expo Drawing

Gabe Lopez of Oakley, Calif., is the winner of the Massey Ferguson tractor, one of three prizes awarded through a random drawing by the World Ag Expo. Lopez receives 200 hours of use of a low-profile Massey Ferguson 2680 HD tractor, which was recently delivered to his farm.

“I was honestly shocked when I was called and informed I had won the tractor drawing,” recalls Lopez, who selected the low-profile version of the tractor for use on his family’s 500-acre vineyard. “I have been to a few expos before, but this was the first time I attended the World Ag Expo. The Expo itself was a lot of fun, and I plan on going each year — winning this tractor puts my experience over the top.”  

Lopez’s name was drawn from those individuals who registered online to attend World Ag Expo 2010. In addition to the Massey Ferguson tractor, a Yamaha Rhino 700 FI 4×4 and Free Fuel for a Year from Fleet Card Fuel were grand prizes offered as incentives to pre-register online.

The Lopez family produces wine grapes that are sold to local wineries. The new tractor will be used to pull mowers and move other equipment and materials around the vineyard and assist with the harvest season in the early fall. The MF2680 HD tractor is ideal for environments with low overhead clearance — a definite challenge Lopez and his family face each day.

“The low-profile tractor will provide some added flexibility around the vineyard,” says Lopez. “Maneuvering machinery around vines is a delicate process, but something we need to do to cover 500 acres. Having this tractor also will allow us to better coordinate our pest management programs and complete routine maintenance.”

David Heckenliable, farm equipment salesman for JM Equipment of Manteca, Calif., was on hand when the tractor was delivered to Lopez’s vineyard.

“All of us at JM Equipment are thrilled for Gabe,” says Heckenlaible. “We have seen a lot of demand for this low-profile tractor platform. Customers are impressed with the new style of these tractors, the tilt-up hood for easy servicing and the improved ergonomics of the control area, as well as the hydraulic brakes and Tier 3 engine.”

JM Equipment made sure the tractor was field ready and serves as Lopez’s contact point for any machine operation and service needs. The 170-employee dealer has four locations serving northern California and the San Joaquin Valley area, and has sold Massey Ferguson products for more than 10 years.