Agricultural Machinery - Selection Guide and Factors Affecting

The proper selection of agricultural machinery is very important for generating efficient products from the farms. Farmers get access to all the machinery required for the agricultural purpose from the manufacturers or the distributors and nowadays, from online marketplaces for buying and selling agricultural machines. Farming machines and equipment should be selected in a manner such that it is compatible with all the farming requirements of that prospect.  It offers a number of benefits to the agriculturalists, allowing them to save on operational costs, generate more profit, and grow more crops with fewer efforts.

Performance of all the machines used in farms also depends on weather conditions and soil conditions. Hence, for better results the following points should be considered while selecting the right kind of machinery for your farm:

1)    Land Holding:

More the land is, larger scale machinery is required for timely completion of harvesting and planting tasks. Also, one can acquire an additional unit of machines or tractors if available. For instance, 1HP engine tractor is ideal to use for every 2 hectares of land.

2)    Soil Type:

Depending on the type of the soil, lighter or heavier the type of machine can be selected such as for farms with light soil machine with higher ground clearance and low weight is considered as ideal.

3)    Nearby Repair Facility Availability:

It is important to see which brand’s farm machinery dealer is available in the nearby areas from you. To avoid dealer finding efforts at crucial moments.

4)    All Types of Costs and Resale Value:

Considering a sum total of operational cost, machinery cost, ownership cost, and labor cost it should not be higher than the resale value of the machinery.

5)    Brand and Model Name:

Judging the machine only by its outer appearance is not a good option. Buying a farming machine from the reputed brand in the agriculture market and the latest models with best features such as Mahindra Tractors, John Deere, Sonalika, Escorts, and Farm Trac.

6)    Machine Design:

Design of the machine and all the technical facts should be considered like, ease of adjustments, points of wear, vibrations, and noise of the machine.

7)    Spare Parts Availability:

Easy availability of the farm machine spare parts or agricultural spare parts is the most important point to consider while selecting a machine.

8)    Ease of Operation:

The machinery you are thinking of buying should not require unnecessary labor and power to operate in the farms. Modern tractors are the best solution for this kind of problem, as they are equipped with hydraulic lifts.

9)    Long Working Hours:

The machines adaptability to a wide range of applications and long working hours is an important criterion to consider.

10) Human Comfort:

Last but most important thing to consider while selecting farm machinery is the comfort that the machine gives to the operator in terms of comfort, stability, and adjustability.

Some other points are:

●     The amount of power required for operating the farm equipment.

●     The initial cost of the machine.

●     Expected service years.

●     The ratio of the equipment in terms of farm size and work to be done.

●     And, Capacity of the machine.

However, there are some factors which affect the size of the machinery you wish to buy. Those are:

1)    Labor Supply:

The total landholding and the number of acres that can be completed in a single day can be dependent on the machine capacity. For large farms either large capacity farm machines can be selected and labor supply can be adjusted in shifts in case of long working hours.

2)    Tillage Practices:

If the number of tillage practices is reduced then the amount of machine capacity needed to complete field operations on time is decreased.

All above-mentioned factors are in fact the answer to the question, How to select farm machinery? This guide will help farmers to save more while buying tractors and other farm equipment.