Compact Tractors: An Illustrated Guide & History
Compact Tractors: An Illustrated Guide & History
ITEM E476
By Dennis David
Compact Utility Tractors, or CUTs, are cute little cutters! As farming became more refined so did the needs of tractors. The answer was a smaller, more maneuverable and fuel-efficient tractor with a variety of implements and attachments. With this focus on special needs, attachments became available such as plows, disc harrows, mower decks, cultivators, spreaders, snowblowers, and more. They have become a necessary utility for farmers, orchards, small construction jobs, and landscaping/maintenance for estates, parks and golf courses. At the forefront of this evolution were the Farmall Cub and John Deere Model L. Then came the Japanese invasion; a new kind of tractor by companies such as Yanmar and Kubota. These four-wheel-drive machines were rugged and tough and used a variety of hydraulically powered attachments. American companies such as John Deere, International Harvester, and Massey-Ferguson built their own four-wheel versions. Today’s compact tractors, such as the Kubota’s BX series, Massey-Ferguson’s GC series, and the John Deere 3000, offer an even larger selection of implements for special purposes
Softbound, 112 pages, 151 photos, 8.5'' x 11''
Author Dennis David acknowledges that the compact tractor “represents just one small chapter of the tractor industry,” but his book-length account underscores its significance. As David adds, “What began as a utilitarian machine now has power steering, hydrostatic power, cruise control, automotive quality seats, operator protection, and even the all-important cup holder.” The book’s introduction and five chapters survey the development of this segment that has become global in scope. The dominant segment for the homeowner product market at the time of its publication in 2013 had exceeded worldwide sales exceeding a million.
Using 84 black-and-white and 65 color photographs and sales literature images, author David affectionately details what he calls the “explosive growth” of the compact tractor market. He first briefly traces the creation of traction engines that became large tractors suitable for large farms, continuing with the development of smaller tractors for smaller sized farms, and the emergence of the compact tractor that met the needs of the suburban homeowner for mechanized equipment to mow the grass, cut brush and logs, and till and maintain garden plots. North American and European makes are covered, as well as a full chapter on the “invasion” of Japanese compact tractors.
Book Review by Robert Gabrick
