Technology

Tractors designed for mountain farming

Tractors for mountain farms must be exceptionally reliable, efficient, and safe. There is high-tech machinery specifically designed to carry out modern and profitable agriculture in mountain areas on the market

Orographically speaking, Italy is characterized by a prevalently hilly terrain (41.6% of the total surface area, where 38.9% of the population lives), followed by mountainous territory (35.2%, with 12.2% of the population) and finally flat land (23.2%, with 48.9% of the population).

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The Agricultural Land Used is evenly divided between municipalities considered mountainous and non-mountainous. According to the latest Agricultural Census (6th Census, ISTAT, ), mountain farms have a larger average size in terms of ALU, and crops are mainly extensive and with low added value, in respect of the surface unit. Since the land is often limited, the larger surface area does not compensate for the lower productivity, therefore the average production values of mountain farms are almost halved compared to the hill and plain ones.

Clearly, this does not prevent the production in the mountains of typical and extraordinary agro-alimentary products: from dairy products to minor cereals, officinal herbs, horticultural products, but also those zootechnical breedings (goats and sheep in particular) that may find a new revival in mountain areas, thanks to the availability of excellent quality fodder and the enhancement of unique knowledge, which would otherwise be lost. All this helps to limit the mountain depopulation, safeguarding areas of Italy of outstanding landscape attractiveness.

In order to be able to practice income-generating agriculture in such a complicated environment, with irregularly shaped plots of land, steep slopes and critical climatic conditions requiring a higher level of promptness of intervention than in lowland agriculture, it is necessary to carefully define the criteria for choosing the agricultural machinery to be used, with particular regard to tractors.

When choosing a tractor, consideration must be given to operating efficiency and safety, adequate working capacity and, possibly, useful multi-utility features. This last objective is probably the most difficult to achieve: The concept of a "multi-utility" tractor in the mountains is difficult to apply: The standard 4WD tractor with average power, which on a plain farm can carry out almost all farm operations, with the only limitation being the size of the equipment that can be coupled, has several application limits in the mountains.

An example of this would be primary tillage: On steep terrain, the conventional wheeled tractor is extremely limited, particularly in terms of stability and adherence, so the most suitable vehicle in this situation would be a crawler with steel tracks. In fact, it is no coincidence that Italy is the European country with the highest percentage of crawlers in the circulating fleet.

By its very nature, a crawler machine generates enough tractive force to plow with trailed plows while at the same time ensuring exceptional stability, thanks to its very low center of gravity and wide track width. However, due to its limited maximum speed (max. 15 km/h), steel crawlers are not suitable for other work types, such as haymaking (also because of the risk of damaging the turf when turning).

Similarly, they are highly unsuitable for transport and, more generally, for road transfers, which, among other things, require the compulsory application of special track pads. Therefore, it is necessary to have one or more wheeled tractors on the farm to carry out all other cultivation operations. This paper aims to present wheeled tractors specifically designed and manufactured to be used in mountainous areas.

Key features

In general, a wheeled tractor for mountain use should be featured with: 4-wheel drive, both to maximize tractive force and to take advantage of an efficient engine brake when going downhill; disc brakes on all four wheels, always operable regardless of whether the front-wheel drive is engaged or not; a low center of gravity; wide track width (subject to compliance with road limits), coupled with appropriate tires or, alternatively, with the possibility of mounting twin wheels; high engine torque reserve to easily overcome any increase in gradient without having to shift gears. In fact, in the event of an uphill stop because of insufficient engine torque, the restart becomes a challenge both in mechanical terms (the stress to which the transmission is subjected is enormous) and in terms of safety for the operator if the vehicle loses grip.

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Important equipment

They can be: the synchronized power take-off, for coupling with powered axle trailers; the front lift; the reversible guide is very useful for better managing the weight distribution between the front and rear axle after the coupling with the operating machine. Moreover, in some operations (such as mowing forage), the reversible guide allows excellent visibility on the cutting device, allowing to finish at best and safely the border areas between field and undergrowth.

Although it is not difficult to find conventional 4WD tractors with most of the features mentioned above on mountain farms, several Italian and foreign manufacturers are increasingly committed to developing tractor models designed explicitly for Alpine and Apennine farms, also in response to the needs expressed by users at dedicated agricultural events, whose importance is growing year after year.

A short review

Antonio Carraro of Campodarsego (PD) is one of the Italian manufacturers offering mountain machines, with the wide-track reversible isodiametric models of the TTR range. The engine power range is between 70 and 98 Hp; the synchronized transmission can be 16+16 or 32+32 gears with Hi-Lo. It is possible to choose between an air-conditioned cab and a protection frame. All models have a front lift with Uniflex hydraulic suspension, which allows transferring part of the operating machine's weight directly onto the wheels of the tractor, thus improving grip and stability. Another interesting technical feature is the Actio chassis, which, through a central joint, allows the front axle to oscillate longitudinally by up to 15°, so as to follow the profile of the ground, maintaining a high ground contact in all conditions, to the benefit of stability and traction.

BM Tractors of Zocca (MO) produces wide-track reversible isodiametric tractors, with power ranging from 130 to 180 Hp and independent 4-wheel steering in different configurations (front only, rear only, front and rear, crab steer). The transmission is hydrostatic with electronic control. It is possible to have the front lift and the cab, with excellent visibility and soundproof, is suspended on pneumatic shock absorbers for better comfort of the operator. The rear lift features a nitrogen shock absorber for better "flotation" of the coupled operating machine.

Beyond national borders, the Austrian company Reform-Werke of Welk has been in this market segment for some time now, offering the Metrac, a machine with a wide track and low center of gravity, specialized for haymaking. Available powers range from 49 to 91 Hp, the transmission can be hydrostatic or mechanical (8+8 or 12+12 gears), and the cab is equipped with heating and air conditioning. In this case, too, the tractor's architecture enables it to be coupled front and rear with the implements, thus enhancing its multifunctionality. It is possible to adjust the ground load of the implements carried through dedicated hydraulic cylinders, displacing a good part of their mass on the front wheels. Finally, an anti-oscillation system reduces the vibrations caused by the mounted implements while driving.

Headquartered in Küssnacht, Switzerland, Rigitrac produces four tractor models, both conventional and isodiametric wheeled. Diesel engines range in power from 75 to 150 Hp, but a 54-Hp electric model, powered by lithium-ion batteries, is also offered in the catalog. Steering is independent on the four wheels, and a joint is mounted at the center of the tractor body to allow an oscillation in the vertical plane of the front axle up to 22°. This enables the tractor to cope well with uneven terrain, improving stability and traction. The transmission is hydrostatic and continuously variable, the front axle is suspended with the possibility of automatic leveling, and the cab is air-conditioned. It is completed by front and rear lifts.

The above-described models, which certainly do not exhaust the market panorama, are all characterized by a very high technological content, which optimizes performance and ensures very high safety levels for operators. Therefore, it is now possible to have reliable and efficient machines even in the mountains, which is an essential condition to operate modern and profitable agriculture.

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Hi,

I am trying to decide what machine is good for general property and horse related maintenence in rugged and steep mountain terrain. I am not sure this is in the right forum but I figured I would start here.

We keep a couple of draft horses in the Rockies at about feet. They have about two acres of flat ground under them but the rest of the property is steep and... rocky.

Presently I have a John Deere 170 skidsteer that I use for cleaning manure out of the corral and for moving hay around. I also use it for moving snow and the occasional rock or tree.

I have been venturing out of the nice flat part of the property with this skidsteer and into some of the steeper stuff and find this machine is TERRIBLE in the steep! I kind of figured it would be when I first got the machine given the short wheelbase and high center of gravity, but I only got it to move manure. It was only later that I discovered how useful it is for other things.

So now I would like to find something that will do everything my skidsteer will without flipping end for end on up to 30% grades, and would like some recommendations as to what sort of machine to look for.

One thing in my favor is this machine can combine two "hobbies," my restoring old machines and the wife's horses. The machine would have to run reliably and as such should be something fairly common with good parts availability and accumulated knowledge.

More to the point, I don't know if I should look for a crawler (which I kind of like) or a four-wheel drive tractor. Whatever I get it would need a bucket that I can raise a good 8 feet or more, and be able to take attachments such as a bale spear or fork. The largest bails I have had to deal with are 4 by 4 by 8 feet and these weigh just shy of a ton, so lifting a ton is pretty much a requirement.

I would also be using this thing to pull stumps, drag downed trees, and move the occasional pesky rock. Plus probably other uses I haven't even discovered yet. I do all this with the skidsteer now but would like to venture off of the "flat" areas. I realise the machine itself isn't everything and I would probably seek out training as well.

So, at the risk of sounding redundant, what is a good general purpose machine for mountain work? Crawler? Four-weel drive tractor? Center-pivot loader? Paylogger? (Are these things even around anymore?) Or something else entirely that I haven't even heard of.

As an aside, my wife used to work construction until a traumatic brain injury pretty much wiped out her abilities. She wants me to get a track hoe (and not a small one, mind you!) but I am not sure that is really what we need. But I could be wrong! Any opinions? Thanks for the responses so far!

I doubt I would ever be sideways on the 30% grade - it's just that the steepest part of the driveway is 30%, but only for about 50 feet. (Driveway is a loose term - more of a washed-out jeep trail. About 300 feet long, averages 20 to 25% grade.) I would work my way into steeper terrain as I learned the machine; I tend to be pretty conservative when dealing with this stuff. I didn't get to be 60 by taking wild risks.

Yes, rollover protection is something I want, not just a cab that will squash flat if I roll. And a belt.

Ed - I will look into the traxscavator. My wife (who is the expert on this stuff - go figure) already told me that most crawlers are only good for pushing stuff around as they commonly don't have buckets - just doser blades.

I realize this stuff is expensive and ultimately beyond our means but it doesn't hurt to keep an eye open should something come up at auction. Also, there is the occasional machine rusting away in a field around here. There was a big doser that sat by the side of the road here for well over 20 years until the property got sold and it disappeared. Also, up near the horses was a trackhoe rusting away but it also disappeared one day and a fancy new house appeared in its spot. I realize rebuilding the hydraulics on these things is also expensive. And there is a TD6 sitting near us rotting away but the ownership is ambiguous and, frankly the combating owners are not worth dealing with.

Oilpulled - The horses (Percheron mares, full sisters, true blacks, no white markings) mostly stand around and eat. And poop. Thus the skidsteer. Trouble is the terrain is too tight to hook them up to do anything, at least with my limited experience. Renae has had them on the flats mowing, manure spreading, dragging arenas, and working younger drafts. As for the Boulder area - I guess the location is nice but we don't really fit in with the population here. Picture a TurboDiesel F350 hauling 3 tons of hay (or a rusty skidsteer for that matter) through a cloud of "Enviro-consious" Priuses and Subarus with the ever popular "coexist" bumper sticker. Or getting passed on the shoulder by the shiny new Lexus with the bumper sticker stating "Live simply so that others may simply live." Oh, yes. And then there are the neighbors that claim that bears aren't carniverous and only eat berries, right after we lost two goats to a black bear and her cub. (knew it was a bear from the tracks.) OK, I've gotten off track with my rant.

So- back on track - I will look into some of the suggestions, and Thanks! I have been in the timber industry for many years as an operator, driver and Co owner, been retired for 20 yrs now.You'd be surprised how quickly you can get sideways on rocky terrain no manner what your operating. Wheel loaders definately NO!!! Their high center of gravity and articulation makes them extremely unstable on rugged ground, I would stay away from skiploaders also four wheel drive or not for the same reason as above. any wheel machine on steep rocky or unstable ground is courting with disaster. wheel spin and hopping will get a machine sideways and rolling over very quickly. Just watch the idiots with their jeeps doing hillclimbs flipping over backwards and not stopping til they hit a tree or the bottom of the canyon. A d-6 with a winch and angle blade for the steep terrain. stay away from LGP tracks and avoid a high track machine for stability reasons Buckets on tracks will get you in trouble because you wont be able to bury it in the ground if your sliding on rocky terrain. you will have to carry fire extinguisher, sharpened spade and possibly other equipment for firefighting in the event sparks from the machine should light up the brush and grass. Check with you jurisdictional requirements. The reality is that with your various terrains you will likely need several machines to work safely and effectively. Each has a purpose and to attempt to operate beyond the limits of the machine is foolish,unsafe, dangerous, and can leave loved ones without a family member.