Tractor is the fundamental farm machinery that most farmers start with. Which tractor is best for you to buy in Kenya? 2 wheel drive or 4 wheel drive?

Why buy a 2 wheel drive or a 4 wheel drive tractor

Kenyan farmers are slowly embracing mechanization, and tractor is the fundamental farm machinery that most farmers start with. Which tractor is best for you to buy in Kenya? 2 wheel drive or 4 wheel drive?

Before you proceed, I recommend that you first read the article on the important things you need to know before you buy a tractor.

What I have seen in the past is that most farmers who wish to buy a tractor may have bought a personal car in the past. Their criteria of choosing the tractor to buy are highly guided by the same criteria they used to buy the personal. By far and large, the type of personal car that people chose to buy is determined majorly by the budget- How much they willing to spend on the car all other factors notwithstanding.

While this is true for cars, it is totally misleading when it comes to choosing the right tractor to buy. The choice of the tractor you wish to buy is majorly determined by its intended use on the farm.

2 wheel drive or 4 wheel drive?

While both tractors can do the same job, there are some farm jobs that are better suited to either a 2 wheel drive or 4 wheel drive tractor.

 A 2 wheel drive can do any job that a 2 wheel drive tractor can do. However, a 4 wheel drive comes at an extra cost and therefore you must have a good justification to spend more money on a 4 wheel instead of 2 wheel tractor.

A 4 wheel drive tractor is generally more versatile and hardy for a wider variety of farm jobs. With power distributed in all the 4 wheels, the 4 wheel drive tractors offer better traction to the ground more than the two-wheeled.

When do you need a 4 wheel drive tractor?

  1. If your land is sloppy
  2. If you use tractors to pull heavy attachments like trailers, tillers, plough etc
  3. If your soil is heavy and wet/muddy

When do you need a 2 wheel tractor?

  1. If you are working on a dry land
  2. If your land is relatively flat
  3. If you use the tractor with application equipment eg sprayer, planter, spreader,

While a 4 wheel tractor can help you complete farm tasks that range from basic to heavy, the 2 wheel drive has the benefit of being more maneuverable (smaller turning circle) especially on small pieces of land. 2 wheeled are also more affordable if budget is something that you would want to consider.

Happy Buying

Read also: New Massey Ferguson MF 275 on offer sale in Kenya

Read also: Buy a new Massey Ferguson tractor in Kenya MF 35

👇Something about banana farming