Types of Farm Equipment
Any good farmer will tell you that a farmer’s tools are their bread and butter. Without modern technology, most commercial farmers wouldn’t be able to keep up with demand. That’s why having the right set of farm equipment can make all the difference in your yield, especially when it comes to bigger operations. But with so many options, it can be hard to keep everything straight. That’s why FMI Equipment has provided a quick breakdown of some of the more common tools. That way, when you stop by our location in Spokane Valley, Washington, you can let us know where you’d like to start your search. We serve Spokane, WA, as well as Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
Soil Cultivation Machines
After long, cold months, you might need to work the soil a few times so it’s soft enough for planting. That’s where soil cultivation machines are going to come in handy.
Cultivator
Cultivators don’t just help with preparing the soil—they’re also used for weeding. You can use them to soften the soil before planting and then adjust the spacing of the tines to pull up weeds after your crops have started growing.
Harrow
You can pull a harrow with a tractor to help level soil, redistribute crop residue, and pull up weeds. They can also help with breaking up and leveling manure into the soil.
Cultipacker
A cultipacker is designed to crush packed dirt, remove air pockets, and press down on clumps to create the smoothest seedbed possible. Once you’re ready to plant, place your seeds on top of the soil and use it to gently turn them into it.
Plows
There are many different types of plows available, but they’re all designed to dig a little deeper and break up particularly tough soil. You’ll want to do a little more research on plows, as different designs provide different advantages.
Planting Machines
Once the soil is prepped and ready to go, you’ll want to start planting with the right planting equipment.
Seed Drills
Attach seed drills to your tractor in order to plant seeds without disturbing the ground. These pieces of equipment are generally used for row crops, cover crops, and grasses, and you can even look for no-till drills.
Broadcast Seeders
You’ll find broadcast seeders of all sizes, from backpack models to attachments for your tractor. The broadcast itself is usually adjustable to accommodate your fields and are often best suited for cover crops, grasses, and forages, or anything that gets planted in large swaths.
Transplanters
While traditionally these might have been for big farmers only, recent developments mean that small-scale operations can also benefit from transplanters. Simply press the level and let the machine make the hole and set the crop.
Harvesting Machines
Once all your crops have grown, it’ll be time to harvest them. When it’s impractical to harvest by hand, you’ll want to turn to machines.
Harvester
Most likely, when we’re talking about harvesters, we’re talking about combines. These are a little different in that they’re usually not an attachment for a tractor, but rather their own separate machine. The standard options excel with grain crops, although you can get models that more specifically adhere to your crop, like grapes or corn. They get their name by combining three harvesting processes: reaping, threshing, and winnowing.
Swather
Once some crops are cut, they need to be organized into neat columns, or windrows. That’s why you’ll want a swather. These get dragged behind a tractor or other machine to windrow the crop, which then makes it ready for collection, like grass crops.
There are many, many other types of farming equipment and trying to find all the tools that’ll help you can be a process. That’s why you’ll want to stop by FMI Equipment so we can help you out. We’ll show you what we have available and help you decide which equipment is going to make work on your farm a little easier. We welcome all those from Spokane Valley and Spokane, Washington, as well as Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.