Facts for Kids

Rollover protection system (ROPS) is a strong frame or cab that helps keep the driver safe if a tractor tips. Always use the seatbelt when the ROPS is there. Keep all guards on moving parts like the PTO shaft so clothes or hands can’t get caught, and never let children ride on farm equipment.

On roads, tractors should use lights and a slow-moving vehicle sign so others can see them. Operators learn how to use brakes, the inching pedal, and differential locks to avoid slips and turns that could tip a tractor. Would you like to try spotting the safety signs on a tractor next time you visit a farm?

Tractor is a special kind of vehicle made to pull heavy tools and machines slowly and with lots of power. You usually see tractors on farms, where they help with plowing, planting, and moving big loads. Because they work slowly and steadily, tractors can do jobs that would be too hard for a person or a small truck.

Tractors can pull tools behind them or carry equipment on the back or front. Some tools need power to turn or move, so the tractor can give them that power as it works.

Compact utility tractors (CUTs) are smaller tractors used for yards, gardens, and small farms. They usually have about 20–50 horsepower and can use front loaders, mowers, or snow blowers. CUTs often have both mid and rear PTOs—mid PTO helps run a mower close to the tractor, and the rear PTO commonly turns at 540 rpm for many tools.

Larger row-crop tractors are built for big fields and planting between rows of crops. Two-wheel or walk-behind tractors are tiny machines used in places with small farms or tight spaces. Some tractors use tracks for soft ground, and some are made just for orchards or vineyards where they must fit between trees.

PTO is started and stopped from the tractor’s controls so the operator can run a machine while staying in the cab. Tractors have pedals, levers, and buttons for driving and using tools. You often find a clutch or an inching pedal to change speed slowly, brake pedals that can be used separately for left and right wheels, and a hand throttle to hold the engine at a steady speed.

Modern tractors may add power-shift gears or CVT so you change speed without stopping. There are also switches for the hydraulic lift, buttons for the differential lock (to help when one wheel slips), and dashboard displays that show speed, engine temperature, and warnings.

Many tractors use a diesel engine to make their power because diesel engines work well for slow, strong pulling. Tractors come with two large rear wheels and two smaller front wheels, or they might have four big wheels that all help push. Some tractors use wide rubber or steel tracks instead of wheels for better grip in mud or soft soil.

To move and pull things, tractors have a system of gears called a transmission. Older tractors have manual gears you change by foot and hand. Newer ones often have smoother systems like synchronized gears or a CVT (continuously variable transmission) so you can go the right slow speed without hard shifting.

A hitch is how a tractor connects to a tool. Simple hitches are called drawbars and let the tractor pull wheeled tools. A common modern hitch is the three-point hitch that can lift and lower tools so you can turn in fields or move down a road without dragging parts on the ground.

Many tools need turning power, not just pulling. A power take-off (PTO) is a spinning shaft at the back (and sometimes the front) that sends engine power into machines like mowers or balers. Tractors also use hydraulic pumps and hoses to move heavy parts on implements and to give electrical power through wires when needed.