TWO-WHEEL TRACTOR ESSENTIALS

Small but mighty, two-wheel tractors work great for gardeners, homesteaders, landscapers and farmers.

-  ZACH LOEKS

This tractor goes by many names: "two-wheel," "single-axle" and "walk-behind," all of which highlight its small-scale nature. But the word "tractor" defines its multifunctional use and sets it apart from the plethora of lookalike single-purpose power equipment.

It has one system (engine, transmission, wheels, PTO) powering multiple interchangeable implements. It can do the work of a shed full of power equipment, with only a single system to maintain.

A tractor can be simply defined as a land-management machine that has a universal hitch and PTO so it can operate various implements to perform different jobs - from mowing to tilling and snow blowing to hay baling. A PTO (power take-off) is an efficient mechanical part that carries the energy transferred along the drive train from the engine and applies it to any number of implements that have no power of their own.

Innovated in the first half of the 20th century, the PTO revolutionized farming by allowing a wide range of implements to be developed, all of which are engaged by the mighty power of an engine rather than relying on being ground-driven or pulled through the soil.