Why do you need a two-wheel tractor?

Two-wheel tractor is a multifunctional self-propelled device designed for the mechanization of agricultural work. It is equipped with an internal combustion engine, due to which the movement of equipment and the ability to work with various types of attachments are ensured.

Two-wheel tractor is a full-fledged (albeit compact) agricultural machine with which you can plow and harrow, sow grain and seeds, plant root crops and hill beds, apply fertilizer and plant protection products, mow grass and harvest. In addition to working in the field and on the beds, two-wheel tractors can help with other tasks: pump water, remove snow, chop wood and transport goods.

But it should be noted that “out of the box” the two-wheel tractor cannot do almost any of the above. Such broad functionality appears only when installing additional attachments. Each owner decides what nozzles he needs for work, and what equipment is worth investing in.

Two-wheel tractor with an active rototiller during operation.
Two-wheel tractor s

How to distinguish a two-wheel tractor from a cultivator?

The fundamental difference between two-wheel tractors and cultivators is that one type of equipment was originally designed to work with active attachments, while the second does not have such a possibility. That is, a cultivator in itself is an agricultural tool, the main purpose of which is loosening (cultivating) the soil with the help of rotating cutters. A two-wheel tractor serves as a “base” for a variety of attachments.

Therefore, in order to distinguish a two-wheel tractor from a cultivator, it is enough to look at whether the device has a power take-off shaft or a pulley, on which you can put a belt to drive any attachment. If there is no power take-off shaft or a pulley, this is a cultivator. If they are present in the design of the equipment, this is a two-wheel tractor.

Some large motor cultivators have enough power to pull passive attachments behind them: a small plow, hiller or light harrow. But only a two-wheel tractor can work with active attachments, such as an active rototiller, a rotary or segment mower and an auger snow blower. At the same time, nothing prevents the two-wheel tractor from using passive attachments, such as the previously mentioned plows and hillers, as well as pulling seeders, potato planters, potato diggers, fertilizer spreaders, sprayers and even trailers with loads.

Сultivator (left) and two-wheel tractor (right).
Cultivators

Do you need a driving licence for a two-wheel tractor?

Two-wheel tractors were originally invented for tillage. This is their main function. But they can also do transport work. Therefore, many are tempted to buy a two-wheel tractor with a trailer to carry crops, hay bales, fertilizers, building materials, garbage or other goods. In this regard, a reasonable question arises: what category of driving licence is needed for a two-wheel tractor, and is it possible to drive it on regular roads?

Directly in the instruction manual it is written that the two-wheel tractor cannot be used on general roads. According to the law, it is not considered a vehicle at all. Therefore, it is not necessary to register a two-wheel tractor, obtain license plates or pass exams for managing this type of equipment.

Where can you drive a two-wheel tractor? Without any restrictions, a two-wheel tractor with a trailer can only be driven on field and country roads. And over long distances, it needs to be transported in the back of a truck or on a trailer. If a two-wheel tractor appears on public roads, the police may have questions and complaints. Practical experience shows that they often result in fines.

Without consequences, driving a two-wheel tractor on public roads is possible only where the police turn a blind eye to this.

What kind of petrol is needed for a two-wheel tractor?

Fuel recommendations are always contained in the instructions for the two-wheel tractor. In the vast majority of cases, for modern agricultural machinery equipped with 4-stroke petrol engines, it is recommended to use petrol with an octane rating of 92 (that is, ordinary automotive fuel that can be bought at any gas station). Sometimes (but rarely) manufacturers allow the use of other brands of fuel – for example, petrol that has an octane rating of 95 or contains some ethanol. But, if this is not directly described in the instructions, then it is not worth replacing the 92nd petrol with other brands of fuel (power may drop, or there will be problems with cooling). With diesel two-wheel tractors, everything is also very simple – use diesel fuel according to the season (in summer – summer diesel fuel, and when the air temperature is around +5 °C, it's time to switch to winter one).

Please note: many petrol two-wheel tractors and cultivators do not have fuel filters. Therefore, it is not recommended to fill their petrol tanks with "old" petrol (which was stored in the garage for more than 2 months and has already acquired a yellowish or light brown tint), as well as pouring fuel from a dirty jerry can. Due to the lack of a filter, sediment or dirt in the fuel will certainly lead to accelerated wear of the internal combustion engine.

Many light and medium two-wheel tractors have the same petrol engines as large garden equipment.

Two-wheel tractors and cultivators equipped with 2-stroke petrol engines have their own specific. They are filled not with pure petrol, but with a petrol-oil mixture. It is prepared by mixing special motor oil into petrol in a ratio of 50:1 (20 ml of oil per 1 liter of fuel) or 40:1 (25 ml of oil per 1 liter of fuel). The procedure for preparing the mixture should be familiar to those who have a two-stroke generator or petrol-powered garden equipment ( lawn mower, grass trimmer, chainsaw, etc.).

Diesel Two-Wheel Tractors

What car oil to use in a two-wheel tractor?

Two-wheel tractors cannot be called "capricious" equipment. They are quite simple both in design and in terms of operation. But, nevertheless, oil for a two-wheel tractor must be selected no less carefully than for a car. After all, engine oil has more than just a lubricating function. It also removes heat from some of the most loaded parts, retains metal particles (wear products of internal combustion engines) and soot (fuel combustion products). If the equipment was purchased along with the documentation, then just look at the instructions to find out what kind of oil to fill in the two-wheel tractor. It describes in detail the "preferences" of a particular engine model.

In most cases, for air-cooled two-wheel tractors, it is recommended to use oil marked 10W-30, and for water-cooled internal combustion engines – 10W-40. Usually semi-synthetic or mineral oil is poured. The brand is of no fundamental importance – the main thing is that the characteristics of the engine oil correspond to the approvals specified in the instructions. But it is not recommended to mix different brands of liquids (including oils with the same label, but from different manufacturers). The fact is that they may have incompatible additive packages, which, interacting with each other, will only worsen the characteristics of the oil instead of improving them.

Engine oils 10w 30

Please note that standard car oil for a two-wheel tractor is hardly suitable. After all, the vast majority of two-wheel tractors, unlike cars, are equipped with air-cooled engines. Therefore, you need to choose those lubricants which packaging indicates that they are suitable for air-cooled engines (usually, these are the same oils that are used for garden equipment). There are no such problems with water-cooled engines. You can pour standard car oil into a water-cooled two-wheel tractor. But in the case of diesel equipment, it must be remembered that diesel requires special lubricats labeled accordingly.

And another oil is poured into the reducer of the two-wheel tractor – gear oil. According to the international classification, it has the designations SAE 80W-90 or API GL-5. But in some countries, any oil for a two-wheel tractor reducer is still called TAD-17.

The oil in the two-wheel tractor is changed before each season (or after the season before conservation for the winter) and every 50 operating hours thereafter, as well as immediately after the break-in of new equipment.

How to turn on the two-wheel tractor?

The process of starting a two-wheel tractor depends on its design and type of internal combustion engine. For example, many cultivators and light two-wheel tractors have small-capacity petrol engines that are started using an exhaust cable. If you have experience operating 4-stroke generators or lawn mowers, then there will be no problems with starting the two-wheel tractor. To start such an engine, you need to open the fuel cock, close the fuel valve or move the choke lever to the starting position (to “enrich” the mixture), then “take out the slack” of the cable and pull it towards you with a sharp movement, spinning the internal combustion engine. Sometimes the procedure of pulling the cable has to be repeated several times in order for the engine to start.

Having experience in starting a generator, water pump or petrol-powered garden equipment, you can easily turn on a petrol two-wheel tractor.

Middle-class two-wheel tractors usually have engines with a capacity of at least 5 – 7 hp, which are already difficult to start by pulling the cable. Therefore, spring starters are sometimes put on such equipment (they are even sold as kits for self-conversion of a two-wheel tractor). To start a two-wheel tractor with a spring starter, you need to make 7 – 10 turns with the handle, release the decompressor button – and the compressed spring will do its job, spinning the engine crankshaft. This way of starting requires less physical effort. Diesel two-wheel tractors are sometimes started with a handle with which the flywheel spins.

For those who do not like such "exercises", it is better to immediately buy a two-wheel tractor with an electric starter that runs on battery power. Such equipment is started "from the key" without any effort on the part of the operator. Heavy two-wheel tractors, usually, are equipped with internal combustion engine electric start systems. And equipment of light and medium classes can be converted if you buy an electric starter for a two-wheel tractor (with a flywheel crown, wires for the battery, brackets and a set of fasteners).

Do I need to warm up the two-wheel tractor?

It is recommended to warm up garden and agricultural machinery equipped with internal combustion engines after starting. Warm-up refers to idling with no load. As a rule, the warm-up of the two-wheel tractor should last at least 3–5 minutes (check the operating instructions for your equipment). In most cases, this time is enough for the engine to reach the optimum temperature, and the oil in the crankcase and reducer to warm up, become more fluid and evenly distributed over all rubbing surfaces.

How to start a two-wheel tractor in winter?

At air temperatures below +5 °C, problems may already arise with starting the two-wheel tractor. This applies to a lesser extent to petrol vehicles (that are relatively easy to start in winter). But owners of heavy-duty diesel two-wheel tractors, on which large high-power engines are installed, are constantly faced with such difficulties.

The main mistake when starting a diesel two-wheel tractor in winter is the wrong fuel. In the cold season, only "winter" diesel fuel should be poured into the tank. The fact is that "summer" diesel fuel at temperatures below zero becomes cloudy, similar in structure to a gel. In this state, diesel fuel is poorly pumped through the fuel system and can even tightly clog it. But even with “winter” fuel, diesel two-wheel tractors do not particularly like winter. There are several ways to "persuade" a diesel engine to start in cold weather. You can try pouring hot water into the radiator (if you fill it with water and not antifreeze) to warm up the unit with it. Alternative ways to warm up the engine are to send a stream of hot air from a fan heater to it or cover the two-wheel tractor under a film or tarpaulin along with an oil radiator. The purpose of such manipulations is to warm up the thick oil in the engine so that it becomes less viscous and does not interfere with turning the crankshaft. It should be noted that low battery charge, airing of the fuel system or poor compression in the cylinder (for example, due to wear of piston rings) also do not contribute to the reliable start of the two-wheel tractor in winter.

And who even needs to run a two-wheel tractor in winter, when the ground is frozen, and you can neither plow nor sow? Do not forget that the beauty of two-wheel tractors lies in their versatility and multi-functionality. A good owner, even in winter, will find a use for a two-wheel tractor. Indeed, with the help of an auger or a blade, a two-wheeled tractor easily and quickly turns into a full-fledged snow blower, which can be used to clear snow in the yard, on the farm, in the parking lot or on the streets.

With the help of attachments in winter a two-wheel tractor can be turned into a snow blower.

How to break in a two-wheel tractor?

A new two-wheel tractor requires a break-in – this is a very strict rule. Break-in is the process of gradual introduction of equipment into operation – with a small load. In this process, moving and rotating parts are rubbed against each other, piston rings are “run in” to the cylinder liner, parts are evenly covered with an oil layer, etc. Even before break-in (immediately after unpacking or assembling the two-wheel tractor), check the tightness of all bolts and fill in oil into the engine crankcase, reducer and air filter oil bath.

We will demonstrate the break-in process using the example of the most mass-produced equipment – a typical Chinese two-wheel tractor with a petrol engine and a two-stage reducer. The break-in of such a machine should be divided into three stages with different load conditions.

Two-Wheel Tractors and Cultivators with Two Gears

  • At the first stage, the two-wheel tractor is run in without load at idle. It is necessary to install the device in such a way that its wheels can rotate. You can put the two-wheel tractor on a car jack, a repair stand or wooden stumps – it doesn’t matter, as long as it stands steadily and does not jump off the supports (do not forget that the equipment vibrates during operation). You should let the two-wheel tractor work in first gear (2 hours in total), second gear (also 2 hours) and in reverse (about half an hour). Stop the engine every 10-15 minutes and let it cool down.
  • At the second stage, the two-wheel tractor can be run in with a small load (within 30% – 40% of the maximum speed). You can drive a two-wheel tractor across the field or ride with an empty trailer. Ideally, a total of 4 hours should run in first and second gears.
  • At the third stage of break-in, the two-wheel tractor can already fully perform its work in a mode approximately equal to 2/3 of the power. The main thing is not to overdo it, not to spin the engine up to maximum speed. At the final stage of break-in, the operating time should be 6 – 7 hours in each gear.

In general, if you follow the manufacturer's recommendations, breaking in a two-wheel tractor takes about 20 to 25 hours in total. Accordingly, you need to break in the equipment ahead of time – some time before large-scale field work begins. After breaking in, it is necessary to completely drain the oil from the engine crankcase, reducer and air filter and replace it with fresh oil. It is also necessary to unscrew the candle and clean it from soot, check the gaps in the valves, tighten all the fasteners again and check for fuel or lubricant leaks on the units and assemblies. If everything is done – your two-wheel tractor is completely ready for full-fledged work.

Note: for some two-wheel tractors, the break-in procedure may differ from that described. After purchasing, be sure to read the instruction manual for your equipment.

On social media dedicated to agriculture and agricultural machinery, there are heated discussions about break-in and how many hours a two-wheel tractor needs to be breaking in. Some believe that a long break-in (up to 25 hours in total) is an unnecessary "reinsurance", and the entire procedure can be reduced to 5 hours. Well, it's quite possible. But our recommendations are based on information from the technical documentation. In order for the equipment to serve for a long time, we advise you to break in the two-wheel tractor correctly – as manufacturers recommend.

With proper break-in and proper maintenance, even Chinese two-wheel tractors can serve faithfully for decades, living to a very advanced age.

How to turn off a two-wheel tractor?

There are no special tricks to turn off the engine of the two-wheel tractor properly. After finishing work, it is necessary to set the lowest engine speed and let it run for 2 – 3 minutes at idle. Further actions depend on the type of engine and the configuration of the two-wheel tractor. If there is an ignition switch, then it is enough to turn the switch from the ON position to the OFF position to break the spark generation circuit and drown out the petrol two-wheel tractor. In some models, to stop the engine, you need to turn the throttle lever to the STOP position to shut off the air supply. At a diesel two-wheel tractor, you simply need to low the fuel supply “all the way” – and it will shut down.

Some users use a decompressor to drown out a diesel two-wheel tractor. Doing so is highly discouraged. It is possible to turn off a diesel two-wheel tractor using a decompressor only in emergency cases (for example, when the engine started up “in the opposite direction” at startup, or the engine works incorrectly).

After stopping the engine, be sure to close the fuel cock before storing the two-wheel tractor. Otherwise, the fuel, leaking drop by drop, may enter the engine crankcase and mix with the oil.

How to prepare a two-wheel tractor for winter?

Proper preservation of the two-wheel tractor for the winter prolongs the life of the car. Perhaps the operating instructions for your equipment have specific recommendations for preparing the two-wheel tractor for winter. If the manufacturer forgot to describe this procedure, then we advise you to stick to our universal algorithm, which is suitable for most models of agricultural and garden equipment.

  • Thoroughly wash the two-wheel tractor and attachments from dirt. Clean up oil and fuel spills. For air-cooled two-wheel tractors, blow out the engine fins or clean it with a brush. To clean equipment before winter storage, you can use a mini-washer or a compressor, if you have them at hand.
  • Completely drain the fuel from the petrol tank. Try to start the engine so that it runs out of all the fuel that has accumulated in the carburetor and fuel pipes. After the engine stalls, close the fuel cock.
  • Drain the oil and replace with new. Remove the spark plug and pour one or two cubes of engine oil into the cylinder through its hole. Turn the crankshaft by hand so that an oil film forms on the parts of the crank mechanism.
  • Remove the battery (if your two-wheel tractor has one) and store it in a relatively warm place.
  • Treat metal surfaces with preservative lubricants (these can be found in our motor oils & fluids catalog). Pay special attention to those parts of the two-wheel tractor and elements of attachments from which the paint has peeled off.
  • For the winter, it is better to install a two-wheel tractor on any supports so that it does not rest on the wheels. This will extend the life of the tyres. In winter, crank the engine by hand from time to time to prevent "sticking" of the piston rings.
Good care and proper preservation for the winter will allow the two-wheel tractor to maintain full performance and excellent appearance for many years.

Instead of an afterword

Comparing prices for light farm machinery, you should use our catalog of two-wheel tractors and cultivators. In it, you can sort the models available in online stores by one or another parameter and create comparison tables. In addition to full technical specifications, on the product pages you can find video reviews of two-wheel tractors, reviews of real owners and links to operating instructions.

We also recommend that you read the article "How to choose a two-wheel tractor". It contains answers to almost all important questions regarding the selection of two-wheeled vehicles for farmers and gardeners.