A quick search of sites on the internet for garden tractors will show up numerous sites for collectors of garden and antique tractors. Aficionados often have large collections of old or rare types of farming tractors and equipment which more often than not end up quite literally as either inactive displays in their yards or workable but rarely used except for the purpose of exhibition or as trusty garden tractors.

Typically these relics of a by-gone era are left or housed out in paddocks or the back-gardens and have acquired the affectionate name ‘garden tractors’. The names of the most popular collectable tractors include models from well-known manufacturers such as:- John Deere, Case, Ford (especially 9N, 2N, 8N), Massey, Ferguson , Oliver and numerous others.

For others who do keep tractors for the purposes of ‘working’ their garden the features most often sort for include things such as:

* compact size (as gardens generally not that large and tractors ideally should be housed),

* reliability (usually the better known brands can be assured of this as their reputation is stake),

* ease of use (needless to say this is important for the pseudo-farmers/gardeners who do not often use this sort of equipment),

* Maneuverability,

* Multi-functional (does it mow lawns as well as allow you to use attachments for other garden functions?),

* Safety considerations (does the tractor have a good balance and centering?),

* Good traction, and last but not least of all its

* economy (in terms of its fuel-efficiency, warranty, servicing requirements, part(s) availability and expense, general life expectancy of the vehicle).

In general garden tractors can be expected to last many years with a common scenario being owners selling their pre-loved tractor only to up-date to a newer model but not through need to replace due to wear. Most garden tractors feature many of the same specifications of their larger farm tractor counterparts with the only modifications being the down-sizing adaptive for gardens.

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