Food Plot Equipment-Tractor or ATV

When starting you own deer food plot, one of the chief concerns is the money that you will have surrender to the food plot equipment that you need to accomplish your goals. It would be nice if we all had enough capital laying around to go and purchase what ever we need but most of us don’t, so that idea is not very practical. One thing we do know, is that most food plots will need some type of tilling done to the soil. So, this means that many people will have to make a decision on whether to buy a small farm and garden tractor or an ATV to aid them in cultivating the soil that they have. There are many concerns that need to be addressed here but I can only get into a few in this article. Food plot equipmentlargely depends on you budget and the amount of muscle that you require. So, for now, we shall look at this dilema in very general terms.

 What is the plot’s terain like? How large of a piece of ground are you cultivating? How even is the ground that you are tilling? Is there debre or stumps that need removed? These are all pertinent questions. I would say that the easier the ground is to manage, the more likely I would use a small tractor. For about a grand you can pick up a tractor that will do the job. If the terrain is rougher you might be better off with a 4-wheeler unless there are stumps or roots that need tended to, in that case you would need a big tractor, but they can be serious money and you might not need it again. So, it might be more logical to rent a big tractor for your initial clearing and then use something smaller for continued care.

Another good idea is to purchase food plot equipment that you can use in a duel capacity. If you have kids or you like to ride ATVs yourself, a 4-wheeler can kill two birds with one stone. Likewise, if you have to mow grass at your house and need to replace your old mower, you could upgrade a little and get a nice garden tractor that you can also use on your food plot. In other words look for a product that offers the most versatility for you and your family.

Another consideration before buying food plot equipment is location.  Many people have or start food plots that are not on their residential properties.  They may have land that isn’t adjacent to their homes or may grow in an area located on other people’s land.  So, they have to think of transportation as a crucial consideration in choosing between a tractor or ATV. If you can travel across land a small to intermediate distance without a trailer, you might consider the ATV. If you have to load a machine onto a trailer, then it doesn’t matter as much, unless you all ready have a trailer that will only work on one and not  the other.

There are many, many other things to consider before making a sizable purchase, like food plot equipment. Way to many to discuss them all in this article, however, I hope that we have given you a few ideas and or maybe gave you some things to think about. Only you know what will work the best in your situation. Both tractor and ATV manufacturers are aware of folks like us and are continually improving and coming out with new equipment specific to what we do, so do your research and I know you will make the proper decision.

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