Building up machinery on a small farm is harder than on a large one. The budget is limited, every machine has to do more than one job, and a first machine bought wrongly ties up the money meant for the right machine for years. The “let’s buy whatever the neighbour has” approach usually ends with a machine that is either bigger than necessary or unsuited to the work.
In this guide we explain how to build up your machinery in order of priority: first draw up a work calendar, then score the jobs, choose the first machine for its versatility, invest in attachments rather than another machine as the second step, and calculate the total cost correctly. At the end you will find example scenarios for different types of farm.
The work calendar comes first, not the machine
Divide a sheet of paper into twelve months and write every job done on the farm during the year under its month: soil preparation, sowing and planting, weed control, carting manure, irrigation lines, carting the harvest, ditch cleaning, land levelling. Next to each job, note how it is done today: by hand, with a neighbour’s machine or by a paid contractor?
This calendar immediately reveals two things. First, which months the jobs pile up in. Second, how many of the jobs done by outside contractors don’t get done on time. This is usually exactly where a machine really pays its way on the farm: you can do the job on the day the soil and the crop need it, not on the day the contractor happens to be free.
The priority rule: score each job with three questions
Score each job in the calendar from 1 to 3:
- Frequency: How many times a year is this job done? Once a year: 1; regularly throughout the season: 3.
- Time pressure: What happens if it is a few days late? If it doesn’t matter: 1; if it means losing the crop or yield: 3.
- Difficulty of finding a contractor: How hard is it to find someone in your area to do this job on time? If it’s easy: 1; if you usually can’t find anyone: 3.
Add up the scores. The highest-scoring jobs are the ones the first machine must be able to do. Low-scoring jobs can be left for later years or to outside contractors.
| Job (example) | Frequency | Time pressure | Difficulty finding a contractor | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soil preparation (rotary tiller) | 3 | 3 | 2 | 8 |
| Weed clearing between the rows | 3 | 2 | 3 | 8 |
| Carting manure and produce | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 |
| Irrigation channels and pipelines | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| Digging holes, stump removal, drainage | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
The scores in the table are examples; fill it in with the realities of your own farm. In this example it is clear that the first machine needs to handle tillage, weeds and haulage, while digging jobs take second place.
The first machine: the most versatile one wins
On a small farm it isn’t enough for the first machine to be very good at one job; it needs to be able to do most of the jobs at the top of the scoring table. Here is how the options at EKSFORK compare from this point of view:
- QD35 tracked tractor (from 249.000 ₺ + VAT): With rotary tiller, two-furrow plough, weed clearing and trench opening and closing attachments, it covers most tillage-heavy work, and it does haulage with a drawbar. With 35 HP, a weight of 750 kg and a work rate of about 2 decares an hour, it is designed for vineyards, orchards and small fields.
- QD35 tracked tractor with excavator arm (from 349.000 ₺ + VAT): The same tractor with a rear digging arm added. The 100.000 ₺ difference from the standard model is the price of being able to dig holes, dig trenches and remove stumps without buying a separate machine.
- R10 mini excavator (from 299.000 ₺ + VAT): The better choice if the work is mainly digging and you don’t need tillage; but unlike a tractor, it can’t pull a tiller or a plough.
If tillage and haulage come first in your scoring table but some digging also crops up a few times a year, a tractor with excavator arm is the most balanced start for most small farms. We cover this machine’s strengths and weaknesses in detail in our guide to the tracked tractor with excavator arm. If you can’t decide between an excavator and a tractor, take a look at our excavator or tractor comparison too.
Let’s be honest — the excavator-arm version isn’t right for every farm. If you only dig for a day or two a year, it may be smarter to have that job done by a contractor and put the difference towards attachments. The decision should be based on the total score of the digging jobs in your table.
Step two: attachments, not a new machine
After buying the first machine, the most common mistake is to set your sights on a second one. On a small farm, though, the second investment should usually be an attachment. An attachment puts the engine, tracks and operator you already have to work on a new job; it needs no separate engine servicing, separate storage or separate insurance.
The attachments available for the tracked tractor are the rotary tiller (rotavator), two-furrow plough, plough extension bar, excavator bucket, trencher, trench-closing auger, weed clearing attachment and drawbar. The scoring table also decides the order of the attachments: the one needed for the highest-scoring job is bought first. The full list is on our tracked tractor attachments page; we give current prices on WhatsApp.
A second machine should only come into consideration in two cases: if two jobs have to be done on the same days and this clash comes round every year, or if a job the first machine can’t do has risen to the top of the scoring table.
Example scenarios
Orchard or vineyard
The main jobs are tillage between the rows, weed control and carting the harvest. As a first machine, the QD35 with a rotary tiller and a weed clearing attachment is usually enough. In narrow rows, the machine’s 980 mm width is an advantage. If there is a lot of new planting or irrigation line work, the excavator-arm version is worth considering.
Vegetables and greenhouses
Soil preparation is done several times a year within narrow time windows, so time pressure is high. The QD35 with a rotary tiller comes first. The trencher and trench-closing auger for irrigation lines are the second step. If digging is rarely needed, it can be left to a contractor.
A farm breaking in new land
On new land with stones, roots, old fences, uneven ground and drainage problems, the work in the first few years is more about digging than tillage. In this case the first machine must be able to dig: a tractor with excavator arm, or a mini excavator for heavy land clearing. As the land is brought into shape, the tillage attachments are added.
A small farm focused on livestock
Carting manure, preparing soil for fodder crops, water channels and tidying up around the barn take priority. A tractor that can haul with a drawbar comes first. Once produce starts being stored and shipped on pallets, an electric forklift may come into the picture; the RF20E starts from 599.000 ₺ + VAT, but it needs a smooth, firm surface and isn’t suitable for a muddy yard.
Part-time or hobby farm
On a few decares worked at weekends, the scoring table usually comes out low: jobs are infrequent and time pressure is limited. Let’s be honest — at this scale, using contractors for a few years and recording the real working hours may be wiser than buying a machine. As the land grows or the jobs become more frequent, the table is filled in again.
A three-year roadmap
Farm machinery isn’t built up in a day. To base your decisions on real data, season by season, we suggest this order:
- Year one: A first machine to do the highest-scoring jobs, plus the one or two most critical attachments. Write down every working day, the job done and how long it took in a notebook.
- Year two: Update the scoring table with the real hours from the notebook. The differences between estimates and reality are usually surprising. Choose the second group of attachments based on this data.
- Year three: If jobs that pile up on the same days recur every year, or a job the first machine can’t do has risen to the top, that is the time to consider a second machine.
This order is the opposite of the “buy now, think later” approach: every new investment is justified by the previous year’s records.
Total cost: beyond the price tag
The machine’s price is only one item in the total cost. When making your decision, write down these items too:
- Attachments: A machine can’t work without attachments; add the attachments you will buy in the first year to the budget from the start.
- Storage: An enclosed, dry space extends the machine’s life. If you don’t have one, building it is also a cost.
- Maintenance consumables: Regular expenses such as oil, filters, belts, blades and shares.
- Fuel: The QD35’s consumption in the specification table is 1–2 litres per decare; multiply it by the area you work each year for a rough figure.
- Operator time: Taking the person who will run the machine away from other work for those hours is also a cost.
To compare buying with paying for contract work, use a simple formula: annual cost of ownership = (purchase price − estimated resale value after a few years) / years of use + annual maintenance + annual fuel + storage. Compare this with the annual amount you would pay for contract work on the same jobs in your area. Because contract rates vary by region, collect quotes in your own area and do the sums. Write down the annual contract cost with the same discipline: for each job, multiply the hours or decares of contract work you buy each year by the unit rate, and note separately the days lost while waiting; even though this last item can’t be put into figures, it often decides the matter. You can also look at our rent or buy guide, where we work through the same logic in detail.
Cash flow is part of the decision too. EKSFORK has a single-price policy: there is no haggling, but we do offer flexible payment options. We explain the options in our guide to payment options when buying a machine.
Common mistakes
- Buying one size too big: A big machine bought because “it’ll come in handy one day” won’t fit between today’s narrow rows and burns more fuel every hour.
- Spending the whole budget on the machine: A machine with no money left for attachments can’t do half of the jobs on the scoring table.
- Not thinking about storage: Machines and attachments left out in the open rust, and rubber parts age.
- Skipping the service and parts question: A machine waiting for parts in the middle of the season misses the highest-scoring job. Before you buy, ask about the warranty, parts stock and service network.
- Relying on one person to run the machine: Having at least two people on the farm who can operate the machine safely saves the day when someone is ill or work is at its busiest.
Here is the after-sales framework at EKSFORK: a warranty of 2 years or 2,000 operating hours, 382 spare parts from stock with same-day shipping, 14 authorised sales and service points in 12 provinces, and a contracted service network covering all 81 provinces.
Quick checklist
- I have drawn up the annual work calendar and written down how each job is done today.
- I have scored the jobs for frequency, time pressure and difficulty of finding a contractor.
- I chose the first machine for its ability to do most of the highest-scoring jobs.
- I have added the first year’s attachments to the budget.
- I have taken storage, maintenance, fuel and operator time into account.
- I have compared the cost of ownership with contract rates in my area.
You can explore the QD35 tracked tractor, which brings most farm jobs together in one machine, and its excavator-arm version on their product pages. Send us your scoring table on WhatsApp and we’ll work out together which order of machines and attachments suits you.
