Tracked Tractor Attachments: From Rotavators to Trenchers, Which One for Which Job?

On its own, a tracked tractor is just pulling power; the real work is done by the attachment fitted to it. The same QD35 can till between the rows with a rotavator in the morning, open channels in the afternoon and haul the harvest with a trailer in the evening. Choosing the right attachments decides how useful the machine will be all year round.

But buying an attachment is also an investment, and not every farm needs every attachment. A poorly chosen attachment either rusts in the shed or gets used on the wrong job and damages the soil, the machine and the plants.

In this guide we look one by one at the eight attachments EKSFORK offers for tracked tractors: the rotary tiller (rotavator), two-furrow plough, plough extension bar, weed-clearing attachment, trencher, trench-closing auger, excavator bucket and drawbar. We explain what each one does, when it is used and what to watch out for, and finally discuss the order in which it makes sense to buy them.

What attachments are there for tracked tractors? Start your choice from the work

Instead of looking down the attachment list and wondering which one to buy, first write down all the jobs you do over the year on a sheet of paper. Then answer these three questions for each job:

1. How many times a year is this job done? For a job done once a year, it may make more sense to use an outside service than to buy an attachment.
2. How is this job done now? By hand, with a hired machine or by a contractor? Note down what the current method costs in time and money.
3. Is timing critical? Jobs such as tillage and irrigation have to be done within short windows; for these jobs, having your own attachment is worth far more than waiting for a contractor.

When you go back to the attachment catalogue with this list, it becomes obvious which attachments you really need.

Example (a sample farm): Imagine a grower with an orchard and a small vegetable plot. In the orchard the space between the rows is tilled several times a year; on the vegetable plot a seedbed is prepared before every sowing; irrigation is by drip; prunings and harvest crates are carted about; and only a few trees are planted each year. The conclusion from this list is clear: a drawbar, a rotavator and, if weed pressure is high, a weed-clearing attachment. Because irrigation is by drip, the channel attachments aren’t needed; and for a few planting holes it makes more sense to dig by hand or hire someone than to use a digging arm.

When making the list, don’t forget compatibility: the attachment’s width must suit both your row spacing and the tractor’s power. An attachment that doesn’t fit between the rows is useless, while a wide attachment that exceeds the tractor’s power strains the engine and slows the work down. Ask us about any attachment you are unsure of, giving your machine’s model.

Tillage: two-furrow plough and rotary tiller

Tillage attachments are the most-used equipment on a tracked tractor. The two are not alternatives but complements: the plough turns the soil over deep down, the rotavator breaks up the surface.

Two-furrow plough and plough extension bar

A two-furrow plough cuts and turns the soil over; it buries crop residues and weeds and opens up compacted ground. It is usually used at the start of the season or after harvest, before a new crop or planting. Because the soil is worked by turning it over, the surface is left rough and cloddy; a second pass is usually needed before sowing.

The plough extension bar is an extension piece used where the plough connects to the tractor. We recommend asking us before you order whether it suits your own plough and the way you use it on your land. For plough settings, working depth and the finer points of efficient ploughing, see our ploughing guide.

Rotary tiller (rotavator)

A rotavator breaks up and mixes the soil with its rotating blades; it prepares a fine seedbed for sowing and planting, works the surface between rows and mixes small weeds into the soil. It is the most frequently used attachment in vineyards, orchards and vegetable plots.

Let’s be honest — because the rotavator is so handy, it gets used more than it should. Working the same area often and at high rotor speed can turn the soil to dust; after rain a crust forms on the surface and the soil structure breaks down. Using it in wet soil, meanwhile, turns the earth to paste. We explain depth, speed and timing in detail in our guide to soil preparation with a rotavator.

Rotavator blades wear and bend over time. A worn blade drags the soil instead of breaking it up, spoils the work and increases fuel consumption. Check the blades and mounting bolts at the start of the season, and inspect any blades that have hit stones.

Upkeep and clean-up: weed clearing

The weed-clearing attachment is used to clear weeds mechanically between rows and in open areas. For growers in vineyards, orchards and nurseries who want to cut down on chemicals, it is an important tool.

• Timing: Clearing is far more effective while the weeds are young and small; weeds that have gone to seed and turned woody strain the attachment.
• Soil condition: Work in dry or slightly moist soil; in very wet soil, uprooted weeds can take root again.
• Stones and roots: When working in stony areas or close to the base of trees, take care that the attachment doesn’t hit stones or roots.
• Cleaning: At the end of the job, clear away any weeds and fibres wrapped around the attachment; built-up debris makes the attachment harder to work.

Water management: trencher and trench-closing auger

In flood-irrigated fields and orchards, the channel is the route by which the water reaches the plants. Opening channels by hand and closing them at the end of the season takes a lot of labour; these two attachments hand the job over to the machine.

• Trencher: Opens a channel along the row or at the edge of the field. The depth and fall of the channel decide whether the water reaches its far end; before you start, settle the slope of the land and the point where the water comes in.
• Trench-closing auger: At the end of the season, or when the channel route is due to change, it pulls the soil from the sides back into the channel and levels the surface. Old channels left open make it harder for the machine to get through and spoil later tillage.

Used together, the two attachments make it possible to open new channels each season to suit the new crop layout and close the old ones. We explain channel planning and the work itself in our guide to opening irrigation channels with a tractor.

Digging: the excavator bucket

The excavator bucket is used together with the rear digging arm on the QD35 with excavator arm. It equips the machine for jobs such as tree-planting and post holes, small drainage trenches, spot digging for pipe repairs and tidying up channels.

When choosing a bucket, consider the width of the job: a narrow bucket is more efficient for a narrow trench, a wider one for general earthwork. Ask us which bucket options suit your machine. As the bucket teeth wear, digging gets harder and the arm is strained unnecessarily; check the teeth and mounting pins regularly and grease the pins. We discuss in detail what the excavator model can and can’t do in our tracked tractor with excavator arm guide.

Haulage: the drawbar

The drawbar is used to hitch a trailer or other towed equipment to the tractor. On a small farm it is the most used and least talked-about attachment: harvest crates, sacks of fertiliser, prunings, irrigation materials, young trees… Most of the tractor’s haulage work over the year runs through the drawbar.

• Load limit: Find out the load limits of the drawbar, the trailer and the hitch pin, and go by whichever is lowest.
• Safety pin: Always secure the hitch pin with its safety clip; on rough ground a pin without a clip can work loose.
• Take care on slopes: Going downhill, a loaded trailer can push the tractor; drive slowly on slopes and don’t brake suddenly.
• No passengers: Nobody should ride on the trailer, the drawbar or an attachment.

When choosing a trailer, think about the tractor too: a large, heavy trailer hitched to a compact tractor strains it on slopes and soft ground when fully loaded. Choose the size of trailer to suit your typical loads and the slope of your land.

Which attachment for which job?

The table below matches common jobs with attachments. The timing column is a general framework; it varies with your crop and region.

Buying order and safe use

Every farm is different, but for most small farms a sensible order to start in is:

1. Drawbar: Used from day one on almost every farm.
2. Rotary tiller (rotavator): The most frequently used tillage attachment in vineyards, orchards and vegetable plots.
3. A third attachment to suit your work: If you use flood irrigation, the trencher and trench-closing auger; if you mainly farm fields, the two-furrow plough; if weed pressure is high, the weed-clearing attachment.
4. Digging needs: If you have regular digging work, choose the excavator model as your machine from the outset.

We cover building up a machine fleet step by step in our small-farm machinery guide. The safety rules for using attachments, meanwhile, are the same for every attachment:

• When fitting or removing an attachment, stop the engine, put the machine on level ground and lower the attachment to the ground.
• Don’t go near attachments with rotating parts, such as the rotavator and auger, until the engine has stopped and the parts have come to a complete standstill.
• Don’t remove the guards; loose clothing, scarves and jewellery can get caught in rotating parts.
• Don’t stand under a raised attachment or get under it to carry out maintenance; lower it to the ground first or support it securely.
• Don’t set off without securing the attachment in transport position.

Attachment maintenance and end-of-season storage

Because attachments stand idle for most of the year, their service life often depends more on storage than on use. At the end of the season, clean the soil and plant debris off every attachment; wet soil speeds up rust on metal surfaces. Grease the grease points, note any worn blades and bolts and replace them before the new season. If possible, store attachments in a dry, covered place, on blocks or pallets rather than directly on the ground. Keep the hitch pins and safety clips in a box next to the attachment; a small pin that goes missing at the start of the season can hold up a whole working day.

Summary

• Start your choice of attachments from your list of jobs: frequency, current cost and timing
• The plough turns the soil over deep down, the rotavator breaks up the surface; the two complement each other
• Timing is decisive in weed clearing, and the slope plan in channel work
• The excavator bucket is used with the QD35 with excavator arm
• The drawbar is the most used attachment; don’t neglect the load limit and the safety pin
• Don’t go near attachments with rotating parts until the engine has stopped

You can browse all the attachments on the tracked tractor attachments page and take a look at the specifications of the QD35 tracked tractor. Ask us on WhatsApp for current attachment prices and compatibility with your machine.