The farming scene: The statistics of how tractors fit in

Abstract

Understanding the design of current tractors and the shape of things to come depends on understanding the environment in which they work and the work they have to do. There are in the region of 250 000 farmers with holdings of over 0.4 hectares (1 acre) in the UK and their average size is by far the largest in Europe (Fig. 2.1). The individual characteristics of these farms govern the type of tractor used. However, there are other factors, outside the farm itself, which may affect design; social considerations and political legislation can and does affect the detail of design. Taxation may even affect the popularity or financial feasibility of whole designs as well as the detail of specification.