A tractor is a vehicle with large rear wheels, designed for lifting, pulling, and pushing heavy loads. It gets its name from the fact that it’s designed to deliver high traction at low speed. Its main characteristics include four-wheel drive, power steering, and a diesel engine.

In this article, we go over the nine main types of tractors, what they’re used for, and how to select the right one for your needs.

1. Industrial Tractors
Industrial tractors, also called tuggers, are tractors designed for use in industrial applications, like construction sites. They use a drawbar to attach implements, like crane booms, as opposed to the three-point hitch used in farm tractors. They also have four-wheel drive, making them suited for off-road use. They’re mostly designed for pulling functions, pulling heavy loads like logs or other materials. Industrial tractors are heavy-duty equipment as compared to agricultural tractors, though they come in a variety of horsepowers and strengths.

2. Row Crop Tractors
Row crop tractors are like hybrid vehicles—they combine the functions of both farm tractors and cultivators, like rotary tillers, in one machine. They’re used for many agricultural tasks, like plowing, leveling, harrowing, mowing, weed control, and pulling seed drills. They can also be fitted with attachments like threshers, water pumps, sprayers, and heavy-duty lifters to increase pulling capacity, all supported by power take-off (PTO). These tractors are generally easy to operate, with easy steering and excellent row-spacing abilities.

3. Orchard Tractors
Orchard tractors are a special kind of tractor. As the name suggests, they’re designed for use exclusively in orchards. They’re tall, narrow, and uncovered, allowing the driver to navigate through the rows of trees in an orchard and even pick fruit while seated in the tractor. Their tires are also specially equipped for orchards, with more durable treads to prevent puncture from thorns or other fruit and flower related debris.

In addition to their special design for orchard applications, they still share the same basic function as other tractors, with the ability to push and pull, as well as the functions of farm tractors, like plowing and sowing.

4. Compact Tractors
Compact tractors are small agricultural tractors, designed for homeowners or small farms. Their compact size makes them better suited for small acreages and are easier to maneuver in small and narrow spaces. Generally, they’re equipped with a 540-rpm PTO to power attachments. Like other farm tractors, compact tractors use a three-point hitch, which, due to their size, falls into Category 1. Categories in farm tractors refer to the horsepower capacity of their three-point hitches. That means a Category 1 tractor, like the compact tractor, is under about 50 horsepower, and uses lighter-weight versions of attachments like blades, scrapers, and tillers.

5. Sub-Compact Tractors
Sub-compact tractors are compact tractors in a smaller package. They perform many of the same functions of compact tractors, but with a smaller frame and at a more affordable cost. Easy to maneuver, they’re best suited for first-time tractor owners with small farms or acreages.

6. Utility Tractors
Utility tractors are general purpose vehicles with multiple functions. They support a variety of agricultural tasks and landscaping activities, like mowing grass, digging trenches, and transporting piles of dirt or gravel, and support several power take-off attachments, like plows and tillers. Generally, utility tractors fall into the horsepower range of 40 to 100+. Though these vehicles are powerful and versatile, they’re also compact, making them easy to maneuver.

7. Garden Tractors
Garden tractors, or lawn tractors, are tractors designed for use by homeowners in their lawns or gardens. They’re small and low-power, generally ranging from 1 to 10 horsepower, an appropriate amount for tasks a homeowner might need to complete. Their tires are similar to a scooter’s, though with much thicker treads for better traction and durability. They’re used for things like cutting grass and creating new flower beds for planting.

8. Specialty Tractors
Specialty tractors are tractors designed for unique operations. This kind of tractor encompasses many different actual types of tractors, each built for different applications. Specialty tractors are designed with challenging dimensions and difficult environments in mind, allowing them to perform functions outside of the typical tractor, or to perform a tractor’s functions in an area where a regular tractor couldn’t function, like tight corners or rough terrain.

9. Earthmoving Tractors
Earthmoving tractors are the most heavy-duty of all types of tractors. This kind of tractor is powerful and extremely heavy, best for work on construction sites. Whether it’s for digging a basement, leveling a surface, or helping construct a dam or quarry, they’re equipped to move all types of debris, including dirt, mud, rocks, and lumber.