tractors or lawn mowers?

[zanepetty 117]

OK, so, here in tn most, and I mean MOST, people refer to my tractor and other tractors similar in size, as lawn mowers.. I've noticed everyone on here calls them tractors. Am I the only one who thinks this is weird?

Edited February 4, 2014 by zanepetty

[bmsgaffer 2,043]

Ha. Yea, depends on what kind of perspective you take. People that work around farm tractors most likely lean towards 'lawn mower', but people that live in the city around a bunch of push mowers will say 'tractor'.

 

Mine is a 'tractor' seeing as i live within the city limits of a decent sized city, its the biggest tractor they see...

 

I like "garden tractor".

 

I know I'm not going to be plowing the fields with it, but it sure as heck could crush their 'lawn mower'

[daveoman1966 3,745]

A lawn mower does just that....mow lawns; nothing else, except blow smoke and make noise.  A tractor can do all that (including smoke and noise), plus.... plow, push snow, blow snow, grade, drag, disc, pick with a FEL, till ground, and a host of other 'farmer' stuff, whether you're a farmer, or not.  Of course, this is IMHO.

[zanepetty 117]

Ya I agree. My dad and grandpa have big tractors so that's probably what it is.

[AMC RULES 37,127]

City, or country...  ...I'm a tractor guy.    

[flyovrcntry 115]

My grandson lives on a farm,when he was about 8 I taught him how to use my  Simplicity Broadmoor to mow.I had all the safety switches working so if he stood up it would shut off.I called it a tractor one day and he said,"thats not a tractor that's a lawnmower",I laughed for the way he said it.But after he used the WH pushing snow he never corrected me again.

I think most folks call them lawnmowers,unless like us they know there's a big difference.Now a rear engine rider I think of as a lawnmower.

[dcrage 626]

And then there is the fact that these tractors were sold as "garden tractors" by Wheel Horse. In the late 80s forward 300, 400, 500 series were garden tractors and the 200 series was a lawn tractor (and the 100 series was lawn mower??)

[brandonozz 168]

 

A lawn mower does just that....mow lawns; nothing else, except blow smoke and make noise.  A tractor can do all that (including smoke and noise), plus.... plow, push snow, blow snow, grade, drag, disc, pick with a FEL, till ground, and a host of other 'farmer' stuff, whether you're a farmer, or not.  Of course, this is IMHO.

 I'm with Dave on this one. It depends on it's designed use and capabilities. The Horses I love are garden tractors as they are too small for large scale farming but they do a great job around the house and garden getting actual work (besides mowing) accomplished. Now the fact that these tractors are still doing their intended jobs 30, 40 even 50 years later is a testiment to their toughness!

[Dieselcowboy 210]

Straight from websters:

trac·tor

noun ˈtrak-tər

: a large vehicle that has two large back wheels and two smaller front wheels and that is used to pull farm equipment

 

In which one who pulls a plow or disc or other ground engaging equipment could consider his machine a tractor, correct?

Also on the " a large vehicle" part. That cannot really be used today. An case MX series dwarfs and M farmall but the M is still a tractor. The M dwarfs a wh but it too can still be a tractor. Two large wheels and to small, well that's out the window too in today's same size tired 4wd terms. They too are tractors. 

 

Last but certainly not least in the old days they had truck patches. Most would not call it that today but more or less a garden. Say JD made a garden tractor in the 40's. It was an "M" JD.  Put all this together and make the call. Just food for thought I guess.

Edited February 4, 2014 by Dieselcowboy

[daveoman1966 3,745]

Of course, this is kinda like asking the difference between a 'boat' and a 'ship'.  Any Navy guy will answer that as: "a Ship can float a boat, but a boat won't float a ship".  Likewise, if you set the biggest South Bend OEM Wheelhorses ever made next to a Kansas or Nebraska farmer's enormous dinosaur-like 8-wheel drive articulating tractor, that farmer will scoff at your 'lawnmower', regarless of what attachment you have on it.  Still...IMHO     

[zanepetty 117]

Good points guys. I agree!

[Hodge71 664]

Garden Tractor…plain and simple…guaranteed to out mow, blow and work any big box lawnmower out there

[Lane Ranger 10,943]

Matt/Diesel Cowboy  You think Webster every saw a tractor?  

[Wheel-N-It 2,968]

I was educated that any of the smaller machines designed and manufactured to only cut grass or maybe push a small blade to clear a sidewalk of snow is to be called a Lawn Tractor.  The heavier duty machines designed to cut grass and perform gardening/ground engaging work (dual range transmission or heavy duty hydro) are to be called Lawn and Garden Tractors because they do both lawn AND garden work.

[dandan111 31]

Lawn mower. That's what people generalize anything that can cut grass. Farm tractor and lawn mower is what my wife says. Whatever,I know mines a garden tractor.

[Dieselcowboy 210]

Matt/Diesel Cowboy  You think Webster every saw a tractor?  

I guess I just figured everyone has seen a tractor. But more than likely true. I do run across those that act like these are foreign alien machines.

[Brrly1 1,146]

Don't have that problem, people always ask, How are your tractors? No worries, even Mom asks hows the Whlhrsn going? Can't remember anyone asking about my lawnmowers? It's like Huh, from the rj's, suburbans to the xi they do it all. I do have one lawnmower the front yard is what I mow, four swipes and I'm done. Oh yeah, I bag it

[SousaKerry 501]

In general the uneducated uncaring public is stupid, for proof watch any movie which contains an element from something that interests you and you know a great deal about.  They get nothing right and don't care as the average slob does not know the difference.  Case in point the old made for TV movie Atomic Train.  The locomotive was supposed to be electric but it was a diesel, no overhead cantanery or  3rd rail electric.  Inside the locomotive they removed the prime mover and mechanical equipment and turned it into an RV for the crew.  (crews do not travel with the train they only operate over 100-300 mile districts in which the are qualified.)  The air brakes were shown to be leaking oil, need I say more...

 

Lawn mower = you push

Lawn Tractor = you ride but can do nothing else but cut grass

Garden Tractor = heavy duty transmission and engine rated for ground engaging equipment.

 

Oh yeah and they are not Styrofoam cups they are EPS Cups (Expanded Poly Styrene)

 

Styrofoam = insulation made by DOW chemical.

 

Rant over now

I feel better

[Jparkes43 329]

i call mine a garden tractor 

[JERSEYHAWG / Glenn 4,497]

I call mine a tractor or garden tractor. Will do more than cut my lawn, snow removal on my driveway is the top priority. Its fun for me now. The drivway is long and a lawnmower cant do it. lol

 

Glenn

[zanepetty 117]

Yes I agree. I GREW UP on a cattle farm. We have big tractors but my wheel horse is a tractor to me. I honestly consider these new "tractors" lawn mowers.

[leeave96 487]

Some of the best deals are for folks selling their riding mower, which when you go look at it, it's a low priced, low hour, garage kept 520H...

I've never considered these old iron tractors as farm tractors in any way, but smaller counterparts. I've heard some of the IH Cub Cadet guys refer to the IHCC's as the only direct descendant of a farm tractor - I guess that comes from a tranny that is very similar to the ones used on a Farmall Cub gear drive, automotive style clutch and driveshaft.

My definition of a garden tractor boils down to one thing: Was it designed strong enough to pull a moldboard plow. To me, anything else is a lawn tractor.

[can whlvr 993]

one very simple way to tell a lawn tractor between a garden is the rear hubs,if it has 5 bolt rear to hold on the wheel then I call it a garden,if it has a clip or cotter pin etc. to hold the wheel on then its a lawn tractor,i also think on some of the later c,s and the 3,4,5 series the second number in the model denoted if it was a garden tractor,all of which is the number 1,like 31-14k802 for example,and on the older models they started with a 1,like 1-0481,but im  not totally positive but I think that's how it went

[flyovrcntry 115]

Did someone just call me stupid ?

[NJhorses 12]

Aren't diesels electrics ? The diesel runs an electric generator.