In this post, I'd like to tell you about our new assistant, whose purchase has made farming much less labor-intensive. This is a 1992 MB-1 walk-behind tractor. It has a 3.4-liter fuel tank and runs on gasoline. A full tank is enough for 80 acres of hayfield or 50-60 acres of land for cultivation.
It's over 15 years old now. I remember buying it when it was a great luxury in our region. We saved up for it for about two years, and the purchase was a real event! Of course, it's not in its original condition anymore: the engine, belts, and other consumables have been replaced. The walk-behind tractor came with metal wheels and a cultivator.
Now, after plowing the land with a tractor, there was no need to drag heavy harrows. And we could even till the unplowed land for planting. We dug up potatoes with a shovel (!!!) and, after cultivating, sowed corn for green fodder for the cattle. Someone in the know suggested that we could attach a plow to a walk-behind tractor and dig up potatoes with it. We had to save up again, but we finally got it.
The work was difficult: the plow wouldn't penetrate the hard ground and bounced around on its metal wheels, damaging the crop. So Dad welded together some heavy wheels and came up with a weight for the front of the tiller—he filled an iron tube in a paint can with concrete. The result was a potato-digging kit! We forgot about the shovel in the potato beds—this was the second achievement that changed our outlook on the garden.
Work became easier and faster. And we... took over another 50 acres of land for potato cultivation and hillers for a walk-behind tractor!
Now we can't imagine village life without a walk-behind tractor! Looking back on our previous work without one, we realize it was hell. How did we manage? We can't even begin to explain. About five years ago, we bought a kit for mowing alfalfa and Sudan grass for hay. Now we've even got a Lithuanian scythe "in reserve."
Dad built a cart for the walk-behind tractor, and the helper became a fully-fledged agricultural vehicle. It's used for picking grass, watermelons for the melon patch, squash and pumpkins, or simply for growing in the rented garden.
My father is completely satisfied with the unit. He does wish, however, that engines over 6.5 hp had push-button starters. After replacing the engine with a 7-liter, the recoil starter became a bit difficult to start: it rarely spins on the first try, and the rope often breaks.
Many people probably already own this technological marvel. But there are still those who are hesitant to buy it or are reluctant to spend the money. Buy it without hesitation! With a walk-behind tractor, you save energy and health, and get much more done!
You know, I think we have a similar model, but it looks similar. Well, not us, but my dad. It's really useful; my husband and I always use it when we need it. By the way, my dad also attached something like a cart to it, which is handy. So I recommend it too!