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Multifunctional machinery

 
pollinator
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I'm not sure if this is the right forum, but scrolling through it seemed like the best bet.

I have scoured the internet looking for a small multimodal farm machine I saw about 20 years ago, but now the internet is so full of junk I can't find it.

Many many years ago--before I had two children who are now 17 years old. I got interested in permaculture, but then I had twins, I also was the major breadwinner, teaching full time while my husband was in grad school. My kids are now much less dependant on me, and I am teaching part-time now, so I'm ready to get raring back into permaculture, we have land in the mountains of southern Mexico, and have enrolled in a government program to add fruit trees and fruiting cacti to the families, worn-out milpa (corn/beans/squash) fields. The problem is we live in a rainy-dry season climate with nearly zero rainfall from November to May. We want to do some rainwater catchment earthworks, and I have studied Brad Lancaster's books to the point where I practically have them memorized.
But we need some machinery. We can rent a large digger, but it will be coming from about two hours away. I remember from the time before I had children, seeing a video online that came from somewhere like Arkansas or somewhere near there--US south, but not very eastern south I think, of a small tractor that had a whole slew of different attachments so basically that one engine could run your entire farm. It could be a dig, plow, mow, grind, push dirt/snow, pull wagons, do just about any farm machinery job but it wasn't large. Like, the main part was no bigger than a mini cooper and the idea was you purchased the add ons you needed.

Does anyone know what I'm talking about? or know of something similar? Can you share a link if you do? I'm seriously interested in purchasing such a thing.
We are mainly interested in earth moving capabilities but could rent it to the community for other agricultural uses as well.
 
gardener
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That sounds like a small tractor. There have been many different types over the years. New ones are shaped like big tractors and cost about as much. Many older ones were built with a skeletal frame more like a road grader, and could take attatchments underneath like a road grader or on the back like a tractor. Some had a lawnmower type engine. Farmall made many and were quite popular in their day. Where I live, they would not have been a substitute for a full size tractor. They were mostly used for things like mowing and weeding. If you have sandy soil, they might do better than here.
 
steward
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Melissa said, "It could be a dig, plow, mow, grind, push dirt/snow, pull wagons, do just about any farm machinery job but it wasn't large.



Most small tractor that I know of can be bought with attachments that do most of those things.

The name of this article made me think this was what you are looking for though when I looked it seems, not so much.

Maybe reading it will give you some clues, Pint-size Plow-horses:

https://www.homestead.org/gardening/garden-tractors/

I am hoping another member will know exactly what you are talking about.
 
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Possibly a walking tractor or two wheel tractor? I have a couple of (broken) cultivators, and a scythe mower, which may or may not be the same thing. see  this thread
 for some discussions.
 
gardener
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Hi Melissa.  We have garden tractor collectors all over around here.  I fix many of them.  Here is a thread with some more information:
https://permies.com/t/52999/#430983

The BSA is extremely popular around here.  Tilmor is a local startup company that makes a 2 and 4 wheel tractor.  The 2 wheel is called the power ox. info@tilmor.com
 
Melissa Ferrin
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Thanks everyone for the leads, I will spend some time checking them out.
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