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Hobby farm vs homestead1/15/2024 ![]() ![]() Mike Henline, spokesman for Bobcat, says their new “Toolcat” work machine is based on feedback from people who wanted a single machine with a multitude of abilities. ATVs are quick and maneuverable, but limited in terms of how much they can carry. Pickup trucks can’t get in and out of tight places. Tractors can perform a variety of functions, but they are big and slow, and thus overkill for many jobs. ![]() The needs of small-scale farmers and ranchers are as diverse as their operations. I’ve seen one parked down at the Wal-Mart with blinkers and tags and a walker in the back.” “And you can also make them street-legal and drive them to the mall. “They can go places you thought you could only get to with a mule, and carry 10 times as much,” says Williams. Pug has a 6-wheel model that is articulated in the middle, to bend around trees and other obstacles. He works at the Pug factory in Jackson, Miss., and says utility vehicle sales have surged in recent years, partly because they are catching on as work/play vehicles. Larry Williams is a spokesman for Pug Inc., one of the first manufacturers of utility vehicles. Hunters who haven’t got the patience to wrangle livestock appreciate the ease with which they can pack in their gear and pack out an elk without ever having to throw a diamond hitch.įor backcountry users, the appeal of a multi-use vehicle is its versatility, functionality and ease of use. ![]() Hard to believe? Utility vehicles have caught the attention of fire crews, search-and-rescue teams, municipalities and the National Park Service. They can reach speeds of up to 25 mph, roll over muddy stream banks or wet grass without leaving a track, and take the place of a pack string on a weekend camping trip.Īt the risk of invoking images of late night TV commercials advertising blenders that double as helicopters, it is entirely possible to purchase a utility vehicle that mows grass, plows snow, hauls up to a ton of feed or material, dumps dirt, scrapes snow, tows, accommodates spray attachments and negotiates 4-wheel-drive terrain all with same driver comfort as a small pickup truck. Little did I know that those souped-up golf carts were the forerunners of the modern day farm utility vehicle.ĭepending on the make, model and options, utility vehicles combine the versatility of a small tractor, the maneuverability of an ATV and the utility of a Jeep. They converted them to flatbeds, fed the horses off of them, installed electrical plugs for running herbicide sprayers and clippers, mounted spindles on the back for stretching wire and even used them for leading strings of polo ponies back and forth from the barns to the paddocks. The grooms and exercise riders came up with some inventive modifications for those light-duty vehicles. I once co-managed a polo club in a resort community that enjoyed an inexhaustible supply of used golf carts. Farm utility vehicles, also known as cargo all-terrain vehicles (CATV), or simply, “utes,” are the latest “must have” item for family farmers, ranchers and growers. ![]()
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