The word tractor originated from the Latin word “trahere”, which means to pull. Today, tractors are used to haul, tow, or pull objects that are extremely difficult to move. It is common to see a tractor on farms being used to push farm machinery or trailers that plow or harrow fields.

The first tractors of the 1800s and early 1900s were powered by steam engines. These tractors were gradually withdrawn due to the instability of the steam engine causing explosions or trapping the driver in a belt-driven attachment. The successors were built with an internal combustion engine.

Modern tractors are built with a Roll Over Protection System (ROPS) that protects the operator from being crushed if the vehicle rolls over. New Zealand legislation first required ROPS to be fitted to tractors in the 1960s. Before ROPS was required, many farmers were killed in accidents when tractors rolled over them, crushing them in the process. Typically, these accidents occur when tractors are driven down steep grades.

Technology has found its way into the modernization of the tractor. Today, you’ll find global positioning systems (GPS) and on-board computers attached to farm tractors. With the use of advanced technology, farms on a corporate scale are using a combination of unmanned tractors and manual vehicles to plow the fields.

In addition to standard farm tractors, there are other types of tractors. There are backhoe loaders used for construction, small demolitions and light hauling, powering construction equipment, digging holes, breaking asphalt and paving roads. Tractors can also be equipped with engineering tools for construction purposes. Road tractors often used for freight transfers are also available, and locomotive tractors are used on rail vehicles. You can also see artillery tractors used by the military to tow artillery pieces.