COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OF TWO DIFFERENT AGRICULTURAL TRACTORS (MF 178 AND X750)

Abstract

The tractor remains a very important machine in agriculture due to its ability to provide mechanical power to farm implements both on and off the farm. The choice of a tractor based on field performance can be very challenging due to limited information with regards to performance on the field. With a desire to provide some information on the field performance of Massey Fergusson’s MF 178 and YTO’s X750, Field tests were conducted on a soil that is predominantly sandy loam with an average moisture content of 3.18 % and bulk density of 1.01 g/cm3 at Sambawa farms, Kaduna. The field parameters evaluated were the fuel consumption, operating speed, wheel slip, draft of implement, effective field capacity, theoretical field capacity, field efficiency, volume of soil disturbed and drawbar power during ploughing and harrowing operations. The data collected was subjected to Duncan’s Multiple Range Test at 0.05 % significance levels. From the results, there was significant difference in the field performance of the two tractors. The MF 178 was however found to have a field efficiency of 86.75 % against 74.07 % of the X750. The X750 equally consumed more fuel during both ploughing and harrowing operations by 1.67 L/ha or 2.21 L/h. The MF 178 was then adjudged to give a better performance based on the data analyzed and on the standpoint of operational efficiency and economy.