Farm Equipment & Agri-Business Glossary: 120+ Terms Explained

Most-Searched Farm Equipment Terms

These six come up constantly on spec sheets and in dealer conversations. Start here, then work through the full A–Z list.

A

Aeration fan

A fan that moves low volumes of outside air through stored grain to even out temperatures and stop moisture migration, crusting and heating. Aeration usually runs at about 0.1 to 0.5 cfm per bushel, far less airflow than drying needs, and the fan is sized to bin diameter, grain depth and crop. Find grain storage and aeration suppliers.

Aftermarket parts

Replacement parts made by a company other than the original equipment manufacturer. They often cost less and are easy to find for wear items such as filters, belts, bearings, knife sections and tillage points. Quality varies by maker, so compare specifications, fit and warranty against the OEM part. Find farm equipment parts suppliers.

Ag retailer

A business that sells seed, fertilizer and crop protection products to farmers, often with agronomy advice, soil testing, custom application and rental equipment such as fertilizer spreaders. Retailers may be independent, co-operative or owned by a larger input company.

Air cart

The towed tank unit of an air seeding system. It carries seed and fertilizer in separate compartments, meters each product and blows it through hoses to the openers on the drill. Capacity is quoted in bushels, and carts are hitched either tow-between or tow-behind the drill.

Air drill

A seeding tool that uses a fan-driven air stream to carry seed and fertilizer from an air cart through distribution heads to individual openers. Paired with a cart, it is the standard seeding setup on Prairie grain and oilseed farms, with working widths from about 30 to more than 80 feet. Find air drill and seeding equipment suppliers.

Air seeder

A term commonly used for a complete air seeding system, meaning the air cart plus the drill or cultivator it feeds, though some farmers use it for the cart alone. When comparing quotes, confirm whether the price covers the cart, the drill or both, and which openers are included.

Alley (working alley)

A narrow single-file lane, usually 18 to 30 inches wide depending on cattle size, that leads animals from the crowding tub to the squeeze chute. Solid sides and gentle curves keep cattle calm because they cannot see people or distractions ahead. Some alleys have adjustable widths for calves and cows.

Auger

A tube with a rotating screw inside that moves grain, feed or fertilizer. Grain augers are specified by tube diameter (commonly 8 to 16 inches), length and drive: PTO, electric, gas or hydraulic. Capacity drops as the incline angle rises, so size the auger for the bin height you need to reach. Read the grain auger sizing guide.

Auger flighting

The continuous spiral steel blade wrapped around an auger’s centre shaft that pushes material along the tube. Flighting wears thin over time, especially with abrasive crops and fertilizer, and can be replaced in sections. Its diameter, pitch and thickness affect capacity and service life. Find auger and grain handling suppliers.

Autosteer

A system that steers a tractor, sprayer or combine automatically along guidance lines using a GNSS receiver, a steering controller and either an integrated hydraulic valve or an electric motor on the steering wheel. It cuts overlap and skips and reduces operator fatigue on long days. See whether autosteer pays for itself.

B

Bale feeder

A ring, cradle or wagon-style frame that holds a round or large square bale so cattle can eat from it with less trampling and waste. Designs include open rings, cone feeders, slanted-bar rings and bale cradles; how much hay is saved depends mostly on the feeder design. Compare hay feeder types and waste.

Bale processor

A machine that shreds round bales, and on some models large square bales, and blows the hay or straw into a windrow on the ground or into a bunk. It is widely used on Western Canadian cow-calf operations for winter feeding and for spreading bedding straw. Find bale processor and hay equipment suppliers.

Ballast

Weight added to a tractor to improve traction and balance a heavy implement: cast-iron front or wheel weights, or liquid such as calcium chloride solution or beet-juice-based products in the tires. Too little ballast causes wheel slip; too much wastes fuel and compacts soil. Liquid ballast must not freeze.

Barndominium

A home, or a combined home-and-shop building, built with post-frame or steel-frame construction and metal cladding. It is popular on acreages because one shell can hold living space and a heated workshop, but the living area must still meet residential building code and local permit requirements. Read the barndominium cost and planning guide.

Belt conveyor

A grain conveyor that carries grain on a rubber belt, usually inside a tube, instead of pushing it with an auger screw. Belt conveyors handle grain more gently, with less cracking, which matters for pulses, edible beans and seed, and they clean out easily between crops.

Bin monitoring cable

A cable hung from the bin roof with temperature sensors, and often moisture sensors, spaced along its length. Readings reveal hot spots and moisture migration in stored grain; wireless systems send alerts to a phone and can switch aeration fans on and off automatically. Find bin monitoring and control suppliers.

Bin sweep

A powered auger or paddle system that travels around the floor of a flat-bottom bin to move the last grain to the centre sump once gravity unloading stops. Never enter a bin while a sweep or unload auger can run; lock out the power first. See the grain bin safety equipment guide.

Block heater

An electric heater fitted to a diesel engine’s coolant or oil system that keeps the engine warm so it starts readily in cold weather. On Prairie farms, plugging in tractors, trucks and loaders overnight is routine from fall freeze-up until spring.

Bumper-pull trailer

A trailer that hitches to a ball or pintle at the rear receiver or bumper of the tow vehicle. It is cheaper and quicker to hook up but carries less weight and is less stable than a gooseneck for heavy livestock or equipment loads. Compare gooseneck and bumper-pull trailers.

Bushel

The standard grain volume unit in Canada and the U.S., used for bin, cart and truck capacities. Standard bushel weights vary by crop: 60 lb for wheat and soybeans, 56 lb for corn, 50 lb for canola and 48 lb for barley. Canadian elevators usually price grain per tonne.

C

Calf puller

A mechanical calving aid that uses a ratchet or winch and a breech bar against the cow to apply steady traction during a hard birth. Use it only with proper training or veterinary guidance, because too much force or poor timing can injure both cow and calf. See the calving season equipment checklist.

Cattle guard

A grid of steel pipes or rails set over a shallow pit in a road or lane that livestock will not cross but vehicles can drive over. Cattle guards are rated by load capacity, so check the rating if grain trucks, Super Bs or heavy equipment use the crossing. Read the cattle guard cost and installation guide.

Chemical inductor (chem handler)

A waist-high hopper on a sprayer or batching system where crop protection products are poured and rinsed into the tank, so operators do not climb onto the machine with open containers. Many include container rinse nozzles and closed transfer connections to reduce operator exposure. Find chemical handling equipment suppliers.

Combine

A self-propelled harvester that cuts or picks up the crop, threshes grain from the heads, separates it from the straw, cleans it and stores it in a grain tank for unloading. Combines are compared by class, engine horsepower, rotor or cylinder design and tank capacity. Find combine dealers and suppliers.

Compact tractor

A small tractor, roughly 25 to 60 hp, used on acreages and farms for loader work, yard chores, mowing and three-point implements. Sub-compact models sit below about 25 hp. Most compacts use hydrostatic transmissions and a Category 1 three-point hitch. Compare sub-compact and compact tractors.

Continuous-flow dryer

A grain dryer in which wet grain enters at the top and dried, cooled grain leaves at the bottom without stopping between loads. Tower, cross-flow and mixed-flow dryers are continuous-flow designs, rated in bushels per hour at a stated moisture reduction. Batch dryers stop and unload each load instead. Read the grain dryer buying guide.

Corral panels

Freestanding steel panels, typically 10 to 24 feet long, that pin or chain together to build pens, alleys and temporary corrals. Compare height, number of rails, tube gauge and connection type; heavier panels stand up better to bulls, big cows and winter abuse.

Creep feeder

A feeder surrounded by narrow openings or adjustable bars that let calves or lambs in to eat supplemental feed while keeping larger animals out. It is used before weaning to add gain and ease calves onto dry feed; place it where calves loaf and keep the feed fresh. Find creep feeder and livestock feeder suppliers.

Crop insurance agency

An office or organization that sells and services crop insurance. In Canada, production insurance is delivered mainly by provincial agencies such as AFSC in Alberta, SCIC in Saskatchewan, MASC in Manitoba and Agricorp in Ontario; in the U.S., federal crop insurance is sold through licensed private agents. Hail coverage is often separate. Read what farm insurance coverage you need.

Crowding tub

A round or half-round pen with solid walls and a swinging crowd gate that funnels cattle into the working alley. Cattle naturally circle back toward where they came from, so the curve moves them into the alley with less pushing. Often simply called the tub.

Custom operator

A contractor who does field work for hire, such as seeding, spraying, swathing, combining, baling or hauling, with their own equipment and labour, usually charged per acre, per hour or per load. Provincial custom rate guides give a starting point, but rates vary with region, crop and season. Find farm service providers near Regina.

CVT / IVT

Continuously variable or infinitely variable transmission: a tractor transmission that changes ground speed smoothly with no fixed gear steps, usually by blending hydrostatic and mechanical power paths. The engine can hold its most efficient rpm while speed changes. Each manufacturer uses its own trade name.

D

Dealer

A business authorized by one or more manufacturers to sell their new equipment, stock parts, perform warranty repairs and handle trade-ins within a territory. Many dealers also sell used and short-line equipment. Confirm a dealer’s authorization before relying on factory warranty or financing. Learn how to verify a dealer online.

DEF (diesel exhaust fluid)

A urea-and-water solution injected into the exhaust of Tier 4 Final diesel engines with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) to cut nitrogen oxide emissions. DEF freezes at about -11°C (12°F), so tanks and lines are heated. Store it sealed, out of direct sun, and keep it free of contamination.

Disc harrow

A tillage tool with gangs of concave steel discs set at an angle that cut residue, break clods and mix soil. Tandem and offset discs work more aggressively; disc angle, blade diameter and weight per blade decide how deep and how hard it works. Compare disc harrows and field cultivators.

Distributor

A wholesale business that buys equipment or parts from manufacturers and supplies dealers or retailers across a region or country. Farmers usually buy from dealers, but a distributor can point you to a stocking dealer or help track down hard-to-find parts for an imported or short-line machine.

Draper header

A combine header that uses flat belts, called drapers, instead of a cross auger to carry cut crop to the feeder house. It feeds crop heads-first and evenly, so it is common for straight-cutting canola, cereals and pulses. Widths commonly run from 30 to 45 feet or more.

Drawbar horsepower

The power a tractor actually delivers at the drawbar to pull a load after losses in the transmission, tires and wheel slip. It is lower than engine or PTO horsepower and varies with soil, tires and ballast; standardized tractor test reports measure it on a concrete track.

Drill fill

A conveyor or auger, often mounted on a truck or trailer with its own engine, used to load seed and fertilizer into an air cart or drill in the field. Many include a hydraulic swing arm, product compartments and scales for accurate filling. Find drill fill suppliers.

Dugout

The Prairie name for a farm pond dug to catch spring runoff as a water supply for livestock, spraying or the yard. Dugouts often need aeration, fencing to keep cattle out of the water and a pump to deliver clean water to troughs.

E

Electric fence energizer

The power unit, also called a charger or controller, that sends short high-voltage pulses down a fence wire. Energizers run on mains power, battery or solar and are rated in output joules; size one to fence length, number of hot wires, weed load and grounding. Read the electric fencing for cattle guide.

Engine hours

The running time recorded by a machine’s hour meter. Along with service records, hours are the main measure of wear on used tractors and combines. On combines, separator hours are tracked separately and matter as much as engine hours when judging value.

F

Fabric building

A structure with a tensioned, coated fabric cover stretched over a steel truss or hoop frame. It goes up quickly, lets in natural light and suits hay, machinery, sand and salt, and livestock shelter. Confirm the cover’s expected life and the frame’s snow-load rating for your location.

Farm credit

Lending for land, equipment, buildings and operating costs. In Canada, Farm Credit Canada (FCC) is a federal Crown corporation that lends to agriculture; banks, credit unions and manufacturers’ finance arms also lend. In the U.S., the Farm Credit System is a network of borrower-owned lenders. See the directory of ag lenders.

Farm show

A trade event where manufacturers, dealers and service providers show equipment, livestock and services. November brings Farm Fair International in Edmonton and Canadian Western Agribition in Regina; summer outdoor shows focus on field demonstrations. Shows are a good place to compare suppliers side by side. Read the Agribition and Farm Fair supplier guide.

Flat-bottom bin

A grain bin built on a flat concrete foundation instead of a hopper cone. It gives the lowest cost per bushel in large sizes but needs a sweep auger to finish unloading. Flat-bottom bins are often fitted with full aeration floors for in-bin drying. Find grain bin suppliers in Saskatchewan.

Front-end loader

A hydraulic lift arm and bucket mounted on the front of a tractor. Loaders are rated by lift capacity at the pivot pin and at a set distance forward. A quick-attach plate lets one loader handle buckets, bale spears, pallet forks, grapples and snow pushers. Find front-end loader suppliers.

Frost-free waterer

A livestock waterer built to keep water open in winter using insulation, ground heat through a riser buried below the frost line, a small electric heater or constant water flow. Choose one by herd size, power availability and the coldest temperatures you expect. Compare frost-free cattle waterers.

G

Girt

A horizontal framing member fastened across the posts or columns of a building’s walls. Girts carry the wall cladding and transfer wind load to the frame; their size and spacing depend on the cladding gauge and the design wind load for the site.

GNSS

Global Navigation Satellite System, the general term for satellite positioning systems including GPS (U.S.), GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou. Farm receivers track several constellations at once for better accuracy and coverage near tree lines. In everyday farm talk, GNSS is usually just called GPS.

Gooseneck trailer

A trailer that couples to a ball mounted in the bed of a pickup, over or just ahead of the rear axle. Putting the hitch weight there improves stability and lets you haul heavier livestock or equipment loads than a bumper-pull trailer of the same length.

Grain bag (silo bag)

A long plastic tube, often 9 or 10 feet in diameter and up to about 300 feet long, filled with a bagger for temporary on-farm grain storage and emptied with an extractor. It is best for dry grain stored short term; check bags regularly for damage from wildlife.

Grain cart

A large tractor-pulled wagon with an unloading auger that shuttles grain from the combine to trucks at the field edge, so the combine keeps harvesting. Carts are sized in bushels, and tracks or flotation tires help reduce compaction in wet fields. Find grain cart suppliers.

Grain entrapment

Becoming engulfed or trapped in flowing or bridged grain in a bin, truck or wagon. It can happen within seconds, especially while grain is unloading. Prevention relies on lockout, never entering alone, a body harness and lifeline, and a trained observer outside the bin. Find farm safety equipment suppliers.

Grain tender (seed tender)

A trailer or truck body with a large hopper and conveyor used to deliver seed or grain, especially to fill planters and air carts in the field. Seed tenders often have multiple compartments and scales for accurate, mixed-product loading. Find grain and seed tender suppliers.

Grain vac

A pneumatic conveyor that sucks grain through a hose and discharges it into a truck, bin or auger. It is useful for cleaning out bins, grain bags and flat storage where augers cannot reach; capacity falls as hose length and lift increase.

GVWR

Gross vehicle weight rating: the maximum safe loaded weight of a truck or trailer, including its own weight, as set by the manufacturer. Exceeding it is unsafe and can be illegal. Also check axle ratings, tire ratings and the gross combination weight rating (GCWR) of truck and trailer together.

H

Hay rake

A haying tool that turns or gathers cut forage into a windrow sized for the baler. Wheel rakes are simple and fast, rotary rakes handle the crop more gently and make fluffier windrows, and bar rakes are the traditional design. Raking at the right moisture limits leaf loss.

Headgate

The front gate of a squeeze chute that closes around an animal’s neck to hold its head. Types include self-catching, manual scissor-style, positive (fully closing) and hydraulic headgates; choose one that suits your cattle size and how often you work animals.

Heavy harrow

A wide tool with rows of long spring tines used on the Prairies to spread straw and chaff, level the soil and stimulate weed germination after harvest or ahead of seeding. Tine length, angle and the number of rows set how aggressive it is.

High-tensile wire

Smooth steel fence wire, commonly 12.5 gauge, with high breaking strength that is held tight with in-line strainers. It is used for permanent electric and non-electric fences and needs well-braced ends and corners and tension springs to handle temperature swings. Find fencing suppliers.

Hopper bin

A grain bin set on a cone-shaped hopper bottom raised on legs, so grain empties by gravity through a slide gate without anyone entering the bin. Hopper bins unload faster and more safely than flat-bottom bins but cost more per bushel of capacity. See grain bin manufacturers in Saskatchewan.

Hydraulic flow (gpm)

The volume of oil a tractor’s hydraulic pump delivers, measured in gallons or litres per minute. Flow sets how fast cylinders and hydraulic motors run; air-seeder fans, hydraulic augers and drill fills specify a minimum flow the tractor must supply.

Hydrostatic transmission (HST)

A transmission that drives the wheels through a hydraulic pump and motor, giving smooth, stepless speed control with a pedal or lever. It is common on compact tractors, skid steers and swathers and is easy to use for loader work, but less efficient than gear drives under heavy draft.

I

IF / VF tires

Increased Flexion (IF) and Very High Flexion (VF) radial tires carry the same load as a standard radial at about 20% (IF) or 40% (VF) lower air pressure. Lower pressure gives a longer, wider footprint that reduces soil compaction and improves traction. Find farm tire dealers in Saskatchewan and Alberta.

ISOBUS

The ISO 11783 standard that lets tractors, displays and implements from different manufacturers communicate over one connection. With compatible components, one in-cab terminal can run an implement’s controls, section control and rate control. Check AEF certification for each function you need. Read the precision ag compatibility guide.

L

Land roller

A heavy steel drum, often folding to 40 to 80 feet wide, pulled over fields after seeding to push down rocks and level the surface. It is common on pea, lentil and soybean fields so combine headers can cut close to the ground without picking up stones.

Listing

A business’s entry in a directory, showing its name, location, contact details, product categories and description. On FarmPages, listings are grouped by category so buyers can compare suppliers and contact them directly; FarmPages does not sell or price the products listed. List your agri-business on FarmPages.

Livestock scale

A platform scale, often with an enclosed cage or built under a squeeze chute, used to weigh animals for weaning weights, rate of gain, drug dosing and sales. Load bars and a digital indicator are the core components; accuracy depends on a level, clean base. Find livestock scale suppliers.

Livestock trailer (stock trailer)

A trailer with ventilated sides and gates built to haul cattle, horses or other animals. It may be steel or aluminum, bumper-pull or gooseneck; size it by head count and animal weight, and look at floor type, ventilation and winter panels for cold-weather hauling. Read the livestock trailer buying guide.

Loafing shed

A simple open-front shelter, usually three-sided, where livestock can get out of wind, sun and snow when they choose. Face the open side away from prevailing winter winds, allow enough square feet per head and plan drainage and manure cleanout. Read the loafing shed sizing guide.

Lockout/tagout

A safety procedure in which a machine’s energy sources, including electrical, hydraulic, mechanical and PTO power, are shut off, locked and tagged before anyone services it or enters a bin. Only the person who applied a lock should remove it, and stored energy must be released first. Get the farm safety compliance toolkit.

M

Manure spreader

An implement that spreads solid or semi-solid manure on fields. Box spreaders with horizontal beaters, vertical-beater spreaders and side-discharge spreaders suit different manure types, while liquid manure is applied with slurry tankers or drag hose systems.

MFWD

Mechanical front-wheel drive: a tractor with a powered front axle and smaller front tires than rear, engaged with a front-wheel-assist switch. Often marketed as 4WD or FWA, it differs from articulated four-wheel-drive tractors, which have four equal-size tires and steer in the middle.

Mixed-flow dryer

A continuous-flow grain dryer in which grain moves down past rows of alternating air-inlet and exhaust ducts, so heated air passes through it in several directions. The design is known for even drying and good grain quality and handles a wide range of crops.

Moisture tester

A handheld or bench instrument that estimates grain moisture from electrical properties using calibrated crop charts. It is used to decide when to harvest, whether to dry and when grain is safe to store; check calibration each season and correct for grain temperature. Find grain testing equipment suppliers.

Mower conditioner (discbine)

A haying machine that cuts forage with a disc or sickle cutterbar and crimps or crushes the stems with rollers or flails so the crop dries faster. Disc models are often called discbines; self-propelled versions are hay swathers or windrowers.

N

Natural-air drying (NAD)

Drying grain in the bin with unheated outside air pushed by a large fan, often at 1 cfm per bushel or more. It is cheap to run but slow and works only when the air can still absorb moisture; supplemental heat extends the drying season in cool fall weather. Find grain drying suppliers.

NDVI

Normalized Difference Vegetation Index: a value calculated from satellite, drone or sensor imagery that compares red and near-infrared light to show how vigorous a crop canopy is. NDVI maps flag weak areas to scout and can feed variable-rate prescriptions.

Net wrap

A plastic mesh wrapped around round bales in place of twine. It wraps faster, holds bale shape and sheds water better than twine, but it must be removed before feeding or processing so cattle do not eat it and it does not wind around machine parts.

NH3 (anhydrous ammonia)

A high-analysis nitrogen fertilizer stored as a pressurized liquid in nurse tanks and injected into the soil. It is hazardous to eyes, skin and lungs, so handling calls for goggles, rubber gloves, emergency water on the tank and trained operators.

O

OEM

Original equipment manufacturer: the company that built a machine, and by extension the parts it supplies or approves for that machine. OEM parts match factory specifications and may be needed to keep warranty coverage; they usually cost more than aftermarket alternatives. Find OEM parts suppliers.

Opener

The part of a drill or planter that cuts a slot in the soil and places seed, and often fertilizer, at a set depth. Main types are hoe or knife openers on shanks and single- or double-disc openers; residue, soil type and seedbed disturbance guide the choice.

P

Packer

A wheel that follows each opener on a drill to firm soil over the seed for good seed-to-soil contact. Packer shape, width and pressure are matched to soil type, and on many drills the packer also gauges seeding depth.

Pickup header

A combine header with belts and fingers that lifts swathed crop off the stubble and feeds it into the combine. It is used for swathed canola, cereals and pulses across Western Canada, where swathing ahead of the combine is still common.

Planter

A row-crop seeder that singulates seed and places it at a set spacing and depth in rows, commonly 15 or 30 inches apart, for corn, soybeans, sunflowers and edible beans. Seed metering may be vacuum, finger-pickup or plate type.

Post-frame building (pole barn)

A building framed with large posts or laminated columns set in the ground or on brackets, tied together with trusses, girts and purlins and covered in steel cladding. Often called a pole barn, it needs no continuous foundation, making it one of the most economical farm building types. Read the pole barn cost guide.

Prescription map

A georeferenced map that tells a controller what rate of seed, fertilizer or crop protection product to apply in each zone of a field. It is built in farm software from soil, yield or imagery data and loaded into the display, often as a shapefile or ISOXML file.

PTO (power take-off)

A splined shaft, usually at the rear of a tractor, that transfers engine power to an implement through a driveline. Standard speeds are 540 and 1,000 rpm, each with its own spline pattern. Keep all shields in place, because an exposed spinning shaft can catch clothing in an instant. Find PTO implement and attachment suppliers.

PTO generator

A generator driven by a tractor’s PTO that supplies backup electricity to barns, dryers, waterers and the house during outages. Size it to the kilowatts of the critical loads you must run, including motor starting surge, and to the PTO horsepower available. Read the PTO generator sizing guide.

PTO horsepower

The power available at the PTO shaft, measured on a dynamometer. It is typically 10% to 20% below rated engine horsepower and is the figure implement makers use to match balers, mowers, generators and snowblowers to a tractor.

Purlin

A horizontal member running across the tops of roof trusses or rafters to support the roof sheeting. Purlin size, spacing and fastening are key parts of a building’s engineered snow-load and wind-load rating, so do not substitute lighter material.

Q

Quarter section

A parcel of about 160 acres, one quarter of a 640-acre section, under the Dominion Land Survey system used across the Prairie provinces. Legal land descriptions such as NE-12-34-5-W3 identify the quarter, section, township, range and meridian.

Quonset

An arch-shaped steel building made of curved, corrugated panels bolted together, usually on a concrete or wood foundation. Strong, simple and common across the Prairies for machinery and grain storage, though the curved walls limit usable space and headroom along the sides. Compare quonsets and pole barns.

R

Radial vs bias-ply tires

Radial tires have cords running straight across the tire under a belted tread, giving a flexible sidewall, larger footprint, better traction and smoother ride. Bias-ply tires have criss-crossed plies, cost less and resist sidewall damage, which suits loaders, wagons and slower utility work.

Rate controller

An electronic controller that holds the target application rate of a sprayer, spreader or seeder by adjusting flow or meter speed as ground speed changes. Paired with GNSS, it can follow a prescription map and switch sections on and off automatically.

Rock picker

An implement that gathers field stones with a rotating reel or tines and drops them into a hopper for dumping at the field edge. Picking rocks is a common spring and fall job on many Prairie and Canadian Shield fields; reel width and hopper size set productivity. Find field equipment suppliers near Swift Current.

Roll tarp

A tarp on a truck or trailer box that rolls open and shut with a crank or electric motor to cover grain, fertilizer and silage loads. Covering loads stops spills and blowing chaff and is required in many jurisdictions; replacement tarps are sized to box length.

Rolling basket

A spiral or straight-bar steel cylinder mounted behind a tillage tool that breaks clods, firms the surface and levels the seedbed in the same pass. Rolling baskets are often paired with vertical tillage tools, disc harrows and field cultivators. Find tillage tool suppliers.

ROPS

Rollover protective structure: a frame or cab built around the operator’s station to limit injury if a tractor overturns. A ROPS protects only when the seat belt is worn, and a folding ROPS must be raised and latched whenever folding is not needed for clearance.

Round baler

A baler that rolls hay or straw into cylindrical bales, usually 4 or 5 feet wide and 4 to 6 feet in diameter. Variable-chamber balers make dense bales of adjustable size; fixed-chamber balers make bales with a softer core. Bales are tied with net wrap or twine.

RTK

Real-time kinematic: a GNSS correction method that uses a local base station or cellular network to deliver about 1-inch (2.5 cm) accuracy that repeats year after year. RTK is needed for controlled traffic, strip-till and planting back onto the same rows. Find RTK and GPS dealers in Saskatchewan.

S

SCV (selective control valve)

A rear hydraulic remote on a tractor that controls a pair of couplers to run an implement’s cylinders or hydraulic motors. Implements specify how many SCVs and how much flow they need, so count the remotes before buying a drill, sprayer or grain cart.

SDS (Safety Data Sheet)

The standardized document for a chemical product, formerly called an MSDS, covering hazards, protective equipment, first aid, storage and spill response. Keep current SDSs for every pesticide, fuel, fertilizer and cleaner on the farm where workers can reach them. Find chemical storage suppliers.

Section control

Automatic shutoff of individual boom sections, drill sections or planter rows when they pass over ground already covered or outside the field boundary. It reduces overlap of seed, fertilizer and chemical, with the biggest savings on irregular fields, point rows and headlands. Find precision farming dealers across the Prairies.

Self-propelled sprayer

A sprayer with its own engine, cab and high-clearance chassis, as opposed to a pull-type sprayer towed by a tractor. Self-propelled machines cover more acres per day and work at higher speeds; pull-types cost less up front. Boom width and tank size set capacity. Find sprayer and pest control suppliers.

Shapefile

A common GIS file format, made up of a .shp file plus companion .shx and .dbf files, used to store field boundaries, zones, prescriptions and as-applied data. Most farm displays and software import and export shapefiles, though attribute names and units must match what the controller expects.

Short-line manufacturer

A manufacturer that specializes in a narrower range of equipment, such as grain handling, tillage, haying, livestock or snow equipment, rather than the full line of tractors, combines and implements that full-line makers offer. Many Prairie short-line makers sell through independent and multi-brand dealers. Read the Western producer’s equipment sourcing handbook.

Skid steer

A compact loader that steers by turning the wheels or tracks on each side at different speeds; compact track loaders are the rubber-tracked version. A universal quick-attach plate accepts buckets, grapples, augers, pallet forks and snow tools.

Snow load

The weight of snow a roof is designed to carry, set by the building code for the site’s location and the building’s use. Northern and Prairie sites can have high design snow loads, so ask for engineered drawings that state the rated load for your address. Find farm building suppliers in Saskatchewan.

Snowblower (PTO)

A tractor-mounted snowblower driven by the PTO, usually on the three-point hitch, that uses an auger and impeller to throw snow clear of the yard. Size it to tractor PTO horsepower and working width; rear-mount models are often run in reverse. Find snow removal equipment suppliers.

Sprayer boom

The wide arm on a field sprayer that carries the nozzles and plumbing across the field, commonly 90 to 120 feet or more on Prairie sprayers. Boom height control, section valves and breakaway ends help keep coverage even and protect the boom.

Square baler

A baler that compresses hay or straw into rectangular bales. Small square balers make bales of about 40 to 75 lb handled by hand; large square balers make dense bales with cross-sections such as 3×3, 3×4 or 4×4 feet, handled by machine. Compare round and square balers.

Squeeze chute

A restraining stall with movable sides and a headgate that holds an animal still for vaccinating, tagging, pregnancy checking and vet work. Manual chutes use levers; hydraulic chutes squeeze and release with a power unit, which speeds up work with large herds. Compare manual and hydraulic squeeze chutes.

Straight cut

Harvesting a standing crop directly with a combine header instead of swathing it first. It is increasingly common for canola with pod-shatter-tolerant varieties and draper headers, but it needs evenly ripened crop or a pre-harvest treatment and timely combining.

Super B

A Canadian truck-trailer combination of two trailers in which the lead trailer carries a fifth wheel for the second. Super B grain hoppers are the usual way to haul grain to elevators and terminals on the Prairies, within provincial weight and length limits.

Supplier directory

A searchable list of businesses serving a sector, organized by category and location. An agri-business directory such as FarmPages lists dealers, manufacturers and service providers so farmers can compare options and contact them directly, rather than buying through the directory itself. Browse the FarmPages business directory.

Swather (windrower in the U.S.)

A self-propelled or pull-type machine that cuts a standing crop and lays it in a swath, or windrow, to dry before combining or baling. Draper headers suit grain and canola; auger or disc headers with conditioners suit hay. Prairie farmers say swather and swath. Find swather dealers and suppliers.

T

Tedder

A haying tool with rotating forks that lift, fluff and spread freshly cut forage to speed drying. Tedding helps most in heavy hay or after rain; over-tedding dry alfalfa shatters leaves and lowers feed quality.

Telematics

Systems that send machine location, engine data, fuel use, alerts and job records from equipment to a web portal over cellular or satellite networks. They are used for fleet tracking, remote diagnostics, theft alerts and wireless transfer of field data to the office.

Three-point hitch

A tractor hitch with two lower lift arms and an adjustable top link that mounts implements and raises them hydraulically. It lets the tractor carry an implement and control its working depth. Compare lift capacity measured 24 inches behind the lift points, not just at the ball ends.

Three-point hitch categories

Standard hitch sizes set by pin diameter and arm spacing, matched to tractor power: Category 0 (under about 20 hp), Category 1 (about 20 to 45 hp), Category 2 (40 to 100 hp), Category 3 (80 to 225 hp) and Category 4 (larger tractors). Bushings can adapt some implements between adjacent categories. Find tractor and implement dealers.

TMR mixer

Total mixed ration mixer: a wagon or stationary unit with vertical augers or horizontal reels that cuts and blends forage, grain and supplements into a uniform ration and delivers it to a bunk. Mixers are sized in cubic feet, usually with a scale to weigh each ingredient. Find feed processing equipment suppliers.

Tough and damp grain

Canadian grading terms for grain above the dry moisture limit. Tough grain is slightly over the dry limit and damp grain is higher still; each crop has its own thresholds, and wheat, for example, is dry at 14.5% moisture or less. Tough and damp deliveries are discounted or must be dried. Find grain drying suppliers near Saskatoon.

Track system

Rubber tracks fitted to a tractor, combine or grain cart instead of wheels, either from the factory or as a bolt-on conversion. Tracks spread weight over a larger footprint for flotation and traction in wet fields, at a higher purchase and maintenance cost than tires. Find track system suppliers.

Truck scale

A large in-ground or above-ground platform scale for weighing loaded trucks and trailers. Farms use them to track yields, inputs and deliveries; any scale used to buy or sell by weight must be approved and inspected for trade use by Measurement Canada or state weights-and-measures authorities.

Truss

A prefabricated triangulated frame of wood or steel that spans a building to support the roof. Truss span, spacing and design loads, including snow load, are engineered; in post-frame buildings, trusses are commonly spaced 2 to 8 feet apart on posts or headers.

U

Utility tractor

A mid-size tractor, roughly 45 to 140 hp, built for loader work, haying, livestock chores and PTO jobs rather than heavy tillage. Most have MFWD, a Category 2 three-point hitch and multiple rear remotes, and many offer both 540 and 1,000 rpm PTO speeds. Find tractor dealers near Red Deer.

UTTO (universal tractor fluid)

Universal tractor transmission oil: a multipurpose fluid that serves the transmission, hydraulics and wet brakes from one shared reservoir in many tractors. Use the specification the manufacturer lists, because mixing incompatible fluids can cause brake chatter, seal problems and pump wear.

V

Variable rate (VRA)

Variable-rate application: changing seed, fertilizer or crop protection rates across a field according to a prescription map or a real-time sensor. The rate controller and a hydraulic or electric drive adjust meter speed or flow zone by zone as the machine moves. Find precision farming suppliers.

Vertical tillage

Shallow tillage with straight or slightly wavy coulters that size residue and open the soil surface without the horizontal layering a disc can leave. It is used in fall or spring to manage heavy residue, speed soil warming and level the field.

W

Windbreak

A barrier of trees, slatted fence or panels that reduces wind speed in a yard, wintering site or calving area. Windbreak fences with about 20% open space slow wind farther downwind and cause less drifting than solid walls; place them so snow drifts away from pens. Find livestock shelter and windbreak suppliers.

Y

Yield monitor

A combine system that measures grain flow, moisture and position to calculate and map yield as you harvest. Accurate maps need calibration against weighed loads several times a season; the data shows field variability and feeds prescriptions and farm records. Understand yield monitor data formats.

Farm Equipment Terms FAQ

What does PTO stand for on a tractor?

PTO stands for power take-off, the splined shaft, usually at the back of a tractor, that transfers engine power to an implement such as a baler, mower, auger, generator or snowblower. Standard PTO speeds are 540 and 1,000 rpm, and each uses its own spline pattern. Always match the implement’s speed to the tractor’s PTO setting and keep every driveline shield in place.

What are the three-point hitch categories?

Three-point hitch categories set standard pin sizes and arm spacing so implements fit tractors of similar size. Category 0 suits tractors under about 20 hp, Category 1 roughly 20 to 45 hp, Category 2 about 40 to 100 hp, Category 3 about 80 to 225 hp and Category 4 larger tractors. Check both the tractor and the implement before buying; bushings can bridge some adjacent categories.

What is the difference between a swather and a windrower?

There is no real difference; they are regional names for the same machine. In Western Canada, the machine that cuts a standing crop and lays it in a row to dry is usually called a swather, and the row is a swath. In the U.S., and for hay, windrower and windrow are more common. Both come in self-propelled and pull-type versions.

What is the difference between a hopper bin and a flat-bottom bin?

A hopper bin sits on a cone-shaped bottom raised on legs, so grain empties by gravity and nobody needs to enter the bin to clean it out. A flat-bottom bin sits on a concrete pad and needs a sweep auger to finish unloading. Flat-bottom bins cost less per bushel in large sizes; hopper bins are faster and safer to empty.

What is the difference between OEM and aftermarket parts?

OEM parts come from, or are approved by, the company that built the machine and match factory specifications; they may be required to keep warranty coverage. Aftermarket parts are made by other companies, often cost less and are widely available for wear items such as filters, belts and tillage points. Quality varies, so compare specs, fit and warranty before buying.