Anyone looking to buy a piece of compact power equipment is faced with a bewildering array of choices—more than 80 brands of compact tractors offered in North America, not to mention the profusion of models within those brands. Written by an unbiased expert for residential and small-farm owners, contractors, and professionals who work with compact tractors, this book makes sense of these choices with clear, objective evaluations of the price, power, parts, and performance of particular machines. To save the buyer and user money, time, and trouble, this fully illustrated guide addresses such considerations as defining job requirements; identifying necessary attachments; matching today’s compact equipment to the job; objectively measuring performance; assessing operating costs before purchase; fun and safety aspects of ownership and operations; and knowing when it’s better to lease, rent, or contract out the job. In addition, the author includes a useful reference and glossary section.