Ways To Use Your Four-Wheelers On A Farm

If you have a farm, you know how important efficiency, speed, and flexibility are to managing your daily tasks. Whether it’s rounding up cattle or hauling supplies, a reliable four-wheeler — also known as an ATV — can be a major game changer. 

This versatile machine can replace or supplement larger farm equipment in many roles. In this article, we explore several effective ways you can use your four-wheeler to make your farming tasks easier and more efficient. 

Fifteen Ways To Use Your Four-Wheelers On A Farm

1. Herding Livestock with an ATV

Herding livestock can be a time-consuming task, especially if you are managing a large number of animals or if you have a lot of ground to cover. Four-wheelers are exceptionally useful for getting around quickly and rounding up cattle, sheep, or goats with greater ease.

With an ATV, you can maneuver through uneven terrain and travel at speeds that allow you to guide livestock effectively. The use of an ATV for herding helps reduce the amount of physical stress on both the farmer and any working animals, like herding dogs or horses, while covering larger areas in a fraction of the time.

Tips for Using an ATV for Herding

• Make sure your four-wheeler is equipped with a loud horn or an animal whistle to help guide livestock.
• Practice at slower speeds to avoid startling your animals.
• Consider adding a herding attachment to the ATV to help direct animals safely.

2. Fencing Maintenance and Repair

Fencing is a crucial part of farm management, and keeping fences in good shape requires regular maintenance. Your four-wheeler can easily haul fencing supplies like wire, posts, and tools to and from the repair site. Unlike a large truck or tractor, an ATV can navigate directly along the fence line, even in tight spots or hilly areas.

By loading your ATV with tools such as post drivers, pliers, or wire cutters, you can easily travel along the perimeter and make necessary repairs without needing a second vehicle or walking long distances.

Fencing Repair Kit for Your ATV

• Post drivers
• Wire cutters
• Spare fence wire
• Insulators

With your ATV ready, maintaining fencing becomes a much quicker and less physically demanding task.

3. Feeding Livestock

Feeding livestock is another daily activity that benefits immensely from the utility of a four-wheeler. Instead of spending hours carrying hay bales or feed buckets manually, you can use your ATV to transport food to different areas of the farm.

Adding a small trailer or basket attachment to your ATV allows you to haul several bags of grain or multiple hay bales at once. This not only saves you time but also reduces the physical exertion required to feed animals spread out across acres of land.

ATV Attachments for Feeding Livestock

• Basket Rack: Ideal for carrying smaller bags of feed.
• Trailer Hitch: Allows you to attach a small wagon for larger loads.

4. Hauling and Transporting Supplies

One of the best ways to use your four-wheeler is to help with hauling supplies. Whether it’s transporting seeds to the field, moving tools for a project, or taking harvested produce to storage, ATVs can be equipped with trailers to carry supplies efficiently.

Using a four-wheeler in this way means you don’t have to worry about damaging the soil by driving a heavy truck through delicate planting areas, and it also helps prevent unnecessary wear and tear on larger machinery like tractors.

5. Soil Sampling and Field Inspection

When it comes to soil sampling and inspecting fields, efficiency is key. ATVs are an excellent choice for navigating through your fields to collect soil samples. Because ATVs can handle tough terrain and drive directly to different parts of your land, they make it easy to collect samples quickly and thoroughly.

6. Spraying Crops with an ATV Sprayer

Spraying your crops for weeds or pests is a necessary part of keeping your farm productive. An ATV-mounted sprayer can turn your four-wheeler into a mobile pest control or herbicide applicator, making the task much easier compared to traditional backpack sprayers or larger, costlier spraying systems.

These ATV sprayers can often hold anywhere from 15 to 50 gallons, which is more than enough for small to medium-sized fields. They’re particularly handy for areas that are tough to reach with larger equipment.

Types of ATV Sprayers

• Boom Sprayer: Covers large areas and distributes spray evenly.
• Spot Sprayer: Ideal for targeted weed control.

7. Plowing and Tilling Soil

You may not think of a four-wheeler as a substitute for a tractor, but with the right attachments, it can handle some of the lighter plowing and tilling tasks. ATV-mounted plows are ideal for small garden plots, preparing soil for planting, or creating furrows for irrigation.

Using your ATV for light plowing tasks can free up your tractor for other work, or it can serve as an alternative if you don’t have a tractor available at the moment. It’s a good way to make sure that no job is put on hold just because one piece of equipment is being used elsewhere.

8. Snow Removal

Farmers in colder climates know how difficult it is to get work done when there’s snow on the ground. With a snowplow attachment, your four-wheeler can be a lifesaver during winter months, allowing you to clear paths quickly.

Clearing driveways, barn entrances, and animal pens is much faster with an ATV snowplow, and the smaller size of an ATV compared to a truck allows you to maneuver easily in tight spots.

9. Checking Irrigation Systems

Whether you’re dealing with drip irrigation or larger, more complex setups, your irrigation system needs regular checks to ensure it’s functioning properly. A four-wheeler allows you to move between zones quickly, saving time that would otherwise be spent walking long distances.

You can load your ATV with any necessary repair supplies — like gaskets, clamps, or nozzles — and make fixes as needed without hauling around a heavy toolbox.

10. Moving Materials for Farm Construction Projects

From building a new chicken coop to repairing a barn, four-wheelers are handy for moving construction materials such as lumber, nails, and tools. Their compact size means they can navigate through partially constructed structures or areas where a truck may not fit.

Adding a trailer attachment to your ATV makes it even more effective at hauling heavier materials from one area of the farm to another, helping you complete construction projects with fewer trips back and forth.

11. Emergency Transport

ATVs can play a critical role in emergency situations. Whether you’re dealing with a sick animal, an unexpected injury, or damage to part of your farm infrastructure, having a four-wheeler available means you can respond quickly.

For example, if you need to transport a sick animal for treatment, your ATV’s trailer can double as an emergency transport vehicle. The ATV’s speed can help mitigate losses in situations where time is of the essence.

12. Hunting and Predator Control

Many farms face the challenge of dealing with predators that threaten livestock. Four-wheelers make it easier to navigate the farm’s terrain during predator control, as well as for hunting game during permitted seasons. The speed, power, and off-road capability of an ATV make it ideal for these tasks.

ATVs are also useful for carrying bait, traps, or other hunting equipment and can even be used to help transport harvested game. With an ATV, covering large portions of your land to check traps or maintain hunting blinds becomes more efficient.

13. Trail Maintenance and Landscaping

Keeping trails open and well-maintained is essential on many farms, especially those with extensive property. Trails are used for moving livestock, managing woodlots, or simply getting around the farm efficiently. Your ATV can help maintain these trails by carrying chainsaws, rakes, or gravel.

Additionally, an ATV can help in landscaping tasks such as mowing grass in hard-to-reach areas or distributing fertilizer to keep your property in good condition.

14. Transporting Water

For farms that are more spread out, access to water can sometimes be an issue, especially during dry months. With an ATV, transporting small tanks of water to different locations is made much simpler. Using a trailer attachment, you can carry enough water to remote areas, either for livestock or for newly planted trees and shrubs.

15. Leisure and Recreation

Last but certainly not least, four-wheelers can also be used for leisure and recreation on the farm. After a long day of hard work, ATVs can provide a much-needed opportunity for fun. Whether it’s a quick ride across your property or taking family members for a spin, ATVs are as much about enjoyment as they are about work.

Recreational use helps ensure you and your family maintain a strong connection to the land you work on every day.

The Right ATV Attachments for Farm Use

Using the right attachments can maximize the efficiency and functionality of your four-wheeler on the farm. Below is a quick list of some useful attachments:

• Utility Trailers: Ideal for transporting tools, feed, and other supplies.
• Boom and Spot Sprayers: Perfect for managing weeds or pests.
• Snow Plows: Essential for winter months to clear paths.
• Tow Behind Spreader: Useful for spreading seed or fertilizer.
• Cargo Boxes and Racks: Increase carrying capacity for smaller tools and materials.

Why ATVs Are Essential for Small to Medium-Sized Farms

For small to medium-sized farms, owning a four-wheeler can provide almost all the benefits of larger equipment without the hefty cost and maintenance associated with tractors or trucks. Their smaller size makes them ideal for navigating difficult terrain, and their versatility means they can be adapted for a wide variety of farm tasks.

For tasks that require speed, maneuverability, and power, four-wheelers offer a solution that larger machinery simply cannot match. From the daily feeding of animals to emergency situations, an ATV can serve as an all-purpose vehicle that supports the farm in nearly every aspect of operation.

Find Your Next ATV for Your Farm at Waynesville Cycle Center

An ATV can make all the difference in the efficiency and effectiveness of your daily farm activities. With the versatility and adaptability of a four-wheeler, you can handle everything from hauling feed to herding livestock, all while saving time and energy.

Are you ready to enhance your farm operations with a reliable ATV? Visit our dealership today to browse our impressive selection of four-wheelers designed to meet all your farming needs. Whether you’re looking for utility, efficiency, or versatility, we have the perfect model for you. We offer a variety of models from brands such as Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Yamaha.

Don’t miss out on the chance to elevate your farming experience—contact us today for more information or to schedule a test ride.