Tractors used for hauling machines or trailers used in the construction industry or agriculture are specifically designed vehicles that are made to deliver high torque or tractive effort at low speeds. Commonly, this term describes the distinctive farm vehicle. This is because they are used to tow agricultural implements and also may be used to supply power to mechanized implements.

This word “tractor” is an agent noun of a Latin word trahere which literally means “to pull”. It was 1901 that the use of term “tractor” as used and it replaced the term that was used until then: traction engine (1859).

The term tractor implies “farm tractor” in Germany, Argentina, Ireland, Britain, Spain, Australia and India. In the US and in Canada, farm tractor also tends to include various other implements that can be attached to the tractor.

Portable engines were the first farm implements that were powered in the early 1800s. These were steam engines that made use of wheels and were used to drive the mechanical farm machines using a flexible belt. Then in about 1850, these were modernized to give the first traction engines and of course they were readily adopted for use in agriculture.