Can You Get More Than 11 Right on This Farm Equipment ID Quiz?

EMPLOYMENT

By: Lauren Lubas

6 Min Quiz

Image: Image by Chris Winsor / Moment / Getty Images

About This Quiz

910 million acres of America is covered in farms. With around 2 million farms total, farmers make up a great portion of this country, and the work they do is essential to feeding large populations around the world as well as the United States. If you've ever driven past a farm or any kind of farmland in this country, chances are you've seen quite a bit of equipment and machinery around. The tools and equipment farmers use can be something as simple as a bucket to something as complex as the devices used to milk cows. Not only does this equipment help them get the important jobs done more quickly, it also saves farmers quite a bit of money in the long run.

Ultimately, farmers have one of the toughest jobs in America, and our nation's health and wellness depend on them doing it right. In order for them to do that job right, they need specialized equipment. Do you think you can name these tools that farmers use? We've found 40 things you'd most definitely see on a farm. See how many of them you can name without looking them up. Anyone who grew up on a farm can ace this quiz without a problem.

This large machine helps till soil. Do you know what it's called?

After a long winter, soil tends to clump up and compact. This makes it difficult to plant. That is why farmers use cultivators. They till the soil and loosen large chunks of it to help them plant.

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Do you know what this machine that accepts various attachments is called?

Tractors are the most versatile machines known to any industry. They are essential in the farming industry, because every different kind of farmer can use them, even if they need different attachments to fulfill their jobs.

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Can you name this tool that looks like a machete?

There are still farmers who use a lot of hand tools to get them through the season. The curved blade panga helps farmers cut down tall grass and weeds in fields. They are perfect for areas where mowers can't reach.

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When it comes to spreading seeds, this machine is essential. Do you know what it's called?

Depending on the size of the farm, farmers will have broadcast seeders in various sizes. The machine itself is connected to a tractor and pulled along the ground, dispersing seeds wherever it goes.

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Produce grows in different sizes. What is this machine that helps produce farmers with these variations?

Based on the name, you can probably figure out what a weight sorter does. Because each crop produces different-sized fruits and vegetables, a weight sorter helps farmers organize their crops to help them sell better.

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Nearly every animal farm has one of these. Do you know what it's called?

When it comes to transporting livestock, there are a lot of laws that animal farmers must follow. These trailers help protect the animals as well as other drivers on the road, because they keep the animals in a confined area that doesn't disturb the driver.

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New farms might rent this piece of equipment. Do you know what it's called?

Backhoes help farmers move large amounts of earth and rock around. For new farmers, this tool helps them level the land and remove any large rocks or boulders from any planting areas.

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Can you name this machine that is used specifically on cotton farms?

Cotton pickers don't separate the seeds from the cotton, they simply pick the cotton from the plants. They are excellent tools to help cotton farmers harvest their crops every season.

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What is this recycling machine called?

Mulchers help farmers clear large portions of vegetation quickly. They are so powerful that they can even take on small trees and extremely large weeds. The mulcher then turns that vegetation into mulch that farmers can use on other parts of their farms.

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What is this hand-held harvesting device called?

Sickles go by many different names such as bagging hook and reaping hook. Though they aren't used as often these days, smaller farms that don't rely on large equipment still have them around for harvest season.

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It might smell bad, but it's necessary. Do you know what this machine is?

There are a lot of different terms for manure spreaders, but all of them do the same job: spread manure to fertilize the fields. They are necessary for most planting farmers, even if the farm doesn't have one on hand, they will rent them.

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This device helps with planting. Do you know what it's called?

There are many ways to plant seeds on a farm, but for some farmers, the seed drill is a necessary tool. It presses the seeds into the ground, planting them at the perfect depth. This saves farmers time and money, because the seeds aren't eaten or blown away.

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Do you know what this piece of irrigation equipment is called?

A drip irrigation system helps farmers save money while watering their crops on hot, dry days. Instead of spraying water all over the plants, they simply drip the water onto the plants slowly. This saves money in water costs and helps farmers avoid evaporation.

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Do you know the name of this device that helps farmers prepare their soil?

Stone pickers are generally used on farms that tend to have rocky soil. They do exactly what their name suggests. As they are driven over land, they lift the soil and sift out all of the small stones that can affect a plant's growth.

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Only potato farms have these. Do you know what it's called?

Potatoes were once notoriously difficult to harvest. They grow in the ground, and a lot of farm equipment can't reach them without damaging them. That is why potato harvesters are so important.

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What is this large screw-looking piece of equipment called?

For the most part, farmers use soil augers to sample the soil. Some farmers send the soil in for testing while others have kits to test the pH of the soil. This tells farmers whether or not they need to add nutrients to the soil before planting.

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Can you name this intimidating piece of machinery that is found across farms in the American Midwest?

Corn harvesters are specifically used to harvest corn. They look like very oversized pitchforks, but their function is specifically to scoop up the corn stalks, strip them and collect them. This saves farmers hours of hard labor.

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This equipment is only found on a dairy farm. Do you know what it's called?

For extremely large dairy farms, it isn't financially feasible to milk by hand. For this reason, milking machines are necessary. They simulate the milking process when each of the tubes is attached to an udder.

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Can you name this machine that removes the husks from rice?

Few people actually realize that rice has husks, and those husks can be difficult to remove. That is why most farms that produce rice have at least one rice huller to help them get to the grains without doing hard manual labor.

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Can you identify this machine that helps animal farmers?

When it comes to feeding animals and keeping them warm, hay is an essential part of the farming process. However, it's heavy and hard to move around, unless you have a bale splitter that splits and moves bales of hay.

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What is the name of this machine that catches the harvest?

Grain carts are one of the most essential pieces of equipment for harvesting. They allow farmers to harvest the land without wasting time. A grain cart catches the harvest and reduces time and costs.

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When a farmer wants his land even, he will attach one of these to his tractor. What is it?

Roller attachments for tractors look very much like steamrollers, because they do the exact same thing. While steamrollers work on asphalt, a roller attachment works on the soil, packing it down and getting it ready for planting season.

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For beet farmers, this is a necessary piece of machinery. What is it called?

Beet harvesters, much like corn and potato harvesters, are machines specifically designed to pull specific plants from the ground. Beet harvesters remove beets from the ground without damaging them.

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What is this tilling device called?

Flat lifters are also known as subsoilers. Like most tilling machines, flat lifters agitate the ground to loosen the soil and rocks that are in it. They are specifically made to help farmers dig into the soil at deeper levels.

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Do you know the name of this equipment that helps harvest small grains?

Binders (also known as reaper-binders), help farmers harvest smaller crops. The machine was once pulled by horses, but now has an engine. Binders also bundle the crops and tie them together.

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This machine makes food for animals. What is it?

Silage is made from pieces of grass, corn or any other plant. The silage harvester chops these plants up and presses them together. Once the silage is compacted, it is then fermented and fed to farm animals.

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When processing produce, this tool is essential. What is it called?

Roller sorters are also known as diameter sorters. Produce farmers use these to sort the crops into different areas for customers, factories and compost. They save farmers a lot of time and money, as they don't have to pay hired hands to sort.

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Though you may see these tools outside farms, farmers use them often. What are they?

Front-end loaders are like miniature earth movers. They can be used for a variety of tasks on farms. They can move dirt, feed, hay or manure to help farmers with heavy-duty tasks that would normally take a lot of time.

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Can you identify this extremely large piece of equipment?

Scrapers are more commonly used on newer farms, or if a farmer wants to build up his land. They are used to move large amounts of dirt and soil from one place to another or to create trenches to help the farmer avoid flooding.

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This machine helps farmers keep dense shrubbery at bay. What is it called?

When it comes to mowing, you might think that all mowers are created equally. However, this is not always the case. The flail mower was invented to help farmers and landscapers get through shrubbery that is way too thick for an average mower.

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You'd find this on nearly any grain farm during harvest season. What is it?

A windrower gets its name from the term windrow, which is a set of hay or grain that has been set out to dry in the wind. The windrower cuts and collects the hay to create the windrows for drying.

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What is the name of this equipment found on livestock farms?

Grinder-mixers are used to help create feed for livestock. They churn, grind and mix grains to help the animals digest them better. It is one way to avoid various setbacks in the help of the livestock.

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This is the reason farms look like circles from airplanes. What is it called?

Central pivot irrigation was designed to help farmers save water when they irrigate their fields. This piece of irrigation equipment moves in a giant circle around the entire field to ensure that every plant gets an equal amount of water.

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Do you know what this tractor attachment is called?

Before these attachments were created for tractors, farmers used to have to attach chisel plows to animals to get the power that was necessary for the machine to dig into the ground. Chisel plows offer deep tilling with minimal soil disruption.

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For produce farmers, this machine is a great way to ensure higher sales. What is it called?

Blemish sorters help produce farmers identify areas of the crop that aren't doing well. Once the crop is harvested, it is put through a blemish sorter, removing produce with too many blemishes.

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When harvesting hay, this machine is essential. Do you know what it's called?

Before the hay is dried and gathered (in the windrower), it first must be cut. The tedder functions very much like a lawnmower, cutting the crop down before it is windrowed and set to dry.

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Farmers have fences, and repairing those fences is necessary. What is this piece of equipment that can help them?

Post hole diggers can be found on nearly every farm. When it comes to farming, fences are put into place for safety of both animals and humans. If a fence breaks or gets damaged, farmers can't wait for fence companies to repair them.

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Many farmers use these to reduce crop loss due to insects. What are they?

These sprayers are essential to the safety of a farm. While larger farms might use crop dusting to keep their crops safe, most farms have sprayers on hand, in case there is an infestation after the fact.

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Do you know the name of this tool that compacts the ground?

Cultipackers can handle a lot of different jobs all at once. They remove air from the soil, to ensure that there are no pockets that can disturb growth. They also help create even and flat seedbeds for planting.

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Like tractors, this machine has many uses. What is it?

Combines are used mainly in grain harvesting, but they are versatile in that they can take on nearly any kind of grain. This gives farmers the ability to rent out their combines to neighboring farms to make a little extra money.

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