EngineThe engine, under the hood at the front. Modern farm tractors usually have diesel engines.
Exhaust stackThe upright pipe carrying engine exhaust up and away from the driver.
Front wheelOne of the small front wheels, which steer. On a two-wheel-drive tractor they are not driven.
Rear wheelThe big rear wheels drive the tractor on a two-wheel-drive model. Deep lugs on the tire grip soft ground.
ROPSThe roll-over protective structure. A strong frame that protects the driver if the tractor rolls over. It works only if the driver wears the seat belt.
The driver's place: 3 2
Steering wheelThe wheel the driver turns to steer the front wheels.
SeatThe driver's seat should have a seat belt. It is worn whenever the tractor has a ROPS.
At the back: 4 4
Top linkThe upper, middle arm of the three-point hitch. The hydraulics usually do not power it.
Lower lift armsThe two lower arms of the three-point hitch. Seen as one from the side. The hydraulics raise and lower them to lift an implement.
PTO shaftThe power take-off, a splined shaft turned by the engine. It powers a mower or other implement.
DrawbarThe bar under the back for towing. It tows trailers and pulled implements with a hitch pin.
How this list was compiled: Read 2026-09-27. (1) Wikipedia, Tractor, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tractor : most farm tractors drive two wheels, usually the rear; modern farm tractors usually have diesel engines; smoke-stack-style exhaust; power reaches implements by the drawbar or hitch, or by the power take-off; the roll-over protection structure (ROPS), seat belt, which the operator must wear for the ROPS to work. (2) Wikipedia, Three-point hitch, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-point_hitch : two lower arms, the hitch lifting arms, controlled by the hydraulic system, and an upper centre arm, the top link, usually not powered. (3) Wikipedia, Power take-off, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_take-off : most commonly a splined drive shaft on a tractor that powers implements directly from the engine. (4) Wikipedia, Roll-over protection structure. Licence: own work
The drawing: Drawn for this site by script, 2026-09-27. Own work, nothing traced. Licence: own work
How it works
These are the parts of a tractor on a farm tractor side-on, with its back drawn again close up. Start with the 5 main parts, then the driver's place, then the back.
Read the full guide
The tractor
The engine sits under the hood at the front, with the exhaust stack rising from it. The small front wheels steer; the big rear wheels drive. The driver sits over the rear wheels, with the ROPS frame behind.
At the back
The three-point hitch has two lower lift arms and a top link, and the hydraulics lift an implement on them. The PTO shaft turns to power it. The drawbar underneath is for towing.
Wear the seat belt: the ROPS only protects a driver who stays inside its frame when a tractor rolls over.
Questions and answers
What is a ROPS on a tractor?
A roll-over protective structure: a strong frame over or behind the driver's seat that protects the driver if the tractor rolls over, as long as the seat belt is worn.
What is a PTO on a tractor?
The power take-off, a splined shaft at the back turned by the engine. It powers implements such as mowers directly from the tractor's engine.
What is a three-point hitch?
The linkage at the back of a tractor: two lower lift arms raised and lowered by the hydraulics, and a top link above them, which hold an implement at three points.