Compact tractor size calculator
The calculator needs JavaScript. The worked example, formula and figures below show exactly how it works, so you can do the sum yourself. A guide based on published specs and your figures, not a guarantee.
Short answer
Worked example
| You enter | Value |
|---|---|
| Implements you'll run on the tractor | Implement 1: implement Topper, maker's minimum pto power 15 hp, linkage category Category 1, weight 250 kg, width 1.2 m; Implement 2: implement Rotavator, maker's minimum pto power 18 hp, linkage category Category 1, weight 220 kg, width 1.25 m |
| You need a front loader | Yes |
| Heaviest load the loader will lift | 300 kg |
| Your ground | Sloping |
| Narrowest gate the tractor has to go through | 3 m |
A tractor with at least 18 hp at the PTO and a Category 1 linkage, lifting at least 250 kg on the rear linkage
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Minimum PTO power | at least 18 hp |
| Linkage category | Category 1 |
| Rear linkage lift capacity, at least | 250 kg |
| Loader lift capacity, at least | 300 kg |
| Widest implement | 1.25 m |
Take this to the dealer
- PTO power of at least 18 hp (PTO hp, not engine hp)
- Category 1 rear linkage
- Rear linkage lift capacity of at least 250 kg, measured at the point the implement maker asks for
- A loader rated for at least 300 kg, and the ballast the tractor maker specifies with it
- Overall width under 3 m for your gate
- Your slopes: ask about rollover protection and the maker's limits for working across slopes, and read HSE's guidance on working on slopes
- PTO guards present and in good condition on the tractor and every shaft
Source: the implement makers' UK spec sheets (figures you enter) and tractor makers' UK spec pages, checked 21 October 2026.
Show the working
- PTO: the highest maker's minimum among your implements is 18 hp (rotavator)
- Linkage: every implement with a known category is Category 1
- Rear lift: the heaviest implement weighs 250 kg
- Loader: the heaviest load is 300 kg
How it works
- Minimum PTO power = the highest minimum PTO hp among your implements (each from its maker's spec sheet)
- Linkage category = the category your implements use (they should all match the tractor's)
- Rear lift capacity, at least = the heaviest implement on the linkage
- Loader lift, at least = the heaviest load you'll lift with the loader
- Models are listed only when every figure is on the tractor maker's UK spec page and we've checked it
Size by PTO hp, not engine hp: some of the engine's power is lost before it reaches the PTO. The tractor maker's spec sheet gives both.
Your acreage matters less than your implements: a bigger area means more hours in the seat, not a bigger tractor. Use the implement matcher to work out the hours.
Makers quote lift capacity at different points, so compare the same figure on each sheet.
Assumptions and sources
The figures this calculator starts from, and where each comes from. The maker's UK spec sheet and your own figures come first: change any figure to match.
This calculator has no built-in defaults: every figure comes from you or the maker's spec sheet.
| Rule | Body | Status |
|---|---|---|
| PTO shafts fully guarded | HSE | Not yet checked against the source: shown as a pointer only |
| Rollover protection and seat belts on tractors | HSE | Not yet checked against the source: shown as a pointer only |
| Working on slopes | HSE | Not yet checked against the source: shown as a pointer only |
FAQs
Guides
Best compact tractors for smallholdings: compared on PTO hp, linkage category, lift capacity and weight from makers' UK specs
Compact tractors compared on makers' published PTO hp, linkage, lift and weight. We haven't tested them.
Compact vs sub-compact tractor: which suits your land
Sub-compact or compact tractor? Compare by the implements you'll run, the lift you need and your gates, using makers' specs.
PTO horsepower explained: engine hp vs PTO hp
Why PTO hp, not engine hp, decides which implements a tractor can run, and where to find the figure on the maker's spec sheet.
What size tractor do I need? A smallholder's guide
Size a tractor by your jobs and implements, not your acres alone: PTO hp, linkage category and lift, from makers' figures.