Tractors and implements
Compact and sub-compact tractors, toppers, linkage and PTO: size a tractor by the implements you'll run, using makers' figures.
Calculators
Compact tractor size calculator
Example: A tractor with at least 18 hp at the PTO and a Category 1 linkage, lifting at least 250 kg on the rear linkage
Implement matcher
Example: Fits on the makers' figures (4 checks)
- Getting started
Smallholding kit planner
Example: A compact or sub-compact tractor with a three-point linkage and PTO, for 5 acres (2.02 ha)
Guides
How big a tractor do I need for 5 acres?
Five acres can need a compact tractor, a quad with towed kit or no tractor at all. Work it out from your jobs and implements.
What size topper for my tractor?
Match a topper to your tractor using the topper maker's PTO hp and the tractor's spec: width, linkage, weight and your gate.
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.
Tractor or quad for a smallholding?
Compact tractor or quad with towed kit? Compare by the jobs you do, your ground and running costs, with HSE safety guidance.
Buying a used compact tractor
What to check on a used compact tractor: hours, PTO, linkage, guards and paperwork, with questions to ask the seller.
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 tractor implements
Toppers, flails, harrows, rotavators and loaders for a compact tractor, and how to match each to your tractor's PTO and linkage.
New vs used compact tractor: which suits you
New or second-hand compact tractor? How to weigh warranty, hours and condition, with your own prices in the hire vs buy calculator.
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.
Driving a tractor on the road: the UK rules
Licence categories, ages, registration and lights for tractors on UK roads, linked to GOV.UK and the Highway Code.
Front loaders for compact tractors
What a front loader can lift, how makers quote capacity, ballast and the bales, muck and pallets you'll move.
Hiring vs buying farm machinery
When hiring kit beats buying it: days a year, your hire rates and running costs, worked out with your own prices.
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.
Three-point linkage categories explained
What linkage categories mean, how to tell which your tractor has, and why your implements must match it.