How much horsepower do I actually need on a compact tractor?
<p>Dealers keep pushing bigger engines. For a few acres of mowing plus a loader and the occasional tiller, how do I decide?</p>
2 replies
<p>Look at the jobs you will do most, not the biggest job you can imagine. Mowing and light loader work are well within reach of a small compact tractor. Heavy loader work, tilling hard ground and running larger implements are where extra horsepower and weight start to matter.</p>
<p>Two cautions: advertised engine horsepower is usually a gross figure, and PTO horsepower (what reaches the implement) is lower, so compare PTO numbers where the maker lists them. Weight and a properly ballasted rear matter as much as power for loader work.</p>
