What Size Tractor?
Below is the tractor list for each manufacturer based on size and horsepower. Always size the tractor to the hardest job on the place, not the acreage. A sub-compact mows, blows snow, and fits a garage. A compact grades gravel and turns a rotary cutter. A utility tractor lifts round bales and holds a load on a Front Range slope. KIOTI, LS, and TYM all sell in each class. Frame and hitch lift decide the class. The number on the hood does not.
Fort Collins sits near 5,000 feet. Naturally aspirated diesels make less power here than a sea-level brochure. Walk the drive, the slope, and the heaviest thing you will lift in year three. Then pick a class.
| Hardest job on the place | Sub-Compact | Compact | Utility |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mow around the house, barn, and gates | Yes | Overkill | No |
| Clear snow from driveways and pens | Yes | Yes | No |
| Clean stalls and tight pens | Yes | Yes | No |
| Dig post holes and haul fence materials | Borderline | Yes | Yes |
| Grade land and gravel driveways | No | Yes | Yes |
| Cut weeds and tall grass | No | Yes | Yes |
| Feed with a 3-tine bale spear | No | Borderline | Yes |
| Lift heavy loads — hay bales, a full bucket, or a grapple | No | No | Yes |
Sub-Compact · Compact · Utility • Compare
Sub-Compact Tractors
A sub-compact is built to fit in a garage and finish light work. Mowing, a snowblower on a short drive, a bucket of dirt, tight gates. KIOTI CS, LS MT1, and TYM Series 1 live here. Most sit around 21 to 25 engine horsepower with a lighter frame and a smaller 3-point.
Do not buy one because it shares a horsepower badge with a compact. A KIOTI CS2530H and a KIOTI CK2620 both make 24.5 horsepower. The CK is a compact. The CS is not. A 6-foot cutter, a long washboard driveway, or an 800-pound bale will tell you which one you bought. If that is the work, skip this table.
Compact Tractors
A compact is the first tractor that grades a driveway, turns a rotary cutter, and still fits through a farm gate. KIOTI CK and CX, LS MT2 and MT3, and TYM Series 2 live here. Most sit around 25 to 40 engine horsepower. Some LS MT3 models climb into the 50s. The frame, loader, and 3-point are heavier than a sub-compact. The hood number is not the class.
Do not buy one because it shares a horsepower badge with a sub-compact or a utility. A KIOTI CS2530H and a KIOTI CK2620 both make 24.5 horsepower. The CS is a sub-compact. The CK is a compact. An LS MT357 makes 57 horsepower and is still a compact. A KIOTI NS6010 makes 57.7 and is a utility. A 6-foot cutter on washboard gravel, a loaded bucket on a Front Range slope, or a round bale on the 3-point will tell you which one you bought. If the work is garage mowing, go back to sub-compact. If the work is wet bales and a hillside, skip this table.
Utility Tractors
A utility tractor is built to lift round bales, hold a load on a Front Range slope, and run a heavier 3-point all day. KIOTI DK, NS, NX, RX, and HX, LS MT4, MT5, and MT7, and TYM Series 4 and 5 live here. Most start near 45 horsepower and run past 100. Fort Collins sits near 5,000 feet, so a naturally aspirated diesel makes less power than the brochure. Frame weight, loader capacity, and hitch lift decide the class. The number on the hood does not.
Do not buy one because it shares a horsepower badge with a compact. An LS MT357 makes 57 horsepower and is a compact. A KIOTI NS6010 makes 57.7 and is a utility. A KIOTI CK4020 at 39.6 and a KIOTI DK4520 at 44.9 sit one class apart with five horsepower between them. Wet hay, a loaded grapple on a grade, or a 7-foot cutter in tall grass will tell you which one you bought. If that is not the work, stay in compact.
LEGACY TRACTOR SALES & SERVICE, INC.
1845 North College Avenue • Ft. Collins, CO 80524
(970) 482-4803 • info@legacytractors.com