The 10 things you should know before buying a new tractor
- rosebvassistant
- May 8
- 12 min read
Now it is no secret that a tractor, no matter how affordable, is a large purchase both literally and metaphorically. I mean have you seen the size of these things!?
And that is why picking the right tractor for your needs is so important.
After all, think about the disappointment you feel when you decide to be ‘adventurous’ and try a new coffee combo in your local cafe. You thought you were trendy, you tried the matcha, it tasted like sad grass. And whilst you rue the moment you ever thought to stray from your trusty iced latte, you know that at the end of the day, that £5 down the drain is not insurmountable.
But a tractor?
Get that decision wrong, and that really stings.
Oftentimes people can get stuck thinking that buying a tractor is just about finding the right price for the horsepower you need. However, we are afraid there is a bit more to the picture than that. And the reality is that if you don’t also match your tractor to your land and workload you will very likely be disappointed.
A good phrase to think about here is that you need to buy ‘enough tractor’ not just the biggest one you can afford.
But what does this really mean in practice?
In today’s blog we are here to break down every decision that goes into buying the perfect tractor from horsepower, to hydraulics, and all the way to PTO.
And we would be remiss to say, that although we will go over everything in today’s blog, our friendly team are always there at the end of a phone, or ready for an in-person visit in our office to explain everything to you in person so that you feel 100% happy and confident in your purchase.
So if you would like to feel informed before your next tractor purchase then read on!
Or if you would like to skip ahead then check out our handy reference list here→
What will you actually use your tractor for?
The most important thing you can do when first thinking about tractor choices is to be specific about how you will actually use your tractor.
For example are you mainly planning on:
Mowing pastures or lawns
Moving day to day objects like soil or manure
More heavy duty farming activities like plowing your land or hay bailing
Maintaining your grounds and property maintenance
Or lifting heavy objects like pallets, rocks and stumps
Maybe you are just looking to do one of the above, or maybe you are looking for the entire list. Either way, you should always optimize your tractors so that it is strong enough for your largest task at hand. And this leads nicely onto our next point…
Size and horsepower
The more horsepower you have, the greater your tractor's ability to deal with heavy tasks.
For example, whilst a sub-compact tractor (15-25HP) will be limited to smaller plots and light landscaping, a normal compact tractor (25-50HP) is made to handle small farms and general-purpose work. However, if you are looking for something even heavier duty, a utility tractor (50-100+HP) works fantastically for heavy farming and large acreage.
Your horsepower will not only affect how fast you can work, and the heaviness of the jobs, but also what attachments you can run and even potentially your resale value.
As a simple rule of thumb, generally the larger the horsepower of your motor the bigger your tractor. And this has 2 knock on effects.
Heavier tractors tend to have better traction and stability which creates a safer working machine.
Your tractor is of course bigger so your space needs to be larger to accommodate.
This means if you are looking for a heavier duty machine, but are running low on space, a high horsepower compact model might be the best fit for you so that you can balance heavy work with still running your machine everywhere it needs to go.
At Siromer we stock a massive range of tractors from our runaround 26HP tornado, all the way to our heavy duty 80HP J80.
Interestingly our best seller is the Siromer 304 which is a 30HP compact tractor. As most of our customers are smallholders they find that the 304 offers the best combination of being strong enough to handle anything on the smallholder, whilst remaining small and compact enough to fit in tight spaces.
If you would like the learn more about the Siromer 304 then click here.
However, we would of course recommend speaking to a professional here to correctly assess what type of horsepower you might need for your tasks at hand.
Land size and terrain
Forgetting to accommodate your acreage into your tractor decision can be a grave error.
But to keep things simple generally as a rule of thumb, the larger your land, the bigger your tractor will need to be.
And in the same vein, if you know that you have tight tricky areas to maneuver on your smallholding, considering a compact tractor like the lightning, tornado or 304 will keep driving as easy as possible!
However the story doesn’t stop there!
As with life, things are not always so simple and this is where terrain comes into the picture.
If your land is mainly flat like the Fens or East Anglia, then you can breathe easy as almost any tractor will work on your terrain.
However, if you live in hilly or uneven land like Cumbria, The North Yorkshire Mores, Scotland etc. then it is essential that you focus on tractors with a wider stance, a lower centre of gravity, and of course 4WD to help navigate your uneven terrain.
When working with this type of land, stability will matter more than raw power(HP) when it comes to picking the right tractor for you. And whilst it can feel tempting to skip this step, it is vital to remain loyal to a wide, low tractor to allow your work to be as efficient, repair free, and safe as possible.
4. 2WD vs 4WD
And speaking of 4WD, this is also another important point to consider when choosing a tractor.
Whilst a 2 wheel drive is fine for flat dry land, and is of course cheaper, a 4 wheel drive is safer, gives much better traction, stability, pulling power, works well in all terrain and performs heavy duty tasks (like plowing and tilling) much better. And this is, of course, reflected in the price.
It’s also important to remember that if you are working in the mud (and who isn’t in the UK!), or with loaders at all, then you should always go for a 4WD for safety!
Here at Siromer all of our tractors come built with 4WD, and even our smallest compact tractor The Tornado (at 26HP) has a selectable 4WD.
Whilst the choice here is obviously open, if money allows we would always recommend going for a 4WD model if you can!
5. Transmission type
And of course transmission types are also worth looking at when considering what type of work you will be doing.
Whilst a manual transmission (with gears) is more efficient for steady work (and generally cheaper), a hydrostatic transmission (HST) tends to be easier to use making it ideal for beginners and those looking to frequently change directions.
Whilst this factor is fairly low on the totem pole of deal breakers for your tractor, it is still worth looking at nonetheless if you are looking to drive around a lot.
At Siromer, we use manual transmission as the majority of our customers are looking for something to help with the steady work of a smallholding, however please rest assured our tractors are still great to drive and can even be made road legal! But more on that later…
6. Hydraulics
Whilst hydraulics can get a little complicated, the TLDR of this topic is that the more hydraulics you have, the more versatility for your machine.
For example, if you have a good hydraulic set up on your tractor this means better power for loaders, grapples and backhoes, and therefore an easier time for you!
The good news is that here at Siromer we use Dual Double Acting Spool hydraulics on our tractors, including the MK404, which translates into better control, power and versatility than its traditional single spool hydraulic alternative. By having a dual double acting hydraulic system, this also means better and more complex performances out on the field due to its bidirectional advantage.
7. Attachments, Accessories and Details
And this leads on to our favourite part about tractors…the equipment.
Now whilst it is easy to get lost in a sea of equipment and their various usage*, the most important thing to focus on in your initial stages is just to make sure is that your tractor actually supports each piece of equipment.
But how do you measure this?
Well by looking at your PTO (Power Take Off), if your tractor has a hitch, and if a quick attach system is present will help to determine what pieces of kit are applicable.
Whilst a standard PTO is 540 RPM, all of our tractors come with a 2 speed PTO (540 and 1000 RPM) in order to suit all implements you may choose to add, like for example, our Siromer baler.
*The world of attachments is pretty endless from front loaders, mowers, backhoes, transport boxes and so much more, but if you would like to take a ponder then why not check out our full list of equipment here.
And speaking of additional extras, something people often forget to take notice of are the small details that really make a difference in everyday use.
Having good seat quality, visibility of controls, front lights, and cab options are essential for ensuring an ergonomic riding experience. With comfortable leather seats, improved layout on your dashboards, LED lights, and cabs with aircon as standard (on all models over 40HP), you cannot go wrong with a Siromer!
If you would like to learn about one of our most popular models with a cab, the MK404 , or the MK504 then be sure to click our links!
8. Brand & reliability
And this leads nicely onto our next point.
The brand you pick will make a difference.
There truly is no such thing as a free lunch, so making sure you find a good balance between reliability and what fits in your budget is essential.
Brands like John Deere, Kubota, New Holland and Massey Ferguson are of course beautiful and reliable machines, but they also have a price match to match (and then some!).
However, if you are looking for something a little more affordable, but without having to sacrifice any of the quality or reliability that you want, then we would of course recommend Siromer.
But you might be asking ‘so how are the prices so much lower if the quality still remains really good?’.
Well, the TLDR is that we have stripped our tractors of anything unnecessary to keep our build costs and your potential repair costs low, whilst also keeping our models simple and reliable. We also tend to go for a ‘does what it says on the tin’ approach, versus adding shiny bells and whistles that aren’t useful and will eventually break your machine.
However, if you would like to learn about how we are able to keep our tractors at a fantastic sale price in much more depth then check out our blog here.
But to keep things simple, when looking at which brand to buy from we would always recommend looking at:
Brand reliability
Service reputation
Parts availability
And dealer proximity.
To check the reliability and reputation of the brand, specific models and servicing we would of course recommend looking at verifiable reviews like Google, Trustpilot, and even online forums like Reddit or The Farming Forum. For parts and repair, you should be able to get in contact with the brands directly to ask about parts availability, their servicing/warranty options and of course their proximity to you, in case of repair. For example, Siromer ships parts within 24 hours for reference.
Afterall, a great tractor is less so if you cannot get it repaired quickly.
Now we know that was a chunky section with lots of things to bear in mind, but stay with us as we only have 3 more points to go!
9. New or Used and Approved?
Another good question to ask yourself, especially if you are on a tight budget, is if a second hand tractor might be a good option for you.
Whilst new tractors of course have reliability, and better warranties, this does of course come with a (sometimes very hefty) price tag. Whereas in comparison, a used tractor will be considerably cheaper, albeit with more risk in terms of hidden issues.
And whilst buying a used tractor might raise some eyebrows in terms of reliability, if you are buying from a reputable provider, we would say that there is nothing to really catch a sweat about.
For example, all of Siromer’s Used and Approved products have to pass our Siromer’s 10 point health check to be available for purchase. So you can be sure that no lemons are being sold on our grounds!
If you would like to check out our large range of discount tractors, many of which just have 10 hours on the clock, then click here.
Please note, if you are interested in buying used, always make sure to check the hours of the clock, the service history, any mention or sign of leaks, smoke and wear, and of course the PTO and hydraulics function.
10. Budget
And here comes the big one: price!
Obviously your budget will play a large role in the tractor you end up deciding to get. However, when working out your budget we would also recommend giving yourself a little bit of wiggle room here to allow for the small bits that add up.
For example, equipment/attachments can add 30-100% of the tractor cost, depending on what your ideal usage may be. We could also recommend budgeting for maintenance like services, filters, fluids and tyres needed throughout the year. And lastly, if you would like to store your tractor over the winter*, or away from harsh sunlight, then we would recommend subtracting the cost needed to build your storage away from your budget.
At Siromer, we believe in full price transparency. And because of this, we have our entire price list available to view online here.
*if you would like to learn more about our other winterizing tips then check out our blog here.
It is also worth mentioning that many companies, like ourselves, also offer financing options for your tractor as we understand making such a large purchase can often be tricky with the cashflow of a working company. If you would like to learn more about our financing options, then please feel free to give our expert team a ring on 01253799029.
11. Legal Considerations
And lastly, if you are looking to drive your tractor on the road you should bear this in mind, along with the regulations and insurance needed when picking a tractor. Please note, tractors are however MOT exempt.
All Siromer tractors can be made road legal, however if this is a non-negotiable for you then make sure to bear this in mind when picking your tractor.
If you would like to learn more about making your tractor road legal then check out our blog here.
And one last tip…
If we had to recommend one essential step above all others when picking your tractor, is would be to first test drive your model!
Here at Siromer HQ, all of our models and equipment are free to use and test drive so that you can get a sense of the machinery. Or if our office is a bit far, all of our equipment can also be tested at our stalls at the summer show circuit this year (The Great Yorkshire Show 2026 and FarmFest 2026).
So make sure to come, give our tractors a drive, lift something with the loader, and just try out a few of the controls. Because remember, a spec doesn’t tell you how something feels and drives, you have to feel it in person!
The takeaway
We hope that our blog has been useful today in helping you think a bit more about all of the specifications you need for your next tractor.
But for reference our rule of thumb is that your tractor should be able to handle about 90% of your jobs with ease, fits your land size and terrain type, supports the attachments needed for the tasks you need doing around your smallholding, and of course is within your budget.
At Siromer we have a large range of budget friendly tractors and equipment including tractors from 26HP all the way up to 80HP and more attachments than you can shake a stick at! If you would like to learn more about our tractors or equipment, or if you would like to arrange to come and see it in all in person then make sure to send our friendly team over an email on tractors@siromer.co.uk or to give us a call on 01253799029.
We can’t wait to hear from you.
Siromer. With you every turn of the wheel.
