Following the announcement that Septembers tractor registrations had returned to year on year growth, the Agricultural Engineers Association (AEA) have provided a round-up of the market so far in 2026.
Looking at the horsepower trends, all but the smallest (51-100hp) and largest (320hp+) machines saw an increase. Only 647 of the smallest tractors were registered, compared to 706 in 2025, a decrease of 8.4%, while the largest units fell from 292 to 240, dropping 17.8%.
According to the AEA, the decrease in larger tractors could be representative of growers looking to utilise smaller machines for operations, either through a change in policy, or to mitigate the increase in other costs. This is bore out by the fact that registrations machines between 241-320hp increased more than any other power bracket – up from 606 machines in 2025 to 843 this year, an increase of 39.1%.
However, it is worth noting at as the pace of registrations slowed in the third quarter, so did the increase in the 241-320hp range. In the last quarter, the bulk of registrations were in the 120-200hp bracket. This also means that the average horsepower decreased slightly between July and September.
Looking at registrations on a regional basis, nearly every part of the UK saw an increase in registrations. The South East and Channel Islands was the only region to see a decrease, dropping from 546 machines to 512 (6.2%). The East Midlands and East of England only saw moderate increases, 0.5% and 5.1% respectively. In the third quarter of the year, East Anglia and the North West of England also fell into a small decline.
However many areas saw significant increases. The West Midlands jumped from 375 units in 2025 to 539 machines this year, increasing by 43.7%, and Yorkshire and Humberside increased 39% from 385 to 535.
Wales saw an increase of 22.3%, while Scotland increased by 16.9%. Northern Ireland saw the most significant jump, increasing from 383 to 588, an increase of 53.5%.