At Agritechnica, we will find out the winner of Tractor of the Year, following five months of intensive machinery tests
Back in June, journalists from 25 countries across Europe came together in Rome for the kick-off of the 28th Tractor of the Year competition, sponsored by BKT.
Lucia Salmaso, managing director of BKT Europe, kicked off the two-day event by saying: “We are glad to support once again an initiative like the Tractor of the Year that focuses on innovation and performance, two values strongly in line with our desire to offer increasingly advanced solutions to OEMs and industry operators.
“Events like this represent an important opportunity for dialogue and discussion with leading European manufacturers and fuel our ongoing commitment to an increasingly efficient future.”
Representatives from 15 tractor brands took to the stage over two days to talk the jury through 19 different tractors, which will compete in one of four categories.
Following on from the significant changes made to the competition last year, the categories for Tractor of the Year 2026 are:
TotY HighPower – for machines above 300hp for broadacre, intensive operations. These are judged on engine and transmission, the respective power-to-weight ratio, precision farming systems, and the machine’s ability to offer greater productivity and efficiency.- TotY MidPower – tractors from 150hp up to 280hp. Judged using many of the same criteria as the HighPower category, but with an additional focus on versatility.
- TotY Utility – tractors from 70hp up to 150hp, using a four-cylinder engine and having a maximum operating weight of 10,000kg. Versatility and manoeuvrability are the focus here.
- TotY Specialized – for tractors with more than 40hp, specifically developed for specialised operations such as vineyard and orchard work, or for hilly and mountainous regions.
Five of the competing tractors have been nominated to also compete in the TotY Sustainable category. These tractors have been highlighted due to their innovation in reducing the carbon footprint of farming.
While machines with alternative fuel systems are obviously considered, this award also looks at the use of precision farming technology to improve productivity and consistency, systems to limit damage to the soil during operation and the ability to cover more ground in a smaller window.
The five tractors nominated this year are:
- JCB Fastrac 6300
- Fendt 800 Vario
- Fendt 500 Vario
- New Holland’s entry for TotY Specialized – full details to be announced at Agritechnica
- Tafe EV28
TotYBot will also return this year, demonstrating the competition’s constant development in line with the industry. As more manufacturers and start-ups look to full automation as a solution to some of the issues facing farming, the jury will examine the technical specifications of five robotic machines.
Each of these machines is in the final stages of prototyping or at a fully commercial stage, has no cabin and has a three-point hitch to enable farms to continue using traditional implements. The machines can be powered using traditional diesel, an alternative fuel or a hybrid unit.
Farm Contractor & Large Scale Farmer is proud to be the UK judge for Tractor of the Year, and we have spent the summer months taking part in field tests of the competing machines.
The winners will be announced to the jury, manufacturers and the public at an international press conference at Agritechnica on the 9th of November.
Over the coming weeks, we will highlight the machines entered this year.
For two tractors, details cannot be publicly revealed until Agritechnica. These are New Holland’s entry into the TotY Specialized category, and the Claas Axion 9.450. More information on these will be published in due course.