General Guidelines for Tractor Weight Based on Engine Horsepower

The total tractor weight needed to efficiently deliver power through wheels to ground for field draft applications depends on travel speed. The table shows recommended weight per engine horsepower for three draft speed ranges.

Travel Speeds

Wheel slip should normally be in the range of 8-12% for optimum power delivery efficiency at these field speeds. Wheel slip may briefly rise above this range when tractor encounters a higher draft area in the field, but it should not remain there continuously.

NOTE: Radar is recommended to continually monitor wheel slip. Checking wheel slip manually is possible but will only show slip in one area of the field.

IMPORTANT: To extend power train life, tractor should never be operated with continuous full-power loads below 6.6 km/h (4.1 mph). Ground speed may briefly drop below that level in hard pull situations, but it must recover to higher levels during normal operations. This applies to tractors with all types of transmissions. For tractors equipped with IVT™/AutoPowr™ transmission operating in automatic mode, the engine will not labor in high draft situations, but minimum ground speed guideline must still be followed.