Implement matcher
The calculator needs JavaScript. The worked example, formula and figures below show exactly how it works, so you can do the sum yourself. A guide based on published specs and your figures, not a guarantee.
Short answer
Worked example
| You enter | Value |
|---|---|
| Tractor PTO power | 18 hp |
| Tractor's linkage category | Category 1 |
| Tractor's rear linkage lift capacity | 500 kg |
| Implement | Topper |
| Implement working width | 1.2 m |
| Implement maker's minimum PTO power | 15 hp |
| Implement's linkage category | Category 1 |
| Implement weight | 250 kg |
| Narrowest gate it has to go through | 3 m |
Fits on the makers' figures (4 checks)
- Within the guidance PTO power: 18 hp Implement maker's minimum PTO power. Check with the source.
- Within the guidance Linkage category Tractor Category 1, topper Category 1. Makers' spec sheets. Check with the source.
- Within the guidance Implement weight against lift capacity: 250 kg Tractor maker's rear linkage lift capacity. Check with the source.
- Within the guidance Width through your gate: 1.2 m Your narrowest gate. Check with the source.
Source: your tractor's and the implement's UK spec sheets (makers' figures you enter), checked 21 October 2026.
Show the working
- PTO: tractor 18 hp against the topper maker's minimum 15 hp: enough
- Linkage: tractor Category 1, topper Category 1: match
- Lift: topper 250 kg against the tractor's 500 kg: within it
- Access: 1.2 m wide through a 3 m gate: fits
How it works
- PTO: the tractor's PTO hp must be at least the implement maker's minimum (and no more than any maximum they give)
- Linkage: the tractor's category must match the implement's
- Lift: the tractor's rear linkage lift capacity must be at least the implement's weight
- Access: the implement's width must fit through your narrowest gate
- Work rate (ha an hour) = width (m) × speed (km/h) × field efficiency ÷ 10; time = area in ha ÷ work rate (1 acre = 0.4047 ha)
Makers quote lift capacity at different points (at the link ends or a set distance behind them), so compare the figure the implement maker asks for with the same figure on the tractor's sheet.
A heavy implement on the back can lighten the front wheels: the tractor maker's manual says how to ballast it. Ask the dealer before you buy.
Assumptions and sources
The figures this calculator starts from, and where each comes from. The maker's UK spec sheet and your own figures come first: change any figure to match.
This calculator has no built-in defaults: every figure comes from you or the maker's spec sheet.
| Rule | Body | Status |
|---|---|---|
| PTO shafts fully guarded | HSE | Not yet checked against the source: shown as a pointer only |
| Safe Stop: handbrake, controls neutral, engine off, key out | HSE | Not yet checked against the source: shown as a pointer only |
FAQs
Guides
Compact tractor implements
Toppers, flails, harrows, rotavators and loaders for a compact tractor, and how to match each to your tractor's PTO and linkage.
Hay making on a small scale
Making hay on a few acres: the kit, matching it to your tractor, timing and when to call a contractor.
PTO horsepower explained: engine hp vs PTO hp
Why PTO hp, not engine hp, decides which implements a tractor can run, and where to find the figure on the maker's spec sheet.
Three-point linkage categories explained
What linkage categories mean, how to tell which your tractor has, and why your implements must match it.
Tractor rotavators
Matching a rotavator to your tractor's PTO hp and linkage, choosing a width, and using it safely.
What size topper for my tractor?
Match a topper to your tractor using the topper maker's PTO hp and the tractor's spec: width, linkage, weight and your gate.