acreage.EQUIPMENT
Compare0Find equipment

THE ACREAGE EQUIPMENT FIELD GUIDE

Gear vs hydrostatic: when the PTO gap changes which attachments fit

Many compact tractors come in gear and hydrostatic (HST) versions with the same engine, and the HST version is usually rated a few PTO hp lower. LS rates the MT226E at 19.2 PTO hp and the MT226HE at 17.1; the MT355E at 46.7 and the MT355HE at 44.0. When an attachment limit falls inside that gap, the transmission decides the fit.

By Acreage Equipment · Reviewed November 9, 2026 · Specification research, not a field test

Flail mowers at work
In this guide

THE DECISION IN NUMBERS

LS gear and HST PTO ratings on this site

PTO figures from each tractor’s retained profile (LS 2026 MT2E sheet, MT3E brochure and current pages), reviewed November 9, 2026.

Scroll the table sideways on smaller screens.

ModelGear PTO hpHST PTO hpGapAttachment line crossed
LS MT226E / MT226HE19.217.12.1WoodMaxx WM-8H/WM-8M 19 PTO hp minimum
LS MT232E / MT232HE28.526.22.3None on this site
LS MT242E / MT242HE35.434.80.6WC88 35 minimum; Farmry LFS 35 maximum
LS MT345E / MT345HE38.2362.2None on this site
LS MT355E / MT355HE46.7442.745 PTO hp maximum (WCAP5 Pro, FH-BX42/62S, FM-62)
Sources for this decision table (5)

Why the HST rating is lower

A hydrostatic transmission’s pump runs off the engine, so some engine power goes to it rather than to the PTO. LS’s ratings show gaps of 0.6 to 2.7 PTO hp between gear and HST versions of the same model. The engine figure stays the same, so engine-rated attachments are not affected.

Gaps that cross a minimum

WoodMaxx rates its WM-8H and WM-8M chippers from 19 PTO hp. The gear MT226E (19.2) clears it; the MT226HE (17.1) does not. Woodland Mills WC88 starts at 35 PTO hp: the gear MT242E (35.4) clears it and the MT242HE (34.8) is 0.2 short.

Gaps that cross a maximum

Farmry’s WCAP5 Pro, Farmer-Helper’s FH-BX42 and FH-BX62S and WoodMaxx’s FM-62 mowers stop at 45 PTO hp. The gear MT355E (46.7) is over; the MT355HE (44.0) is under. Farmry’s LFS mowers stop at 35: the gear MT242E is over on PTO power and the MT242HE is not.

What to check

Read the PTO figure for the exact transmission, not the series headline, and check whether the attachment limit is engine or PTO horsepower. If the dealer quotes one figure for both versions, ask which document it comes from.

Take these questions with you.

  1. Is my tractor the gear or HST version?
  2. What PTO hp does the manufacturer list for that transmission?
  3. Is the attachment limit engine or PTO horsepower?
  4. Does the attachment maker allow a tractor slightly over its maximum?

Keep these questions with your exact tractor and attachment details.

Use these questions in my seller brief

FOLLOW THE NUMBERS

Sources & documentation

Research record reviewed November 9, 2026. Confirm the current manual and the exact revision supplied with your machine.

  1. LS New MT2E & MT2 Series Specifications 2026 (PDF created February 27, 2026)MT226E–MT242HE columns: Engine HP (gross), PTO HP, transmission, implement pump, Category I, hitch lift capacity (hitch end) 1,808 lb
  2. LS Tractor MT226E current U.S. product pageSpecifications: Engine HP (Gross), PTO HP, Category 3 pt hitch, Hitch Lift capacity (Hitch end), total weight without ballast
  3. LS Tractor MT226HE current U.S. product pageSpecifications: Engine HP (Gross), PTO HP, Category 3 pt hitch, Hitch Lift capacity (Hitch end), total weight without ballast
  4. LS Tractor MT242E current U.S. product pageSpecifications: Engine HP (Gross), PTO HP, Category 3 pt hitch, Hitch Lift capacity (Hitch end), total weight without ballast
  5. LS Tractor MT242HE current U.S. product pageSpecifications: Engine HP (Gross), PTO HP, Category 3 pt hitch, Hitch Lift capacity (Hitch end), total weight without ballast
  6. LS MT3E series brochure (PDF created October 3, 2025)p2 specifications: Engine HP (kW), PTO (HP) MT345E 38.2 / MT345HE 36.0 / MT355E 46.7 / MT355HE 44.0, Category (3pt hitch) CAT I, hitch lift capacity 2,910 lb
  7. LS Tractor MT355E/HE current U.S. product pageSpecifications: Engine HP (Gross), PTO HP, Category 3 pt hitch, Hitch Lift capacity (Hitch end), total weight without ballast
  8. Official WM-8H product page: power, feed, hitch and price19 PTO hp minimum; 4-in. hardwood / 6-in. softwood at 19 PTO hp; full 8-inch at 50 PTO hp; self-contained hydraulic feed; 990 lb shipping; price
  9. Woodland Mills WC88 official U.S. page35–100+ PTO hp; capacity, including full-diameter/full-speed condition; hydraulic infeed; price
  10. Farmry WCAP5 PRO operator manual, Rev 1.4Printed p21: 15–45 PTO HP for Category 1; p22: 20–50 PTO HP for Cat 1N
  11. Current index-linked Farmer-Helper FH-BX42 & 62 manualPrinted p2 / PDF p3: 25 minimum and 45 Max PTO HP
  12. Current FM-62/62H and FM-78/78H manual: printed p40 / PDF p41Printed p40: FM-62 24–45 PTO hp (hammer), 774 lb; FM-78 30–65 PTO hp, 880 lb
  13. Farmry LFS61 official product pageSpecifications > Tractor Power Range
  14. Farmry LFS Series operator manual, Rev 1.7 — Printed pp17–18 specifications; p28 tractor stability
  15. Farmry flail mower comparison table — Net-weight comparison; may exclude PTO shaft
  16. Farmry official product specifications
  17. Current linked WC88 operator manual, Rev C, 22-Aug-2022
  18. WM-8H linked manual — assembly p20 and maintenance p29 give different fill quantities
  19. WoodMaxx current manual index
  20. Official FM-62 page: exact hammer variant, price and equipment
  21. Official current FH-BX62S product page: exact SKU, USD price and conflicting power/weight text
  22. Official FH-BX62S series page: self feed and current-manual link
  23. Product-linked older manual, Revision 1-3-2018, p38
  24. Betstco official manual index

EQUIPMENT IN THIS GUIDE

Check prices and fit for the attachments discussed.

MAKE THE NEXT CHECK

Continue with the related decision.

FIELD GUIDE

Meeting an attachment’s minimum PTO horsepower exactly: what zero margin means

A tractor whose PTO rating equals or barely exceeds an attachment’s minimum is inside the published range, and nothing more. Several makers attach separate capacity statements well above their minimums. When the margin is zero or one horsepower, also check the source of each number and what the maker expects at that power.

Read the guide →FIELD GUIDE

When a maker’s documents swap the gear and HST PTO figures

Many tractors list two PTO ratings, one for the gear transmission and one for the hydrostatic. Sometimes the manufacturer’s own documents disagree about which is which. If an attachment’s minimum or maximum falls between the two figures, that disagreement decides the fit, and only the dealer’s figure for the actual serial can settle it.

Read the guide →FIELD GUIDE

Gear or HST: when the engine figure changes and the PTO figure does not

Tractor makers do not handle transmissions the same way in their spec sheets. Some list one engine figure and a lower PTO figure for the HST. Kubota’s MX sheet does the reverse: the HST lists more engine power and the same PTO power. Which pattern a tractor follows decides whether engine-rated or PTO-rated attachments see a difference between transmissions.

Read the guide →

MAKE THE TRADEOFFS CLEAR

Read a focused comparison.

SIDE BY SIDE

Farmry WCAP5 PRO vs WoodMaxx MX-9900: 5-inch gravity or 9-inch hydrostatic feed

WCAP5 PRO or MX-9900?

Read the guide →SIDE BY SIDE

Farmry LFP47 vs LFS61: 25–45 hp or 15–35 hp

Farmry: LFP47 or LFS61?

Read the guide →SIDE BY SIDE

TMG TFM60 vs WoodMaxx FM-62: 60-inch at $2,299 or 55-inch at $3,630

Compact tractor: TFM60 or FM-62?

Read the guide →
Browse all equipment comparisons →