Throughout the spring, there have been whispers in the trade of a market recovery in 2025 and, with the release of the latest sales figures from the FTMTA, those hopes appear to have materialised more emphatically than anyone had anticipated.

In April 2025, the new tractor market stood at 291 units, a 52% increase compared with the same month in 2024.

This surge in sales has brought the year-to-date total to 1,025 units compared with 1,069 for the first four months of 2024, which is just 4% lower in a year of the major manufacturers predicting yet more gloom and recession for the season.

Over a quarter of all tractors sold were within the 141-160hp category, which for April 2025 accounted for 28.8% of all new tractor registrations for the month.

Tractors in the power band of lower than 100hp have accounted for just 8.68% of all new tractor registrations so far in 2025, while the over 200hp category accounted for 12.9% of tractor sales for the year-to-date.

The monthly average tractor horsepower figure for April 2025 was 151hp, which is a marginal drop from 153hp in April 2025 - this might reflect dairy producers buying on the back of firm milk prices.

According to the FTMTA, the two largest tractors registered were each rated at 439hp. However, it is difficult to identify the models from this figure as there are different methods of measuring power and whether this is the rated or boost figure in not published.

The FTMTA data also shows that 323 imported used tractors were first-time registered in Ireland last month, 60 more units than in April 2024.

The year-to-date used tractor registration figure now stands at 984 units, some 49 units more year-on-year, underlying a pent up desire to renew the tractor fleet.

It is not just tractors that are benefitting from this new-found confidence, as the Irish market for new telescopic loaders - reported at 72 units - shows a 33% increase over April 2024.

On a year to date basis, the latest FTMTA data shows new telescopic loader registrations increased by 15.1% to 381 units compared with the same four months of 2024 when 331 units were registered.

The Irish wheeled loader market recorded an increased number of new registrations in April 2025 at 38 units compared with April 2024 when 20 units were sold, a year-on-year market increase of 47%.

The resurgence in sales is not confined to Ireland. Ritchie Bros, an auction company based in the UK but serving vendors and buyers globally, recorded a 50% increase in sales for the first part of this year compared to 2024.