Across 2025, we saw Australian buyers concentrate their attention on a very stable top tier of agricultural machinery brands, anchored by John Deere and Massey Ferguson, with Kubota and New Holland close behind. Beneath that surface stability, we observed Claas emerge as the clearest improver while a group of focused short line specialists – including Silvan, MacDon, Krone, Kuhn and Mchale – gained meaningful ground off smaller bases.
Our analysis points to a market where leadership is settled, but well-positioned challengers are quietly reshaping consideration. Read on for our full category breakdown and the key brand movements driving these shifts.
A Note on Methodology
Our analysis this quarter expanded to 102 agricultural brands across both shortline and mainline manufacturers, tracking more than 54,000 keywords and over 1.4 million searches across the quarter.
As always, our approach to searches included brand terms, dealer terms (if the dealer name contains the OEM brand), brand + location, brand + dealer, brand + category/subcategory, brand + reviews, and variations of the above. We excluded searches mentioning parts/accessories, used vehicle listings, rental services, and general maintenance terms to focus on brand consideration rather than service-related queries.
Retain Media provides this data “as is” for informational purposes only and accepts no liability for decisions made based on this reporting. Users are encouraged to use this data as one of multiple data points in their market analysis.
Top 20 Most-Searched: All Brands
In the overall rankings, the top three positions remained secure in Q4 2025, with John Deere holding the lead at 17.3% of searches, fractionally up from 17.2% in Q3 2025. Massey Ferguson followed at 13.7%, also edging higher from 13.6% in Q3 2025, reinforcing a stable, entrenched top-two position in growers’ consideration sets. Kubota remained in third place but delivered the most notable gain among the leaders, lifting from 8.6% in Q3 2025 to 9.7% in Q4 2025 as interest in the brand’s compact and mid-size tractors strengthened.
New Holland held fourth position with 6.5% in both Q3 2025 and Q4 2025, underscoring a steady presence rather than active share capture in the period. Claas, however, continued its upward trajectory, rising from 4.3% in Q3 2025 to 5.2% in Q4 2025 and closing the gap to the top four. Case IH stayed stable at 4.1% quarter-on-quarter, while JCB softened slightly from 3.6% in Q3 2025 to 3.3% in Q4 2025. Silvan, Manitou and Kanga rounded out the overall top 10, each occupying single-digit shares and reflecting the mix of tractor, telehandler and short-line brands that sit just behind the majors in growers’ search behaviour.
The Rest of the Top 20
Positions 11 to 20 were characterised by modest shifts rather than wholesale reshuffling. Kioti eased from 2.5% in Q3 2025 to 2.4% in Q4 2025, maintaining a solid mid-pack presence. Vermeer and TTI both slipped slightly, with Vermeer moving from 2.0% to 1.8% and TTI from 1.9% to 1.8%, suggesting marginally lower short-term attention rather than structural decline. Fendt inched up from 1.6% to 1.7%, indicating a gradual strengthening in premium tractor consideration.
United Heavy Industries and Deutz-Fahr both eased back from 1.6% in Q3 2025 to 1.5% in Q4 2025, while MacDon rose from 1.2% to 1.4%, highlighting growing interest in specialist harvesting equipment. Hardi softened from 1.4% to 1.2%, and Mahindra remained steady at 1.1% across both quarters. Burder edged higher from 1.0% in Q3 2025 to 1.1% in Q4 2025, reflecting a quiet but consistent tail of demand for local implement and loader brands.
Top 20 Most-Searched: Short Line Brands
Within the shortline segment, Silvan led the pack in Q4 2025 with 10.4% of searches, up from 9.6% in Q3 2025. That step-up shows growers leaning into Silvan’s spraying, spreader and equipment portfolio as a familiar, trusted option. Manitou maintained second place but eased from 10.7% in Q3 2025 to 9.8% in Q4 2025, giving back some of the momentum it had built earlier in the year. Kanga held steady at 8.7% across both Q3 2025 and Q4 2025, indicating stable demand for its implements and earthmoving attachments.
Vermeer and TTI both remained core players but softened slightly, with Vermeer moving from 6.7% to 6.3% and TTI shifting from 6.4% to 6.2% between Q3 2025 and Q4 2025. MacDon again stood out, rising from 4.0% in Q3 2025 to 4.8% in Q4 2025, reflecting an uptick in interest for hay and harvesting attachments within the short line set. Hardi slipped from 4.8% to 4.2% across the same period, while Burder improved from 3.3% to 3.7%. Krone and Kuhn rounded out the top 10, each growing from 2.6% and 2.9% respectively in Q3 2025 to 3.4% in Q4 2025.
The Rest of the Top 20
The remainder of the short line Top 20 highlights a long tail of specialised brands that collectively shape equipment choice on-farm. Avant Equipment softened from 3.3% in Q3 2025 to 2.8% in Q4 2025, while Goldacres eased from 2.5% to 2.1%, suggesting that interest in compact loaders and sprayers is being reallocated rather than disappearing. Rapid Spray edged up from 1.7% to 1.9%, and John Berends increased from 1.3% to 1.4%, marking steady demand for Australian-made cultivation and spraying gear.
Croplands slipped slightly from 1.5% to 1.4%, while Bourgault moved from 1.8% to 1.4%, reflecting a pause in growth for large-scale seeding and tillage systems in this period. Agco trimmed back from 1.4% to 1.3%. In contrast, Mchale moved from 0.9% in Q3 2025 to 1.3% in Q4 2025, Farmtech softened from 1.6% to 1.3%, and Vennings rose from 0.9% to 1.2%. Together, these shifts indicate that, while overall shortline consideration remains diverse, specialty hay, feeding, and grain-handling brands gained a little more attention by year-end.
Top 20 Most-Searched: Mainline Brands
In the mainline segment, the top end of the market remained heavily concentrated but not entirely static between Q3 2025 and Q4 2025. John Deere retained a commanding lead at 24.1% of mainline searches in Q4 2025, easing slightly from 24.4% in Q3 2025 but still well ahead of the field. Massey Ferguson followed at 19.0%, down modestly from 19.3% in Q3 2025, reinforcing its position as a clear number two.
Kubota again delivered one of the standout movements, rising from 12.2% in Q3 2025 to 13.5% in Q4 2025 and closing some of the distance to the top two. New Holland remained stable, softening only slightly from 9.2% to 9.0%, while Claas strengthened meaningfully, growing from 6.1% in Q3 2025 to 7.2% in Q4 2025. Case IH held steady with a minor dip from 5.8% to 5.7%, and JCB slipped from 5.1% to 4.6% across the same period. Kioti moved from 3.6% to 3.3%, while Fendt and United Heavy Industries rounded out the upper mid-pack with Fendt steady at 2.3% and United Heavy Industries easing from 2.2% to 2.1%.
The Rest of the Top 20
Further down the mainline list, Deutz-Fahr moved from 2.3% in Q3 2025 to 2.1% in Q4 2025, and Mahindra held firm at 1.5% across both quarters, underscoring consistent budget-conscious interest. Versatile softened from 1.1% to 1.0%, and Iseki remained steady at 0.9%, indicating stable, niche engagement. McCormick slipped from 0.8% to 0.7%, and TYM tractors eased from 0.6% to 0.5%, both staying in low but persistent consideration bands.
Leyland stayed flat at 0.5% in both Q3 2025 and Q4 2025, while Valtra moved from 0.5% to 0.4%, reflecting its role as a small but recognised alternative in the premium segment. Kverneland held at 0.3%, and Solis Tractors also remained steady at 0.3%, illustrating that the lower end of the mainline table is more about steady recognition than rapid share swings.
The Most-Searched Farm Bikes
Farm bikes serve as essential utility vehicles for property management, mustering, and rapid movement across agricultural operations. This category tracks operator interest in two-wheeled agricultural motorcycles designed for farm work.
Honda CT125 maintained dominance in Q4 2025 with 41.5% of searches, edging higher from 40.2% in Q3 2025, though the model sits 2.67 percentage points below its Q1 2025 baseline of 44.17%. The CT125’s commanding position reflects its established presence as the default choice for farm bike consideration. Honda XR150L delivered the category’s strongest gain, rising from 15.12% in Q3 2025 to 17.0% in Q4 2025, marking consistent year-long growth that has elevated it to a clear second position.
Honda XR190CT edged higher from 8.06% to 8.4%, whilst Yamaha AG 100 softened from 9.05% to 8.1%, and Yamaha AG200F eased from 6.81% to 6.5%. Kawasaki Stockman experienced a notable pullback, falling from 7.72% to 6.2%, whilst Suzuki Trojan 200 stood out with a decisive shift from 3.32% to 4.4%, indicating growing operator interest in Suzuki’s offering. Yamaha AG125 eased from 4.49% to 4.1%, whilst Honda CTX200 fell from 5.23% to 3.9%, representing the category’s steepest quarterly pullback.
Top 20 Most-Searched: ATVs & UTVs
A new entrant into our rankings, the John Deere Gator retained the lead in Q4 2025 with 6.8% of searches, edging marginally higher from 6.7% in Q3 2025, though sitting 0.2 percentage points below its Q1 2025 baseline of 7.0%. Polaris Ranger softened from 3.7% to 3.2%, whilst Kawasaki Mule similarly eased from 3.4% to 3.2%, both experiencing modest year-long erosion. Can Am Maverick rose from 2.8% to 3.1%, returning marginally above its Q1 2025 baseline.
Kubota RTV edged down from 2.9% to 2.8%, whilst Can Am Defender experienced a notable pullback from 3.0% to 2.6%. Can Am Outlander moved from 2.5% to 2.6%, and Yamaha YFM700 Raptor held absolutely steady at 2.4% across all four quarters of 2025.
CFMOTO CFORCE 1000 stood out with the category’s most explosive shift, surging from 1.0% in Q3 2025 to 2.3% in Q4 2025, sitting 1.2 percentage points above its Q1 2025 baseline and indicating rapidly growing operator interest in CFMOTO’s utility vehicle offerings. Kubota RTV-X900 softened from 2.2% to 2.1%, whilst Can Am Maverick X3 rose from 1.7% to 2.0%, returning to its Q1 2025 baseline.
Polaris RZR held steady at 1.9% across both Q3 2025 and Q4 2025, whilst Honda Pioneer 1000 eased from 2.0% to 1.8%. Polaris Ranger 500 delivered exceptional gains, rising from 0.8% to 1.8%, sitting 1.0 percentage points above its Q1 2025 baseline and suggesting growing interest in value-focused UTV options. The remainder of the top 20 remained relatively stable, with Yamaha YFZ450R, Yamaha Viking, Polaris Ranger 1000 and Polaris RZR Trail S 1000 Premium all holding steady or experiencing only minor shifts across the quarter.
Trust Retain Media for Industry-Leading Insights
Taken together, the overall, shortline, and mainline results paint a clear picture of Q4 2025 as a quarter in which Kubota and Claas strengthened their positions alongside entrenched leaders, while several shortline specialists extended their reach. Kubota’s gains across both the overall and mainline views, paired with Claas’ consistent upward movement, show that growers are rewarding brands that combine strong product depth with perceived reliability and value.
At the same time, the rise of Silvan, MacDon, Krone, Kuhn and Mchale within the shortline rankings highlights a renewed focus on hay, forage, spraying and specialist equipment as operators prepare for the next production cycle. Quarter-on-quarter, the most decisive shifts occurred not at the very top of the table but in the upper mid-tier and specialist segments, where targeted equipment categories and strong dealer execution can quickly translate into additional search share. For dealers and OEMs, Q4 2025 demonstrates that the market is not abandoning incumbents, but is increasingly open to complementary brands that solve specific operational problems or offer sharper value in niche segments.
Looking ahead, brands that pair clear product advantages with visible, locally relevant marketing are best placed to convert this elevated interest into enquiries and sales. Dealers who lean into the strengths of both their mainline and shortline offerings, particularly in hay, forage, spraying and material handling, are likely to be the ones who capture the incremental demand that Q4 2025’s search behaviour is signalling.
Until next quarter, make sure to check out our other market reports for comprehensive insights into Australia’s automotive industry, including the truck market, caravan market, motorbike market, and marine market.
