Both compact · same LS Tractor lineup
LS MT226 vs LS MT232
| Spec | LS MT226 | LS MT232 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $23,970–$25,856 | $29,635–$33,397 |
| What that price is | dealer list, not MSRP, spread across dealers | dealer list, not MSRP, spread across dealers |
| Size class | Compact | Compact |
| Transmission | Gear | Hydrostatic |
| Engine hp | 24.6 hp | 31.7 hp |
| PTO hp | 19.2 hp | 26.2 hp |
| Loader lift | 1,965 lbsmeasuring point not recorded | 2,506 lbsmeasuring point not recorded |
| Three-point lift | 1,808 lbsat the ball ends | 1,808 lbsat the ball ends |
| Hydraulic flow | 11.7 GPM | 11.7 GPM |
| Drive | 4WD | 4WD |
| Engine | Mitsubishi | Yanmar |
| Weight | 3,007 lbs | 3,210 lbs |
| Fuel tank | 10.6 gal | 10.6 gal |
| 4WD | Yes | Yes |
| Front loader | Yes | Yes |
| Cab available | No | No |
| Hydrostatic | No | Yes |
| Power steering | Yes | Yes |
| Cruise control | No | No |
| Warranty | 6 yr powertrain | 6 yr powertrain |
A highlighted cell wins its row on the rule named above the table: more power, lift, capacity or flow, or a lower price. A lift row is left unwon whenever the two makers measured in different places, or where either of them did not say — a figure quoted at the pivot pin and one quoted 500 mm ahead of it describe the same loader and differ by roughly a third, so ranking them against each other would invent a result. Prices are typical list and move with dealer packages.
From owner discussion and long-term write-ups
What owners of each one say
LS MT226
What they like
- 1,965 lb of loader lift at under 25 hp - roughly double what a sub-compact of similar power manages, because the frame is a full compact
- Staying below 25 gross hp keeps a diesel particulate filter and its regeneration cycles off a machine that will spend its life on short jobs
- The gear build returns 19.2 hp at the PTO against 17.1 for the hydrostatic, which is most of the reason to take the clutch pedal
- 11.7 GPM total flow with 7.1 GPM to the implement circuit is generous for the class
- 10.6-gallon tank is over 50 percent larger than the MT1 sub-compacts carry
- Cab versions exist on the same frame, so an enclosed machine at this hp point is a factory build
What they complain about
- LS publishes no price at all, and the two dealer figures for the open-station build differ by about $1,900 - hence the range rather than a single number
- The MT2 and MT2E lines share the 226 model number with different engines and feature levels, which makes like-for-like shopping harder than it should be
- A 12F/12R synchromesh shuttle still uses the clutch for every direction change, which tells on loader work
- 1,808 lb of 3-point lift quoted at the ball ends will be considerably less at the end of a long implement, and LS publishes no figure further back
- No measuring point is given for the 1,965 lb loader rating on any LS model page
- A 3,007 lb tractor with 24.6 hp is heavy for its power, so ground speed under load is modest
LS MT232
What they like
- 2,506 lb loader lift is the headline over the 226 - a 27 percent jump for roughly 7 more engine horsepower
- 26.2 hp at the PTO from 31.7 gross is an unusually small loss for a hydrostatic in this class
- Naturally aspirated Yanmar three-cylinder with no turbocharger and nothing exotic to service
- Three-range hydrostatic rather than two, so there is a genuine working range between crawl and road speed
- Factory cab versions are catalogued on the same frame
What they complain about
- LS publishes no price, and the three dealer figures found for the open-station build spanned $29,635 to $33,397 - a real 13 percent disagreement, shown here as a range
- 3-point lift stays at 1,808 lb, unchanged from the 24.6 hp MT226, so the extra power does nothing for the hitch
- Past 25 gross hp the machine is into the emissions band where LS does not publish its aftertreatment, so DPF presence is not something the maker states
- Hydraulic flow is identical to the MT226's 11.7 GPM, which limits how much the bigger loader can actually speed up a cycle
- 10.6-gallon tank is unchanged from the smaller model despite the higher fuel burn
- No loader measuring point published, as on every LS model page