Both utility · LS Tractor against Massey Ferguson

LS MT345E vs Massey Ferguson 2606H

LS MT345E

LS Tractor

LS MT345E

~$33,713

45 hp engine · 36 PTO−20% to the shaft
Massey Ferguson2606H

Massey Ferguson

Massey Ferguson 2606H

~$33,793

65 hp engine · 55 PTO−15% to the shaft

The LS MT345E lists about $80 lower; the Massey Ferguson 2606H carries 55 hp to the PTO against 36; the Massey Ferguson 2606H lifts 2,470 lbs on the loader against 2,360; the Massey Ferguson 2606H buys more PTO horsepower per dollar, 1.63 per $1,000 against 1.07.

LS MT345E and Massey Ferguson 2606H compared row by row. A highlighted cell takes that row on the stated rule: more power, lift, capacity or flow, or a lower price.
SpecLS MT345EMassey Ferguson 2606H
Price~$33,713~$33,793
What that price isdealer list, not MSRPMSRP, base build
Size classUtilityUtility
TransmissionGearShuttle
Engine hp45 hp65 hp
PTO hp36 hp55 hp
Loader lift2,360 lbsmeasuring point not recorded2,470 lbsat the pivot pin
Three-point lift2,910 lbsat the ball ends2,755 lbs24 in behind the lift points
Hydraulic flow13 GPM10.6 GPM
Drive4WD4WD
EngineLSSimpson
Weight3,724 lbs5,710 lbs
Fuel tank13.7 galnot published
4WDYesYes
Front loaderYesYes
Cab availableNoNo
HydrostaticNoNo
Power steeringYesYes
Cruise controlNoNo
Warranty6 yr powertrain6 yr / 2000 hr 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 MT345E

What they like

  • 2,910 lb of Category 2 lift on a 3,724 lb tractor is more hitch capacity per pound than anything else at 45 hp, and it takes full-size implements that a Cat 1 machine cannot
  • The L3C19-T is the same turbocharged 114.7 cu in three-cylinder LS puts in the dearer MT347 and MT352, so the value line is not running a de-rated engine
  • Priced several thousand under the MT347 despite sharing the engine block, which is the whole argument for the E line
  • 36 hp at the PTO from 45 gross through a gear box, and the HST version actually reads higher at 38.2 hp
  • 13.7 gal of fuel is more than the cab-capable MT347 carries in ROPS form

What they complain about

  • ROPS only - LS builds no cab on the MT3E frame, so this is not a winter machine
  • The 8x8 synchro shuttle still goes through the clutch on every direction change, which is felt on loader work
  • 2,360 lb at the loader is below what the MT347's LL4106 manages, so the hitch is stronger than the front end
  • LS states no measuring point for the loader figure, unlike its own 3-point rating
  • LS publishes no price, and the two dealer lists found for this model are a model year apart
  • No cruise control, and the value line drops the integrated features the MT3 gets as standard

Massey Ferguson 2606H

What they like

  • The 8x8 synchro shuttle is the standard transmission here, not an option, so direction changes do not mean the clutch the way they do on the 2604H
  • 55 hp at the PTO from 65 at the engine, an 85 percent take-off that will run a seven-foot cutter or a small baler
  • 5,710 lb in 4WD form, over 800 lb heavier than the 2605H, which is what turns engine power into drawbar pull
  • Turbocharged intercooled 2.6 L Simpson meeting Tier 4 Final without a DPF interval to plan around
  • Available in 2WD at 5,115 lb for flat-ground work
  • Same 15.7 gpm hydraulic system as the smaller models, so nothing was cut back to hit the price

What they complain about

  • The 4WD build is $4,826 over the 2WD one in AGCO's price book and the MF911X loader a further $8,668, so a loader-equipped 2606H lands a long way above its base figure
  • The MF911X loader rates 2,470 lb at the pivot pins and 1,500 lb at 31.5 inches forward - less than the 2,755 lb the three-point hitch lifts behind, so the rear linkage is the stronger end of this tractor
  • 2,755 lb at the hitch is unchanged from the 55 hp model below it, so 10 extra horsepower buys no extra lift
  • No fuel tank capacity is published for the series
  • Folding ROPS only, no cab anywhere in the 2600 H range, which is a hard sell at 65 hp against a New Holland Workmaster 65
  • 10.6 gpm to implements is the same as the 45 hp 2604H, so hydraulic capacity does not scale with the engine
  • The 2,470 lb loader figure is the MF911X, the 4WD 2600H loader, which is why the 2WD-only 2605H out-lifts this model on paper despite having 10 fewer horsepower
LS MT345E spec sheetMassey Ferguson 2606H spec sheet