John Deere has joined a number of manufacturers making a play for the growing compact utility loader market after unveiling its new 10 G-Tier and 12 G-Tier at Equip Expo 2026 in Louisville, Kentucky.
Deere had the smaller of the two, the 10 G-Tier, on the show floor for attendees to examine. The stand-on mini track loader — Deere calls its models "utility track loaders" — comes in at just under 36 inches wide, delivers 24 horsepower with a Yanmar engine and offers an operating capacity of 3,000 pounds.
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John Deere Product Marketing Manager Emily Pagura says the 10 G-Tier’s compact footprint makes it a good fit for contractors and landscapers needing to pass through doorways and gates or working in tight spaces.
A key selling point from Pagura is the 10 G-Tier’s ability to deliver jobsite efficiency by subbing in for manual labor that workers would normally perform.
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“The name of the game here is maximizing crew hours,” she says. “If you think about the simple task of moving and placing a material like mulch, you could have five guys with shovels and wheelbarrows moving and spreading that material. Alternatively, you get a UTL on that site, you've got one person on this machine, and they're going to get it done quicker and more efficiently.”
Powered byThe smaller size also makes it easier to transport and, depending on local regulations, move them between jobs without a CDL.
The 10 G-Tier and 12 G-Tier feature a common industry interface coupler for access to a variety of attachment lineup including several that are launching for the new models: a log grappler, stump grinder, auger, hammer, pallet forks and several buckets of different sizes.
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The launch of the two loaders puts Deere in line with other OEMs like Caterpillar that have recently stepped into this burgeoning market.
For the first nine months of 2026, EDA data shows, 9,062 new financed compact utility loaders were sold in the U.S., with popular models including the Bobcat MT-100, Kubota SCL-1000 and the Bobcat MT-120 (Equipment World and EDA are owned by Fusable).
Other notable mini loaders introduced to the market this year include Caterpillar’s TUL100 and SDLG’s STR1000H.
John Deere 10 G-Tier Utility Track Loader Specs:
- Net power: 24 horsepower
- Operating capacity: 3,000 pounds
- Width: 36 inches
