Escorts Steeltrac vs Eicher 280

Which one should you buy?

Both of these are sold into the same segment, so the choice comes down to a handful of real differences rather than one being better than the other outright.

Price

The Escorts Steeltrac is roughly ₹1.5 lakh cheaper ex-showroom — about 38% less than the Eicher 280. On road that gap widens slightly, because RTO tax and insurance are calculated on the higher figure. Whether the Eicher 280 earns that back depends entirely on the points below; if it does not, the cheaper machine is the better buy.

PTO power — the number that matters

Engine horsepower is the headline; PTO horsepower is what actually turns a rotavator or a thresher. Here the Eicher 280 delivers 8.6 HP more at the PTO (Escorts Steeltrac: 15.4 HP, Eicher 280: 24 HP). That is roughly the difference between comfortably running a wider rotavator and working the engine hard to do it.

Lifting capacity

The Eicher 280 lifts 289 kg more (Escorts Steeltrac: 450 Kg, Eicher 280: 739 KG). This decides which mounted implements the tractor can actually carry, and it is where cheaper models usually cut corners. Check it against the heaviest implement you own — loaded weight, not the dry weight in the brochure.

Engine

The Eicher 280 runs 2 cylinders against the Escorts Steeltrac's 1. More cylinders generally means smoother running and less vibration over a long day, at the cost of a little more fuel and slightly dearer servicing. Fewer cylinders is simpler to maintain, which matters if your nearest workshop is far.

Gearbox

Escorts Steeltrac: 15.4 HP. Eicher 280: 8 Forward + 2 Reverse. Count the low-range speeds rather than the total — puddling and rotavating need slow ground speed at working engine revs, and a box with too few low gears forces a compromise between the two.

Other differences

They also differ on brakes (Dry disc brake vs Oil Immersed Brakes), steering (Manual Steering vs Mechanical / Power Steering), warranty (2000 Hour or 2 Year vs 2000 Hour / 2 Years). None of these decide the purchase on their own, but oil-immersed brakes and power steering are worth paying for if you spend long days on the machine.

The short answer

Taken together the Eicher 280 leads on more of the dimensions that affect day-to-day work. It is the safer pick unless the Escorts Steeltrac is meaningfully cheaper for you after the dealer quote.

• Wide rotavator, thresher or heavy PTO work: the Eicher 280 — it has the PTO horsepower to hold speed under load.
• Heavy mounted implements: the Eicher 280, which has the hydraulics to carry them.
• Tightest budget, or if none of the above apply to you: the Escorts Steeltrac. Paying for capability you never use is the most common and most expensive mistake at this size.

Before you decide

• Prices here are ex-showroom. Add roughly 7–10% for RTO registration and insurance, and get the on-road figure in writing from the dealer, itemised.
• Visit more than one dealer for each brand. Exchange value and finance terms vary between showrooms by more than the price gap between these two machines.
• Ask how far the nearest workshop is for each brand. A tractor that is down for a week in season costs more than the difference between these two.
• Drive both with an implement attached, not empty. An unloaded tractor tells you very little.

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