Landini Landforce 125 - ROPS Showcase 2025

The Landini Landforce stands out for its combination of power, comfort, and plenty of capability.

Red Bands, rain clouds, and a flash of cobalt blue or is Italian racing blue? With styling that’s more Mediterranean than Matamata, where even magpies seem impressed, swooping low to check their reflections in its polished flanks, now is the perfect time to meet the new Landini Landforce 125, a tractor so blue and bold it could almost be mistaken for a lost Italian sports car.

It’s not all just flashy paint though. With pivoting front guards, fat tyres, a reliable FPT engine and a 36-speed transmission, there’s plenty to explore for the Kiwi farmer

Engine

The Landini Landforce 125 ROPS is powered by a robust 4-cylinder, 4.5L turbocharged FPT engine. Delivering a lively 120 horsepower, the power curve felt smoother than a freshly shorn sheep. Peak power arrives at a sensible 2200rpm, meaning you won’t need to rev the poor thing into the next postcode, while peak torque lands nice and early (around 1250rpm) and certainly felt up to the task when coupled to the 3.2m mower, which proved the most power draining of the tools we put it to the test on.

Daily servicing is all conveniently done from ground level with special mention for the fuel filter, which is well located just in front of the large 180L tank and out of the way of the loader brackets. A nice cherry on top is the one-piece high lift bonnet where the pesky bird nests can be easily spotted.

Transmission

Equipped with a versatile 36x12 hydraulic reverse shuttle, T-Tronic transmission, the Landforce 125 allows seamless shifting between the four on the stick, plus the three powershifts giving 12 forward speeds in each of the three ranges.

The 12 reverse gears are just the four on the stick in the three ranges (powershift defaults to two) and makes the maths stack up. This flexibility is perfect for jobs that require frequent changes in direction, such as loader work and certainly worked well when we were doing plenty of shuttling during mowing and loading bales. Speaking of shuttling, the forward/reverse aggression of the ARGO built transmission is infinitely variable thanks to a dial on the right-hand console, ideal to suit personal preferences.

Hydraulics

The Landforce boasts a high-capacity hydraulic system with 110L/min CCLS pump. The hydraulics are particularly responsive on the console mounted cross lever, which controls two of the three standard rear spools (fourth optional). Of the three, one has adjustable flow rate, detent and float. Having flow adjustment and float on all three would be nice given the high capacity of the pump itself and has been requested from the factory – watch this space.

PTO

The tractor is fitted with an independent rear PTO, offering both 540 and 1000rpm options. Ground speed is also available. The PTO engagement is straightforward, from the conveniently located console mounted switch and includes a beautifully smooth soft start, which was great for the harvesting machines during our testing.

Linkage

The rear three-point linkage system on the Landforce has twin adjustable arms (which I love) and a smooth lift through the range. Max lift capacity is 4500kg from the Cat 2 hook ends, which will prove more than ample. Control is done from the electronic linkage control on the right hand consol while rear lift/lower switches on the rear guards make attaching implements a doddle.

Operator environment

Climbing up to the operator’s station is where comfort is key. The seat was well cushioned, while controls are logically arranged. The flat floor gives the platform plenty of space and right and left-hand rear-view mirrors can be spec’d. The steps are well positioned and more importantly well braced (as they inevitably become victims of some questionable spatial awareness).

The party piece

The Landini has a long 2.54m wheelbase; wide thanks to the 600 rear and 480 wide tyres. A solid 6T tare weight means it remained more surefooted than a sheepdog on a scent, yet thanks to the higher seating position, you can spot approaching sales reps from a distance – perfect for increased productivity.

Loader

The Landini badged L30 IM loader is designed and built by the Landini-owned ARGO parent company (which many will know here in New Zealand under the Sigma brand). The L means Landini, the 30 is the Series, I stands for the Iron model (again folks will be familiar with this as the Sigma equivalent), and the M stands for mechanical self-levelling. Overall performance was great, moving the bales with ease thanks to the grunty 110L/min hydraulic pump, long wheelbase and the 340kg wheel weights (170kg each side).

Summary

The Landini has enough Italian flair to keep things interesting, but not so much that you’ll need to learn a new language just to read the manual. The Landforce 125 ROPS stands out not just for its colour, but for its combination of power, comfort and plenty of capability. This is all thanks to the solid FPT engine, 36 speed transmission and 110Lmin CCLS pump. Think of it like swapping a Speights for a Peroni and then realising you actually quite like the taste.