St Joseph, Michigan, and Peoria, Illinois—Teams from across the US and Canada are set to compete in the International 1/4-Scale Tractor Student Design Competition.
The event will take place May 29 – June 1 at the Peoria (Illinois) Expo Gardens for the 2025 contest, with most of the action happening on Saturday and Sunday. The event is free and open to the public.
- On Friday, May 30, teams will undergo technical inspections and design judging, with the opportunity in the afternoon to perform practice laps on the durability course.
- Team presentations will take place throughout the day, beginning at 8 am, at the Embassy Suites Conference Center.
- Maneuverability and durability events will take place on Saturday, from 8 am to 3 pm.
- Pulling will take place on Sunday, beginning at 9:45 am.
All times are subject to change due to weather and track conditions.
Sponsored by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, the contest provides a realistic 360-degree workplace experience. It is a popular recruiting event for many sponsors, who find among the participants practiced, high-achieving prospects with strong technical, communication, and leadership skills honed by competition experience.
Kawasaki Engines is a new sponsor in 2025, and this year’s competition is the first to incorporate their engine.
"The change in engine suppliers comes with a shift from a horizontal crankshaft to a vertical crankshaft, more consistent with small power equipment," says competition co-chair Michael Holland. "I am eager to see how teams respond to this engine configuration update. Additionally, the new engines provide a great opportunity for teams to develop mechatronic skills. These fuel-injected engines feature electronic throttle control, requiring further electronic and CAN integration on the tractor. This is a great example of how ASABE IQS prepares student competitors with real world experience."
Teams are given an engine and a set of Titan tires; the tractor is theirs to design and create. A panel of industry experts judges each machine for innovation, manufacturability, serviceability, safety, sound level, and ergonomics. Teams also submit a written design report in advance of the competition. Onsite, they must sell their design, in a formal presentation to industry experts playing the role of a corporate management team. Finally, machines are put to the test in three performance events—tractor pulls, a maneuverability course, and a durability course.
Through involvement in the competition, students gain practical experience in the design of drive train systems, tractor performance, manufacturing processes, analysis of tractive forces, weight transfer and strength of materials. They also sharpen critical “soft” skills—communication, leadership, teamwork—as well as gain experience in fundraising and test and development.
Sponsors of the 2025 competition include: Claas Stiftung, CNH, John Deere, Kawasaki, Kubota, Danfoss, SolidWorks, Titan International, Catalytic Combusion, Agco Corp–Hesston, GSI Grain Systems, Krone, LINAK, Mac Don, SpaceX, Thomson, and Vermeer. Also: DeweSoft, Igus, Kondex, Matex Products, Inc, Medeiros Machine & Mfg, Miller Electric Manufacturing Co, Precision Planting, and Scale Tec. Additional support is provided by AC MCCartney Farm Equipment, Blunier Implement, Caterpillar, Electrex Inc, MarvestMaster, Martin Tractor, SJ Smith Co, and Star Equipment.
ASABE is an international scientific and educational organization dedicated to the advancement of engineering applicable to agricultural, food, and biological systems.