John Deere 10G and 12G Mini Skid Steers Are Real: Launched at Equip Exposition 2026
John Deere has launched the 10G and 12G mini skid steers, and the models are real. Thompson Equipment Co. was on the show floor at Equip Exposition 2026 and published the first coverage of the launch, with on-site photography of the 12G. The launch extends an established Deere and Wacker Neuson manufacturing relationship into stand-on utility track loaders. Based on the published platform data, the Deere 10G lines up with the Wacker Neuson SM100, and the Deere 12G lines up with the Wacker Neuson SM120 Productivity Package configuration, not simply the standard SM120.
John Deere 12G mini skid steer, photographed on the show floor at Equip Exposition 2026. Photo: Thompson Equipment Co.
Confirmed real, specs still platform reference
The 10G and 12G are confirmed real, announced models. Thompson Equipment Co. photographed the 12G on the show floor at Equip Exposition 2026 and published the first coverage of the launch. The specifications below are Wacker Neuson published platform reference data for the SM100 and SM120, the platforms the new Deere models are built on. Until Deere publishes official 10G and 12G ratings, these figures describe the underlying platforms, not confirmed Deere ratings. Thompson Equipment Co. will not invent Deere horsepower, pricing, or availability. Treat every number here as platform reference data, and we will update it the moment Deere confirms model-specific ratings.
John Deere enters the mini stand-on loader market
Until the 10G and 12G, John Deere's smallest loaders started at the 312GR and 316GR small-frame compact track loaders, seated machines rated around 50 horsepower and up. The 10G and 12G are John Deere's first stand-on mini skid steers, a category long dominated by Ditch Witch, Vermeer, and Toro. That is why a search for "John Deere mini skid steer" has historically returned nothing: Deere simply did not build one. The Equip Exposition 2026 launch puts Deere into a market its catalog never covered, and at the time of publication John Deere had not yet listed the 10G or 12G on deere.com, which is why this regional dealer report is the first active source.
If you searched "John Deere 10G" and landed on forestry or attachment results, that is a different product line. In Deere's historical catalog, "10G" is tied to the 1010G Forwarder in the forestry line and the AR10G rock bucket in the attachment line. The 10G mini skid steer is neither. It is a new stand-on loader, not a forestry machine or a bucket. Pair your search with "mini skid steer" or "stand-on loader" to find the right machine, and the same applies to the 12G.
John Deere 10G and 12G key specs at a glance
John Deere 10G
SM100 platform
- Engine: 24.7 hp Yanmar 3TNV80 FT diesel
- Rated operating capacity: 999 lb @ 35%
- Operating weight: 3,300 lb
- Overall width: 35.5 in
- Auxiliary flow: 12.9 gpm @ 3,045 psi
John Deere 12G
SM120 Productivity Package platform
- Engine: 24.7 hp Yanmar 3TNV80 FT diesel
- Rated operating capacity: 1,226 lb @ 35%
- Operating weight: 3,754 lb
- Overall width: 41 in
- Aux relief pressure: 3,291 psi
The Deere and Wacker Neuson manufacturing partnership
The Deere and Wacker Neuson relationship is not new. It traces back to 2018 and widened in 2022.
On September 10, 2018, Wacker Neuson announced an OEM cooperation with John Deere Construction & Forestry to build and supply Deere-branded mini and compact excavators (1.7 to 7.5 metric tons), initially for China, Australia, and selected Southeast Asian markets. Wacker Neuson manufactured the machines in Pinghu, China, where its mini excavator line had started production in January 2018, with the first units scheduled for delivery to Deere in the first half of 2019. That deal followed John Deere's decision to wind down its long-running excavator joint venture with Hitachi.
In June 2022, the two companies expanded the arrangement. Wacker Neuson announced a long-term, exclusive OEM supply agreement under which it would design and manufacture Deere-branded mini and compact excavators under five metric tons for the Americas (the United States and Canada), with additional technical cooperation on larger excavators. The 2022 agreement strengthened Wacker Neuson's Americas business and deepened Deere's compact-equipment lineup.
Both announcements covered mini and compact excavators. The 10G and 12G mini skid steers, which are stand-on utility track loaders, extend the Deere and Wacker Neuson relationship into a new product category. The platform parallels are clear in the published specifications below.
The John Deere 10G (SM100 platform)
The John Deere 10G is the narrower of the two models, built on the Wacker Neuson SM100 platform. It runs a 24.7-horsepower Yanmar 3TNV80 FT diesel, with a 35.5-inch overall width that fits through standard doorways and gates, and a 3,300-pound operating weight that keeps it easy to trailer. Wacker Neuson publishes a rated operating capacity of 999 pounds at 35 percent of tip load and 1,426 pounds at 50 percent, with a 2,855-pound tipping load. Auxiliary hydraulic flow is 12.9 gpm at 3,045 psi. Breakout force is published at 3,108 lbf, and travel speed is 5.2 mph.
John Deere 10G mini skid steer, launched at Equip Exposition 2026.
For crews whose first priority is access, the SM100 platform trades capacity for the ability to fit where other machines cannot. That same access profile is what makes the Deere 10G worth watching for landscapers and hardscapers working residential lots.
The John Deere 12G (SM120 Productivity Package platform)
The Deere 12G lines up with the Wacker Neuson SM120 Productivity Package configuration, the higher-capacity, feature-rich build of the SM120. Where the 10G prioritizes access, the 12G prioritizes output. Operating weight climbs to 3,754 pounds, overall width widens to 41 inches, and the track grows to 11 inches. Rated operating capacity rises to 1,226 pounds at 35 percent and 1,753 pounds at 50 percent, with a 3,503-pound tipping load. The same 24.7-horsepower Yanmar diesel and 12.9 gpm auxiliary flow carry over, but auxiliary relief pressure increases to 3,291 psi.
John Deere 12G mini skid steer, launched at Equip Exposition 2026.
SM120 Productivity Package features
The Productivity Package configuration is what separates the 12G's platform from a standard SM120. Wacker Neuson lists four upgrades that define the configuration:
QuickGrip proportional hydraulic controls
Meter attachment flow precisely instead of all-or-nothing engagement, so grapples, brushes, and planers run at the speed the job needs.
Ride control
Damps the lift arm over rough ground, keeping loaded material settled and the machine stable on uneven job sites.
Electrohydraulic joysticks
Replaces mechanical linkages with electronic control for smoother, lower-effort operation and consistent response through a full shift.
14-pin attachment controls
Standardized 14-pin connector integrates attachment hydraulics and electrical functions, so attachments swap cleanly and talk to the machine.
Together, these features turn the SM120 from a compact loader into a more productive attachment platform. If the Deere 12G carries the Productivity Package configuration over, it becomes the model to watch for contractors running high-flow attachments through long shifts.
Platform comparison: SM100 vs SM120 Productivity Package
The table below lays the two platforms side by side using Wacker Neuson published data. SM100 is the Deere 10G reference; SM120 Productivity Package is the Deere 12G reference.
| Specification | SM100Deere 10G platform | SM120 Productivity PackageDeere 12G platform |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | Yanmar 3TNV80 FT (3-cyl diesel) | Yanmar 3TNV80 FT (3-cyl diesel) |
| Engine displacement | 77.3 in³ (1,266 cc) | 77.3 in³ (1,266 cc) |
| Gross horsepower | 24.8 hp (18.5 kW) | 24.8 hp (18.5 kW) |
| Operating horsepower | 24.7 hp @ 2,600 rpm | 24.7 hp @ 2,600 rpm |
| Maximum torque | 63 lb-ft (85 Nm) | 63 lb-ft (85 Nm) |
| Auxiliary hydraulic flow | 12.9 gpm (49 l/min) | 12.9 gpm (49 l/min) |
| Aux. relief pressure | 3,045 psi (210 bar) | 3,291 psi (227 bar) |
| Rated operating capacity (35%) | 999 lb (453 kg) | 1,226 lb (556 kg) |
| Rated operating capacity (50%) | 1,426 lb (647 kg) | 1,753 lb (795 kg) |
| Tipping load | 2,855 lb (1,295 kg) | 3,503 lb (1,589 kg) |
| Operating weight | 3,300 lb (1,497 kg) | 3,754 lb (1,703 kg) |
| Overall length (no bucket) | 84.3 in (2,141 mm) | 84.3 in (2,141 mm) |
| Overall length (with bucket) | 108 in (2,742 mm) | 108 in (2,742 mm) |
| Overall width | 35.5 in (902 mm) | 41 in (1,041 mm) |
| Height | 58.2 in (1,478 mm) | 58.2 in (1,478 mm) |
| Track width | 9.1 in (230 mm) | 11 in (280 mm) |
| Bucket hinge pin height (lift) | 85.7 in (2,176 mm) | 85.7 in (2,176 mm) |
| Bucket dump height (max) | 62.8 in (1,595 mm) | 62.8 in (1,595 mm) |
| Travel speed | 5.2 mph (8.4 km/h) | 5.2 mph (8.4 km/h) |
| Breakout force | 3,108 lbf (13.8 kN) | Not published on Wacker Neuson SM120 data sheet |
| Ground pressure | 4.1 psi (0.3 bar) | 3.9 psi (0.3 bar) |
| Fuel tank | 16.9 gal (64 l) | 16.9 gal (64 l) |
Source: Wacker Neuson SM100 and SM120 technical data. Not confirmed Deere 10G/12G ratings.
What the launch means for contractors and buyers
- Access vs capacity. The SM100 platform keeps a 35.5-inch width for gate and doorway access; the SM120 Productivity Package widens to 41 inches and adds capacity, tip load, and track footprint. Pick the 10G platform for tight residential work and the 12G platform for output on open lots.
- Trailering. Both platforms stay under roughly 3,800 pounds operating weight, so either can move behind a properly rated light truck and trailer.
- Lift and dump height. A shared 85.7-inch bucket hinge pin height and 62.8-inch dump height load directly into high-sided trucks and dumpsters.
- Travel speed. Both platforms publish 5.2 mph, fast for the class and useful for moving material across a site.
- Dealer support and resale. If the Deere models share the Wacker Neuson platform, dealer support, financing, parts availability, and resale demand become the real differentiators, not machine design. Deere's dealer network and warranty structure could matter more than the spec sheet.
- Do not assume identical performance. Until Deere publishes model-specific 10G and 12G ratings, treat the Wacker Neuson figures as reference data, not a confirmed match. Configuration, market, and Deere engineering choices can change the numbers.
Looking for a 10G, 12G, or compact loader?
Thompson Equipment Co. sources compact equipment nationwide and finances buyers other dealers turn away, including startups and buyers rebuilding credit. Tell us what size and configuration you need and we will find it, inspect it, and put financing in front of you.
Sources and further reading
- Wacker Neuson SM100 product page and technical data
- Wacker Neuson SM120 technical data
- Wacker Neuson Group: 2018 OEM cooperation with John Deere (September 10, 2018)
- Wacker Neuson Group: 2022 Americas agreement with John Deere (June 14, 2022)
- Wacker Neuson: find a dealer
Published October 20, 2026 by Thompson Equipment Co. LLC, Clarence Center, NY. The 10G and 12G are confirmed real models announced at Equip Exposition 2026. Thompson Equipment Co. was on the show floor and published the first coverage of the launch. Specifications are Wacker Neuson published platform reference data and will be updated when John Deere confirms official 10G and 12G ratings.