Over the past 10 years, the Nepal mid-hills experienced rapid agricultural and other types of rural mechanisation, especially through the spread of small-scale equipment. Using case studies, published and grey documents, key informant interviews, and participatory observation to examine the extent and history of this mechanisation and the factors influencing the increased use of small-scale equipment, we conclude that these changes were influenced by government and donor policies and projects, Nepal’s migrant economy, the economic shocks of the 2015 earthquake and the 2015 Indian border blockade, the growth of a responsive local import and agricultural machinery industry, and the increased demand for rural goods and services.