Know How / Tractors

Latest tractor articles

TRACTORS

Quicke improves weighing on tractor-mounted Q-Series loaders

Tractor loader control and automation is reckoned to have reached new heights with the latest updates to Quicke’s Q-companion digital system introduced alongside changes to the flagship Q-Series loaders. Existing…

TRACTORS

Cereals 2026: John Deere 6M tractor and 500R sprayer updated

Cab size is now the only real differentiator between John Deere’s 6R and 6M series tractors, thanks to a handful of new optional extras on the latter. These include a…

TRACTORS

Revamped John Deere 6R gets new cab and sharper handling

John Deere has overhauled the top end of its popular 6R tractor range, fitting a bigger cab and uprating the running gear for better handling. For now, only models on…

301-400HP

First impressions: New 8340’s cab is a Deutz-Fahr revolution

Not for the first time, green tractors of German provenance stole the headlines at November’s Agritechnica show. Only this time, John Deere, Fendt and Claas bods were among the spectators…

TRACTORS

Updated Claas Xerion 12 capable of semi-autonomous driving

A clutch of powertrain and digital technology upgrades are being released for the biggest tractors in the Claas range, including autonomous working – albeit with an operator in the driving…

TRACTORS

Challenger gets reverse drive conversion for tree pruning

After decades of hauling heavy cultivation kit, a 1990s twin-track crawler has found an unlikely second career in the cider orchards of Herefordshire and Worcestershire. The Caterpillar Challenger 55 is…

Tractor reviews and tests

See all

101-200HP

Video: Massey Ferguson's entry-level 5711M on test

Massey Ferguson has enjoyed a fair amount of success in the loader tractor market, with its basic Global Series catering for the keep-it-simple brigade and the comparatively swish S series…

TRACTORS

Driver's view: Tom Lamb's 9-year-old Massey 7718 Dyna-6

For many mixed and arable farms, Massey Ferguson nailed the sweet spot between power and size with its 200hp 7718. This was the middle model – and biggest small-framer –…

MACHINERY

Top-end tractor test: Case IH Magnum 340

Power Farming Verdict: 3.6/5 The Fiat engine performed well, especially under full load, and is in its element on heavy draft work. The engine-transmission automation system and mechanically efficient gearbox…

MACHINERY

Video: Head-to-head: MF 5610 v Case IH 105U

Power Farming Verdict From an operator’s point of view, both the Massey Ferguson 5610 and Case IH 105U have moved on quite a bit from their predecessors, but in very…

TRACTORS

Driver's view: Massey Ferguson 5S.135 Dyna-4

More power and torque were the highlights of Massey Ferguson’s 5S line-up when it was ushered in to replace the popular 5700S almost three years ago. Doing so sacrificed a…

401+HP

Video: Fendt's 943 MT twin-track crawler on test

Agco has breathed new life into its flailing twin-track fleet with a major rebranding and upgrading exercise for the long-in-the-tooth Challenger tractors. And the firm’s prairie monster range needed some…

TRACTORS

Video: Kubota's 170hp four-cylinder M7173 on test

Kubota’s battle to become part of the 150hp-plus conversation took a new twist last month after HRN, one of Scotland’s biggest machinery dealers, penned a deal to sell and service…

MACHINERY

Top-end tractor test: Valtra S353

Power Farming Verdict: 3.5/5 Good driving comfort and transmission. Transmission operation differed from the rest so took a bit of getting used to. Room for improvements in ergonomics and especially…

MACHINERY

Video: First Drive: Deutz Fahr 7250 TTV

If first impressions are anything to go by then the 7-Series looks like it should be a real contender in an already competitive horsepower segment.The ride is comfortable and the…

MACHINERY

110hp tractor test: McCormick X60.50

Power Farming Verdict: 3.2/5 The little McCormick was the surprise package. Simple, manoeuvrable and with a library-quiet cab, it’s got to be worth a look when you come to replace…

MACHINERY

Video: First drive: McCormick X70.80

Power Farming Verdict For once we weren’t sitting in the tractor cab into the early hours trying to work out how to set-up headland management and adjust transmission settings. We…

MACHINERY

Mid-range tractor test: John Deere 6210R

Power Farming Verdict: 3.8/5 The John Deere was the only tractor on test not to use AdBlue, but it still performed well in the DLG tests. We tested a pre-production…

Tractor guides

See all

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Tractor cab filters: are you protected?

Most operators and farmers will be well aware of the potential risks that working with agricultural chemicals brings, but with the right precautions, users will be kept free from any…

MACHINERY

John Deere 6150R six months in

New tractors cost a pretty penny these days so it’s wise to do your homework before dipping your hand in your pocket. Simon Henley visits a farmer in Warwickshire who…

MACHINERY

Deutz-Fahr 5100C on test

Deutz-Fahr 5100C Price £59,015 RANKING: 4th   Cab The Deutz’s four-pillar cab wasn’t the biggest on test, but it was a comfortable place to sit. The controls were well laid…

TRACTORS

Driver’s view: McCormick X6.413 P6-Drive

Fitted with a 4.5-litre FPT engine and an in-house six-speed semi-powershift transmission, the X6.4 is McCormick’s premium offering in the four-cylinder sector. This means buyers have access to a host…

MACHINERY

Drivers view: JCB Fastrac 3185

Driver's verdict I would certainly consider buying another Fastrac. Arguably, they are not the best cultivation tractors, but ours have worked extremely well. You get a lot of tractor for…

TRACTORS

6 simple, low-cost loader tractor options

In the small loader tractor sector, the demand is for simple, reliable tractors that will get the job done with minimal expense. Most of the big manufacturers offer models to…

MACHINERY

Mid-range tractors put to the test

Today's high-horsepower tractors are expected to be more versatile and comfortable than ever before. We spent a week testing five of the most popular in the field and on the…

TRACTORS

Driver’s view: Marilyn Jones’ Same Dorado 90 Natural tractor

For the past couple of years, the main workhorse on Marilyn Jones’ hill farm near Brecon, Powys, has been a 2019 Same Dorado 90 Natural. This compact 87hp tractor is…

TRACTORS

Machinery milestones: Driverless tractors

The UK played the leading role in the early stages of driverless or autonomous tractor development and the first experimental tractor designed to carry out a range of tasks without…

MACHINERY

Deutz-Fahr 6160.4 TTV on test

Power Farming Verdict: 4/5 Deutz-Fahr has been on a mission to update its higher horsepower tractors. They now have plenty of and radical styling, but the DLG results suggest there's…

MACHINERY

110hp tractor test: Zetor Forterra HSX 110

Power Farming Verdict: 3.1/5 In many ways the Czech’s spec is generous – there’s four pto speeds and automatic powershifts – and it’s also pretty manoeuvrable. But the cab remains…

TRACTORS

The inspection service helping buyers spot dodgy tractors

Most farmers would back themselves to spot a dodgy tractor a mile off, but a burgeoning agricultural business is offering an impartial inspection service that goes a bit further than…

Tractor technology

See all

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Tractor cab filters: are you protected?

Most operators and farmers will be well aware of the potential risks that working with agricultural chemicals brings, but with the right precautions, users will be kept free from any…

TECHNOLOGY

Retrofit autosteer gives RTK accuracy to older tractors

Machinery guidance systems may be getting more sophisticated, but that is benefiting those at the lower-priced end of the scale too. There are now several manufacturers offering retrofit kits that…

TRACTORS

Machinery milestones: Driverless tractors

The UK played the leading role in the early stages of driverless or autonomous tractor development and the first experimental tractor designed to carry out a range of tasks without…

Road legal

See all

MACHINERY

Tractors on the road: don't ignore the road rules

All rules and regulations tend to get a bit outdated at some point or other. However some of the road regulations affecting tractor drivers and their employers were probably drawn…

Tractor insights and practical advice

See all

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Tractor cab filters: are you protected?

Most operators and farmers will be well aware of the potential risks that working with agricultural chemicals brings, but with the right precautions, users will be kept free from any…

TRACTORS

6 simple, low-cost loader tractor options

In the small loader tractor sector, the demand is for simple, reliable tractors that will get the job done with minimal expense. Most of the big manufacturers offer models to…

TRACTORS

Machinery milestones: Driverless tractors

The UK played the leading role in the early stages of driverless or autonomous tractor development and the first experimental tractor designed to carry out a range of tasks without…

TRACTORS

The inspection service helping buyers spot dodgy tractors

Most farmers would back themselves to spot a dodgy tractor a mile off, but a burgeoning agricultural business is offering an impartial inspection service that goes a bit further than…

TRACTORS

Tractor buyers guide 2017

Times might be tough in the current farming climate, but that hasn’t stopped the major manufacturers making big changes to their tractor line-ups. High-horsepower models have been beefed up, the…

TRACTORS

What to look for when buying and fitting a tractor dashcam

Drive a tractor on the road for any length of time and you are bound to see some form of reckless manoeuvre from an impatient motorist. Most of the time,…

TRACTORS

16 must-have tractor accessories and upgrades

As swish as modern tractors are, there’s always room an upgrade or two. James Andrews eyes up a few options, some purely functional and others a little more frivolous... Stainless-steel…

MACHINERY

How alternative fuels are helping to reduce farm emissions

Diesel-powered transport and machinery have been under scrutiny globally for some time now due to their large environmental impact in the form of hefty CO2 emissions. Recent years have seen…

TRACTORS

22-year-old Fendt Favorit 515C gets £15k revamp

The allure of a new, top-spec tractor might win over many farmers and contractors, but Matthew Barnett has considerably more time for older machines with a proven track record. He…

TRACTORS

Claas tractors: Common problems and how to fix them

Amassing a sales tally of roughly 600 tractors a year at the last count makes Claas the eighth most popular tractor brand in the UK, just behind Valtra. And of…

TRACTORS

£50k Sabanto Steward kit gets Fendt 700 working autonomously

Long, lonely hours spent cultivating, drilling and mowing could be a thing of the past with the advent of a plug-in kit that can get any autosteer-ready tractor operating autonomously.…

Video

See all

TRACTORS

Machinery Milestones: The £328,000 Ivel

When one of the world’s oldest tractors was put up for sale at a Cheffins auction last October, a Lincolnshire farmer ended up parting with a cool £328,600 to buy…

VIDEO: Claas ups its 100hp offering

Claas has broadened its Arion range to offer three new models in the 100hp to 130hp bracket.   Slotting in between the existing Axos 300 range, which spans the 75-105hp…

TRACTORS

Video: On test - New Holland T5.120 v Fendt 312

This month’s tractor test sees the New Holland T5.120 go head-to-head with Fendt’s 312. You can find how they performed with a pair of four-furrow Ovlac ploughs by watching the…

MACHINERY

Video: Valtra goes for sophistication with new A93 Hitech machin...

Valtra’s small A series tractors have gained features and sophistication, as David Cousins found when he tried an A93 Hitech. Intro Engine Cab Transmission PTO Systems Verdict Spec Video Until…