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TRACTORS

Zetor moves tractor production from Czech to India and China

Tractor maker Zetor has finally acknowledged it can no longer manufacture and assemble its products competitively in the city of Brno, its long-standing home in the Czech Republic. Dwindling sales…

TRACTORS

Valtra factory keeps producing first-gen Vario transmission

Agco’s Valtra factory in Finland is supplementing production of the first-generation ML-series Vario transmission for installation in some of its own tractors. Capacity at Fendt’s Marktoberdorf facility in southern Germany…

TRACTORS

First impressions: Sharper handling for latest John Deere 6R

When a tractor range is one of Europe’s bestsellers, the last thing you want to do is upset the formula. Get too radical with any redesigns and there is a…

TRACTORS

First impressions: Fendt 1100 MTs get power boost

Wind the clock back a decade and Fendt looked like it might push crawler tractors to the brink of UK extinction. The reputation of iconic twin-track brand Challenger was already…

TRACTORS

Driver's view: JCB Fastrac owner rates his pair of 6300s

Hauling heavyweight tankers, spreaders and trailers across England’s northernmost counties requires a tractor that’s as adept at clocking up hours on tarmac as it is in the field. That is…

TRACTORS

Claas launches refreshed 145-180hp Arion 5 tractors

Claas has revamped its middleweight Arion tractors with a nose-job and a bunch of driver-friendly features. Following hot on the heels of the company’s revised Axion 8 launch, this latest…

Tractor reviews and tests

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TRACTORS

Driver's view: William Heslip's New Holland T7.300

A new cab was the stand-out improvement on New Holland’s “long-wheelbase” T7s when they were introduced at the Sima show in Paris three years ago. There are five Auto Command…

MACHINERY

Smaller tractor brands and horsepower- what's available

Recent months have seen several new tractor manufacturers at the lower-horsepower end of the market looking to establish a foothold in the UK. The newcomers Armatrac Farmtrac Branson Iseki While…

TRACTORS

First impressions: Fendt's swish new cab update

Fendt is rolling out new-look cab controls that it reckons will finally put to bed the myth that its tractors are hard to drive. Comfort, quietness and a raft of…

101-200HP

First impressions: More power and speed for Deere 6M-series

They might be simpler and cheaper than their premium-spec cousins, but the lack of a 50kph transmission has long stymied sales of John Deere’s 6M tractors in the UK. Keen…

TRACTORS

First impressions: Claas unveils 92-120hp Axos 3 tractors

Claas has bolstered the lower reaches of its tractor range with a quartet of new Axos 3 models that run from 92hp to 120hp. The foursome has been shoehorned in…

201-300HP

On test: Fendt 724 Profi Plus

Fendt has long been the brand of choice for those that like to get technical with their tractors. When the last 700-series arrived on the scene in 2011, it brought…

MACHINERY

Versatile's Quadtrac challenger on test

Versatile Engine Transmission In the field Cab Maintenance Versatile has had a chequered history. The past 20-or-so years have proved turbulent, with paintwork changing colour with chameleon-like frequency and ownership…

201-300HP

On test: 300hp New Holland is best T7 yet with fresh cab

New Holland has kept the best bits and reworked the worst of its long-wheelbase T7 tractors to create what it hopes will be a John Deere and Fendt slayer. In…

TRACTORS

Driver's view: Ollie Raybould's 7-year-old John Deere 6155R

As one of the best-selling models from the most popular brand in the UK, few tractors dominate the farming landscape like John Deere’s 6155R. Built from 2015 to 2021, it…

MACHINERY

Driver's view: John Deere 6920

The John Deere 6920 and 6920S were top selling models in the 150hp category for Deere, which replaced them with the 6930 tractor in 2007. Today with prices for the…

TRACTORS

First drive: McCormick pins hopes on updated X7 tractor range

When its tractors were built in Doncaster on Case-IH underpinnings, times for McCormick were really rather rosy. The sub-brand of Italian firm Argo Tractors – resurrected after Case-IH merged with…

MACHINERY

On test: New Holland T7.230

The other tractors on test Fendt 720 Vario Case IH Puma 175 CVX Valtra T 214 Direct Massey Ferguson 7720 Dyna To avoid an awkward comparison between two near-identical tractors,…

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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

On test: Fendt 720 Vario

The other tractors on test New Holland T 7.230 Case IH Puma 175 CVX  Valtra T 214 Direct Massey Ferguson 7720 Dyna It’s the same old story with the Fendt…

TRACTORS

First impressions: Claas unveils 92-120hp Axos 3 tractors

Claas has bolstered the lower reaches of its tractor range with a quartet of new Axos 3 models that run from 92hp to 120hp. The foursome has been shoehorned in…

TRACTORS

On test: New Holland T5.140 DCT

New Holland has added a double-clutch transmission to its T5 range, expanding the options for stock farmers who crave a slicker alternative to the basic 12-speed Utility stick-shifter. While simple…

MACHINERY

New Holland T5.95 on test

New Holland T5.95 Price: £59,041 RANKING: 4th   Cab New Holland’s six-pillar cab is trimmed with light-blue interior panels that have a habit of picking up dirt and end up…

MACHINERY

Tractor test: Six 120hp tractors go head to head

All eyes are on the 120hp tractor division in this year’s multi-test. Machines in this sector have always sold in huge volumes, but demand is growing particularly swiftly for those…

MACHINERY

Kubota M9960 on test

Kubota M9960 Price: £48,803 RANKING: 7th   Cab The little Kubota looked a bit out of place alongside our test line-up. Although it matched the rest for power it has…

MACHINERY

Mid-range tractor test: NH T7.270

Power Farming Verdict: 3.9/5 The T7 finished second overall and its engine and transmission performed well at the DLG tests. The only minor disappointments were the cab and monitor. Cab…

MACHINERY

110hp tractor test: Belarus 1025.4

Power Farming Verdict: 2.4/5 It might not have scored highly but the Belarus had a solid engine and a price-tag that’ll catch the eye of plenty of buyers. Noise and…

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…

201-300HP

On test: Massey Ferguson 7S.210 proves versatile all-rounder

A boom in aftermarket tuning chips and remapping software has created a swarm of performance-enhanced tractors that churn out far more horsepower than their makers ever intended. On the one…

TRACTORS

High-hour horsepower: John Deere 6830 breaks 20,000 hours

Graham Hayllar runs a grassland-based contracting outfit in the picturesque Eden Valley, Cumbria, and uses a fleet of high-hour workhorses, including a John Deere 6830 Premium that has clocked an…

Tractor technology

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TRACTORS

Bluewhite driverless retrofit transforms sub-100hp tractors

An Israeli-American start-up has developed a retrofit kit that allows small tractors to work entirely autonomously, principally for spraying permanent crops such as vines and orchards. Given Bluewhite's focus is…

TRACTORS

Trailblazing Auga M1 methane-electric tractor set for launch

An ambitious project to manufacture a biomethane-fuelled high-performance tractor has moved a step forwards with the unveiling of a pre-production design set for final testing prior to commercial launch. The…

CVT choice offers perfect tractor working speed

When Fendt unveiled the first practical continuously variable transmission, it did more than just bring a new level of speed control and adjustment. It brought the engine and transmission together…

Road legal

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MACHINERY

Rules reminder: Stay road legal this harvest

Whether it's harvesting grass, cereals or vegetables, extra numbers of wide machines will be heading up and down Britain’s roads. But in all the rush to get ready, don’t forget…

Tractor insights and practical advice

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TRACTORS

Ultimate guide to buying a tractor 2022

The tractor guide listings for 2022 contain a significant number of changes. New and upgraded models having been introduced over the past 12 months, and the last tractors in our…

Tractor tyres v tracks: which is best?

Low ground pressure, unbeatable traction and greater productivity potential. That sums up the attraction of high horsepower tracked tractors to arable farmers who run them for cultivation and drilling in…

ARABLE

Analysis: Could technology kill off diesel tractors?

Car manufacturers are making great strides in electric drive technology and the death of diesel and petrol engines will be seen as early as 2019 for one major manufacturer. Volvo…

MACHINERY

What to look for in a used high-hp four-cylinder tractor

Demand has been steadily growing for high-horsepowered four-pot tractors. We run through the good, bad and ugly of three second-hand options from Claas, Valtra and John Deere. Ten years ago…

TECHNOLOGY

JCB's hydrogen-fuelled combustion engine examined

JCB is one of the first agricultural engine makers to successfully modify its conventional powerplants to run on compressed hydrogen, eliminating carbon emissions without any impact on performance. Its gas-fired,…

TRACTORS

Buying a 150hp tractor? We look at 12 options

For sheer choice and variety, the 150hp bracket marks the tractor sector’s sweet spot, with most makers offering four- and six-cylinder alternatives and a multitude of transmission types and spec…

POTATOES

Potato contractor finds the best tractor for flailing success

Lincolnshire potato contractor David Matthews expects potato haulms to have a high biomass at burndown time, thanks to this year’s growing season, and says growers will need a lot of…

TECHNOLOGY

Video: Auto-tractor to revolutionise Canadian field work

The lead in the race for a driver-free, super-efficient arable farming utopia has been taken up by SeedMaster – a little known name in the world of autonomous agriculture but…

TRACTORS

Best sellers: Our top 10 tractors of the noughties

Modern tractors are getting ever more complex, with layers of electronic controls, fancy touchscreens and a medley of soot-stifling gizmos to keep exhaust emissions in check. When the tractor is…

MACHINERY

Tractor tuning perks and pitfalls: Is it worth the risk?

Fork out a few hundred quid on a little black tuning box and you could unleash a healthy dollop of extra power and torque from your tractor. Sounds tempting, doesn’t…

Big power outputs lift 4wd performance

A neat hydraulic suspension installation for the front axle is designed to help avoid “power hop” with the most powerful three tractors in John Deere’s latest big four-wheel drive range.…

MARKETS AND TRENDS

How tight margins on farm are hitting ag machinery sales

Machinery dealers are feeling the pinch as reduced demand from farmers for new kit hits their bottom line. With fewer than 9,000 machines being registered in 2025, the Agricultural Engineers…

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MACHINERY

3 Cereals videos: Top tractors, cultivation kit and sprayers

Machinery makers from across the globe flocked to Boothby Graffoe, Lincolnshire this week (10-15 June) for the annual Cereals 2015 event. We captured a few highlights from the tractor manufacturers, cultivation…

VIDEO: MF5475 and 5480 tractors: Which is best?

Four or six cylinders? It's a debate that has raged for decades and is not one that will be settled easily. To make some sense of it, Nick Fone got…

VIDEO:First Drive - Zetor Proxima gets powershuttle

For years Zetor tractors have been regarded as simple, solid, plodding workhorses offering unbeatable value for money, writes Nick Fone. But as farmers’ expectations have risen, the Czech manufacturer has…

TRACTORS

Video: Valtra's new 135hp G-series tractor on test

Valtra recently unveiled a completely new 105-135hp tractor range, but its choice of components marks something of a departure from traditional Finnish form. Rather than using home-built gearboxes, the new…