Know How / Tractors

Latest tractor articles

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…

TRACTORS

Massey Ferguson extends 20-65hp compact tractor range

Massey Ferguson’s revamped compact tractor range now extends to nine models in all, covering power outputs from 20-65hp with hydrostatic and all-mechanical transmissions, and open platforms or air-conditioned cabs. The…

TRACTORS

Ultimate guide to buying a tractor 2026

The year’s Farmers Weekly Ultimate Guide to tractors is notable for the first-time listing of a mainstream electric model and a driverless tractor range, and the removal of two familiar…

TRACTORS

Mitas creates Granterra tyre for low-speed, high-torque needs

A heavy-duty tyre developed by Mitas is designed for larger tractors, from around the 200hp mark upwards, undertaking heavy cultivation. The Granterra meets the criteria for the industry’s VF category,…

Tractor reviews and tests

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TRACTORS

Driver's View: Ben Sharp’s Case IH Optum 300

Case IH’s Puma 260 might be the obvious match for the 300hp tractors featured in this series, but, with the near-identical T7.300 already covered, we’re instead focusing on a model…

ARABLE

New tractor tyre technology offers 18% more traction

The tyre designer’s job, it seems, is never done. As tractors continue to gain power and weight to meet farmer demand for greater performance, new tyre designs are needed to…

MACHINERY

Top-end tractors put to the ultimate test

The test Engines Transmissions Hydraulics Cabs Test process AdBlue We’ve gathered together the most powerful wheeled tractors on the market for a monster multitest. And for the first time ever…

TRACTORS

Driver's view: Richard and Matthew Thomas's Zetor Proxima CL80

Since Zetor tractors first arrived in the UK, they’ve been the tool of choice for Welsh hill farmers Richard and Matthew Thomas. The initial attraction to the Czech brand was…

MACHINERY

First Drive – Massey Ferguson 7618

You can make the 7618 as complicated (or not) as you like. We’d probably opt for the changeable ratios of the Dyna-6 box.   Modern powershifts are clever enough so…

101-200HP

Driver’s view: Claas Arion 450 CIS Quadrishift

Packing 130hp and 500Nm of torque, the Arion 450 is the third most powerful model in Claas’ compact four-cylinder tractor range, behind the 140hp 460 and 155hp 470. Since 2014,…

MACHINERY

Driven: Zetor Proxima 85

Summary Power Transmission Cab PTO/Hydraulics Zetor has found a new lease of life recently with powershift gearboxes and a 180hp model due for launch in the near future. The Proxima…

TRACTORS

Driver's view: Case IH Maxxum 125 ActiveDrive 4

A recent reordering of Case IH’s smaller tractor ranges has resulted in a slimming down of the popular Maxxum series to a trio of models. But with three transmission options…

401+HP

First impressions: Claas Xerion 12.650 takes on US artics

To the casual observer, Claas’ Xerion 12.650 looks like any other articulated crawler – just a Quadtrac, 9RX, or Versatile Deltatrack dressed in a different outfit. Yet it’s nothing of…

MACHINERY

Video: Claas Axion 950

For a mighty machine, it can feel like a relative mouse when driving thanks to its well-managed bulk, mid-mounted cab and short bonnet. It’s a simple tractor to jump on…

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

Video: Massey Ferguson 6616 tractor v New Holland T7

It seems there’s almost no limit to the power it is possible to squeeze from a modern-day four-cylinder engine. We find out how Massey Ferguson’s biggest four-bore measures-up against an…

Tractor guides

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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

Valtra tractors: Common problems and how to fix them

When Valtra joined the Agco stable in the early 2000s, it brought with it dependable Sisu engines that have since been given the parent company’s branding. They are still solid…

101-200HP

Kioti bids to undercut rivals with 140hp HX tractor

Name an up-and-coming East Asian tractor manufacturer that starts with K and has a penchant for orange paint. The Pointless answer, for fans of the BBC's favourite teatime quiz, is…

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…

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

Video: Driven: John Deere 6190R

In avoiding the use of AdBlue exhaust treatment to limit emissions, John Deere has managed to tweak the new engine so that it is torquier and more thrifty than before.…

TRACTORS

Farm machinery giants: The Fendt success story

Village blacksmiths started many of the big-name companies in the farm machinery industry, but the family who founded Fendt buck that trend. Sylvester Fendt began his clock-making business in the…

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…

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…

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…

MACHINERY

Case-IH Farmall 95U Pro on test

Case-IH Farmall 95U Pro Price: £58,800 RANKING: 1st   Cab The Austrian-built Farmall shares the same six-post cab frame as the New Holland. This offers pretty much everything you need…

MACHINERY

4 tractors, 3 years: How they performed

The test Landini 135 Case Puma 210 John Deere 6930 Fendt 718 Verdict Two years ago a Devon contracting outfit embarked on an epic tractor test to see which brand…

Tractor technology

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TECHNOLOGY

Midlands start-up to develop electric tractor based on TE20

A Midlands-based start-up has revealed plans to develop an electrically powered rework of the iconic Ferguson TE20. Atomictractor, run by ex-MF executive Campbell Scott, intends to develop the machine in…

TECHNOLOGY

How to build your own tractor autosteer system for £700

Anyone who has seen Clarkson’s Farm on Amazon Prime recently will have learned that driving in arrow-straight lines when carrying out fieldwork doesn’t come naturally to some. It’s not only…

TECHNOLOGY

Multi Trac Tool confirms smaller electric tractor

The Dutch manufacturer of a large electro-hybrid carrier tractor called Multi Tool Trac has confirmed it is working on a smaller autonomous model. See Also: Analysis: Is electric technology set…

Road legal

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TRACTORS

Taking your tractor test – all you need to know

The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) tractor test gives budding farmers the chance to drive machines on the road at the age of 16, but it shouldn't be taken lightly. The…

Tractor insights and practical advice

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TRACTORS

Valtra tractors: Common problems and how to fix them

When Valtra joined the Agco stable in the early 2000s, it brought with it dependable Sisu engines that have since been given the parent company’s branding. They are still solid…

TRACTORS

Farm machinery giants: The Fendt success story

Village blacksmiths started many of the big-name companies in the farm machinery industry, but the family who founded Fendt buck that trend. Sylvester Fendt began his clock-making business in the…

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…

TRACTORS

Fendt tractors: Common problems and how to fix them

It might be the premium brand of choice for large-scale farms and contracting businesses, but just like any other maker, Fendt’s tractors can suffer the odd mechanical gremlin. Engine problems…

MACHINERY

What to look for when buying a used tractor

Intro 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Purchasing a used tractor can be a pitfall-laden process for even the most seasoned buyer, with a wide range…

MACHINERY

Compare tractors and combines with our buyers guides

Farmers and contractors looking to take several options into consideration when choosing a new tractor will find the new specification and price guide published on FWi this week a useful…

TRACTORS

Taking your tractor test – all you need to know

The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) tractor test gives budding farmers the chance to drive machines on the road at the age of 16, but it shouldn't be taken lightly. The…

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…

MACHINERY

Machinery Milestones: Four-wheel drive tractors

In the latest instalment of our series looking back over the history of machinery developments, Mike Williams charts the rise of four-wheel drive tractors and how they have become the…

TRACTORS

Machinery Milestones: Wood-fuelled tractors

It might sound a bit wacky, but tractors have the potential to be powered by wood – as proven by several farming inventions over the years. The tractor fuel produced…

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…

Video

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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…

MACHINERY

Video: Driven: John Deere 6190R

In avoiding the use of AdBlue exhaust treatment to limit emissions, John Deere has managed to tweak the new engine so that it is torquier and more thrifty than before.…

VIDEO: Fendt tractor sales rocket

The explosive modernisation of eastern European agriculture has fuelled massive growth in sales for German tractor maker Fendt.    Sales of Fendt tractors have rocketed on the back of the…

MACHINERY

Video: First Drive: Claas Arion

The old Arion was a pretty good tractor so the fact the new one shares many of the same internals is no bad thing. The five-pillar cab is a big…