Know How / Tractors

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TRACTORS

McCormick X7.624's in-cab controls are a work in progress

Nine new dealers have put pen to paper in the past 18 months, there is an updated 340hp flagship on its way, and a squad of Italian engineers is working…

TRACTORS

On test: New engine and transmission revitalise Fendt 516

Too small for heavy tillage and too dear for livestock-related duties, Fendt’s four-cylinder tractors have traditionally served as backfill for the ever-popular 724.  But the tables are turning. With the…

TRACTORS

More driverless tech for Amos Power's 85hp electric tractor

A US digital tech business hopes to emulate European manufacturers such as AgXeed by selling a twin-track driverless tractor for field work. Weighing in at about 3t, the Amos Power…

TRACTORS

Revamped Valtra T-series gets new 10-speed powershift

The Finns like to do things their own way. So, despite Valtra’s new T6 being peppered with shared Agco parts, there is a healthy dose of Suolahti engineering in the…

TRACTORS

First look: Massey Ferguson unveils 170-245hp 7S Mark 2s

Massey Ferguson has cross-pollinated its 7S and 8S tractors to fill a band of infertile ground between the two. The six 7S “Mark 2s” don’t officially supplant any existing models,…

Tractor reviews and tests

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401+HP

First impressions: John Deere’s bonkers-big 913hp 9RX 830

John Deere’s new 9RX 830 is the biggest, most powerful and most expensive tractor ever to go into series production. In pure horsepower terms, it can be bettered only by…

TRACTORS

Driver's view: New Holland T5.140 Dynamic Command

Choice is one thing buyers aren’t short of when it comes to picking a New Holland T5, with five transmission options, two engine sizes and myriad hydraulic outputs spread across…

TRACTORS

Driver's view: Why Norfolk grower runs trio of Deutz 7250s

Deutz-Fahr tractors are now the go-to prime movers for Norfolk-based potato grower Ian Mason Farms, primarily because of their keen up-front costs and driver-friendly controls. The business runs four of…

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…

MACHINERY

On test: Case IH Puma 175 CVX

The other tractors on test Fendt Vario 720 New Holland T 7.230 Valtra T 214 Direct Massey Ferguson 7720 Dyna The Puma paid the price for being the smallest tractor…

TRACTORS

Video: John Deere four-track 8RX – an alternative to wheels?

Since its launch at Germany’s Agritechnica show in November, the web has been awash with pictures and videos of John Deere’s shiny new 8RX tracked tractor range. The hype has…

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

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: 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…

MACHINERY

Top-end tractor test: John Deere 8360R

Power Farming Verdict: 3.9/5 In terms of economy, test results didn’t quite match those of the JD 8335R. But they certainly weren’t bad, particularly as there wasn’t a drop of…

TRACTORS

Video: 400hp reverse-drive Valtra S-series on test

Valtra has finally let its heavyweight S-series loose on the 400hp tractor scene and, armed with lorry loads of torque, a proven driveline and a redesigned cab, promises to unsettle…

MACHINERY

Seven 100hp loader tractors on test

A mid-sized loader tractor still offers mixed farmers the most affordable combination of farmyard dogsbody and in-field workhorse. Farmers Weekly spent a week in Germany comparing seven of them. An…

Tractor guides

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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

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…

MACHINERY

Video: John Deere DirectDrive gearbox on test

It’s fair to say John Deere has lagged behind a bit in the gearbox stakes over recent years. While nearly all the other main players in the tractor game have…

MACHINERY

110hp tractor test: John Deere 6115M

Power Farming Verdict: 3.3/5 Deere’s build quality and logical arrangement of controls has been the force behind its perennial success. It also had a strong engine, but being the smallest…

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…

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.…

TRACTORS

Driver's view: Charlie Flindt's John Deere 6155M

Hampshire farmer and FW columnist Charlie Flindt gives us the 410-hour lowdown on his John Deere 6155M tractor in his inimitable style. Find out what his likes and gripes are,…

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

Video: Fendt Vario 516 on test

The Fendt Vario's 516’s four-cylinder Deutz engine might be low on displacement, but it conjures up an impressive amount of power and torque from its 4-litre capacity. It can’t quite…

TRACTORS

Machinery Milestones: How safety and comfort reformed tractors

Driver safety and comfort are among the top essentials for today’s tractors, but they remained near the bottom of the priority list during the first 100 years or so of…

MACHINERY

Valtra N93 on test

Valtra N93 Price: £59,090 RANKING: 2nd   Cab A new cab is on the horizon for the N-series but, for now, Valtra’s vintage six-poster is well suited to this power…

How to avoid buying a dodgy used crawler tractor

Tracked tractors are widely recognised as being the best means of putting serious horsepower to the ground. They’re expensive to buy new, yet here in the UK we still lap…

Tractor technology

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TECHNOLOGY

Ontario farmer gets robot fleet to complete arable fieldwork

Chuck Baresich has been on a recruitment drive – but not in the conventional sense. Over the past three years he has amassed a barnful of agricultural robots of all…

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.…

TECHNOLOGY

Swappable batteries for Traktorarvid autonomous tractor

Swapping a discharged battery for a fresh one to minimise downtime is a key feature of the all-electric Drever 120 four-wheel-drive autonomous tractor being developed by Swedish enterprise Traktorarvid. The…

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

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

£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.…

TRACTORS

Machinery Milestones: How safety and comfort reformed tractors

Driver safety and comfort are among the top essentials for today’s tractors, but they remained near the bottom of the priority list during the first 100 years or so of…

How to avoid buying a dodgy used crawler tractor

Tracked tractors are widely recognised as being the best means of putting serious horsepower to the ground. They’re expensive to buy new, yet here in the UK we still lap…

TECHNOLOGY

Diesel-electric drives offer give cheaper tractor power

The Autonomous Tractor Corporation (ATC) has found a way to recycle old tractors to get another 25,000 hours of labour from a wornout workhorse. The US company, tucked away in…

TRACTORS

Machinery Milestones: The most unusual tractor launches

Publicity spectaculars featuring tractors are unusual, but they have been used to give an extra boost to new developments that prove difficult to sell. An example is the introduction of…

TECHNOLOGY

How technology that can control tractors works

If the idea of driving into a field, punching a few settings into a touchscreen and letting a computer take charge of key tractor and equipment controls sounds a bit…

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

Buying a tractor? How to make sense of engine statistics

Hands up who knows the difference between a tractor’s rated and maximum power? Or what the perfect torque curve should look like? How about torque rise? Or six-point fuel tests?…

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…

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…

Latest tacho, licence and red diesel rules explained

What is legal on the road is not so much a grey area – it’s more like 50 shades of grey, all which have to be interpreted carefully by farmers…

Video

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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…

MACHINERY

Video: John Deere DirectDrive gearbox on test

It’s fair to say John Deere has lagged behind a bit in the gearbox stakes over recent years. While nearly all the other main players in the tractor game have…

TRACTORS

Video: 160hp CVT tractor test 2020 preview

Farmers Weekly's big annual tractor test saw the machinery team take four 160hp CVT tractors from some of the industry's biggest players to a Hampshire farm during this autumn's cultivation…

TRACTORS

Video: Fendt Vario 516 on test

The Fendt Vario's 516’s four-cylinder Deutz engine might be low on displacement, but it conjures up an impressive amount of power and torque from its 4-litre capacity. It can’t quite…