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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,…

TRACTORS

Nexat wide-span tractor sows 200ha per fill with 28m drill

German manufacturer Nexat and its gantry-style field tractor continue to make headlines as the machine gets new capabilities and early adopters discover its potential. The wide-span vehicle uses a growing…

Tractor reviews and tests

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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

Seven 110hp tractors put to the test

It might not be the quickest growing sector, but 100-150hp tractors probably appeal to the biggest farming audience. Oliver Mark joined colleagues from France, Germany and Holland to test seven…

TRACTORS

Video: New Holland T7.230 Power Command tractor on test

New Holland’s T7 might lack the glamorous cab offered by the likes of John Deere and Valtra – noise and space being its most obvious shortcomings – but there is…

MACHINERY

Video: First drive: Fendt’s 415hp 942 Vario

Fendt has spent the past decade tightening its grip on the high-horsepower tractor market, to the point that it now claims one-third of all new tractor sales above 200hp. But…

MACHINERY

Video: Furse four tractor test: Case Puma 210

There isn’t really anything we dislike about this tractor. It has a very strong back end and is an exceptional tillage tractor. It does everything you ask it to do…

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

Driver's view: Dan Chanin's Claas Axion 870

Armed with a 6.7-litre FPT engine and a choice of transmissions, Claas’s five-model Axion 800 range has the 200-300hp sector covered. And it’s the range-topping 870 with Cmatic CVT that’s…

TRACTORS

Video: John Deere 6175R Directdrive tractor on test

The John Deere 6175R’s spacious, quiet cab and well-thought-out controls made it a clear favourite among our test team. We also got on well with the Directdrive transmission, which is…

TRACTORS

Driver's view: John Deere 6120M PowrQuad

John Deere rejuvenated its simpler M-series tractors four years ago, with the range restructured into short-, small-, mid- and large- chassis categories that contain a total of 10 models spanning…

TRACTORS

On test: John Deere 6120R AutoPowr

Deere’s 6R-series has been around for a few years now, but regular updates have kept the tractors fresh along the way. This latest version comes with a screen and control…

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…

TRACTORS

On test: JCB Fastrac 4220

There’s no tractor quite like the JCB Fastrac. Since it hit the market in 1991, this equal-wheeled workhorse has found multiple vocations from high-speed haulage to self-propelled spraying and spreading.…

Tractor guides

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TRACTORS

Driver's view: Tom Mixture's John Deere 6R 250

Sitting at the apex of John Deere’s “mid-size” tractor line-up, the 6R 250 offers a healthy slug of power in a modestly proportioned chassis. Its versatility in tackling jobs both…

TRACTORS

Video: On test – Fendt’s monster 500hp 1050

Farmers buying a tractor with more than 500hp on tap have traditionally had to settle for a hulking great machine that will have its cylinders firing for only four months of…

MACHINERY

GPS tracking devices on test

GPS trackers are becoming a popular way for farmers to safeguard their tractors, but do they work? Emily Padfield and David Cousins fitted seven different models to one tractor to…

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…

401+HP

First impressions: New cab major progress for Claas Axion 9

Claas can rightly revel in its top-dog status when it comes to combine harvesters and foragers. But 22 years after swallowing Renault Agriculture, its tractor division continues to lag behind.…

MACHINERY

Video: John Deere e23 tractor v Autopowr

John Deere’s high-horsepower tractors have been hankering after a new powershift transmission for years and at last it’s here. Nick Fone and Oliver Mark find out if it is any…

TRACTORS

Driver's view: Fisher Farms’ Claas Axion 960 TT

After dropping a teaser about its development of a half-track Axion at Agritechnica 2017, Claas officially launched 355hp and 445hp 900-series Terra Trac machines in 2020. Promising 15% more traction…

MACHINERY

Mid-range tractor test: MF 7624 Dyna-VT

Power Farming Verdict: 3.5/5 The French-built Massey has plenty of features and a new joystick. It performed averagely at the test station and its unreliable terminal can be hard to…

Test: John Deere automatic loader

John Deere has launched a new automatic tractor loader that promises to take the headache out of tedious handling duties. Return to position How it works Verdict Gallery John Deere…

MACHINERY

Tractor tyres: make sure your pressures are right

We all know that tyre pressure is important if a tractor is to work at its best. But only a few operators, it seems, actually bother to ensure that correct…

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…

TRACTORS

Round-up of designer tractor ballast boxes with tool storage

A ballast block that doubles as a spacious storage container is rapidly becoming fashionable for tractors operated on arable or mixed enterprise units. Some have been conceived by enterprising operators themselves…

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…

MACHINERY

GPS tracking devices on test

GPS trackers are becoming a popular way for farmers to safeguard their tractors, but do they work? Emily Padfield and David Cousins fitted seven different models to one tractor to…

TRACTORS

John Deere to phase out support for old Starfire iTC kit

Users of John Deere’s Starfire iTC receivers are being urged to upgrade their kit as Deere will end basic correction signals for these devices by January 2021. See also: LH Agro…

Road legal

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MACHINERY

Tractors on the road: Rights, wrongs, rules and regulations

When harvest is in full swing, tractors take to the roads up and down the country. It may seem unfair to farmers and contractors, but the presence of a greater…

Tractor insights and practical advice

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MACHINERY

Tractor tyres: make sure your pressures are right

We all know that tyre pressure is important if a tractor is to work at its best. But only a few operators, it seems, actually bother to ensure that correct…

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…

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

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…

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…

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…

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…

TRACTORS

Worn-out tractor seats: How to refurbish or replace them

Thousands of hours subjected to bouncing backsides, grubby overalls and flatulence can take its toll on a tractor seat. But considering it’s such a crucial contributor to driver comfort, this…

MACHINERY

Tractors on the road: Rights, wrongs, rules and regulations

When harvest is in full swing, tractors take to the roads up and down the country. It may seem unfair to farmers and contractors, but the presence of a greater…

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

Ultimate guide to buying a tractor 2024

Fans of big tractors laying down lots of power are well catered for in Farmers Weekly‘s latest Ultimate Guide, with all-new models not only breaching the 600hp threshold but also…

Video

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TRACTORS

Video: On test – Fendt’s monster 500hp 1050

Farmers buying a tractor with more than 500hp on tap have traditionally had to settle for a hulking great machine that will have its cylinders firing for only four months of…

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…

NOW IN VIDEO: New Holland's fuel cell tractor

New Holland's NH2 fuel cell tractor - the first hydrogen-powered tractor to be shown by any tractor maker - finally broke cover in Turin, Italy last Friday. Based on a…

MACHINERY

Video: John Deere e23 tractor v Autopowr

John Deere’s high-horsepower tractors have been hankering after a new powershift transmission for years and at last it’s here. Nick Fone and Oliver Mark find out if it is any…