Buyers hankering after a lightweight 200hp John Deere that isn’t festooned with layers of complex technology have a new toy to consider – the 6M 185.

Wheeled out for a so-called “soft launch” at this year’s Cereals event, details provided by the firm were a little thin.

However, we know power output will be comparable to the plusher 6R 185, which delivers a max of 205hp plus 30hp boost.

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Crucially, it will have the option of 50kph transmissions, which will no doubt attract the attention of buyers who were put off by the 40kph max speed on previous generations.

These will include the time-proven AutoQuad semi-powershift, along with a couple of more sophisticated options, full details of which will be confirmed at the proper launch later in the year.

As before, a key feature that sets the M apart from the 6Rs is the six-pillar cab, which harks back to the 6030 series.

Less spacious it might be, but it’s also far simpler with buttons to control most of the main functions and no integrated touchscreen.

That said, these tractors are far from archaic, coming auto-steer ready and having the option of adding displays if required.