John Deere has launched its most powerful tractor yet, cranking the output of its flagship 9RX artic up to a heady 913hp.

The performance boost has been made possible by upsizing to an 18-litre engine from the 13.6-litre six-cylinder used in the current 9RX 640.

This is the same block used in the firm’s 900-series forage harvesters, and it meets the latest emissions regs without the need for AdBlue.

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Three new models will be offered with this power plant – the 710, 770 and 830 – which have respective max outputs of 781hp, 847hp and 913hp, and torque figures of 3,622Nm, 3,928Nm and 4,234Nm.

Such a considerable power hike has required the services of a heavier duty transmission.

This comes in the form of the e21 powershift box, which features 21 gears that can be shifted manually or automatically.

Heavy duty

Efficiently transferring this power is no mean feat, which is why engineers have given the tractor a maximum ballasted weight of 38,100kg and fitted the track units with larger 1,200mm drive sprockets.

Almost 40t might seem like a punishing load to put on soils, but Deere claims ground pressure is comparable to the smaller 9RX.

It has also managed to keep the width within 3m , making it compatible with UK roads.

Another notable feature is a triple hydraulic pump option that can provide up to 636 litres/min.

This comes with a boost function that can give an additional 40hp for driving implements with particularly heavy demands on oil flow.

Operators haven’t been forgotten either, with a larger cab that offers considerably more floor space, an uprated suspension system and better isolation from noise and vibrations.

Steering speed and effort also adjust automatically according to the speed of travel, with the aim of making it both easier to control on the road and quicker to manoeuvre in the field.

Maintenance has been simplified, with all daily service items accessed from the ground via a new “catwalk” platform around the cab, hydraulic oil service intervals extended to 4,000 hours and an optional reversible fan to keep the radiator clean.

A rapid refuelling system also allows the 1,952-litre diesel tank to be brimmed in about four minutes.