Menu

Know How / Tractors

Latest tractor articles

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,…

TRACTORS

Zetor moves tractor production from Czech to India and China

Tractor maker Zetor has finally acknowledged it can no longer manufacture and assemble its products competitively in the city of Brno, its long-standing home in the Czech Republic. Dwindling sales…

TRACTORS

Valtra factory keeps producing first-gen Vario transmission

Agco’s Valtra factory in Finland is supplementing production of the first-generation ML-series Vario transmission for installation in some of its own tractors. Capacity at Fendt’s Marktoberdorf facility in southern Germany…

Tractor reviews and tests

See all

MACHINERY

John Deere 6130R on test

Power Farming Verdict: 4.1/5 John Deere’s rangy four-cylinder was blissfully simple to use and its sizable cabin made it one of the best for driver comfort. But the keep-it-simple approach…

TRACTORS

Video: Valtra's new 135hp G-series tractor on test

Valtra recently unveiled a completely new 105-135hp tractor range, but its choice of components marks something of a departure from traditional Finnish form. Rather than using home-built gearboxes, the new…

301-400HP

First drive: Case-IH’s Magnum 340 AFS Connect

Case-IH has cloaked its new Magnum range in an overcoat of technology as it bids to keep pace with the front runners in the high-horsepower tractor market. The original Magnum,…

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…

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…

MACHINERY

Kubota M9960 on test

Kubota M9960 Price: £48,803 RANKING: 7th   Cab The little Kubota looked a bit out of place alongside our test line-up. Although it matched the rest for power it has…

MACHINERY

Video: Fendt 828 v Deutz-Fahr Agrotron TTV

  [fwi_vidyard code="ERTd4JlyKIZRqdrGXQVCqA"] Power Farming Verdict There’s nothing new in Fendt’s approach – it’s still a driver’s tractor. Buy the tractor, send the driver on a course and you stand…

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…

MACHINERY

Eight 80hp tractors put to the test

We have been to the Netherlands to pit some new names against familiar faces in the world of small tractors. James Andrews and Oliver Mark gave all eight models the…

TRACTORS

First impressions: New cab revitalises Case IH Optum

The 250-300hp tractor division is red hot right now and the launch of Case IH’s Optum CVX and the equivalent New Holland T7 HD has cranked up the competition another…

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…

TRACTORS

Video: Claas Arion 550 Cebis Cmatic on test

The Claas Arion 550 Cebis Cmatic's modest proportions and respectable power make it a handy all-rounder. After testing it, we think it’s better suited to drilling and top work than…

Tractor buying advice

Tractor guides

See all

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

Kubota M9960 on test

Kubota M9960 Price: £48,803 RANKING: 7th   Cab The little Kubota looked a bit out of place alongside our test line-up. Although it matched the rest for power it has…

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

First impressions: Valtra's new Q305 tractor

A two-year reshuffle of Valtra’s entire tractor range, including a new G-series and updates to the As, Ns and Ts, culminated this summer with the launch of a quintet of…

TRACTORS

Driver's view: Kubota M6-132

Kubota is now a respected player north of 100hp, having gradually introduced more four-cylinder models that have helped shed its reputation as an amenity and scraper tractor specialist. The most…

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?…

ARABLE

16 top 170-200hp tractors for arable farms

Tractors around the 200hp mark have become the workhorse machines of most sizeable arable farms and with even more choice, here is what you should consider when looking for a…

TRACTORS

Driver's view: Valtra G125e Active tractor

Spanning a power bracket of 105hp to 135hp, Valtra’s versatile G-series neatly bridges the gap between the compact A and higher-spec N ranges. All models are driven by a Chinese-built…

TRACTORS

First impressions: Claas unveils 92-120hp Axos 3 tractors

Claas has bolstered the lower reaches of its tractor range with a quartet of new Axos 3 models that run from 92hp to 120hp. The foursome has been shoehorned in…

MACHINERY

Driven: New Holland T4 and T5

What's new? Engine & gears Cab Loader T5 pics The T4 Verdict Prices With more makes and models on the market than you could shake a stick at, choosing which…

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…

Alpine tractor maker sets its sights on UK hill farmers

Lindner might be a little-known name in UK farming circles, but it accounts for a healthy chunk of the tractor market in its home country of Austria and it’s slowly…

Tractor technology

See all

TECHNOLOGY

Converted Leyland 255 powered by used electric car parts

A quick drive-by of Ben Bament’s low-key workshop in Farmborough, Somerset would reveal nothing of the wizardly engineering cloaked under the most ordinary of machines berthed outside. Among his curious…

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…

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…

Road legal

See all

MACHINERY

Rules reminder: Stay road legal this harvest

Whether it's harvesting grass, cereals or vegetables, extra numbers of wide machines will be heading up and down Britain’s roads. But in all the rush to get ready, don’t forget…

Tractor insights and practical advice

See all

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?…

Alpine tractor maker sets its sights on UK hill farmers

Lindner might be a little-known name in UK farming circles, but it accounts for a healthy chunk of the tractor market in its home country of Austria and it’s slowly…

WORKSHOP SKILLS

Massey Ferguson tractors: Common problems and how to fix them

For the mechanically minded operator, it’s often possible to carry out minor repairs in the farm workshop. But with tractors getting ever more complex, there’s an increasing number of jobs…

MACHINERY

Solving your starter motor woes

Introduction Step-by-step Voltage drop testing Voltage drop – what’s it about? The opening part of this series laid out how the starter motor works, set the thing in the context of…

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…

TRACTORS

Tractors: where are they made?

Long gone are the glory days when the vast majority of tractors used on UK farms were built in UK factories. Today, only CNH Industrial’s New Holland plant in Essex…

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…

TECHNOLOGY

Video: Auto-tractor to revolutionise Canadian field work

The lead in the race for a driver-free, super-efficient arable farming utopia has been taken up by SeedMaster – a little known name in the world of autonomous agriculture but…

TRACTORS

22-year-old Fendt Favorit 515C gets £15k revamp

The allure of a new, top-spec tractor might win over many farmers and contractors, but Matthew Barnett has considerably more time for older machines with a proven track record. He…

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

Linkage-mounted mudguard options to reduce mud splatter

Factory-fitted fenders might do a half decent job of keeping your tractor clean, but they offer implements little protection against being pebble-dashed with mud, road grime and stones. This is…

Video

See all

Pimp my tractor - bling Valtra T-series breaks cover - pictures ...

Tractor drivers who fancy showing off to their boy-racer mates will bee keen to get their hands on the latest offering from  Valtra. The Finnish tractor maker has added a bit of…

MACHINERY

Driven: Case IH Quadtrac 600

[fwi_vidyard code="np0mt_N4hZr3xmJhhJS6Qw"] Power Farming Verdict Star Star Star Star Star More power and better suspension makes life nicer for the driver, but £350,000 price tag requires deep pockets. Summary Power/Transmission…

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…

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…