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TRACTORS

Quicke improves weighing on tractor-mounted Q-Series loaders

Tractor loader control and automation is reckoned to have reached new heights with the latest updates to Quicke’s Q-companion digital system introduced alongside changes to the flagship Q-Series loaders. Existing…

TRACTORS

Cereals 2026: John Deere 6M tractor and 500R sprayer updated

Cab size is now the only real differentiator between John Deere’s 6R and 6M series tractors, thanks to a handful of new optional extras on the latter. These include a…

TRACTORS

Revamped John Deere 6R gets new cab and sharper handling

John Deere has overhauled the top end of its popular 6R tractor range, fitting a bigger cab and uprating the running gear for better handling. For now, only models on…

301-400HP

First impressions: New 8340’s cab is a Deutz-Fahr revolution

Not for the first time, green tractors of German provenance stole the headlines at November’s Agritechnica show. Only this time, John Deere, Fendt and Claas bods were among the spectators…

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…

Tractor reviews and tests

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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

McCormick X5.30 on test

McCormick X5.30 Price: £55,305 RANKING: 6th   Cab The X5.30 was so new at the time we carried out the tractor test that McCormick had to field a pre-production model,…

TRACTORS

Driver's view: Richard and Matthew Thomas's Zetor Proxima CL80

Since Zetor tractors first arrived in the UK, they’ve been the tool of choice for Welsh hill farmers Richard and Matthew Thomas. The initial attraction to the Czech brand was…

TRACTORS

Contractor rates his 500hp artic-steer John Deere 9620

American farmers have a deep affection for the meaty roar and unrestrained pulling power of a 20t articulated tractor, but the prairie monsters have never quite made themselves at home…

MACHINERY

First impressions of Valtra’s redesigned T-series tractors

Valtra’s six-cylinder, T-series tractors have been crying out for a refresh for years... and at last they’ve got it. James Andrews travelled to Germany to see if it’s been worth…

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…

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

Driver's view: McCormick MTX 150

Driver's verdict I like the simplicity of the McCormick. The gearbox is easy to use, the hydraulics are basic and there are no high-tech electronics to make things complicated. It…

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,…

TRACTORS

Driver’s view: John Deere 9620RX power proves the difference

When Case-IH chose to bolt four track units to one of its articulated prairie monsters it created a new tractor concept that had no direct rivals for more than 15…

TRACTORS

Driver's View: Ben Sharp’s Case IH Optum 300

Case IH’s Puma 260 might be the obvious match for the 300hp tractors featured in this series, but, with the near-identical T7.300 already covered, we’re instead focusing on a model…

TRACTORS

Video: On test - John Deere 6250R v 7250R

The 250hp tractor market is bulging at the seams, so picking the model that provides the best balance of power, chassis size, transmission and fuel consumption requires careful consideration. In…

Tractor guides

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TRACTORS

On test: JCB Fastrac 4220 iCON

This time last year we pitted JCB’s Fastrac 4220 against a Fendt 724 Vario to see just how close the high-speed specialist’s in-field performance could get to that of a…

TRACTORS

First impressions: Fendt's swish new cab update

Fendt is rolling out new-look cab controls that it reckons will finally put to bed the myth that its tractors are hard to drive. Comfort, quietness and a raft of…

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

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

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

Kubota M135-GX first drive

From a driver’s perspective, the M135-GX has loads going for it:A roomy four-post cab with the best views around, loads of clever gadgets and an incredibly smooth ride, combined with…

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…

401+HP

First impressions: Claas Xerion 12.650 takes on US artics

To the casual observer, Claas’ Xerion 12.650 looks like any other articulated crawler – just a Quadtrac, 9RX, or Versatile Deltatrack dressed in a different outfit. Yet it’s nothing of…

MACHINERY

On test: Fendt 720 Vario

The other tractors on test New Holland T 7.230 Case IH Puma 175 CVX  Valtra T 214 Direct Massey Ferguson 7720 Dyna It’s the same old story with the Fendt…

TECHNOLOGY

Central tyre inflation systems – the options and prices

Pump ’em up for the road, let ’em down for the field. That is the essence of using a central tyre inflation system (CTIS) to actively manage inflation pressures and…

MACHINERY

110hp tractor test: Kubota M110GX

Power Farming Verdict: 3/5 Plenty of potential but not the finished article – its weak engine was a disappointment and the cab finish needs some work. But there’s plenty to…

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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TRACTORS

Agritechnica 2019: Steyr shows zero emissions hybrid tractor

Steyr is no stranger to out-of-the-ordinary tractor launches, and the Austrian firm maintained its reputation with a wacky diesel-electric hybrid concept unveiled at the show. Having made headlines a decade…

TRACTORS

Yanmar launches small autonomous tractors

Japanese maker Yanmar has finished the development of its fully autonomous tractor, working together with Hokkaido University. The so-called Robot Tractor is available now and can work alone or as…

TECHNOLOGY

Central tyre inflation systems – the options and prices

Pump ’em up for the road, let ’em down for the field. That is the essence of using a central tyre inflation system (CTIS) to actively manage inflation pressures and…

Road legal

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ROAD LEGAL

Tracked tractor test mandatory for new operators

Operators of twin-tracked tractors must ensure they have a category H test before getting behind the wheel this harvest, and advanced booking is advised after a testing backlog. The disruption…

Tractor insights and practical advice

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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

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…

TECHNOLOGY

Central tyre inflation systems – the options and prices

Pump ’em up for the road, let ’em down for the field. That is the essence of using a central tyre inflation system (CTIS) to actively manage inflation pressures and…

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

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…

MACHINERY

Tips for buying a 350hp Cat Challenger C-series on a budget

Shopping for a 350hp tractor with less than £30,000 in your back pocket brings up precious few options in the UK. But if you keep your eyes peeled you might…

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: Centenary for iconic Lanz Bulldog

The introduction of the Lanz company's first Bulldog series tractors 100 years ago set the wheels in motion for one of the European tractor industry’s biggest success stories. Tractor history…

How to get the best price for your old tractor

Preparing to sell a used tractor should begin pretty much as soon as the machine is bought. After all, it is not just buyers of cars, vans and other vehicles…

TRACTORS

Ultimate guide to buying a tractor 2019

Manufacturers appear to be preparing to unveil their next round of major updates at the same time as introducing engines to the European Stage 5 emissions regulations that came into…

TRACTORS

Machinery Milestones: UK tractor-building revolution failure

Agricultural and General Engineers (AGE) was formed in 1919 to help Britain’s tractor and machinery industry compete against the big American manufacturers, but it ended up putting some of its…

Tractor tyres v tracks: which is best?

Low ground pressure, unbeatable traction and greater productivity potential. That sums up the attraction of high horsepower tracked tractors to arable farmers who run them for cultivation and drilling in…

Video

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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…

401+HP

Video: Fendt's 943 MT twin-track crawler on test

Agco has breathed new life into its flailing twin-track fleet with a major rebranding and upgrading exercise for the long-in-the-tooth Challenger tractors. And the firm’s prairie monster range needed some…

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: McCormick sticks to what it does best with the X60

In the market for a new loader tractor? Nick Fone and David Cousins take a look a two new arrivals on the scene – McCormick’s X60.40 and Valtra’s A93. Intro…