Know How / Tractors

Latest tractor articles

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…

TRACTORS

First impressions: Sharper handling for latest John Deere 6R

When a tractor range is one of Europe’s bestsellers, the last thing you want to do is upset the formula. Get too radical with any redesigns and there is a…

Tractor reviews and tests

See all

MACHINERY

Mid-range tractor test: Valtra T203 Direct

Power Farming Verdict: 3/5 The Valtra was the least powerful of the test group. It performed averagely in the DLG tests, although the usability of its gearbox was its biggest…

401+HP

Video: On test - John Deere 8400R

Over the past couple of decades, tracked tractors have established themselves as the go-to cultivations power source for many 500ha-plus arable growers, thanks to their ability to skip lightly across…

MACHINERY

First Drive – Massey Ferguson 7618

You can make the 7618 as complicated (or not) as you like. We’d probably opt for the changeable ratios of the Dyna-6 box.   Modern powershifts are clever enough so…

TRACTORS

On test: Versatile’s latest Canadian-built 260hp tractor

Farmers in the market for a modern, high-horsepower tractor are increasingly getting lumbered with bundles of expensive, techy equipment, whether they want it or not. But while most makers obsess…

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…

MACHINERY

On test: New Holland T7.230

The other tractors on test Fendt 720 Vario Case IH Puma 175 CVX Valtra T 214 Direct Massey Ferguson 7720 Dyna To avoid an awkward comparison between two near-identical tractors,…

Driver's view: New Holland TS135A

If you’re looking to bag yourself a second-hand bargain, the New Holland TS135A might not seem the most obvious choice. Yet this compact high-specification tractor has plenty to offer farmers…

MACHINERY

Top-end tractor test: Fendt 939 Vario

Power Farming Verdict: 4.1/5 A joy to work with. Great driving comfort right up to 60kph. Clear controls, lots of adjustments possible. Deutz engine and Vario transmission seem to work…

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

On test: Valtra's 100hp A104 HiTech4

Valtra is on a relentless offensive to ram-pack its tractor ranges with near limitless engine, transmission and cab spec combinations. The latest versions to be flung into its smallest A-series…

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

High-hour horsepower: John Deere 6830 breaks 20,000 hours

Graham Hayllar runs a grassland-based contracting outfit in the picturesque Eden Valley, Cumbria, and uses a fleet of high-hour workhorses, including a John Deere 6830 Premium that has clocked an…

Tractor guides

See all

MACHINERY

Should you invest in a headland turning system?

They save time, increase productivity and reduce driver fatigue, so should you invest in a headland turning system? Why invest? John Deere Claas Case study: William Strawson Headland turning systems…

MACHINERY

Mid-range tractor test: Valtra T203 Direct

Power Farming Verdict: 3/5 The Valtra was the least powerful of the test group. It performed averagely in the DLG tests, although the usability of its gearbox was its biggest…

401+HP

Video: On test - John Deere 8400R

Over the past couple of decades, tracked tractors have established themselves as the go-to cultivations power source for many 500ha-plus arable growers, thanks to their ability to skip lightly across…

401+HP

New Holland slots a CVT box in T9 tractors

In a 500+hp market only worth about 40 units/year, New Holland has upped its game to grab a few more sales by building the world’s largest wheeled CVT driven tractor,…

MACHINERY

First Drive – Massey Ferguson 7618

You can make the 7618 as complicated (or not) as you like. We’d probably opt for the changeable ratios of the Dyna-6 box.   Modern powershifts are clever enough so…

TRACTORS

On test: Versatile’s latest Canadian-built 260hp tractor

Farmers in the market for a modern, high-horsepower tractor are increasingly getting lumbered with bundles of expensive, techy equipment, whether they want it or not. But while most makers obsess…

101-200HP

How to keep a four-cylinder Valtra N-series running well

Valtra has long been a proponent of the pokey four-pot engine, but the introduction of its N174 in 2015 pushed the concept to new levels. Serving up 165hp from its…

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

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…

MACHINERY

On test: New Holland T7.230

The other tractors on test Fendt 720 Vario Case IH Puma 175 CVX Valtra T 214 Direct Massey Ferguson 7720 Dyna To avoid an awkward comparison between two near-identical tractors,…

Driver's view: New Holland TS135A

If you’re looking to bag yourself a second-hand bargain, the New Holland TS135A might not seem the most obvious choice. Yet this compact high-specification tractor has plenty to offer farmers…

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 technology

See all

TECHNOLOGY

Fendt trials hydrogen fuel cell tractors

Fendt has revealed that two prototype hydrogen fuel cell tractors will be moving on to farms in Bavaria, southern Germany, this spring to help evaluate their performance and the practicalities…

TRACTORS

Novel hybrid tractor drivetrain developed by CNH brand Steyr

Any Formula 1 fan will be used to seeing its high-performance cars harvesting unused energy and deploying it as a tactical power boost further down the track. Farmers could be…

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…

Road legal

See all

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

See all

MACHINERY

Should you invest in a headland turning system?

They save time, increase productivity and reduce driver fatigue, so should you invest in a headland turning system? Why invest? John Deere Claas Case study: William Strawson Headland turning systems…

401+HP

New Holland slots a CVT box in T9 tractors

In a 500+hp market only worth about 40 units/year, New Holland has upped its game to grab a few more sales by building the world’s largest wheeled CVT driven tractor,…

101-200HP

How to keep a four-cylinder Valtra N-series running well

Valtra has long been a proponent of the pokey four-pot engine, but the introduction of its N174 in 2015 pushed the concept to new levels. Serving up 165hp from its…

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…

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 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…

TRACTORS

Machinery Milestones: Steam-powered tractors

Britain once led the world in developing agricultural steam power, with stationary engines arriving on farms in the 1790s, followed later by portable and traction engines as well as cable-operated…

MACHINERY

Ultimate guide to buying a tractor 2018

Our ultimate guide to 50hp-plus tractors available in Britain has been published online for 2018 with a host of changes from last year’s edition. With the removal of discontinued models…

MACHINERY

How alternative fuels are helping to reduce farm emissions

Diesel-powered transport and machinery have been under scrutiny globally for some time now due to their large environmental impact in the form of hefty CO2 emissions. Recent years have seen…

TRACTORS

10 scraper tractor options for dairy farms of all sizes

No tractor is less mollycoddled than the one hooked to a muckscraper. Slathered in slurry from dawn ‘til dusk and shunting back and forth with monotonous regularity, these machines have…

MACHINERY

What to look for in a used high-hp four-cylinder tractor

Demand has been steadily growing for high-horsepowered four-pot tractors. We run through the good, bad and ugly of three second-hand options from Claas, Valtra and John Deere. Ten years ago…

Video

See all

401+HP

Video: On test - John Deere 8400R

Over the past couple of decades, tracked tractors have established themselves as the go-to cultivations power source for many 500ha-plus arable growers, thanks to their ability to skip lightly across…

MACHINERY

Tillage Live: Fendt 700 at work

[fwi_vidyard code="3K1udI5uCpk5mpxhq_i-2A"] Tillage Live provided the first working demo of Fendt’s newest offering – the 700-series. With its distinctive curved front screen, the new range runs from 200hp to 240hp…

MACHINERY

Video: Driven: John Deere 6190R

In avoiding the use of AdBlue exhaust treatment to limit emissions, John Deere has managed to tweak the new engine so that it is torquier and more thrifty than before.…

MACHINERY

Video: Valtra T234 tractor on test with a Sumo Trio cultivator

Valtra has always been the quirky alternative in the Agco tractor line-up. While Challenger takes care of the tracklayer market, Fendt does the premium end of things and Massey appeals…