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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…

TRACTORS

First impressions: Fendt 1100 MTs get power boost

Wind the clock back a decade and Fendt looked like it might push crawler tractors to the brink of UK extinction. The reputation of iconic twin-track brand Challenger was already…

TRACTORS

Driver's view: JCB Fastrac owner rates his pair of 6300s

Hauling heavyweight tankers, spreaders and trailers across England’s northernmost counties requires a tractor that’s as adept at clocking up hours on tarmac as it is in the field. That is…

TRACTORS

Claas launches refreshed 145-180hp Arion 5 tractors

Claas has revamped its middleweight Arion tractors with a nose-job and a bunch of driver-friendly features. Following hot on the heels of the company’s revised Axion 8 launch, this latest…

Tractor reviews and tests

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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…

TRACTORS

Driver's view: Why Norfolk grower runs trio of Deutz 7250s

Deutz-Fahr tractors are now the go-to prime movers for Norfolk-based potato grower Ian Mason Farms, primarily because of their keen up-front costs and driver-friendly controls. The business runs four of…

201-300HP

First impressions: Deutz-Fahr's 287hp 8280 TTV

Deutz-Fahr has pinned its high-horsepower hopes on a new 8-series range that it reckons has the power, speed and hydraulic capacity to compete with the sector’s biggest sellers. There’s currently…

101-200HP

First impressions: More power and speed for Deere 6M-series

They might be simpler and cheaper than their premium-spec cousins, but the lack of a 50kph transmission has long stymied sales of John Deere’s 6M tractors in the UK. Keen…

TRACTORS

Video: New Holland T7.230 Power Command tractor on test

New Holland’s T7 might lack the glamorous cab offered by the likes of John Deere and Valtra – noise and space being its most obvious shortcomings – but there is…

TRACTORS

Video: First impressions - Fendt 1162 MT twin-track crawler

When Fendt announced it would be inheriting Challenger’s product range in Europe, questions centred on how the tracklayers and their crude powershift gearboxes – so obviously at odds with the…

TRACTORS

On test: Time-proven John Deere 6M 155 finally gets 50kph

Some tractors prove to be stinkers, others functional if unremarkable, and a very select few transcend an era. John Deere’s 30-series – the 6930 and 7530 in particular – has…

MACHINERY

Video: John Deere e23 tractor v Autopowr

John Deere’s high-horsepower tractors have been hankering after a new powershift transmission for years and at last it’s here. Nick Fone and Oliver Mark find out if it is any…

MACHINERY

Top-end tractors put to the ultimate test

The test Engines Transmissions Hydraulics Cabs Test process AdBlue We’ve gathered together the most powerful wheeled tractors on the market for a monster multitest. And for the first time ever…

Video: We test John Deere's four-track 9RX tractor

Rarely has there been so much preamble and orchestrated PR faff for the debut of an agricultural machine as there has been for the launch of John Deere’s four-track 9RX…

MACHINERY

Top-end tractor test: Case IH Magnum 340

Power Farming Verdict: 3.6/5 The Fiat engine performed well, especially under full load, and is in its element on heavy draft work. The engine-transmission automation system and mechanically efficient gearbox…

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…

Tractor guides

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TRACTORS

Tips for maintaining a JCB Fastrac 2170

Hip-busting dry clutches, a tanker-like turning circle and shonky wiring are just a few of the common grumbles levelled at early JCB Fastrac models. The list of ailments has been…

TRACTORS

First impressions: John Deere's 8RX 540 breaks new ground

American heavy artillery of a friendlier type will be shipped across the Atlantic later this year when the first battalion of Europe-bound 8Rs and RXs departs John Deere’s Iowan factory.…

101-200HP

Video: Massey Ferguson's entry-level 5711M on test

Massey Ferguson has enjoyed a fair amount of success in the loader tractor market, with its basic Global Series catering for the keep-it-simple brigade and the comparatively swish S series…

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…

TRACTORS

Video: First impressions - Fendt 1162 MT twin-track crawler

When Fendt announced it would be inheriting Challenger’s product range in Europe, questions centred on how the tracklayers and their crude powershift gearboxes – so obviously at odds with the…

TRACTORS

Driver's view: Tom Mixture's John Deere 6R 250

Sitting at the apex of John Deere’s “mid-size” tractor line-up, the 6R 250 offers a healthy slug of power in a modestly proportioned chassis. Its versatility in tackling jobs both…

TRACTORS

Driver's view: New Holland T5.140 Dynamic Command

Choice is one thing buyers aren’t short of when it comes to picking a New Holland T5, with five transmission options, two engine sizes and myriad hydraulic outputs spread across…

TRACTORS

Driver's view: Case Rowtrac reduces compaction in Suffolk

When it was time to chuck in the chief high-horsepower tractor at Home Farm Nacton, Suffolk, production manager Jason Smith decided to break from the norm and took a punt…

TRACTORS

Driver's view: Soanes Farming rates its John Deere 8RX 370

John Deere’s 8-series tractors come in all shapes and sizes so, no matter whether you prefer four wheels, four tracks or two, there should be something that fits the bill…

401+HP

Driver’s view: Louth Park Farms’ New Holland T8.435

Buyers looking to harness some extra grip from their New Holland T8.435 can ditch the regular rear rubber and opt for a set of triangular track units instead. But rather…

MACHINERY

Top-end tractor test: MF 8690

Verdict: 3.7/5 Good transmission and driving comfort. The Sisu engine kept up with the test averages. Easy working thanks to effortless shuttle change, roomy cab and SpeedSteer system. Computer controller…

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…

Tractor technology

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TRACTORS

Trailblazing Auga M1 methane-electric tractor set for launch

An ambitious project to manufacture a biomethane-fuelled high-performance tractor has moved a step forwards with the unveiling of a pre-production design set for final testing prior to commercial launch. The…

TRACTORS

John Deere responds to increasing Greenstar thefts

A PIN code locking system has been installed on John Deere’s Greenstar cab displays and StarFire satellite receivers to curb the appeal of these products to thieves. See also: GPS…

TRACTORS

New Holland T7 Methane tractor offers range and performance

New Holland has unveiled a prototype T7 Methane Power tractor that runs on a liquified version of the gas to give longer working times to a fill. Thanks to the…

Road legal

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Police ask tractor drivers to pull into lay-bys more often

Police in Gloucestershire are urging tractor drivers and other slow-moving vehicles to pull into lay-bys more often to let cars by. Concern has been raised about slow-moving tractors holding up…

Tractor insights and practical advice

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TRACTORS

Tips for maintaining a JCB Fastrac 2170

Hip-busting dry clutches, a tanker-like turning circle and shonky wiring are just a few of the common grumbles levelled at early JCB Fastrac models. The list of ailments has been…

TRACTORS

Buying a 150hp tractor? We look at 12 options

For sheer choice and variety, the 150hp bracket marks the tractor sector’s sweet spot, with most makers offering four- and six-cylinder alternatives and a multitude of transmission types and spec…

TRACTORS

What to look for when buying and fitting a tractor dashcam

Drive a tractor on the road for any length of time and you are bound to see some form of reckless manoeuvre from an impatient motorist. Most of the time,…

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…

MACHINERY MAINTENANCE

Guidance issued for farmers suffering biodiesel problems

Fuel suppliers have issued guidance for farmers and contractors who say biodiesel is causing low fuel pressure and blocking filters in tractors. Some farmers have suggested the problems are related…

POTATOES

Potato contractor finds the best tractor for flailing success

Lincolnshire potato contractor David Matthews expects potato haulms to have a high biomass at burndown time, thanks to this year’s growing season, and says growers will need a lot of…

101-200HP

Top tips for getting the best from a John Deere 6930 Premium

In the second-hand, mid-horsepower tractor market, John Deere’s 6930 Premium is arguably one of the most sought after. Built in Mannheim between 2007 and 2012, this lightweight, powerful tractor offers…

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,…

TRACTORS

Fendt puts £200k price on base spec 75hp e100 Vario tractor

Fendt has slapped a £200,000 base list price on its first full-size plug-in electric tractor, which is now on sale in the UK. The 75hp e107S Vario is based on…

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

The inspection service helping buyers spot dodgy tractors

Most farmers would back themselves to spot a dodgy tractor a mile off, but a burgeoning agricultural business is offering an impartial inspection service that goes a bit further than…

Video

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MACHINERY

VIDEO: First glimpse of Case IH's JXU replacement

Case IH’s replacement for the popular JXU range of small, simple tractors made its first UK appearance at Lamma 2012. The three-model Farmall U range offers 90hp, 100hp and 110hp…

101-200HP

Video: Massey Ferguson's entry-level 5711M on test

Massey Ferguson has enjoyed a fair amount of success in the loader tractor market, with its basic Global Series catering for the keep-it-simple brigade and the comparatively swish S series…

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…

MACHINERY

Driven: Fendt 828 reverse-drive

[fwi_vidyard code="-ywPYYNkJb0OmXEsKYqmGw"] Power Farming Verdict Star Star Star Star Star Big cab, lots of computer wizardry, clever suspension and gutsy engine, but it's £30,000 more than the nearest competition. Summary…