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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…

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

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101-200HP

On test: Deutz-Fahr 6150.4 with peculiar RVshift transmission

Postnatal electronic surgery has transformed the Deutz family’s CVT transmission into a faux powershift that aims to offer the best of both worlds. This non-binary gearbox, born a TTV at…

MACHINERY

Video: First drive: McCormick X70.80

Power Farming Verdict For once we weren’t sitting in the tractor cab into the early hours trying to work out how to set-up headland management and adjust transmission settings. We…

401+HP

First impressions: John Deere’s bonkers-big 913hp 9RX 830

John Deere’s new 9RX 830 is the biggest, most powerful and most expensive tractor ever to go into series production. In pure horsepower terms, it can be bettered only by…

TRACTORS

Video: On test - Case IH 300hp Optum CVX

There is a growing demand from shoppers in the 300hp market for machines more versatile than the traditional tillage-grade tractor.  In response, the major manufacturers have been scrambling to fill…

MACHINERY

Video: 110hp Armatrac 1104 on test

Turkey has become something of a hotbed for small tractor manufacturing and one of its most recent exports is beginning to make headway in the cost-conscious UK market. The Armatrac…

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…

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…

MACHINERY

Video: Furse four tractor test: John Deere 6930

Watch the video and read the full report below. We’ve been very impressed with the 6930 and it hasn’t had any of the problems we experienced with previous Deeres. It’s…

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…

TRACTORS

Driver's view: Robin Ward's Massey Ferguson 8S.305

For the Massey Ferguson buyer seeking 300 horses, both the 8S and 9S can deliver the goods. But the former’s blend of power and manoeuvrability made it the sensible choice…

TRACTORS

Driver's view: Ollie Raybould's 7-year-old John Deere 6155R

As one of the best-selling models from the most popular brand in the UK, few tractors dominate the farming landscape like John Deere’s 6155R. Built from 2015 to 2021, it…

MACHINERY

On test: McConnel's Robopower remote control tractor

Farm machinery boffs are adamant that tractors are going to change, but exactly what they might morph into is still a bit of a mystery. Several manufacturers have already had…

Tractor buying advice

Tractor guides

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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…

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…

Why energy maize could spark steel track crawler comeback

Having to work arable land late after an energy maize harvest, when slippery surface conditions can show up the limitations of rubber tracks, could result in a comeback for steel-track…

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

On test: Deutz-Fahr 6150.4 with peculiar RVshift transmission

Postnatal electronic surgery has transformed the Deutz family’s CVT transmission into a faux powershift that aims to offer the best of both worlds. This non-binary gearbox, born a TTV at…

TRACTORS

Fendt tractors: Common problems and how to fix them

It might be the premium brand of choice for large-scale farms and contracting businesses, but just like any other maker, Fendt’s tractors can suffer the odd mechanical gremlin. Engine problems…

MACHINERY

Video: First drive: McCormick X70.80

Power Farming Verdict For once we weren’t sitting in the tractor cab into the early hours trying to work out how to set-up headland management and adjust transmission settings. We…

401+HP

First impressions: John Deere’s bonkers-big 913hp 9RX 830

John Deere’s new 9RX 830 is the biggest, most powerful and most expensive tractor ever to go into series production. In pure horsepower terms, it can be bettered only by…

MACHINERY

In-cab tyre inflation cuts costs and compaction

If there is one thing that we can all be sure of in 2016, it is that soil compaction will be an increasing worry for farmers. However, machines continue to…

TRACTORS

Tips for buying a second-hand Challenger MT765E

Rising input costs, falling subsidy payments and squeezed profit margins mean many farmers are turning to the second-hand machinery market to add extra firepower or replace their ageing prime mover.…

WORKSHOP SKILLS

Case and New Holland tractors: How to fix common problems

Tractors are a major expenditure on the farm, and breakdowns can leave you with a big mechanic's bill. There are some ways, however, that you can try to avoid costly…

TRACTORS

Video: On test - Case IH 300hp Optum CVX

There is a growing demand from shoppers in the 300hp market for machines more versatile than the traditional tillage-grade tractor.  In response, the major manufacturers have been scrambling to fill…

Tractor technology

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TECHNOLOGY

Contracting start-up makes bridge kit for JD guidance system

A West Sussex start-up has steered its way to success with a bridge kit for seamlessly installing John Deere guidance in tractors made by all major competitor brands. Deere has…

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…

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…

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

Machinery Milestones: The most unusual tractor launches

Publicity spectaculars featuring tractors are unusual, but they have been used to give an extra boost to new developments that prove difficult to sell. An example is the introduction of…

Machinery giants: How Case IH became a big name in farm kit

You have to go right back to the 1820s to witness the beginnings of Case IH. The McCormick family was developing a new reaping machine that was demonstrated successfully in…

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

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…

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

Buying the right tractor: Part 3 - suspension and tyres

In the final installment of our guide to getting the right spec on your new tractor, Peter Hill takes a look at cab suspension and tyre options. [pm_module id="1482425"] Suspension…

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…

TECHNOLOGY

JCB's hydrogen-fuelled combustion engine examined

JCB is one of the first agricultural engine makers to successfully modify its conventional powerplants to run on compressed hydrogen, eliminating carbon emissions without any impact on performance. Its gas-fired,…

MARKETS AND TRENDS

How tight margins on farm are hitting ag machinery sales

Machinery dealers are feeling the pinch as reduced demand from farmers for new kit hits their bottom line. With fewer than 9,000 machines being registered in 2025, the Agricultural Engineers…

Latest tacho, licence and red diesel rules explained

What is legal on the road is not so much a grey area – it’s more like 50 shades of grey, all which have to be interpreted carefully by farmers…

MACHINERY

In-cab tyre inflation cuts costs and compaction

If there is one thing that we can all be sure of in 2016, it is that soil compaction will be an increasing worry for farmers. However, machines continue to…

Video

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Video: Tractors decorated in Christmas lights on parade

Tractors festooned in Christmas lights have brought a bit of festive joy to the streets of a small town in south-east Ireland. A group of 15 tractors paraded around the…

MACHINERY

Video: Custom Ford 7700 gets V8 muscle injection

If the burble of a throaty V8 engine puts a smile on your face, Luke Furse’s modified Ford 7700 will have you grinning from ear to ear. Twin gleaming stainless…

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…

Video: Valtra sets world’s fastest tractor record

Finnish rally legend Juha Kankkunen has set a new tractor speed record of 88.88mph at the wheel of a modified T-series Valtra. The four-time World Rally Champion – famous for…