Conventional tractors are creeping above the 400hp mark, but there are plenty of smaller ones that’ll do the job just fine. Oliver Mark rounds up some of the less powerful tractors to look out for at LAMMA.

Valtra N93 and N103

The N-series (above) is Valtra’s biggest-selling tractor range. With its super-powerful four cylinder – the N163 – at the top, two new 100hp tractors have replaced the smaller ones at the bottom.

The N93 and N103 tractors get a three-pot, 3.3-litre Sisu engine. The space left by the old four-cylinder has been taken up by extra cooling packs for the EGR emissions control system.

In the transmission department both get Valtra’s three-gear, semi-powershift box. There’s a creeper option available, too, which takes the gearing range up to 30×30.

ArmaTrac

Turkish-built ArmaTrac tractors have models extending from 60-110hp. Engines are from Perkins or Deutz, with 16×16 transmissions from ZF or Carraro. Powershuttles and aircon will be available, too. The tractors will be pitched in the mid-price market, with the company keen to stress that these aren’t cheap-and-cheerful machines.

ArmaTrac is thought to be the first Turkish manufacturer to use its own brand name and distribution network in the UK. It sells about 6,500 units each year in Turkey and the tractors also sell well in Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

Zetor Major

One of the most loveable brands in the farm machinery market, Zetor re-launched the Major tractor last year.

It’s an 80hp machine that is more compact than the Czech firm’s current base Proxima models. That should make it better suited to tight farmyards and it will probably replace the most basic Proxima tractors in the future.

Power comes from a 4.2-litre, four cylinder engine with no electronics, AdBlue or EGR. Transmissions are pretty uncomplicated too, with three ranges and four gears but no splitters or powershifts. Lift capacity is 2.6t and hydraulic power comes in at 50 litres/min.

Fendt 500

Anyone looking for a mid-horsepower, high-spec tractor might like to have a gander at Fendt’s new 500 Vario series. Spanning the 125-165hp bracket, the new series will eventually replace the existing 400 series.

Looks-wise the 500s are almost identical to their 700 series siblings. That means they get a windscreen that curves up into the roof to improve the view to the front loader. In-cab gadgets include a 7in or 10.4in screen, scrollwheel and multi-function joystick.

All models have Fendt’s Vario CVT transmission and a four cylinder, 4-litre engine. SCR and AdBlue take care of emissions.

At the back there are five double-acting spools (as well as two at the front) and rear lift is almost 7.8t – a pretty substantial figure for a tractor of this size.

Massey Ferguson 5600

Massey Ferguson’s new-look 5600 series will be at the show. The three-model range extends from 85-105hp and will replace equivalent 5400-series tractors.

A maintenance-free DOC and EGR system see to the emissions caused by a 3.3-litre, three cylinder engine. That’s tucked under a narrower, droopy-nose bonnet.

The Beauvais-built series gets plenty of other big-tractor perks including an Autodrive function, which allows the tractor to automatically scoot up and down the 16 speeds of the Dyna-4 transmission.

The cab is taken from the bigger 7600-series, with four roof options depending on whether you fancy a window, low profile or a combination of the two.

Same Virtus

The revival of the Same brand has begun with the launch of the Virtus – a range of small-to-medium tractors.

The Virtus 100 (99hp), Virtus 110 (110hp) and Virtus 120 (122hp) are all said to have good power-to-weight ratios, which should be handy for fieldwork.

Power comes from a Deutz four-cylinder engine, with a 30×30 powershift transmission providing a top speed of 50kph and a working range from 2.9-16kph. Hydraulic power comes in at 90 litres/min and the rear linkage has a lift capacity of 6.6t.

Claas Arion

The Arion has traditionally been a big seller for Claas. Buyers get a choice of John Deere-built engines – the four-cylinder Arion 500 models get a 4.5-litre block and power starts at 145hp, while the 6.8-litre six-pots start at 158hp.

The five-pillar cab is similar to that on the Axion 900. Inside, top-of-the-range Cebis spec tractors get the Cmotion controller that will be pretty familiar to drivers of the latest Lexions or big Axions.

There’s a four-range gearbox with six powershift stages that can be driven in manual or fully automatic mode.

McCormick X50

Having arrived on UK soil just in time for the show, McCormick’s X50 should appeal to anyone in the market for a simple-to-use 100hp tractor.

Spanning 85hp to 113hp, it will replace the McCormick T-Max series and uses a new Perkins compact four-cylinder motor. The 3.4-litre, electronically controlled engine replaces the 4.5-litre mechanically injected engine of the X50’s predecessor.

The tractor has a flexible choice of transmissions with a three-speed powershift option and synchro or powershuttle.

Deutz-Fahr 7-series

One big tractor that impressed visitors to most of last year’s major foreign shows was Deutz-Fahr’s 220-265hp 7-series. It is powered by a six-pot Deutz engine and 60kph is possible on the road. There are also two cruise speeds on the joystick for steady tillage work.

All three of the six-cylinder tractors get CVT transmissions and an engine boost that can add as must as 25hp. To accommodate the extra power, wheelbases are longer and transmissions are beefier than any previous Deutz offerings.

Other changes include a bigger fuel tank and improved cooling pack, which should make maintenance easier.

Landini

Landini’s Landpower tractor now sports a larger four-post cab and improved visibility.

Four models are available with outputs of 117hp to 158hp. A 6.7-litre Fiat engine uses mechanical fuel injection and drives through a simple 18×18 speed transmission. There’s mechanical operation of the hydraulic spools and linkage, too.

Also new to Landini is the 7-series, which gets the same 6.7-litre engine and provides 218hp with boost. There’s the choice of specs – either the manual shifts of the eight-speed, 32×24 transmission or, the more complicated “Full Tronic” version with automatic shifting.