Before we start – what we were looking for

Four-cylinder tractors around 130hp are wonderfully versatile things. Relatively light and nimble compared to bigger kit, they are the ideal tool to load, spread and spray on arable farms – yet still pack enough power for the heavier work on smaller mixed holdings and dairy units.

To help you find one to match your needs and pocket, we’ve brought together seven of the biggest sellers and driven them with a plough, trailer, drill and cultivator.

These tractors aren’t short on abilities and facilities – there’s plenty here for lovers of buttons and high-tech systems. But if high-tech isn’t your thing, each maker offers a simpler, cheaper and potentially lighter alternative.

Before we start

Tractor testing, like the course of true love, rarely runs smooth. So here are one or two hiccups that didn’t materially affect the results, but which you ought to know about.

• New Holland delivered an Elite-spec T6040, but with a Super-steer axle (which precludes front suspension) and mechanical spools.
• Deutz produced an Agrotron to the requested spec, but this was withdrawn from the DLG test then returned for measurement later.
• John Deere requested that OECD test figures previously obtained by the DLG were used, so these are quoted in the data table and in the tractor’s report. Naturally the DLG checked the tractor we drove, finding its power was up to 2.7hp higher than the OECD check value and its fuel consumption was up to 3.5% greater. Both these values are within production tolerances.

Over the next few pages you’ll find a blow-by-blow comparison, followed by a look at each model in more detail. Rounding things off is a data table with full results.

Cabs

Size

The biggest cab belongs to the New Holland. Tightest is the Fendt’s, into which two big men can’t fit unless they are particularly good friends. Deere’s cab is similar-sized but uses space much better.

Visibility

Best views are from the New Holland courtesy of its big doors, very deep rear panel and standard topside loader window. Close behind come the Deere and Deutz, the latter compromised by a low roofline which doesn’t suit tall drivers.

Visibility from the Claas, Fendt and Massey is average, the Valtra just below average on account of its cluttered rear window and a forward-set seat. But it, like the Massey and Deere, offers powered mirrors – a real effort-saver.

Controls

The Deere has no armrest controls. That won’t appeal to people who like everything in fingertip reach, yet the Deere’s uncluttered layout is near-perfect.

Best armrest controls belong to the Claas, which puts everything for fieldwork in one place. The Deutz version comes close but has a small problem – see the tractor’s report.

Massey peppers controls around the cab and sites the pto switch uncomfortably low. Fendt’s old-fashioned office mixes high- and low-tech elements and persists with an awkwardly tiny shuttle switch, though the joystick can take over if preferred.

By comparison Claas’s mini-shifter is excellent, yet its instrument panel is set too flat for reflection-free viewing. Valtra’s cab seems laid out for reverse drive, leaving many controls too far back even with the seat swivelled.

	Toolboxes varied in size and ease of removal. The Valtra didn’t have one.
	Deere’s optional coolbox would keep icing on the cake.

Storage

Best storage is found in the John Deere, the most stingy in the New Holland. The Valtra boasts a mighty flat-floored space behind the seat. Usefully, Claas and New Holland put 12V alongside a mobile phone tray.

Noise, ride and comfort

Subjectively and on the noise meter, the Fendt is the quietest drive, followed by the Claas and Deere. Engine roar upsets the Deutz, while the Massey is spoiled by middle-rpm boom: the New Holland adds gear whine to boom when working hard. DLG measurement puts the Deutz loudest, then the Valtra/Massey.

Thanks to SuperSteer the New Holland had no front suspension. Only this tractor suffered bad bounce with a trailer. The rest had cab and front suspension, with Fendt and Deere delivering the kindest rides.

Engines

Modern Tier III common-rail engines here, with capacities from 4 litres (Deutz, Fendt) to 4.5 litres (Claas, Deere, New Holland) and rated engine powers (EC/ISO, gross) from 120hp to 133hp.

The Deutz, Deere, Massey and New Holland all raise their game with a built-in power boost, lifting claimed engine outputs to 130hp-140hp in certain conditions. Boost aside, all engines show a power rise as revs fall from rated speed (overpower).

For pto output the New Holland can’t be beaten, laying down an impressive 132.2hp max on boost through the DLG’s dyno. Boosted or not, all the rest are within comfortable shouting distance of 120hp.

In draft work, boosted power is not available. Maximum drawbar power comes from the heavy Massey (111.2hp) with the Claas close behind at 107.1hp. The Fendt trails with 97.8hp.

All the engines fight increasing load tenaciously. The Claas and Deere have practically unchanging torque from 1800rpm back to 1000rpm, while (unusually) the Massey’s torque rises doggedly to peak at 1000rpm.

Highest torque rises are in the New Holland, Fendt and Massey, all at around 60%: the lowest from the Deutz (29.4% on boost). The Fendt and Valtra can’t be stalled, thanks to their CVT control and optional fluid clutch respectively.

	Mudguard controls varied – some, like Class, allow external operation of a spool.
	All tractors had cab suspension, either two- or four-point with steel springs or from air.

Fuel consumption

Small percentage differences here can add up to big variations in running cost over several thousand hours.

Pto values first. The DLG’s six-point value looks at specific consumption (the weight of fuel needed to produce 1kW for one hour), averaging the figure at rated speed with five part-load, part-throttle points.

By this yardstick – reckoned to represent mixed use – the Fendt and New Holland are the most fuel-efficient tractors at 263g/kWh, the latter on boost. The Deere and Deutz are average, worst is the Valtra’s 291g/kWh.

At the drawbar, specific consumption is checked at rated speed and max power. These are single, full-load figures at one forward speed only: so while they do take transmission loss into account, they are not as representative as the six-point average consumption. Claas wins (284g/kWh and 270g/kWh) the Valtra again trails with 349g/kWh and 316g/kWh.

Transmission

Semi-powershift boxes with more or less automation are favourite in this power class, aside from the stepless-transmission Fendt. Some don’t stray past 40k, teaming a high top gear with restricted engine revs to boost fuel economy.

The Massey and Claas boast six powershift steps in their GIMA transmissions New Holland and Deere four, Deutz and Valtra three. All have power direction shuttles.

The Claas, Massey and New Holland can help the operator with automatic range changes, with Claas the smoothest. The Deere, Deutz and Valtra shift main gears with a manual stick Valtra makes the hardest work. The Deere is easier, but with six speeds to work through, it needs to be.

The rule is 24/24 ratios the exceptions to it are the Deutz (24/8), New Holland (17/16) and the Valtra (36/36 if you count the test tractor’s optional creeper set).

We uncovered no significant problems with powershifting or shuttling and only one with gear spread. In fast cultivation the New Holland can be tricky, with the required 12-13kph falling exactly on a range shift. With no range overlap at this point, workrate is potentially compromised.

The others had gears for all work. The six-step powershifts of the Class and Massey deliver more operational flexibility than the three-step versions of the Deutz and Valtra.

Each tractor offers intelligent powershift automation. The idea is to reduce driver effort, and in most cases software allows the choice between power or economy operation. That is, the transmission autoshifts at lower rpm (for economy) or higher rpm (for power).

The driver can adjust shift points, and in all but the New Holland and Valtra the power/economy balance can be varied on the move – handy. Massey offers the most obvious way to do this, from a single knob. Deutz and Valtra add kickdown to autoshifting – flooring the throttle prompts the transmission to grab a lower ratio.

Only the Deere doesn’t offer one or more throttle memories. The Valtra adds a car-style cruise control which, together with autoshifting, takes the tractor towards CVT-style operation.

But with only three powershift steps the functionality is limited, and naturally you can’t anchor down engine revs and travel speed at the same time: only a CVT can do that. A similar option would make good sense on the six-step powershifts of the Class and Massey.

The Fendt stands apart. With TMS electronics allowing extensive interplay between the engine and stepless gearbox, it offers a breadth of working options that the others can’t match, though at a cost premium. But exploiting its abilities takes study, and for many livestock operations this fine transmission is overkill.

Steering

Tight turning should be a four-cylinder bonus. Best lock prize goes (unsurprisingly) to the Supersteer-equipped New Holland, though its 9.2m circle was not that far inside the Deere’s 9.94m – on New Holland’s longer-wheelbase models Supersteer has more potential.

The rest turned in 10-11m, with the Claas at 11.7m. Fendt has most car-like steering.

Brakes

Very progressive operation, a firm pedal and low-effort independent braking float the Fendt to the top, though the Deere pushes it hard. Spongy pedals plague the Claas, Massey, New Holland and Valtra, yet their stopping power is good.

Special mention goes to Valtra’s optional and transport-friendly AutoTraction setup, which opens the main clutch with brake pedal operation at low speed then closes it as the pedal is released.

	Top link storage on the different tractors range form easy to a fiddle.

Linkage and hitch control

Conventional draft control and lower link sensing are standard. On the hardware side, the poor top link holders of Claas and Valtra stand out. Deutz, Massey and Valtra set linkage response and other parameters with traditional knobs, the others do it on-screen.

Of the latter, Deere’s hitch functions are the most accessible – a button takes you directly to the right page. But in principle, conventional knobs are faster and more intuitive.

Hitch activation after start-up is simplest on the Deere, most long-winded on the Claas. But Claas bounces back with the best draft response, showing wide-ranging sensitivity and the ability to vary response without affecting working depth. Least effective draft control came from the New Holland.

Ideally, lift capacity rises with lift arm position. Massey, New Holland and Valtra linkages do not show this characteristic, peaking in force at the mid-position. Valtra delivers the highest lift capacity – 6499kg average. Lowest capacity comes in the Deere (4535kg max), narrowest lift range from the Massey (620mm).

Hydraulics

Load-sensing pumps and electro-hydraulic spools are favourite, though load sensing is optional on the Claas and Massey. UK-spec New Hollands have electro-valves, not the test tractor’s manual levers. Four outlets is normal, the Valtra and Claas alone can take six.

Best outlet positioning goes to Massey, worst to Valtra which splits flow and return ports horizontally around the top link. Deere and Fendt identify their spool outlets the most clearly and mark flow direction on each.

Flow and operating time are generally adjustable on-screen, usually for each valve. Flow can usually be set separately for both directions, though not on the Deutz. Fendt alone has a separate hydraulic oil reservoir and uniquely lets any spool be given priority.

Valtra gives the best option to lock off individual valves for safety, something the Claas just can’t do. Yet while several tractors helpfully link one valve to mudguard buttons, only Claas and Fendt allow the choice of which valve.

Highest maximum hydraulic power belongs to the Valtra (38kW, combined outlets).

PTO

Claas, Deutz and Massey give four pto speeds (540, 540E, 1000 and 1000E) while Valtra only perms any two from three. Speed selection is simplest from the Fendt’s pushpads.

All can tie pto switching to rear linkage operation. Valtra allows switch-off, though like the Deere, this automation is only delivered in a headland management sequence. That’s not good if you don’t like pushing buttons.