When Massey Ferguson unveiled the 5470 earlier this year it was a surprise to learn that the 125hp tractor was a four-cylinder turbo charged unit, which put it at the top end of the 5400 range – ahead of the six-cylinder turbocharged 5465.

MF reasons that demand has risen for tractors in the 120-125hp sector and introducing a four-cylinder in this band increases the options.

As the tractor is aimed at mixed arable and livestock units, we did a spot of haulage and some baling to gauge how it performed.

Transmission

The 5470 gains MF’s new Dyna-4 transmission which is essentially a downsized version of the Dyna-6 powershift box used in the company’s larger 6400 series.

Operation is identical to that of the larger Dyna-6 box, the sole difference being that the number of powershift steps is reduced to four.

There is no longer any requirement for any form of manual gear or range shifts.

Once moving, knocking a T-bar shift-lever forward results in an upshift. Once the top gear in that range is reached, depressing a button on the lever while knocking it forward again initiates a range change.

So, in effect, all 16 forward and 16 reverse gears are powershift steps, each divided into four powered ranges.

Hooked to a grain trailer the MF 5470 pulls away easily in the second lowest range, highest powershift, namely B4.

The powershift steps are smooth and when you make a range change the transmission’s electronics ensure you’re in the right gear relative to forward speed and engine load.

Shuttling between forward and reverse is smooth and the aggressiveness of direction changes can be adjusted on rotary dial on the right-hand console.

In reality this doesn’t seem to have as much of an effect as it promises.

Shuttling at the +5 setting is extremely harsh – which is amplified by the marginal distance of play between the trailer eye-hook and pick-up hitch – while turning the dial to -5 only does a little to dampen the jolting effect.

Annoyingly the transmission doesn’t default to a low setting when the tractor is switched off, which means that you may find yourself attempting to pull away in top gear, which has an inevitable result – a stalled tractor bringing jeers from nearby spectators.

In the field the gearbox works well. Constantly shifting range and powershift steps to cater for an uneven crop, the unit isn’t troubled as we work our way down the swath with a MF variable chamber round-baler.

As the topography of the test field is football-field level it is hard to gauge how the 5470 would perform against the hill on pto operations, but on the flat it doesn’t break sweat.

In the cab

The 5470 is shorter, lighter and more compact than the 5465 and with its Dyna-4 transmission it should be ideally suited to loader work, especially with its clutchlessly-operated left-hand shuttle.

Hydraulic controls fall easily to hand and the optional “combined flow” hydraulic pump – which takes the standard 57-litres a minute to an impressive 100-litres a minute at the spool valves – dictates that the tractor performs well for auxiliary operations.

MF’s “Visio” roof is an option and if you are considering fitting a loader to the tractor, it is well worth having.

Summary

When the 5470 parks up alongside its less powerful sibling – the 6-cyl, 120hp 5465 – it is hard to comprehend how the new unit can be the range topper.

The 5470 has some impressive features like the Dyna-4 transmission, which is simple to use and smooth in operation, but this is available for every tractor in the 5400 range.

It is of a pity that MF don’t offer the unit with mechanical “Speedshift” that is standard across the remainder of the 5400 range.

Overall the 5470 is a tight package that offers decent levels of comfort – most are not standard equipment – and performs well in the field, on the road and in the yard.

Users with more demanding cultivations will prefer the Perkins-powered 6-cyl 5465 but, with its 4-pot Sisu motor, the 5470 has the potential to find favour with those farms where space and weight are an issue.

fwmachinery@rbi.co.uk