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 big and small makes it the tool of choice for Tom Mixture, who works for Slough-based Whitby Farms.

Run by Steve and Trilly Whitby, the business operates over some 1,000ha, growing maize, cereals and oilseed rape, as well as running a 180-head suckler herd plus followers.

See also: First impressions: John Deere’s front-cab 550R sprayer

Tom Mixture © James Andrews

Why a John Deere 6R 250?

I’m lucky that Steve lets us choose what tractors we want to drive.

His son Ollie likes Fendts, but I’m a John Deere man through and through.

They’re well thought out, reliable and nice to drive, plus we get really good backup from Farols.

But the thing that really makes them stand out is the GPS system and technology – it’s streets ahead of the competition.

I like the fact I can plan my jobs in advance and send them from the office computer to the tractor. This saves a lot of faff in the field.

In the past, I had 6215Rs. But as the kit got bigger, I bumped up to the 6250R (I had a couple of those) before upgrading to the 6R 250.

As a general rule, we keep them until the warranty runs out, so they’re usually moved on every couple of years before they get to 5,000 hours.

What extras did you opt for?

It’s the top-spec “signature edition” so came with almost every extra you can think of.

There are two G5 screens in the cab, plus one dedicated to Apple Carplay/Android Auto, and another on the corner pillar instead of a regular dashboard.

John Deere 6R 250 cab © James Andrews

The seat is great too – heated, cooled, lots of adjustments – as is the small leather-rimmed steering wheel.

This has the option of speed steer, which is great when you get used to it.

One unexpected bonus was the hydraulic locking stabiliser arms. These are far superior to mechanical ones and lock implements rock solid when they’re raised.

Oh, and there’s a reversing fan, which comes in particularly handy when baling.

All of the above came as standard, but I did make a couple of my own requests.

The first was having a smaller door and opening window instead of the massive single one. I’ve never liked the way they wobble around and it’s nice to be able to let some fresh air in.

The other is the bar axle, which I chose primarily for its extra weight.

These tractors have bags of power, but they need some ballast to put it to the ground effectively.

How has it performed?

It’s the ideal tractor for the work we do here.

It’s gutsy enough to pull the 4.4m Horsch Terrano and Pottinger Jumbo forage wagon – though both can test it – yet it isn’t silly big on the 24m trailed sprayer.

Another bonus on lighter duties is the low fuel use; it’s under so little strain it sips less diesel than our 6155R.

Consumption is a bit higher than the Fendt on heavy work, but this is accentuated by the fact that it’s got a relatively small tank – one penalty of choosing the bar axle.

As for reliability, it’s hardly put a foot wrong, unlike the 728, which has been plagued with breakdowns.

I’ve clocked 1,400 hours with it and the only gremlin has been occasional overheating of the AdBlue when it’s working flat out and the diesel level is below 10%.

It’s an easy fix though – you just have to top up the diesel to insulate the AdBlue tank from the heat of the engine.

What could be improved?

Ground clearance is a bit low for baling, but I get around that by fitting a swath roller under my front box.

And, if I’m being picky, it isn’t quite as comfortable as a Fendt, or as fast on the road.

Another minor irritation is the side markers, which are perfectly positioned to obscure the mirrors.

The back of the sprayer becomes invisible when they’re folded out which makes them the opposite of a safety feature.

That said, these are all very minor complaints and I won’t be changing brand or model anytime soon.