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TRACTORS

Ultimate guide to buying a tractor 2026

The year’s Farmers Weekly Ultimate Guide to tractors is notable for the first-time listing of a mainstream electric model and a driverless tractor range, and the removal of two familiar…

TRACTORS

Mitas creates Granterra tyre for low-speed, high-torque needs

A heavy-duty tyre developed by Mitas is designed for larger tractors, from around the 200hp mark upwards, undertaking heavy cultivation. The Granterra meets the criteria for the industry’s VF category,…

TRACTORS

Nexat wide-span tractor sows 200ha per fill with 28m drill

German manufacturer Nexat and its gantry-style field tractor continue to make headlines as the machine gets new capabilities and early adopters discover its potential. The wide-span vehicle uses a growing…

TRACTORS

First impressions: Fresh Fendt 832 puts power to the ground

Fendt has finally cut all ties with engine manufacturer Deutz. Its new 800-series is the latest to get a heart transplant from sister company Agco Power, and with it comes…

TRACTORS

First impressions: John Deere's 8RX 540 breaks new ground

American heavy artillery of a friendlier type will be shipped across the Atlantic later this year when the first battalion of Europe-bound 8Rs and RXs departs John Deere’s Iowan factory.…

TRACTORS

11 new Valtra S376 tractors – JSE’s buying decision revealed

For some businesses, buying a new tractor is a blue-moon event, others might stretch to one or two a year, but precious few will have landed 11 in a single…

Tractor reviews and tests

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TRACTORS

Video: On test – Fendt’s monster 500hp 1050

Farmers buying a tractor with more than 500hp on tap have traditionally had to settle for a hulking great machine that will have its cylinders firing for only four months of…

MACHINERY

110hp tractor test: Belarus 1025.4

Power Farming Verdict: 2.4/5 It might not have scored highly but the Belarus had a solid engine and a price-tag that’ll catch the eye of plenty of buyers. Noise and…

201-300HP

Driver’s view: Shropshire farm rates Massey Ferguson 7S.210

The 7S.210 might be the smallest tractor in G&J Belcher and Sons’ all-Massey fleet at Puleston Farm in Newport, Shropshire, but this compact powerhouse has still had to tackle the…

MACHINERY

First Drive – Massey Ferguson 7618

You can make the 7618 as complicated (or not) as you like. We’d probably opt for the changeable ratios of the Dyna-6 box.   Modern powershifts are clever enough so…

TRACTORS

Video: Valtra's new 135hp G-series tractor on test

Valtra recently unveiled a completely new 105-135hp tractor range, but its choice of components marks something of a departure from traditional Finnish form. Rather than using home-built gearboxes, the new…

TRACTORS

Driver’s view: Marilyn Jones’ Same Dorado 90 Natural tractor

For the past couple of years, the main workhorse on Marilyn Jones’ hill farm near Brecon, Powys, has been a 2019 Same Dorado 90 Natural. This compact 87hp tractor is…

TRACTORS

Driver's view: William Heslip's New Holland T7.300

A new cab was the stand-out improvement on New Holland’s “long-wheelbase” T7s when they were introduced at the Sima show in Paris three years ago. There are five Auto Command…

TRACTORS

Video: 180hp tractor test 2019 preview

This summer, FW’s machinery team took four 180hp tractors from some of biggest names in the industry to a Hampshire farm for a rigorous workout during a busy cultivation period.…

MACHINERY

Top-end tractor test: New Holland T8.390

Power Farming Verdict: 3.5/5 Fiat engine very frugal on fuel – but AdBlue is also required. Good performer in the field for heavy draft work, helped by effective engine-transmission management…

TRACTORS

On test: John Deere's 6R 185 tractor

As the UK’s most popular tractor, brands of all colours and creeds have long been gunning for John Deere’s 6R 155, but it might be some friendly fire that finally…

MACHINERY

First drive: Kubota’s biggest ever tractor – the M7171

Kubota’s top brass harbour dizzying ambitions to outsell John Deere as the world’s number one tractor manufacturer. James Andrews and Oliver Mark run the rule over the biggest machine ever…

TRACTORS

Driver's view: Dan Chanin's Claas Axion 870

Armed with a 6.7-litre FPT engine and a choice of transmissions, Claas’s five-model Axion 800 range has the 200-300hp sector covered. And it’s the range-topping 870 with Cmatic CVT that’s…

Tractor guides

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MACHINERY

Eight 80hp tractors put to the test

We have been to the Netherlands to pit some new names against familiar faces in the world of small tractors. James Andrews and Oliver Mark gave all eight models the…

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…

MACHINERY

First drive: Deutz-Fahr Agrotron L730

The L730 is a solid tillage tractor and you get plenty of power and lift for your money. With all the controls neatly stacked on the side panel and armrest…

TRACTORS

11 biggest tractors of all time

The average horsepower of new tractors in the 1920s was just 25hp, but it's now nearing 160hp. Michael Williams takes a look at the 11 most powerful tractors built over…

TRACTORS

Driver's view: Valtra's 170hp T163e tractor

If you’re on the hunt for a reasonably priced second-hand tractor with about 170hp under the bonnet, Valtra’s T163e could well make your shortlist. James Andrews speaks to a current…

TRACTORS

Ultimate guide to buying a tractor 2024

Fans of big tractors laying down lots of power are well catered for in Farmers Weekly‘s latest Ultimate Guide, with all-new models not only breaching the 600hp threshold but also…

TRACTORS

Machinery Milestones: UK tractor-building revolution failure

Agricultural and General Engineers (AGE) was formed in 1919 to help Britain’s tractor and machinery industry compete against the big American manufacturers, but it ended up putting some of its…

TRACTORS

Driver’s view: 1997 Case-IH Magnum 7230

After a series of pricey breakdowns with newer tractors, Leicestershire contractors Leon and Simon Smith decided to try some older, simpler horsepower. The pair’s mechanical woes came to a head…

POTATOES

Potato contractor finds the best tractor for flailing success

Lincolnshire potato contractor David Matthews expects potato haulms to have a high biomass at burndown time, thanks to this year’s growing season, and says growers will need a lot of…

TRACTORS

Ultimate guide to buying a tractor 2023

Rationalisation of models and specifications is the name of the game for several manufacturers listed in the 2023 edition of the Ultimate Guide to tractors. Supply chain issues remain problematic…

TRACTORS

On test: 123-143hp M6002 joins Kubota range

Short of a tractor range to bridge the gap between its flagship M7003 and utilitarian MGX ranges, Japanese maker Kubota decided it was high time it introduced one. The M6002…

Tractor technology

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TECHNOLOGY

Midlands start-up to develop electric tractor based on TE20

A Midlands-based start-up has revealed plans to develop an electrically powered rework of the iconic Ferguson TE20. Atomictractor, run by ex-MF executive Campbell Scott, intends to develop the machine in…

MACHINERY

Video: Case IH pulls wraps off wacky-looking robotic Magnum

Case IH has unveiled an autonomous concept tractor at the Farm Progress Show in Iowa, USA. The vehicle is a cab-less 370hp Magnum, which is capable of operating autonomously with…

TECHNOLOGY

Ontario farmer gets robot fleet to complete arable fieldwork

Chuck Baresich has been on a recruitment drive – but not in the conventional sense. Over the past three years he has amassed a barnful of agricultural robots of all…

Road legal

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MACHINERY

Rules reminder: Stay road legal this harvest

Whether it's harvesting grass, cereals or vegetables, extra numbers of wide machines will be heading up and down Britain’s roads. But in all the rush to get ready, don’t forget…

Tractor insights and practical advice

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TRACTORS

11 biggest tractors of all time

The average horsepower of new tractors in the 1920s was just 25hp, but it's now nearing 160hp. Michael Williams takes a look at the 11 most powerful tractors built over…

TRACTORS

Ultimate guide to buying a tractor 2024

Fans of big tractors laying down lots of power are well catered for in Farmers Weekly‘s latest Ultimate Guide, with all-new models not only breaching the 600hp threshold but also…

TRACTORS

Machinery Milestones: UK tractor-building revolution failure

Agricultural and General Engineers (AGE) was formed in 1919 to help Britain’s tractor and machinery industry compete against the big American manufacturers, but it ended up putting some of its…

POTATOES

Potato contractor finds the best tractor for flailing success

Lincolnshire potato contractor David Matthews expects potato haulms to have a high biomass at burndown time, thanks to this year’s growing season, and says growers will need a lot of…

TRACTORS

Ultimate guide to buying a tractor 2023

Rationalisation of models and specifications is the name of the game for several manufacturers listed in the 2023 edition of the Ultimate Guide to tractors. Supply chain issues remain problematic…

TRACTORS

Ultimate guide to buying a tractor 2026

The year’s Farmers Weekly Ultimate Guide to tractors is notable for the first-time listing of a mainstream electric model and a driverless tractor range, and the removal of two familiar…

TRACTORS

Is a future of methane-powered tractors viable?

If you remember New Holland’s first attempt at a methane tractor back in 2013, you’ll probably recall being hugely sceptical and quite underwhelmed by what was a T6 tractor with…

MACHINERY

Tips for buying a 350hp Cat Challenger C-series on a budget

Shopping for a 350hp tractor with less than £30,000 in your back pocket brings up precious few options in the UK. But if you keep your eyes peeled you might…

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…

TECHNOLOGY

Diesel-electric drives offer give cheaper tractor power

The Autonomous Tractor Corporation (ATC) has found a way to recycle old tractors to get another 25,000 hours of labour from a wornout workhorse. The US company, tucked away in…

MACHINERY

Top tips for buying a used tractor

Avoiding the pitfalls Second-hand buyer's checklist The market for second-hand machinery could barely be more competitive than it is right now. Soaring prices for new kit and a favourable exchange…

Video

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MACHINERY

Video: Case IH pulls wraps off wacky-looking robotic Magnum

Case IH has unveiled an autonomous concept tractor at the Farm Progress Show in Iowa, USA. The vehicle is a cab-less 370hp Magnum, which is capable of operating autonomously with…

VIDEO: Claas Xerion and Kaweco slurry injector on first UK farm

There are some pieces of kit you just can't help but be impressed by, and the 16m long Claas Xerion 3800 Trac coupled to the Dutch-made Kaweco slurry injector is one…

MACHINERY

Valtra launches N93 and N103 tractors

Valtra's roots lie deep in the Finnish pine forests. That's probably why it has developed some of the hardiest tractors on the market. Its tractor range extends from 88hp to…

MACHINERY

Video: First drive of Scaip's 350hp metal-tracked crawler

Steel-tracked crawlers have their fair share of limitations when it comes to agricultural activities.  Their appetite for eating farm tracks means an account at the local gravel pit is a…