John Deere Secures Record 20-Harvester Deal
The old saying is ‘go big or go home’, which appears to be something that German contracting business Kohl Harvest of Saxony-Anhalt in Bavaria has done with a record order for John Deere.
John Deere will use Fieldays to show the latest 5R series tractors — four units in the all-important 90-125hp sector.
The 5090R, 5100R, 5115R and 5125R tractors are all powered by stage IIIB compliant, 4.5L John Deere PWX engines (90, 100, 115 and 125 hp respectively). These ‘diesel only’ four-cylinder engines deliver an extra 10hp for transport applications via their transport power management (TPM) system.
JD says the engines deliver up to 8% power bulge to respond to tough conditions, and a torque rise of up to 38% as the engine drops below rated speed.
Three transmission options start with the entry-level 16F 16R CommandQuad Manual with four ranges and four powershiftable gears within each range. Also available are a 16F 16R CommandQuad and a 32F 16R Command8 transmission, with eight powershiftable gears and an ECO mode that enables a top speed of 40km/h at just 1759rpm.
All three transmissions have a fully automatic clutch, individual start-up gears, individually settable speeds and an electric park lock. Automatic shifting is standard on the Command8 and optional on the 16F 16R CommandQuad.
The transmission uses AutoClutch, so the operator no longer has to use the traditional clutch to stop or control tractor take off. But the traditional clutch pedal is still there for operators who prefer it.
AutoClutch “provides the ultimate in ease of use to stop, start, and modulate tractor take off using only the brake pedal,” says JD.
It allows the operator to stop the tractor without clutching but without overloading the engine, to inch or creep the tractor forward or reverse on a level surface or incline, and to accelerate the vehicle back to normal speed when releasing the brake.
For increased comfort and performance, front axle suspension and an optional mechanical cab suspension system are available. An air suspended Grammer seat, as fitted in the 6R series, has up to 15° of swivel, lumbar adjustment and optional heating.
Other new features include variable-ratio steering and the option to order tractors as AutoTrac Ready, allowing future use of the latest guidance and steering technologies as these evolve.
Built around a one piece, curved frame, the 5R series has a turning radius of just 3.75m, making it ideal for loader operation.
Options include a choice of mechanical or new ‘E’ joysticks, both linked to the tractor seat.
DairyNZ says Waikato farmers need certainty on Plan Change 1, but they say that certainty must be matched with practical, workable rules and a clear transition that doesn't get ahead of the new resource management system currently under review.
While the Government has moved quickly to make commercial hauliers' lot easier during the current fuel crisis, they appear to be stuck in the creep box when it comes to the agricultural industry.
Waikato farmers have been told that the Government’s new planning system legislation and the region’s Plan Change 1 (PC1) “won’t mesh together very well”.
Farmer owned co-operative Ravensdown has signed a two-year naming rights sponsorship of the Canterbury A&P Show.
OPINION: Confidence in the wool sector is rebounding as prices hit levels not seen in more than 15 years.
More than 300 growers, exporters, researchers, service providers and industry leaders will descend on Queenstown later this month for EXPO 2026, the annual conference for New Zealand’s apple and pear sector.

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