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JOHN DEERE is showing that a 300hp tractor need not be ungainly. Its new model 7290R was delivered last month to a Northland rural contractor by local dealer Cervus Equipment.
Launched early 2014, the 7290R (290hp) is powered by a 9L turbocharged 6-cylinder engine that gives the power of a large machine without the ungainliness, says Cervus Northland manager Tim Ormrod.
He says that with its wheelbase and length more akin to 200-250hp tractors, it suits a variety of applications. “Their Northland use will mostly be cultivation but their manoeuvrability ideally suits them to silage pickup wagons or slurry tankers.”
The tractor’s AutoPowr transmission uses a hydro-mechanical system for no-step gearing backwards and forwards between zero and 50km/h. It is also available with the new e23 transmission option offering manual, automatic or optimised manual shifting modes. Built on a 23F/11R shifted through a hydraulic wet clutch, the system allows the user to configure gearing to suit the job and situations required. “It is a great addition to the options we have available. This transmission provides great pulling power and stability,” important for the tasks the tractor will likely do.
Ormrod expects large-scale farmers and contractors to show most interest, for cultivation or ‘intensive’ work. “Trailed gear is getting bigger – 3m power harrows are being replaced by 6m.”
“Maintaining one large tractor is cheaper than two smaller ones and it reduces the number of good operators a farmer or contractor needs to find.”
An optional 3.4t factory-fitted front hitch widens the possibilities with the tractor. And a 22 LED headlight package makes night work a “walk in the park,” Ormroad says.
While tractors combines and machinery for agriculture and construction is still its key business, John Deere appears to be taking opportunities in the hightech sector via acquisition, with the recent purchase of Sentera, a Minnesota-based company that specialises in equipment for capturing and interpreting aerial images.
John Deere have recently announced upgrades to its round baler offerings, with all models of this latest generation equipped with advanced ISOBUS capabilities, allowing them to be fully integrated into the John Deere Operations Center.
With agriculture in New Zealand coming out of the doldrums over the last few months and the recent announcement of a 20% tax write-off for capital purchases, it likely that farmers will be spending on tractors.
Recent results from its 2024 financial year has seen global farm machinery player John Deere record a significant slump in the profits of its agricultural division over the last year, with a 64% drop in the last quarter of the year, compared to that of 2023.
Farmers across New Zealand are renowned for their productivity and efficiency, always wanting to do more with less, while getting the most from each pass of the paddock.
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