Over the years we have subjected various N-series tractors to our standard tractor test. The one downside of these assessments, however, is they fail to answer the question of long-term reliability, so this month we’re catching up with a 7,208-hour Valtra N111E model — to see what it’s like to live with. Mervyn Bailey reports
There’s nothing quite like pound notes to focus the farming mind, and the fluctuating cost of diesel over the past five years has done just that. In fact, Valtra reckons this is a key reason why the N-series has become an increasingly important part of the firm’s sales figures since the line was introduced in late- 2005. The four-cylinder family will shortly top out at 171hp with the launch of the N163 SCR, and it might soon take over from the six-cyl T-series as the Finnish manufacturer’s most popular tractor range.
So, on to N-series detail. Typical of Valtra, there are plenty of buying decisions to be made before taking delivery of a new ‘N’, with, for starters, three specification and transmission options from which to pick. HiTech variants drive through Valtra’s longserving three-range, four-gear and threestep powershift box; outputs span 88hp to 150hp (ISO 14396). Then up a notch, Versu models have six gears and five powershift steps, but this spec is only listed in 133hp N122 and 150hp N142 sizes. And, lastly, up yet another level, these two latter units can also be taken with the firm’s Direct CVT.
Engine-wise, from April 2012 the N-series adopts SCR emission-cleaning technology to comply with Stage IIIB regs on the N113 through to the new flagship N163. For now, though, we focus on the the central character in this month’s profi long-term test. Our particular ‘N’ has managed to clock in excess of 7,000 hours in just over three years
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