TRACTOR TEST: From the mainstream makers these are the most powerful tractors of our time — one with 25 years’ experience, the other being a relative newbie to this market. Anything to choose between them? Not much … as we found out in this exclusive comparison.
Looking at the brochure figures (see table opposite) we can’t spot any massive differences between the two. The Quadtrac 620 boasts 22hp more output, but Deere’s 9620 RX, with its 18/6 transmission, has a few more cogs in its box. The green Goliath travels at 31km/hr on the road, while the Case IH can muster another 7km/hr on top.
What was of more interest to us was their performance in the field. And here the two competitors were pretty evenly matched, as shown in the graph ‘Who pulls more?’. At nearly 27.3t operating weight (despite an almost-empty 1,880-litre fuel tank), the Quadtrac won the race in the 4km/hr and 8km/hr tests; at 12km/hr, the slightly lighter 26.2t Deere came out on top.
So, little to choose between them, then? The buying decision, as usual, will come down to a combination of price, dealer, residual values and whether there’s a particular item of spec detail that better suits your intended application.
