USED MACHINERY Four years ago John Deere introduced the 100hp 6400, with early examples now starting to reach the used market. Here we outline the tractor’s strengths and weaknesses and points to consider when buying second-hand
What does a John Deere 6000 series tractor have in common with its ancestor, the 1912-23 Waterloo Boy tractor? Apart from the obvious shared heritage, four wheels and they are both green, is the fact that both are built on a chassis.
Unit construction can, in theory, be made strong enough to cope with any heavy mounted implement but, in practice, the balance between tractor strength and weight reaches a point where a separate chassis starts to look attractive. At least this is the thinking behind John Deere’s return to a chassis tractor. Building a unit construction tractor strong enough to cope with heavy front and rear implements is one thing. Making it light enough to tackle top work is quite another. The company is currently alone among mainstream ‘conventional’ tractor makers in ‘going back’ to a chassis design. It will be interesting to see if any others follow their lead
For more up-to-date farming news click here and subscribe now to profi and save
