REVIEW
trans fixed A revamp of John Deere’s popular 6M tractor range might have been enough, but adding its high quality IVT transmission system changes the game. Harrison Hunkin & Jaiden Drought get a look at the John Deere 6120M tractor with IVT
It drives and operates like no other 6M.
56 TradeFarmMachinery.com.au
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hen John Deere revamped its popular 6M tractor range in 2019 by adding a short wheelbase model with a sleeklooking sloped bonnet, tractor aficionados around the world stopped and took notice. When John Deere then announced that it was also selling them with its famous AutoPowr infinitely variable transmission (IVT), interest peaked even higher… and for good reason. We recently tested the John Deere 6120M with IVT and, while we’ve come away impressed, we also have the question – was it all just a fantastic John Deere marketing ploy?
SHORT BUT SHARP Like many, it was at Agritechnica 2019 where we first glimpsed the latest John Deere 6M family of tractors in the flesh. The short wheelbased 6120M definitely stood out the most. John Deere redesigned the entire cabin; a facelift that also extended to a striking new sloped bonnet design; this new 6120M (and the baby 6110M) looked nothing like its other 6M cousins.
It also drives and operates like no other 6M, this isn’t just because of its short wheel-base and nimble 4.35m turning circle, but John Deere’s surprising inclusion of its quality IVT transmission. It grabbed our attention then and, nearly 18 months on and finally behind the wheel of 6120M, that IVT is just as alluring now. Our test machine was a high-spec’d 6120M courtesy of Honeycombes in Tolga, Queensland, where we worked it on a nearby avocado farm. Under the bonnet is a grunty fourcylinder John Deere engine that pushes out a maximum of 133 horsepower (99kW) and 462Nm. It’s a tier 4 so you’ll have to put up with the AdBlue, selective catalytic reduction and other aftertreatment features that come with modern engines. For the haters, our opinion is you’re fighting a losing battle; the most advanced tractors will all be tier 4 or above eventually. The 6120M’s standout features start within that cab. As mentioned earlier, John Deere redesigned it from the ground up. It’s spacious, well-made with high-quality plastics, the Command
THE TRACTOR YOU WANT IS NOW EASIER TO FIND
1/07/2021 6:00:54 PM
