Heavy Tractors
Once again, the cheapest John Deere 7R Series tractor has the greatest engine upgrade potential, up to 352 hp. If you don’t plan to buy the strongest version right away, you can get a Valtra S Series at a similar price, with 350 hp and some more bells and whistles. This time I point to this tractor not as the best choice to buy, but as a recommendation.
If you need a very powerful tractor, the best choice is the Massey Ferguson MF 8700. The basic version offers 350 hp for $250,000; when upgraded to 400 hp, you will pay $300,000. This is the best price-to-quality option in this category.
- You’ll get the same power for $317,000 with the Valtra S Series – but with this tractor you’ll have the ability to turn around the seat and have full control when driving backwards.
Just like the JCB mid-range tractor, the Fastrac 8330 has the highest movement speed: 70km/h. Since this is a “luxury” class, for 100 hp more and maximum speed 5km/h higher, you pay as much as for two Fastrac 4220 tractors. This is another position that I partially advise against, because this model does not have four steering wheels.
If you’re looking for the most powerful tractor at the lowest price, the only one that exceeds the magical 500 hp limit is the Fendt 1000 Vario – with an improved engine it generates 517 hp at a price of $369,000. In addition, it’s the fastest tractor (63 km/h) offering such power – every taller model with 500+ hp will drive only up to 43 km/h.
The last of the models listed here is aimed at people who absolutely need to own a tracked tractor. The cheapest option is the CaseIH Magnum Series, with either 409 or 435 hp, which has a track drive, but only on the rear (after modifying the wheels). You will pay $341,000 for the basic tracked version. In addition:
- This is the fastest tractor (50/53 km/h) with tracks that you can buy,
- Equipping only the rear axle with tracks is not as effective in terms of turning radius as a vehicle with full tracks.
- Note, however, that other tracked tractors do not have a front attacher.