Last November, John Deere announced it had refreshed its 6R line of tractors and added two more models, the 6R 140 and 6R 165, to the series. That brings the total number of models in the 6R family to eight. Together, all the 6R tractors now span the 110- to 250-engine-horsepower range (86 to 203 PTO horsepower). As is the case on all of the green brand’s tractors, the model number of each tractor specifies its engine horsepower rating.
The 6R 140 becomes the fourth and most powerful model to be offered in the small-frame 6R group. The 6R 165 adds a third model to the mid-sized frame lineup, which now includes 145- to 165-engine-horsepower tractors.
With Deere’s power bulge and Intelligent Power Management, the 6R 140 and 6R 165 tractors can put out up to 166 and 212 maximum horsepower, respectively, when power demands increase. Both tractors come standard with Deere’s 40-kilometre-per-hour-capable IVT, continuously variable transmission. A 50-kilometre-per-hour-capable version is available as an option. The 6R 145 can also be ordered with a 40- or 50-kilometre-per-hour 24-speed transmission.
Among the new optional features Deere is introducing on the 6Rs is the Loader Technology Package, which the company says adds features that make them ideal for feeding livestock or using pallet forks. The package includes a reconfigurable loader control handle with an integrated reverser, so operators can set their preferences and more easily manage the direction of the tractor with the touch of a button. When equipped with the optional 155-litre-per-minute, high-capacity hydraulic pump (41 gallons per minute), loader cycle times are improved compared with previous models.
Also included in the Loader Technology Package is a Dynamic Weighing System, along with Level to Horizon and Return to Position features. The Dynamic Weigh System can weigh bucket loads on the go, which can speed up jobs like mixing precise feed rations into a mixer wagon. The Level to Horizon setting allows operators to easily keep an attachment parallel to the ground to avoid spilling material while travelling across uneven ground. Return to Position automatically returns the loader to a predefined boom and bucket position, simplifying and speeding up repetitive loader tasks.
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Deere has also given the 6R tractors a bit of a facelift, tweaking their overall styling, visibility and operator comfort.
“The 6R tractor cab provides operators with outstanding visibility and a quiet work environment,” Dennis Ogle, marketing manager for John Deere said in a press release. “These new tractors continue to deliver premium levels of comfort, convenience and technology that John Deere customers are accustomed to.”
The machine information screen was moved from the steering column to a digital display on the tractor cab A pillar. Deere says the cab updates and new control handle should let operators enjoy more comfort and convenience to make the workday inside a 6R a little more pleasant.
When it comes to technology, the 6R tractors come standard with a 4G JDLink connection (modem). Once activated in the John Deere Operations Center, the tractor will stream machine and field data to the owner’s Operations Center account, free of charge. The owner can use the Work Planner tool in the Operations Center to set up field prescriptions and other field tasks from anywhere; and it can send the instructions to the tractor’s in-cab display, saving the operator time in the field by not having to manually enter the information.
