Bill Wileman on his ford 6000 tractor

An innovative flop: Remembering the Ford 6000 tractor

How the cutting-edge tractor and its failure-prone transmission became a marketing nightmare for the brand

The tractors were available with either a 223-cubic inch gasoline or a 242-cubic inch diesel engine — but a groundbreaking innovation for its time, the Select-O-Speed powershift transmission behind those engines, turned out to be the tractors’ early downfall.

Kenworth w900

Kenworth to limit availability of manual transmissions

Emissions limits require the brand to impose auto transmissions on most buyers

Back in the day, truck drivers were often referred to as gear jammers, because they would have to manually shift their way through 10, 13, 15 or more gears. That moniker seems to have faded into history, and one reason may account for that more than any other: industry figures estimate 90 to 95 per […] Read more


New Holland’s 2025 T9 SmartTrax with PLM Intelligence tractors get faster road speeds and more horsepower.

Upgrades en route for New Holland’s T9 SmartTrax

The new units include a new track module while providing for more horsepower and faster ground speeds

Despite its corporate cousin Case IH offering rubber tracks on its Quadtrac four-wheel drive tractors for decades, New Holland initially went its own way with tracks on its four-wheel drive T9s. NH had started off with bell-shaped tracks sourced from another manufacturer, API, on its largest models. Then, for its 2012 model year, it introduced […] Read more

(Flaman Group video screengrab via YouTube)

Clean ag tech adoption fund open for applications

Intake open and ongoing for Agricultural Clean Technology Program

A federal program farmers can use to invest in “cleaner” on-farm equipment — including money specifically for more efficient grain dryers — is now taking applications. Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau on Wednesday announced the $165.7 million Agricultural Clean Technology Program is “now open to applicants.” First launched in 2018 and earmarked for expansion under […] Read more