New F series John Deeres

[Robert_in_NY]

I just came back from a grape growers meeting sponsored by one of our fertilizer dealers and the local John Deere dealer. They had a 5425N there as well as a 100F with cab. While I have never been in either before I did feel comfortable in the 5425N although the cab is narrower then the New Holland TN-F. Another point where the N series Deere is lacking compared to the New Holland is the turn radius. The only way Deere dealers can get the N's to turn closer to the New Holland is to put wheel extensions on the front axle which then make the front axle wider then the rear wheels. The Deere cab sits higher then the New Holland which in a normal vineyard is not a problem and it is better as you do not have as large a transmission hump in the cab of the N Deere as you do the F series New Holland.

However, I did not meet any grower there that liked the cab on the 100F. The 100F is John Deere's import to compete with New Hollands TN-V which is a tight but useable tractor. The 100F is only 6' tall to the top of the cab. The top of the cab is a bulge where you head sits. If you are six foot tall you bump your head getting in and out of the cab. If you are short legged you will have trouble stepping over the center hump of the tractor. Two of the guys there (one was a friend) had a 23" and a 24" inseam and neither could get in the cab comfortably. Even for me being 6' tall I had trouble getting in or out and once in there was no room at all to move my legs even a little. I could not see sitting in this tractor for an hour let alone a day and forget having to get in or out of it multiple times a day.

One other issue I didn't like is the transmission. It is a dual tranny in that if you have a lever mounted below the steering column in one position it is an 8x8 tranny with the shuttle mounted on the left of the dash. However, if you flip that lever below the steering column it becomes a 16x8 transmission. That is all fine and good but that shuttle lever on the left of the dash is no longer a shuttle. It is now your splitter lever (similar to the dual power option on the Fords in that it reduces your speed around 20% or so). Instead, the shuttle lever is now a lever to the left of your hip.

The tractor had some nice features like auto locking front differential but I can not see John Deere selling very many of these in the US as they are too cramped and too complicated. If you have helpers on your farm they will not like using this tractor and you would have to train each and every one of them on how to even shift the tractor.

One other thing I didn't like is the fuel port is in a terrible location. It is located half under the rear window making it a pain to access.

I doubt very many of you guys will ever use let alone see one of these tractors but for those who might this is my first impression of it. Also, it is priced higher then the N series Deere. The 100F was $45,500 while the 5425N was $41,900. To be fair the 100F is closer to the hp of the 5525N but the 5525N is still cheaper.

They did touch on the Goldini made John Deere 20A also but didn't have one there to see.

100F

5425N

20A

 

[bxowner]

That 100F is a pretty stylish tractor. The collapsable ROPS looks like a nice alternative to the 20A foldable - I assume it's an adjustable ROPS? Is it just the picture or is it a long-wheelbase design?

 

[Robert_in_NY]

That 100F is a pretty stylish tractor. The collapsable ROPS looks like a nice alternative to the 20A foldable - I assume it's an adjustable ROPS? Is it just the picture or is it a long-wheelbase design?

The 100F has a short wheelbase also but being so short it makes it appear to be a long wheelbase.

It is an interesting tractor but I feel John Deere is just trying to force a tractor onto this market that it wasn't designed for. I wish Deere would just design their own vineyard tractor using the good points from both Deere and New Holland.

I did like the new hydraulic lift controls in the Deere 5425. They took the quick raise/return feature that has been on the TN's for a while now and integrated it into their unit in a nice setup where it is part of the 3pt lift control.

 

[AKfish]

Robert, don't know much about vineyards or orchards, either. Although, I can imagine that you would not have the same clearance issues with branches, limbs, etc. in a vinyard that you might have in an orchard situation.

So, it would appear to my limited understanding that the 100F might work better for the apple, pear, peach, apricot, almond, walnut guys than the pinot growers.

And the 5425N might not be as good a fit for the pear, peach, walnut folk's but would be a great machine for the wine makers. And might be a pretty good compromise machine to pound out some hay bales with, too!

AKfish

 

[Robert_in_NY]

The 100F would work well in either a vineyard or orchard but it doesn't appear to be designed for the US user. As I said, the grape meeting has growers who grow grapes (hence the reason we were there) as well as corn, vegetables, apples and just about every other type of crop you can imagine here. The tractor is just plain uncomfortable to get in and out of and to sit in it for any length of time. If they could rearrange the shifting levers some so that you could at least move your knees when you are inside it would be better but as is I did not hear one grower say they would want one on their farm.

Deere also has the 6030 Orchard tractor which was discussed there some by the Deere dealer but it is way too wide for a vineyard.