John Deere is rolling out the latest of the light and manoeuvrable 5R series to the Australian market.
Aimed squarely at the small to medium ag market - dairy, livestock and fodder applications, the new series offers improved comfort and performance.
A 2.25 metre wheelbase is combined with a one-piece curved frame design with a low centre of gravity for easy attachment of a loader and all while maintaining manoeuvrability with a turning radius of only 3.75m - with a loader.
The 67.1 kilowatt 5090R, 74.6kW 5100R, 85.8kW 5115R and 93.2 kW 5125R models are fitted with Tier 4 compliant 4.5 litre John Deere PowerTech PWX engines.
There’s an extra 7.5kW in transport mode via Deere’s Transport Power Management (TPM) system.
Three transmission options are available to keep things moving including an entry level 16/16 CommandQuad manual transmission, which features four ranges and four PowerShift gears within each range.
Next up is the 16/16 CommandQuad and the 32/16 Command8, with eight PowerShift gears and an eco mode allowing a top speed of 40 kilometres an hour while ticking over at 1759 rpm.
All transmissions offer a fully automatic clutch, individual start-up gears, individually settable speeds and an electric park lock, while the premium level 32/16 Command8 gets an automatic shifting function as standard, while it is an option on the 16/16 CommandQuad transmission.
Weighing in at 4.3 tonnes, the 5R Series tractors can lift as much as 4.7 or optionally 5.3 tonnes.
There is an open-centre hydraulic system with a standard 96 litre per minute pump and also a Pressure and Flow Compensated (PFC) offering 117 lpm.
Whether they are mechanically or electronically controlled, four SCVs provide fast loading cycles.
To take the knocks out of the harder yards, the tractors are fitted with front axle suspension, with independent arms and infinite adjustment of +/-45mm that allows complete shut-off when required.
For really rough going there is an optional mechanical cab suspension system to give the optional air-suspended seat a bit of a hand up.
This seat is standard on the bigger brother 6R Series tractors, and features 5 to 15 degrees of swivel, lumbar adjustment and an optional heating system.
The newly designed cab offers a tiltable steering column, primary display unit (PDU+) corner post display, panoramic front windshield and an ergonomic control panel.
For loader operations there is a choice of a mechanical or a new electrical joystick both linked to the tractor seat.
There is also a new loader - the 543R which offers automatic mast and implement latch, a 10 per cent increase in lift capacity, higher breakout force and an increased roll-back angle.
Depending on the task, both the 543R and 603R loaders are equipped with a choice of levelling options.
For applications in really tight spaces - think speciality vegies and vineyards - the 5RN offers a minimum width of 1.8m, a narrow cab and mechanical front wheel drive.
