Big on power, easy on fuel – Yorkshire beef producer’s McCormick is a treat to drive
Tue 31/05/2016
To say that Yorkshire beef producer Andy Leadbeater is pleased with his new tractor is an understatement: “It’s brilliant!” he declares. “It’s exceeded my expectations in so many ways – power, engine response, the slick gearbox and fuel economy, I’m delighted with it all.”The McCormick X6.430 is the lynch-pin of his suckler beef operation at Birkenshaw near Bradford, handling routine tasks throughout the year to support management of Mr Leadbeater’s 55-head Swallow herd of pedigree South Devon suckler cows. He farms around 200 acres in all but scattered grazing and conservation ground up to five miles away means tractors have a lot of road work to handle through the year – but particularly at silage-making time when trailer loads of half-tonne bales have to be brought home.
“The engine’s a real gem,” he adds. “It’s smooth as silk yet has lots of pulling power; and it’s economical, too. Mowing silage grass, the MF we ran before drank 4.5 litres of diesel for every acre but the McCormick managed on 3.8-litres/acre last year. Since then, it’s kept getting better, with a running average that’s fallen from 2.78 to 2.56-litres/acre,” he points out.
“I like the fact that the tractor’s not over-complicated – there are mechanical spool valves and gear levers – yet it’s modern, with a nice cab, electronic draft control, and that lively engine,” says Andy Leadbeater. “Set off in third and shift up to fourth on the road and you’ll leave cars behind; I can’t believe how well it picks up!”
The tractor was sourced from N&S; Moorhouse, one of a several that the McCormick dealership, based at Baraugh near Barnsley, has supplied.
“All farms need good back up and the people at Moorhouse will bend over backwards for you,” Andy Leadbeater says. “They’ve been out to things on our previous tractor on Christmas Eve to make sure we could still use it, nothing’s too much trouble – they’re a top-notch firm.”
And the same goes for the McCormick, it seems: “I really do like the tractor; I’ve always wanted one with a nice smooth gearbox and this one has it, whether you’re shifting between gears or using the powershift,” he says. “I like the design and the reliability; I really can’t fault it – it’s a great tractor!”
For the full story, read the press release using the link on the right.
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