If you are in the used buying market for a tractor in the nominal 150hp power bracket, there is every
chance there will be something to tempt from the ‘big four’ tractor makers. But should the three model
Kubota M7 series, spanning a nominal 130hp to 170hp, also be on your used buying list?
Back in September 2015, profi joined the European agricultural press on a tour of Kubota’s purpose built tractor plant in northern France. At the time, the factory in Dunkirk was yet to ramp up production, with teams of Kubota technicians working on the assembly tracks whilst huddles of new employees went through various training programmes ahead of the plant starting full production. It initially seemed a bit strange that Kubota would launch a new European factory before it was fully up and running, the more so as we had yet to learn a great deal about the tractors the plant was to produce.
In hindsight, the planning was spot on. Kubota took the opportunity to show off the factory first and before it got busy. As an aside, the company had installed elevated platforms to enable visitors to view tractors as they are assembled but not get in the way. It is now clear Kubota wanted to send out two messages. First was to focus on the new factory and that it was producing a tractor purpose developed to meet European needs. Second, it would enable separate attention to focus upon the new M7 series tractors.
Now to the tractor
Power comes from the established Japanese made Kubota 6.1 litre four-cylinder engine. This initially met Stage IV emission regs for the first generation M7 models moving to Stage IVb for the second series in 2019 and Stage V for the 2021 model year. Unlike other manufactures, Kubota did not use changes in emission ratings to alter the engine’s power, with rated outputs of 130hp, 150hp and 170hp applying to all three models regardless of series.
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