The contractor owner of our long-term 6155R has a history with John Deere stretching back more than a
decade. Does this mean he bleeds green blood and wouldn’t even entertain running another colour? Not
quite. While his 2,882-hour, 17-plate example has been pretty much problem-free, he’s happy to admit the
tractor still has its faults
Remember the John Deere 6930 of the late noughties … that pocket rocket of a tractor? It was Deere’s best seller in the UK and Ireland, and with good reason. Jack of all, master of plenty, it boasted 160hp while still weighing in at sub-7t, which meant its customer appeal was right across the board — enough muscle to make it the prime mover on a mid-sized farm, yet sufficiently nimble and manoeuvrable to suit it to fleet work for a contractor or larger agri business. Then, as the curtain came down on the noughties, the 6930 gave way to its natural successor, the R-cabbed 6150R. Which was duly followed in 2015 by the model featured here, the 155hp 6155R.
Clearly it’s a short journey from 30-series to the current Stage IV 6R, but to suggest that it’s been a 100% smooth one wouldn’t be entirely accurate. In many ways John Deere has been a victim of its own success. So popular was the 30-series, and the 6930 in particular, that the 6150R and now 6155R were always going to find these models tough acts to follow, especially as the 6R’s performance was handicapped by the requirement for cleaner emissions and the extra weight of a heavier build. Justified or not, stories of EGR, turbo and head gasket issues also haven’t helped, although in reality these were largely issues with the 30-series. However, it’s the widely held view, that Stage IV emissions compliance has blunted the 6.8-litre/six-cyl PowerTech engine’s performance, that’s proved much harder to shift.
For more up-to-date farming news and reviews click here and subscribe now to profi for just £3.99 an issue
