For John Deere in the UK and Ireland the 5M is the jewel in its sub-100hp crown. This tractor family offers owners a mix of key creature comforts, but stops short of providing the higher spec items that are rightly reserved for the premium 5R. To see what the lower spec 5M is like to live with, we put a 74kW/100hp/98.8PS 5100M model through our in-depth test.
From the outside it would be easy to confuse a Deere 5M with its higher spec 5R sib. So let’s focus. On closer inspection there is, in fact, plenty to separate the two lines — here
we’re talking of the 5M’s mechanically governed engine, its split chassis, simple transmission, spool valves and lighter linkage. The four-model 5M range kicks off with the 51kW/70hp/69PS 5070M and tops out at the featured 74kW/100hp/98.8PS 5100M, although for UK and Irish farmers it’s the 5080M and 5090M that are the most popular models. Incidentally, the majority of 5M tractors sold in these regions are fitted with a front loader. All 5Ms are four-cyl models, powered by a DPS 4.5-litre motor that meets Stage IIIA/ Tier 3 emission regs. Indeed, Deere is making the most of the emission control transition period that applies to this hp bracket and will continue to install its IIIA engine until the end of 2013. The downside is that there’s no power boost and only a modest 1.5kW/2.0hp/1.96PS of extra power..
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