DRIVING IMPRESSION: With the three-model 5ML range, John Deere is looking to appeal to specialist crop growers, such as orchard owners, that need extra power. We grabbed the opportunity to poke under the tractors’ packed panels…to discover whether they’re about more than just extra ponies.
Don’t fret. John Deere is not stopping production of the well-known 5G for special crops, a market that demands compact dimensions for squeezing between vine rows or under low-hanging tree
branches. Like the Claas Nexos, for example, the 5G is built by Carraro in Italy and consists of four models spanning 75hp to 115hp.
The 4.5-litre DPS
A new addition is the 5ML, which John Deere builds itself in its Mexico plant. The new range offers more power with a rated output of 105-130hp. Like the standard 5M tractors, this is powered by the familiar 4.5-litre DPS four-cylinder engine, which is well proven. Thanks to EGR, DPF, DOC and SCR, it meets Stage V exhaust emission standards; in fact John Deere managed to shoehorn all of the necessary components under the bonnet, as well as under and in front of the cab, so that they’re hardly noticeable from the seat.
The same applies to the 139-litre diesel tank and the 12-litre AdBlue tank on the left-hand side. And for anyone wondering why the extra horsepower is in demand in the narrow tractor market, the likes of the cultivators and trailed harvesters used in almond tree plantations can be particularly horsepower hungry.
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