Used tractor purchase proved need and confirmed benefits

AJ Saunders is a family farming business, based on a farm at Oakley. It is family-owned and managed by brothers, Charlie and Henry Saunders and their wives, Megan and Laura.

Charlie and Henry are the fourth generation of their family farming the land, but in 2008, Henry diversified and started Henry Saunders Agricultural Services – an agricultural contracting business which runs alongside the family farm, from a separate base which the family bought in 2021 at Sharnbrook.

The successful contracting operation serves customers within a 25-mile radius of the farm. Services offered include almost all arable field tasks from primary and secondary cultivations and drilling to combine harvesting, and grassland management operations from mowing amenity areas to hedge cutting and SFI maintenance.

Round and large square baling, slurry and muck handling, transport and applications as well as precision fertiliser applications and spraying are also offered by the company.

Geared up to meet demand

Previously a John Deere 7310R was relied on for primary cultivations, but now two 6R-series tractors have taken over the work.

“We grew up with John Deere tractors on the farm and have always been well looked after by the local dealers,” explained Henry.

“When I started my contracting business, I ran a different brand initially, but in 2019 I also hired in a John Deere 6130R with a front loader from Tuckwells which is now the main dealer for our area, for the busy harvest period.

“In 2020, an opportunity came to gain additional work, but meant a bigger tractor of 300hp would be needed. I bought a stock John Deere 7310R as well as the 6130R I had been hiring, and in July 2021 we added a new 6155R to the fleet. By harvest 2023, a second tractor capable of heavy cultivations was also required, so I hired a used 18-plate 6250R from the dealer. By this time we had part-exchanged the original 6130R for a new 6R130 with a loader, and in September that year a 6R185 had also been purchased.”

More versatile option

In late 2023, Henry reviewed his tractor fleet requirements and determined that the 4,400-hour, four-year-old 7310R should be replaced. The cost to upgrade to the latest new 7R330 version was hard to justify but Dan Massey, the Tuckwells area sales professional, suggested the latest 6R250 could be considered instead.

“Significant upgrades for the latest 6R250 over its 6250R predecessor include its ability to deliver maximum power through IPM for hydraulic applications, as well as for PTO and high-speed transport work,” explained Dan.

“This would benefit Henry for tasks such as drilling heavy land using his Horsch Sprinter 6m, where the fan is hydraulic- rather than PTO-driven and ensuring maximum pulling power is available. There are many other updates too, which would add to its versatility and appeal.”

Gaining flexibility and saving money

“When we looked at our usage, it was clear that we had been running a bigger tractor which cost £15–£25 more per working hour in terms of ownership costs, just for the three months or so during spring and autumn when the extra power and weight might have been needed,” explained Henry.

“We knew we would still have the option to hire in a larger tractor for those tasks if it was ever needed, while the slightly smaller and more manoeuvrable 6R250 would easily cope with the rest of the work. It’s also a more versatile tractor if cultivations are rained off as it doesn’t look out of place hauling muck or even bale wrapping instead.”

Cost-effective purchase

Opting for the new 6R250 rather than the 7R330 also meant that Henry could justify buying instead of hiring the 6250R too.

“Hiring tractors is expensive, and there is always the problem that when the weather is unfavourable and tasks such as drilling get pushed back, then the hire period has to be extended adding to the cost,” commented Henry.

“So, I reasoned that purchasing the ex-hire 6250R would mean we would always have access to it as a back-up, and if we kept the hours down to 400–500 per year, then it would hold its value well and not cost much to own and maintain. However, having two similar-size tractors operating side-by-side proved far more of an advantage than we had anticipated as limited weather windows put the contracting team under pressure this autumn.

“When it arrived on hire in summer 2023 it had 2,200 hours on it. It now has 4,000 hours, of which 1,135 were since March, when the 6R250 arrived and the 6250R was also purchased. The new 6R250 has worked 1,163, which included almost 500ha with the 5-leg V-Form and 150ha of ploughing.”

Improved flexibility

Previously, the 7310R would plough or subsoil, then implements were swapped for secondary cultivations unless one of the smaller tractors could be used. “Having two similar 300hp tractors this year meant tasks were often carried out simultaneously, with either tractor working with any of the implements. We had a demonstration of a 7m Vaderstad Carrier XL, and the 6R250 pulled it without a problem which amazed us, although we ordered a 6m version instead which we felt would leave us power in reserve for the most demanding situations.

“Operating two similar-sized tractors also gave us additional benefits including carrying out headland turns during secondary cultivations on stubbles, with the headlands ploughed or subsoiled and then cultivated separately after. This saves compaction and improves the result preparing the land for drilling, so our crops are benefitting too.”

Initial doubts

Operator, David Lycett was dubious when asked to give up his 7310R and use the new 6R250 instead. “The area we work in includes some very heavy clay soils, and I just didn’t think it would cope,” he said. “I tend to do all the primary cultivations, and the new tractor first surprised me in terms of how it handled the plough, and then how it coped with the 5-leg V-Form.

“We anticipated leaving some of the heaviest fields and then hiring in a 7R series tractor just for them, but there was no need as the 6R250 on 710-series tyres and ballasted up for maximum traction proved the boss of every job. I don’t think the previous 7310R would have pulled the plough any better.”

David said that the 6R250 features many improvements. “The smaller steering wheel is more comfortable to use and the tractor feels more manoeuvrable. The latest G5 display includes Apple CarPlay and is used to access radio functions which adds convenience. Now I know it will cope with everything we ask of it; I very much enjoy using it and it’s a lot more versatile in terms of its suitability for a wide variety of tasks.

“I did play around with different transmission settings, but after a while it became clear that the manufacturer’s pre-programmed auto setting gave best results whether I was doing heavy cultivations or transport work.”

John Deere fleet

The current tractor fleet includes a 6R130, a 6R185, the used 6250R and the 6R250. A second 6R185 is on order to replace a 6155R and due for delivery this spring. The other main machines are a self-propelled sprayer, two telehandlers and a combine.

“We specify our tractors with a panoramic cab roof as operators prefer it, and a narrower cab door which retains the left-hand side window which can be opened for ventilation,” said Henry.

“The John Deeres also have an optional step, supplied by Tuckwells, which allows safe and convenient fitting and removal of the John Deere StarFire receivers to prevent theft. All our tractors apart from the 6R130 have AutoPowr IVT transmission and control through a CommandPro joystick. The 6R130 does a lot of hedge cutting and while AutoPowr offers advantages it’s a pricey option on a 4-cyl tractor. The slightly lower specification AutoQuad transmission is almost as good and much cheaper, so we opt for that instead.”

Single brand fleet makes sense

Having a fleet of similar tractors sharing common controls is an advantage. “We only need to keep one set of oils and service parts, and our operators can jump into any of the tractors and be immediately familiar with every aspect of operation. We just have to be aware that the previous driver might have changed the function assignments for the main joystick buttons!

“We all find the John Deere Operations Centre practical and easy to use. I can check locations of any of the tractors and look at the work history and working efficiency through the smartphone app. I often use it to check whether tractors working away from our base need diesel taken out to them, or how long various jobs have taken to ensure we are charging customers correctly, but it provides such a lot of accurate and useful fleet and task information that I intend using it for more business planning and management in future.”

Even greater precision

All the tractors have John Deere GPS guidance and autosteer. “The new 6R250 has the latest 7000 GPS receiver, and although we use just the basic SF1 signal which is the free option, the accuracy compared to earlier versions is amazing,” said Henry. “If we were precision drilling then it would probably be worth paying for even greater accuracy, but for our cereal drilling, slurry and manure applications and fertiliser spreading activities, it’s got the accuracy we need.”

Tuckwells has a team of technical specialists, whose job is to help install and set up precision farming and automation systems and provide operator training. “Customers gain real benefits from our team of technology experts,” commented Dan. “We also have a field sales support team whose role is to arrange demonstrations but also to help customers optimise tractor performance and working efficiency, saving fuel and time, and ensuring they get the most from their investment.”

Successful decision

The John Deere 6250R and 6R250 tractors proved their capabilities during a difficult autumn,” concluded Henry. “Excluding diesel costs, we estimate costs of ownership are £15–£25 per hour less than for our bigger 7310R, and that makes a lot of difference to our margins. Although we were prepared to hire in a bigger tractor for just a few weeks to subsoil and plough the heaviest land, the 6R250 amazed us with its ability to put the power down to the ground and it did everything it was asked to.

“We couldn’t have justified buying two brand-new similar front-line tractors this year, so investing in one new 6R250 plus the ex-hire 6250R with its PowerGard warranty worked well. However, having two similar mainline tractors proved such an advantage in a difficult season that the second-hand tractor worked more than twice the hours it was expected to, so we are already considering when to change it for a second new 6R250 instead.”

“Other farmers tell me I should have at least one tractor of another brand, just to keep dealers on their toes, but we get everything we need from Dan and the rest of the Tuckwells team. We feel very well looked after, the John Deere tractors are fuel efficient and each time we update them they have held their value well.”

Visit the Tuckwells website for more information

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