Jaiden Drought gets behind the wheel of a Deutz-Fahr M600 and discovers that the view from the seat is hard to beat
- Panoramic view from the well laid out cab
- Easy engine access thanks to one-piece bonnet
- Smooth shuttle response
- Four speed PTO as standard
- Powerful yet frugal engine
This Deutz-Fahr M600 tractor is owned by Duane Crow, who runs
Mulch and Mow Ltd in Hawera. His company provides shelter-belt
trimming, hedge mulching and park mowing, but the majority of its
work is roadside mowing around Taranaki.
Design
The M600’s glass doors slope up to a narrow roof, with
see-through roof hatch, allowing for excellent visibility
upwards.
The square nose and large exhaust stack give the tractor a
staunch appearance, but it’s the user-friendliness of subtle design
features – such as the sloping bonnet and bright, colour-coded cab
controls – that Deutz owners have come to love.
Operating environment
Entering the cab you’ll notice the anti-slip, galvanised steps,
perfect for the corrosive environment that is dairy farming.
However, the hand-rail is tucked behind the air intake, making it
hard to access.
As a six-cylinder tractor, I would say it offers one of the best
views of the quick-hitch on the market. Slightly tinted windows and
roller blinds on the front and rear windscreens, coupled with the
overhanging roof, reduce a lot of the glare, and the 14 adjustable
air vents keep the cab cool.
The colour-coded controls each represent a particular function,
such as transmission, hydraulics, linkage and PTO functions.
Everything is well laid out on the right-hand side, with the
majority of functions – powershift gears, linkage, four-wheel
drive, diff lock, PTO, hand throttle and pre-set engine rpm control
– operated from the right arm rest. Located underneath the flip-up
armrest is the APS (automatic powershift) settings and a
sensitivity dial – allowing you to adjust the transmission
depending on the task at hand – along with a setting to adjust the
flow and time of all four hydraulic SCVs (only on electric
remotes).
An orange button for ASM, or “automatic drive-train management”,
is mainly for headland management, and, in essence, does away with
the need to repeatedly turn the diff lock and four-wheel drive on
and off. Instead, the ASM does this automatically as and when
required under load. Further, when turning at headland, the diff
locks automatically – only to disengage depending on the steering
angle – which allows for a tight turn. The diff then re-engages
when the wheels straighten.
My only gripe is that noise inside the cab can be quite loud,
particularly on the road. However, this particular tractor has a
full roof guard that could be affecting the dynamics.
Pneumatic cab suspension
Pneumatic (or compressed gas) works with a load-dependent level
control. Supplied from the tractor’s compressed air system, this
provides a very comfortable ride. No matter how much weight is in
the cab, the full suspension travel of 80mm is always available.
Post-sprung suspension offers a very spongy ride, but this system
is different and although it feels as if you are floating, you
aren’t thrown around the cab, making for pleasant driving. The test
tractor is only equipped with cab suspension, but this is more than
sufficient.
Engine
The six-cylinder, high-tech, Deutz turbo engines offer plenty of
power. Coming as standard with Deutz common-rail technology (DCR)
and Deutz power control (DPC), the six-litre liquid cooled engine
of the M600 produces 121hp. Add to this 11hp of boost with the DPC,
and a peak power output of 132hp can be achieved. The frugal fuel
economy is something that Crow points out, with fuel usage for all
road work tasks at just over eight litres per hour.
Transmission
Deutz has axed the long-range gear lever, instead opting for a
shorter, higher-mounted and more user-friendly gear lever that has
four power shift gears in each range. The fully synchronised
transmission has three main components: 4-stage power shift,
6-stage main transmission and 4-speed creeper gear group (ideal for
shelter-belt trimming). With 40 forward and reverse speeds, and 10
gears in the working range of 4-15kph, you will be hard-pressed to
run out of gears.
All the M-series tractors use the same 7200 ZF transmission,
regardless of the road speed.
The M600 has one of the smoothest shuttle tack-ups around, and,
overall, the transmission is easy to use. However, through no fault
of Deutz-Fahr, the loader control clashes with the joystick in
gears two and four on the main lever, something which can be a
little annoying
PTO and Hydraulics
Deutz’s M-series is one of very few tractors in this hp bracket
to offer four-speed rear PTO as a standard feature.
An open centre hydraulic system offers a flow 120 litres per
minute. Four remotes are offered as standard and are controlled
using a joystick for remotes one and two, and single levers for
remotes three and four.
The linkage system on the M600 is run through what they call
electronic powerlift control (EHR), and is controlled via the arm
rest with adjustments made on the right-hand console. The linkage
also has a nifty little feature which accumulates the bumps caused
by the implement, automatically engaging when travelling at over
8kph. This is particularly handy on the road when implements such
as linkage mounted cultivation equipment tend to throw the tractor
around.
Verdict
The M600 tractor could not be better suited to this kind of road
work, even more so if you want a loader tractor. The upwards view
is second to none, and, thanks to the cab layout, excellent
visibility and superb cab suspension offering a classy ride, the
new M-series Deutz is a definite competitor for the 100-150hp
market.
See a range of Deutz-Fahr tractors for sale.