The UK magazine Farm Contractor & Large Scale Farmer has published a very positive report following a test to follow up the ‘Tractor of the Year’ award win for the McCormick X6.440 VT-Drive.

The tractor, which features the first ‘in-house’ CVT transmission produced by McCormick manufacturer Argo Tractors, was driven along tracks, on a steep gravel bank, on the road and around a farm yard to get further impressions after the author worked the tractor with a loader during the ‘Tractor of the Year’ award appraisal.

He came away impressed, noting driver comfort and a good balance between electronics technology and traditional controls, as well as plenty of power from the 4.5-litre engine.

Like the familiar ‘Vario’ transmission, the McCormick VT-Drive has ‘road’ and ‘field’ ranges to select as appropriate; it then starts off in fully hydrostatic mode, so starting and stopping involves only the accelerator pedal, the tractor will remain stationary on a slope and implement hitching manoeuvres are very controllable. The transmission then goes to a mix of mechanical and hydraulic drive to deliver the tractor’s power and torque efficiently with progressive and finely-adjusted speed control.

At present, the McCormick X6.440 VT-Drive is the smallest and lightest full-size tractor of any make with a CVT transmission, and so it has the manoeuvrability to work well in the confines of a dairy yard and buildings, and similar situations.

Yet in X7.440 guise, it also has plenty of power – 130hp when cultivating, ploughing or carrying out any other draft work, and up to 140hp when driving a mobile pto-powered implement or towing a trailer, spreader or tanker on the road.