Four-cylinder power on New Holland’s T6

Like most other tractor manufacturers, New Holland is pushing four-cylinder power up to 175hp with engine power management.

It has offered six-cylinder tractors in the 120hp to 150hp range for a lot longer than its competitors.

The driving force for this change is the stringent emission regulations that add to the cost of engine development.

New Holland says the T6 is its most popular range, with 25,000 units sold across Europe.

The new T6 cab is clearly distinguishable with an updated roof. The tractor has also retained the wheelbase at 2.645m, even though it’s a four-cylinder motor. New Holland says this will improve traction and give more comfort for the operator.

All in all, there is no way of knowing that the tractor is a four-cylinder until you start the engine or pop the hood. Cleverly, New Holland has fitted the engine 25cm forward on the chassis for a better-balanced tractor to the front. The tractor weighs just 25kg less than the six-cylinder model.

In the cab

The Horizon cab has been updated on the inside. The changes are subtle. New Holland is offering three specifications – seat comfort, dynamic comfort and auto comfort.

The comfort seat utilises a low-frequency suspension design. The dynamic comfort seat features an enhanced low-frequency suspension and a variety of comfort-enhancing features, such as the automatic shock absorber adjustment, pneumatic lumbar support and two-stage heater.

Both seats feature an innovative swivelling backrest designed to provide upper back support while enabling the operator to turn and look back.

The auto comfort active seat, with incorporated climate control, reduces whole body vibration by up to 40% compared with a low-frequency seat, while extraction fans within the seat remove moisture, lowering surface humidity and temperature.

The cab also features dual-zone air conditioning and an updated instrument panel. Noise levels have been reduced to 69 decibels.

The Sidewinder II armrest is available on the auto command models. New Holland also says that visibility out of the cab in all directions is improved with 5.85m² of front windscreen glass.

All T6 models feature standard LED work lights. The base eight LED lights deliver 10,000 lumens, 60% brighter than the work lights on the previous generation.

For those wanting to turn night into day, the top-specification work light package offers LEDs that produce 31,200 lumens, more than five times as bright as their predecessors.

New engines

The new T6 complies with Tier 4B emissions standards, with New Holland’s ECOBlue high-efficiency selective catalytic reduction (Hi-eSCR) technology.

New Holland explains that with this after-treatment, the engine breathes clean air, optimising combustion, torque rise and fuel efficiency.

The turbo incorporates some clever features including an exhaust flap which closes to get the engine up to running temperature quicker. As an option, this can be used as an exhaust brake, operated by a second accelerator pedal.

The new T6 engines have to deliver more power from smaller engines. According to New Holland, they have achieved better performance by maximising power output from each cylinder.

The new engine control unit brings the engine to maximum torque faster and holds true to the lower rpm longer, outperforming the previous generation’s engine.

The engine power management develops more power and torque according to the load on the transmission, hydraulics and PTO.

On the T6.165, it can deliver up to 33 extra horsepower when it is needed to maintain performance.

Engine speed management ensures the engine speed is maintained under changing loads, for applications that require a constant PTO speed or to maintain a fixed forward speed in difficult terrain.

New Holland also indicated that the fuel consumption will remain the same as the older engines with DEF and diesel. Fuel tank capacity is upped to 230 litres for longer refuelling intervals.

Updates

The wheelbase of all models is now similar to the previous six-cylinder range and retains a tight turning radius of 4.3m. In addition, the SuperSteer front axle is still available as an option.

It can be ordered from the factory with IntelliSteer or with the complete IntelliSteer package installed and ready to use.

The tractor comes with ISOBUS Class II. Auto command models are able to interact with the implements further with ISOBUS Class III. HTS 2 implement control found on the larger T7 is also now available on the Auto Command T6.

Transmission

The new T6 Series has five four-cylinder models ranging from 125hp to 175hp. The six-cylinder T6.180 tops the range with a maximum torque of 740Nm – the only six-cylinder tractor in this category on the market.

The electro command semi-powershift is the entry-level transmission. The optional auto modes take care of gear shifting, both in the field and on the road, which is also available in the T5.

The electro command transmission can be specified with an additional direct-drive 17th gear that allows either a 50km/h transport speed or 40km/h at reduced engine speed for lower fuel consumption.

The standard IntelliShift technology from New Holland automatically selects the right gear for the job.

The T6.145, T6.155, T6.165 and T6.175 models are also available with the advanced auto command continuously variable transmission. New Holland believes this transmission benefits from multiple direct drive points with 100% mechanical efficiency for most operations.

In the field

I drove the blue power-spec T6.175 Auto Command. The tractor still handled pretty much like the older T6 with the six-cylinder engine.

Time on board was limited and the tractor hauled a Maschio cultivator. The seat options were comfortable and the cab has improved, with the sidewinder controls and the larger monitor.

Another feature on the tractor is that when the driver gets off the seat the engine revs reduce further to save fuel.

Not sure how much this would save, as a lot drivers spend time in the seat on tractor like this.

The cab still retains the familiar style and four-post design. Overall, the big change on this range is the engines.

New Holland has done a pretty decent job.