Farming in the region of 60 suckler cows in Mullahoran, Co Cavan, Michael Cadden this year made the decision to upgrade his four-year-old Massey Ferguson 5712 S for the new model, the 5S.125, having clocked up over 3,500 hours since new.

“I’ve no jeep on the farm. I’d rather keep a good tractor that will do all. Given our location here, I’m never any more than a 35-minute drive (in a tractor) from either Granard, Carrigallen or Cavan marts. I’d have very little other use for a jeep so it makes sense to keep a fresh reliable tractor on the farm.”

“I had originally intended buying another 5712 S. My last one was a great tractor and gave very little bother over the four years aside from the water pump failing which was under warranty,” Michael explained.

“I happened to be up in Martins Garage in Bailieborough and enquired about a new 5712 S. At this stage the 5S range had come out and was replacing the 5700S tractors. There were no 5712 S tractors to be had, so I priced a 5S.125, its replacement. The price to change was coming in about right so I decided to go for it. The 5S range was coming with the option of a factory-fitted front loader. I decided to have it fitted with a loader.”

The tractor came fitted with a Quicke Q3S loader. It arrived in time for first-cut silage and was quickly put to work. Michael does all his own first- and second-cut silage, baling up to 1,000 bales with is Welger baler annually.

Michael opted for the Quicke Q3S front loader.

Engine and transmission

The 5S.125 is fitted with the same 4.4l four-cylinder AGCO Power engine as was Michael’s previous 5712 S. The now Stage V compliant power plant churns out a healthy 125hp at 2,000rpm and 520Nm of torque at 1,500rpm. Although the power increase is minimal at 5hp, Michael noted that the 5S feels quite a bit livelier in comparison to his previous 5712 S.

It is still early days yet but he suspects that the 5S may be slightly harder on diesel, while AdBlue is much the same as before.

“I find AdBlue usage to really depend on the kind of work the tractor is at. If it’s agitating a tank it tends to burn more than it would feeding around the yard during the winter. It works out to nearly three tanks of diesel for one tank of AdBlue,” Michael noted.

All Michael’s 4wd drive tractors since his first 5455 have featured the 16x16 semi-powershift Dyna 4 gearbox. He said: “Now on my fourth Dyna-4 tractor, I couldn’t fault it. It’s been a straightforward reliable gearbox. There are four gears with four torques in each.”

Alternatively, the 5S range can be specified with Autodrive or the Dyna-6 transmission with the AutoDrive option as standard. Both the Dyna-4 and Dyna-6 are offered with the Brake-to-Neutral function allowing the tractor to be stopped on the brakes without dipping the clutch.

Cab

Aside from the new neo-retro exterior styling, the cab heater and air-conditioning system has been improved. Although this is his first tractor with air-conditioning Michael said that even from a heating aspect alone, the new system is much better than before.

Being an Essential specification tractor, the cab layout remains the same for the most part with the exception of the slightly shorter armrest. The loader joystick is positioned in front of the armrest and from it gear changes can be made as well as third service operation. The traditional T-bar is mounted on the console to the right hand side of the armrest for gear changes too.

Michael praised the cab’s accessibility and visibility.

Verdict

Now 300 hours into ownership of the 5S.125, Michael is happy with how the tractor has performed.

“It does all the work I need it to do. During the summer, it runs the John Deere 1350 trailed mower and then bales and wraps with the Welger baler and McHale wrapper. We make up to 1,000 round bales of silage.

“After silage there would be the usual agitating and slurry spreading using the 1,600 gallon tanker. The 5S is more than capable of all the work we have for it.

“I tend to change the tractor every four years or so. That way, I have a fair idea of what the cost of ownership is going to be. Having the reliability and knowing I’ll not need to replace tyres or carry out considerable maintenance is a big benefit of keeping a machine fresh,” Michael explained.

“One of the updates I like most with the 5S compared to the 5712 S is that the lift arms and backend seem more accessible when hooking up an implement.

“It took some time to get used to the front loader but now that we’re used to it it’s a great job for feeding during the winter and stacking bales. It sits nice and snug to the tractor. The backend can feel a little light when feeding heavy round bales so I tend to keep the power box on for extra weight. The solid rims do help notably with stability.

“The only downside of the loader is that if you want to exit the cab from the right hand door the joystick is an obstruction.

“When it comes around to changing again I’d think strongly about going for the 5S.135 so that if I change the round baler I’ll be able to run it comfortably.”

Michael Cadden, Roisin Cadden and Killian O'Reilly.

Likes

  • Comfort.
  • Visibility.
  • Manoeuvrability.
  • Dislikes

  • Joystick lever restricts right hand door access.
  • Spec

  • Engine: 4.4l four-cylinder Agco Power Stage V.
  • Max horsepower: 125hp (520Nm @ 1,500rpm).
  • Transmission: Dyna-4 (16x16) with brake-to-neutral.
  • Hydraulics: 58l/min (standard).
  • Rear lift capacity: 5,700kg.
  • Wheelbase: 2,550mm.
  • Diesel tank: 200l.
  • AdBlue tank: 20l.
  • Tyres: 540/65 R34 and 440/65 R24.
  • List price: €102,000 plus VAT.