X7 Pro Drive - Duncan Hawley
Expansion plans for contractor puts new McCormick X7 at the heart of operations
Having clocked up more than a hundred hours, mostly with a big square baler on the drawbar, Warwickshire farmer and contractor Duncan Hawley succinctly sums up his feelings about the new McCormick X7.680 Pro Drive: “It’s a seriously good tractor,” he says.
“I spend all summer baling silage and hay, so my tractor has to be comfortable and nice to use,” he adds. “This is the most comfortable of all the tractors I’ve driven; the suspension on the front axle and cab works really well and the powershift is as smooth as anything. It’s a real pleasure to drive.”
The new top-of-the-range X7.680 Pro Drive arrived at James Farm near Henley in Arden in time for baling silage, one of the main contract services provided from the 160-acre farm. It’s equipped with a 50kph version of the Pro Drive 24x24 transmission, plus cab suspension and independent front wheel suspension.
Despite obvious enthusiasm for his new tractor, Duncan Hawley is no died-in-the-wool McCormick fan; he’s run different makes in the past and considered three of the top-selling makes from local dealers for his latest purchase.
“I’d looked at the previous McCormick six-cylinder design when Rollason Engineering at Moreton Morrell was appointed to handle the range last year and thought it was a bit basic, especially in the cab,” he says.
“But the new X7 Pro Drive is completely different; the new control technology appealed to me because it looked easy to use and can be easily upgraded with new software features and modifications,” Mr Hawley explains. “Having the chance to drive a pre-production example convinced me that the new design is something special, so I put in one of the first orders.”
A few months on, those initial impressions have been confirmed: “The control layout works really well – it’s all fingertip stuff but you don’t need a degree to work out how to use it, which is important given that we use temporary labour during busy times,” says Duncan Hawley.
For the full story, download the press release on the right.
Above: Warwickshire contractor Duncan Hawley collects the keys to his new McCormick X7.680 Pro Drive from Charlie Rollason of Moreton Morrell-based McCormick dealer Rollason Engineering.
Above: Tractor in action: Duncan Hawley’s McCormick X7.680 Pro Drive has up to 212hp available for pto-driven implements and machines like his big square baler.
Above: Tractor in action: Duncan Hawley’s McCormick X7.680 Pro Drive has up to 212hp available for pto-driven implements and machines like his big square baler.
Above: In control: A Kverneland IsoMatch Tellus twin-screen isobus terminal plugs into the tractor's data system and provides touch-screen set up, monitoring and recording of baling operations.
