XTX165 - T A Perry & Co

Buying a new McCormick XTX165 XtraSpeed tractor has got Mike Williamson into hot water with his wife and daughter – because his 84-year old father-in-law, Tom Perry, is always busy driving it. 

“I started ploughing with horses and I’ve worked with tractors like the Standard Fordson, so this is very different,” says Mr Perry. “But it’s very nice to drive; it shifts through the gears more smoothly than our other tractors and you don’t even have to use the clutch pedal or move a lever to go from one range to the next. 

“The cab and front suspension is very good, too,” he adds. “With the plough carried on the linkage damper you hardly notice the speed bumps on the farm roadway.” 

The family farming business T A Perry & Co at Peplow near Market Drayton, Shropshire, specialises in organic cereals, pulses and beef, finishing almost 500 head of Hereford cross and Aberdeen-Angus cattle a year. An increase in contract farmed land took the enterprise to around 1000 acres last year and triggered the need for an extra tractor. 

The farm’s first McCormick was sourced from Market Drayton-based Hilton Machinery, a new West Midlands dealership supported by Chris Evans Farm Services for local service and repairs back-up. 

Having purchased the CESAR-Datatag security system for his other tractors to deter thefts, Mike Williamson was pleased to discover that all McCormick tractors have it as standard. He also took up an Argo Finance package and Platinum Plus extended warranty. 

“It makes sense to budget for possible repair costs this way and it’s worth it for the peace of mind that comes from knowing there aren’t going to be any unpleasant financial shocks,” says Mike Williamson. 

At 162hp for draft work and up to 171hp for pto and transport duties, the biggest tractor on the farm won its place with the best-value combination of performance and features. 

“We decided on the XtraSpeed E specification, with manual spool valves and button shifting for the transmission, which works well without being too complicated,” says Mr Williamson. “I like the six-cylinder engine; it pulls well and is turning out to be pretty good on fuel, definitely more economical than the contractors’ machines we’ve had here – and it sounds really good, too!” 

The McCormick handles 400 acres of ploughing, along with subsoiling and heavy discing, as land is prepared for cereals, beans and regular reseeds for 350 acres of grass. 

“We’re getting tremendous output from the tractor on land that varies from sand and gravel where we can out-winter cattle, to peat meadows, medium loams and really heavy clay,” Mr Williamson reports. “In fields where we’ve a mix of soil types and terrain, the eight speed powershift really comes into its own – you can go from a crawl to 14kph without stopping or getting a big jolt from changing ranges because there are plenty of powershift speeds to flick through.” 

The 32x24 XtraSpeed transmission also works well on the road, he adds, when automatic shifting makes life easier as the tractor accelerates to its 50kph top speed carting grain or moving cattle with a stock trailer.  “The independent front axle suspension works really well on the road,” Mr Williamson enthuses. “It’s so smooth, soaking up bumps and potholes much more effectively than the suspension on our other tractors – it really is the Rolls-Royce of suspension designs.”

(Above) "It's difficult to get him off," says Mike Williamson with a grin as his 84 year old father-in-law Tom Perry clocks up yet more hours ploughing with his farm's new McCormick XTX165 XtraSpeed tractor.

(Above) "It's nice to drive," says Tom Perry of the new McCormick. "It shifts through gears better than our other tractors and has a very comfortable ride too."

(Above) The XTX165 tackles 400 acres of ploughing, plus subsoiling and heavy discing.