Field sizes vary between 3ha and 52ha, producing combinable crops and sugar beet. The business employs two full-time tractor drivers, with a casual brought in for harvest.

Today, the principal sources of power here are a pair of Massey Ferguson tractors – an MF 8 S 205 Dyna 7 and an MF 8 S 265 Dyna 7. “This is our third consecutive round with Massey as the main tractors,” Tom reports. “But, going back, we have run a couple of Massey 1200s!”

The MF 8 S 205 principally works with a 5000 litre, 30m sprayer, also applying liquid fertiliser and providing back-up for other tasks, while the bigger machine takes care of all the fertiliser spinning and around 20 per cent of primary cultivations. This heavier work involves 100ha of ploughing (7-furrow, with press), carting corn and backing up on cultivations and drilling.

Tom explains that the brace of 8 S's replaced a 2014 MF 7618 D6 and a 2013 MF 7624 DVT in 2020, each of which had racked up close to 7000 hours.

“It has been a huge step up from the 76/77 series in terms of operator environment and the level of technology, together with the increase in power – without too much more bulk!” he reports. “The air cleaner and radiator cleanliness have made a massive improvement in the daily maintenance requirement.

“The bigger hydraulic pump has boosted the performance of trailed implements; while all-round visibility with the four-post cab is much better.

“Also, auto-use of Dyna7 means you really can drive it almost like a CVT – just input a speed and the tractor does the rest, which is great on low- or no-draft tasks, such as spraying.

When specifying the level of technology available within these machines, Tom decided to go for the Telemetry option. “It's proving very useful for work planning, knowing how far across a field a machine is and the logging of any faults and services.”

Tom is also happy with the level and quality of service he gets at the Thurlow Nunn Standen (TNS) dealership, where his main points of contact are with Matt Boardley and Chris Tew.

“I get on really well with the team there. If we have a problem, they are here very quickly, and they are very conveniently located, should we need any parts,” he states.

In summary, Tom is very positive about the MF 8S. “ All-round, they represent a huge improvement on the previous 200hp line-up,” he states. “As a place to sit, it is chalk and cheese, and, being 6'5”, not having the air-conditioning in the roof area is a massive plus!

'Very easy to use, comfortable and the back-up from TNS and Massey Ferguson we know from over the years is brilliant! And I would highly recommend the MF 8 S to anyone!”