Deciding whether to buy a new or used tractor is a regular dilemma for contractors: a new tractor will cost more but should be reliable; a used tractor saves cash initially but can rack up repair costs if it proves unreliable.
Dorset contractor Kevin Cutler says he learnt a valuable lesson when the second-hand tractor he purchased a couple of years ago cost him £4000 for a new gearbox and then the same again for a new engine. After that, he was understandably cautious about replacing it with another second-hand one.
"I'd also had trouble with the brakes and a few other things," he says. "As a contractor, I can't afford to have a tractor in the workshop being repaired so it made sense to have a new tractor and, hopefully, the reliability that goes with it."
Having decided to buy new but stay with the same make and model, the chance to try a Landini Legend made him think again.
"The Legend came with big low profile tyres, a braked front axle, mechanical parking lock and 50kph transmission," he points out. "Yet it still saved me £8000 on the tractor I'd planned to buy, so it wasn't that hard a decision."
As the main tractor for Kevin Cutler's contracting service operated out of farm premises alongside Bournemouth International Airport in Dorset, the 160hp Legend DT160 Deltashift spends its time hedge cutting, spraying, ploughing using a five-furrow reversible, sowing with a 3m one-pass outfit and operating an umbilical slurry spreading system.
The hedge work and a solid six months hauling a 12-tonne Bunning spreader for the local water company means the tractor spends a good deal of its time on the road and needs good ride and handling. It has not disappointed in that respect.
"It's the nicest tractor I've driven on the road, with nicely weighted steering," he says. "I'm averaging 1800 hours a year, so you can see the tractor's kept pretty busy. "Apart from a few sensor problems early on, it's been entirely reliable."
The tractor is powered by a 6-litre Perkins engine, which develops 160hp using mechanical fuel injection, driving through a slick transmission that puts no fewer than 108 forward and 36 reverse speeds at the driver's disposal. It comes in for nothing but praise from Kevin Cutler.
"It's a brilliant transmission with more than enough gears, including creep speeds, and a decent shift," he says. "I very rarely press the clutch pedal because I can use a button on the gear lever to operate the clutch for shifts. The power shuttle also works well, making smooth changes between forward and reverse."
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The transmission also features Landini's mechanical parking lock.
"That's a good feature for when you have to park up with a heavy trailer or spreader on a slope," Kevin Cutler points out. "It's a positive lock that isolates the drive and saves relying on the handbrake, which on any tractor is not always the most secure way of stopping a lot of weight from rolling away!"
The Legend was delivered with its standard complement of five spool valves for the 80-litre/min hydraulics system, which means there are more than enough outlets for all implements.
"The hydraulically extending pick-up now takes up two valves because I've converted it from mechanical to hydraulic release," Mr Cutler points out. "But there are still three valves available for implements, two of them operated by the joystick control."
As the hours continue to pile on, his thoughts have already turned to weighing up when would be the right time to replace the tractor and how much it will be worth when he does.
"I looked at the possibility of changing it last autumn and was happy with the trade-in value I was quoted, especially given how much I'd saved on an equivalent tractor in the first place," he explains. "The Legend's been running well and it suits me, so I'll keep it for the time being. When I do change, there's a good chance it will be for another Legend."
The most likely candidate is the Legend DT165 TDi Top-Tronic that has superseded the DT160. It has a 163hp version of the Perkins 1106C-60ETA engine beneath its bonnet, which Landini says gives better power and torque delivery and a further improvement in fuel economy.
This is partly thanks to electronic fuel injection that also gives more rapid response to changing draft load and features 'cruise control' that allows the driver to programme two engines speeds – eg for work and headland turns – and call them up at the press of a switch.
Better cab interior materials and mouldings have further improved the driver's environment, which has a light and airy feel thanks to the standard glass roof panel.
