John Deere enjoyed great success with their 50 series tractors, complete SG2 cab, which put down firm roots for the green and yellow brand in Ireland. But by the turn of the 90’s the models not only looked dated in comparison to their competitors but also fell behind in terms of horsepower, lift and oil flow capacity. However, John Deere, ready to throw the mainstream tractor design book out the window with the Mannheim, built the 6000 and 7000 series.

Released in 1992, the 6000 series were radical new tractors for John Deere. Providing strength, while saving on weight, the new full frame chassis design was fundamental to the all-new ground up engineering of tractors. Unlike previous conventional designs, the engine and gearbox were not structural elements of the frame and bear no load or stress and therefore could be made lighter, while also making the frame very adaptable for front loaders and linkage.

The initial 6000 six-cylinder line up consisted of the 6600 and 6800. These tractors made a long lasting impression, although the 6800 was somewhat overshadowed by the more powerful and slightly beefier 6900 which arrived in 1994. Nonetheless, it was the 6800 that was unveiled as the range topping tractor at the unveiling of the range

The newly designed and turbocharged PowerTech 6.8l engine producing 120hp. Lift capacity is a highly impressive 6.8 with average oil flow of 60l/min. 40km PowrQuad is most common transmission, providing 20F/20R reverse speeds through 5 gears, A-E, with 4 clutch less gears in each (PowrQuad). A park gear is also incorporated into the gearbox, while the new oil immersed PermaClutch2 boosted its durability. A manual shuttle provided easy directional changes and an optional electric, steering console mounted shuttle was later available.

Fitted with the newly the designed six pillar TechCentre cab, the 6800 boasts 310 degrees of visibility. Keen to improve of the niggles of the 50 series, the exhaust was located in line with the front right pillar out of vision of the operator.

Furthermore, the cab is located forward of the rear axle, providing straight forward seamless entry to the two-door cab via three in line steps. Clad in black over brown, the cab layout is excellent, with a full adjustable steering console, easy to reach gear levers, and even a folding passenger seat. The side console houses all instruments in an unclustered and logical fashion, with the newly designed half-moon shaped lift controls with optional headland management.

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