Deere, JCB win big at SIMA 2017

It was a night of glamour and celebration in Paris last week, as a group of major ag-machinery brands took out top accolades at the industry's equivalent to the 'Oscars'- the Machine of the Year awards held at the SIMA Agricultural trade fair. A small number of companies, including John Deere, had more than one reason to celebrate.

John Deere swept up two awards in the tractor categories, one for its John Deere 9RX in the 'over 400hp' category, and another for the new 6R models in the '180 – 280hp' category.

The four tracked 9RX is a true game changer, offering up to 620hp in power to execute even the heaviest of tasks on the farm without affecting soil quality.

John Deere's four-cylinder 6230 and 6250 R tractors complete the 6R range. In addition to their versatility in carrying out any task on farm, especially transportation, the new models are equipped with a new joystick on the CommandPro armrest, which allows the control of all functions at the operators' fingertips.

UK heavy equipment manufacturer, JCB, also bagged two Machine of the Year awards for its ag range.

Its flagship JCB Fastrac 8000 tractor was named the winner in the '280-400hp' tractor category, while the JCB AgriPro Loadall telescopic handler took out the award in the 'materials handling' category.

According to a report by French agricultural magazine Terre Net, JCB's Fastrac 8000 tractor won the jury over with its speeds of up to 65km/h, as well as its hydro-pneumatic rear suspension which provides operator comfort in undulating terrain.

The AgriPro Loadall telescopic handler, on the other hand, impressed with its DualTech VT transmission which combines both Hydrostatic and Powershift transmissions in one drive system.

Decided by a jury of European machinery journalists, the Machine of the Year award honours the most innovative agricultural products on the market. This year, a total of 17 awards were presented which covers a wide range of agricultural machinery; from tractors to balers, and combine harvesters to cultivators.

French hay tool brand, Kuhn, also took home two awards; with the Kuhn Performer 3000 cultivator winning the 'Audience award' and the SPV Power mixer snagging the 'Special Jury Prize'.

The full list of Machine of the Year award winners:

XXL Tractor category (over 400hp): John Deere 9RX

XL Tractor category (280 – 400hp): JCB Fastrac 8000

L Tractor category (180 – 280hp): John Deere 6230 and 6250 R

M Tractor category (120 – 180hp): Massey Ferguson 6700 S

S Tractor category (less than 150hp): Valtra A

Specialist tractor: Same Frutteto Active Drive

Combine harvester: New Holland Everest

Mower: Vicon Extra 736 T

Baler: Krone Big Pack Vari Cut

Tillage machine: Lemken Karat 12

Seeding: Amazone Cataya

Spraying: Berthoud Vantage

Material handling: JCB AgriPro DualTech VT

Transport: Joskin slurry tank with Vacu-Storm pump

Audience award: Kuhn Performer 3000 cultivator

Special Jury Prize: CLAAS Shredlage technology and Kuhn SPV Power mixer