When designing a workhorse for farms big and small, it’s best to get advice from the people who will depend on it every day to get that farm work done.
“We build our tractors with the needs of Canadian growers in mind,” says Kyle Dabrowski, product manager, agricultural tractors with Kubota. “Our latest tractors were developed in consultation with growers – what they like, don’t like and what they wanted in a new machine. The M7 and M8 are great examples of taking grower feedback and creating a really strong tractor.”
Both tractors are compatible with a wide range of attachments and implements available for full customizability no matter what kind of power a farmer needs, whether it be growing crops, serving dairy or other livestock operations, or growing hay and producing feed.
DELIVERING POWER AND PRODUCTIVITY FOR A MULTITUDE OF FARM TASKS
“The M7-4 series launched in 2023 and is an extremely adaptable tractor,” Dabrowski says. “Its size makes it ideal for loading and material handling, such as moving bales or for haying operations. We see a lot of livestock producers or ranchers in Canada using this tractor, in addition to some smaller to mid-size row crop farmers.”
One of the key features of the M7 is the Xpress Restart, also known as brake to neutral. This means that to stop and start, a user doesn’t have to press in the clutch. For operators doing loader work or those baling, this helps make things quicker for the operator and reduces fatigue.
The Multi-Speed Steering Control (MSSC) feature in the M7-4 series helps make these tractors more nimble, especially in tight spaces.
For livestock and hay producers, the M7-4 series offers nimble, adaptable power for material handling, mowing and baling tasks.
“Depending on the wheel size and tread setting, it can take three and a half rotations of the steering wheel to completely turn the wheels,” Dabrowski says. “With MSSC on, you can take that down as low as one and a quarter rotations. This significantly increases the tractor’s maneuverability.”
For those who opt for the Deluxe option of the tractor, the new loader joystick simplifies front loader operations thanks to the built in transmission controls for shifting and changing direction. The operator can keep one hand on the joystick, another on the steering wheel and have full control.
The M7-4 is autosteer-ready with all major third-party products and has plug-and-play capability so growers can continue to use the steering programs they are comfortable with, significantly decreasing any sort of learning curve.
A YEAR-ROUND WORKHORSE
For larger row crop farmers, the M8 series offers high-level performance for planting, tillage and material handling. For livestock operations and commercial hay, these tractors offer the ability to operate higher capacity hay and forage equipment such as mowers with wider cutting widths and large balers.
Kubota’s M8 has the largest cab in its class, with excellent visibility and lines of sight that allow the operator to easily see over the wheels and monitor all implements.
“The M8 is the big brother to the M7 series,” Dabrowski says. “For any operator who has ever been in a Kubota tractor, it will have a familiar feel and experience, but with more horsepower, comfort, options and flexibility.”
The M8 has the largest cab in its class with 148 cubic feet of cabin space that can comfortably fit two people. “It has great visibility,” Dabrowski says. “You can easily see over the front of the hood or down to your draw bar. It gives you a much better view of what’s going on with your implements.”
With two high-performance transmission options, producers can choose the 30X15 semi-powershift which has 30 forward or 15 reverse speeds for an optimal gear in each range. Or they can choose the Kubota Variable Transmission which offers an unlimited number of forward and reverse speeds, allowing the operator to match the ideal working range for the job.
Kubota has a broad dealer network across Canada who work together with their field sales group. “Plus, our equipment is built for Canadian farms,” Dabrowski says. “All equipment sold in Canada is tested under Canadian weather, soil types, frozen silage pits – anything a Canadian grower could come up against.”
For more information on Kubota’s M7 and M8 tractors and their implements, you can head to your local dealer or visit www.kubota.ca/products/Ag-Tractors.
