With Peter O'Brien
AS the 90’s drew to a close, a new styling of tractor began to emerge across all manufacturers. The straight line, sharp edge design were replaced by a sleeker, rounded and softer appearance. But looks are only part of the story. Transmissions capable of 40kph with semi and powershift functions became the norm, driver comfort finally started to become more of a priority while engines became more frugal, yet powerful and responsive, and of course, sophisticated electronics.
For New Holland, the 60 series took their mid horsepower tractors into the 21st century. Launched in 1997, these tractors were smooth and sleek in appearance and looked ultramodern compared to the 40 series Ford/New Holland models they replaced.
In terms of styling, a one piece, sloping bonnet which is hinged at the back provided excellent visibility. This is further aided by the location of the exhaust stack perfectly in line with the left hand A pillar making it virtually invisible when driving. Large, rounded plastic mudguards shouldered either side of the cab.
The tried and tested PowerStar engine provides 160hp with hydraulic output of 98l/min and a lift capacity of 5.4tons. The ability to slide out the oil coolers for cleaning was a nice addition to the regular maintenance of the tractor.
The new ‘Range Command’ transmission was the big talking point of the 60 series and 25 years later, albeit with some tweaks, is still a fundamental transmission for New Holland. This user friendly, transmission comprises of three ranges, A, B and C with six powershift gears in each, totalling 18 forward speeds as well as six reverse. While some perceive it to be power hungry, it is quite user friendly.
The gear system is controlled by an adjustable pistol type gear lever, with two top buttons for cycling through the gears and a declutch button at the back for changing between the ranges. The C range has a programmable function providing automatic gear shifting to the operators desired gear, although the process has to begin from C1.
The cab is familiar to users of previous 40 series models, but offers more refinement through grey plastic moulding and padding. The sweeping side console has all controls well positioned with spool valves positioned at 45 degrees to the seat and touch pads to control the lighting as well as four-wheel drive and differential lock. Not forgetting their Fiat heritage, the 60 series were also available in Fiat terracotta paintwork, badged as the M series, the M160 being identical to the 8560.
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VITAL STATISTICS
Tractor
New Holland 8560
Horsepower
160 HP
Engine
Ford PowerStar 7.5l
Years of manufacture
1997-1999
