The John Deere 6155M impresses with its technology package, quality feel, and premium comfort levels
John Deere’s snazzy Technology Stack for the 6M Series included fitting the Showcase tractor with a G5 monitor and an SF 7000 receiver. This allowed the AutoTrac-ready tractor to give pass-to-pass accuracy of within 2.5cm through SF-RTK (Satellite Frequency RTK) in the dome itself.
Combined with the standard JD Link (tractor telemetry), this allows owners to monitor where the tractor is, along with fuel levels, engine hours, and service intervals. Most commonly, however, this technology is used to monitor idle time and operator safety through the free platform called Operation Centre (available online or as a mobile app).
Another app that links to machines on individual Operation Centre accounts is ‘Equipment Mobile’. This provides free operator manual and online parts searching. The Brandt team kindly set me up a ‘Making Farm Trader Great Again’ Operation Centre account, so from my mobile phone, I could see where the tractor was and where it had been.
Right: The new G5 monitor has tablet-like functionality
Also, through Remote Display Access (RDA) while the tractor was running, I could go into the G5 display and see exactly what the operator was seeing. This is particularly great for service technicians as if a diagnostic code comes up on a tractor without having to physically go to the machine, and they can see what the operator sees and may be able to diagnose it from the workshop (saving travel time and charges) or have a clear idea of what’s needed to fix the fault if they do have to come out to the tractor, saving repeat visits.
This is also fantastic for operator training. For example, you can RDA to the tractor if an operator is having a problem with GPS or ISOBUS-compatible implements (for example), and the operations manager or owner can see what’s happening on their phone and navigate the operator back on track.
Engine
Familiar to many is the tried-and-true Deere-manufactured 6.8-litre, Tier 2, 6-cylinder engine. The rated horsepower is 155, with 172 max horsepower (no ‘boost’ as such), which produced 144hp at the PTO during our dyno session. Offering a 285-litre fuel tank, with 500-hour service intervals on the engine and 1500 hours on the transmission, the John Deere comes standard with a comprehensive two-year, 2000-hour warranty.
Transmission
The John Deere 6155M has several different transmission options. All of these offer a maximum of 20 forward and reverse speeds, with five ranges of four powershifts. This was the least powershifts on the go of any machine in the Showcase.
The specific transmission was the ‘CommandQuad’, which essentially is a power quad transmission with an electro-hydraulic box on top of it. You can lock it into A, B, C, and D range. Flicking into auto will auto-shift within the range, or you can push the BCDE button, which allows you to shift between all of the ranges and the powershifts on the go. Changing it into auto will do it all while speed-matching gear changes. Autoclutch (brake to neutral) has four settings: Low, Medium, and High are the sensitivity settings and then OFF, which needs to be set after each key cycle, as it will auto default to ON.
Operator environment
There’s an ease of use around the familiarity of the John Deere cab layout across all of its models, including well-thought-out intuitive functionality. The cab interior is well finished with a quality feel about it – unanimously agreed by all three of our test drivers.
While a traditional 6-pillar layout certainly doesn’t have the expansive feel of some of the other cab designs, the dash on the A-pillar has all the main machine parameters, plus straight-line AutoTrac ability. Relocating the dash to the A-pillar and sitting the 270-degree windscreen wiper down low on the one-piece windscreen allows for good overall forward visibility. The same can’t be said for the forward loader visibility down to the quick hitch, which isn’t overly great due to the large one-piece bonnet.
What was great, however, was the joystick positioning. Even though it was one of the only manual joysticks there, it gave a fully integrated feel with integrated gearshift, shuttle, and boom suspension for comfort.
Speaking of comfort, the John Deere had a fantastic package with the premium seat combined with TLS front suspension, which is notoriously one of the hardest to beat in the market, as well as sprung cab suspension. All-round top marks for this, as operator comfort is vital for operators who spend long hours behind the wheel.
Loader
John Deere is one of only two manufacturers in our Showcase line-up to make its own loader. A major benefit of the John Deere 6155M is the genuine full-frame chassis, with the cast loader mounting bolted straight to the chassis. This achieves the same result as opting for a front linkage, where weight is distributed across the full frame and not on the connection point between the transmission and the engine.
Cast loader towers offer strength and rigidity and added strength in high-wearing areas. The mechanical joystick in the cab has boom suspension on/off, plus gear changes and direction changes. All-round a nice, well-finished, and high-performing loader package.
Hydraulics, Linkage, PTO
Featuring Electronic Draft Control with height limiter and drop speed on easy-to-use dials, the best part is you don’t have to go through any unlock system – it’s live all the time. The total hydraulic pump flow is 114 litres per minute, although, the steering comes off the main pump and can dip hydraulic flow.
This particular machine was equipped with three spool valves. All have adjustable flow rates, detent, and float, as well as constant pumping. The loader was plumbed into the Power Beyond fitting at the rear.
Although only a 3-speed PTO, changing between 6 spline and 21 spline is done by simply removing a circlip and flipping the shaft, which is fantastic.
Performance/judging summary
Solid, stable, and delivering a well-balanced feel, thanks to the genuine full frame design and a well-matched loader/tractor package. It’s smooth to operate, intuitive to use, and everything is logically laid out. The John Deere had the lowest number of powershift gears, which did hinder the transmission. However, engine performance more than made up for this, and at no point, the tractor felt out of power. The technology package, quality feel, and comfort levels of this machine are all standouts among the pack.
Top 5 features
- Impressive technology offering
- Comfort, thanks to TLS and cab suspension
- Full frame chassis
- High-quality feel throughout the machine
- Loader/tractor design and compatibility
| Tractor | John Deere 6155M |
|---|---|
| Engine | 6-cylinder/6.8L |
| Stated max horsepower | 172hp |
| Emissions level | Tier 2 |
| Transmission | Semi-powershift |
| Number of gears | 20x20 |
| Hydraulic capacity | 114L/m |
| Tyre size | 650/65R38 rear, 540/65R28 front |
| Service interval | 500-hour engine, 1500-hour transmission |
| Warranty | 2-year/2000-hour |
