In just over two years, Nick Catchpole has clocked up almost 1,800 hours in the cab of a 143hp M6-142.

He views the mid-sized M-series as a competent all-rounder, having proved its worth at Manor Farm, Wilcot in Wiltshire, since it arrived in late 2022.

“We’ve gradually switched to Kubota tractors as other makes at the farm came up for replacement,” Nick, who manages day-to-day operations at the Maidment family’s 350ha farm, explained.

“140hp is the right size for us, and Kubota’s M6 series is a tractor that delivers on power and manoeuvrability.

“It’s a package that also includes a no-fuss warranty, and a gutsy four-cylinder engine. And if we want to add front linkage and pto for example, it would be a cost-effective dealer-fit upgrade.”

With a boosted output of up to 163hp available for transport, Nick adds that the tractor is comfortably on top of its workload among the rolling slopes of the Vale of Pewsey.

He added: “The M6-142 is easily capable of everything we need our tractors to do.

“Having the extra power for trailers, muck spreaders and our 3,000-gallon tanker is really useful, yet we’ve still got a sensible-sized tractor that’s manoeuvrable and relatively light for field work.”

Proven performance

At Manor Farm, Nick makes use of two M6-142 models as frontline power, bought from Devizes-based Kubota dealer Howard & Sons.

The newest 2024 model replaced a five-year-old, 5,000-hour M135GX that had proved totally faultless from the day it arrived until the day it left.

“I’ve never known a tractor to perform so well, and it never let us down once,” Nick added.

“Based on this, plus the service and support from Howards, along with my own experience with our first M6-142, it was an easy decision to add a second M6-142 to the fleet.

The newer M6-142 spends much of its time on feeder wagon duties and has been bought with a five-year, 5,000-hour warranty, while the older model was bought with a five-year, 4,000-hour warranty.

Both M6-142s feature a Stage V compliant 6.1L, four-cylinder engine driving an eight-speed powershift transmission.

Kubota’s Bi-Speed Turn technology further enhances manoeuvrability by increasing the speed of the front axle once the turning angle exceeds 35°, helping reduce the turning radius by 15%.

Nick said: “Bi-Speed turn is fantastic when fertiliser spreading our cereal crops.

“Turning on and off the headland tramline with Bi-speed turn activated makes it very easy to follow our contractor’s self-propelled sprayer without flattening any crop.

"It makes the M6 so manoeuvrable, that this is an ideal tractor for fertiliser spreading.”

While contractors are used for cultivations, drilling and silage at Manor Farm, Nick assists with mowing headlands in smaller fields with a Kubota DMC 6028T mower conditioner and much of the grassland maintenance, ensuring leys and grazing fields deliver for the farm and it’s 500-cow herd.

“We put a lot of emphasis on cow nutrition and silage quality,” said Nick, who favours a multi-cut system for high sugar and high protein, which forms the basis of all feed rations created for the herd and its followers.

“We make the most of all our available resources, to focus on getting the best out of everything we produce.”

Drive. Then decide

Developed specifically for professional mixed and livestock enterprises, the M6002 combines impressive lifting capability, responsive hydraulics and outstanding manoeuvrability in a package that’s equally at home in the field or around the yard.

Book an on-farm demonstration with your local Kubota dealer and discover how the M6002 can help maximise productivity across every task your day demands.

Order before September 30, 2026 and benefit from 0% finance *(2 + 22 payments) together with an included 5-year / 2,000-hour Kubota manufacturer warranty.

Terms and Conditions apply. See website for details.

Join Kubota at the National Ploughing Championships

See the M6002 for yourself at the National Ploughing Championships in Co. Offaly from September 15–17.

At Stand 283, Row 14, Block 4, you’ll also find the R090 wheel loader and latest KW095 wheeled excavator, alongside a wider selection of Kubota equipment engineered to meet the everyday demands of agriculture and construction.