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The MF4609: Power and Maneuverability

A good relationship with a dealership leads to a great tractor purchase.

By Deborah R. Huso | Photos By William Jordan

Al says he appreciates the fact that the MF4609 has both power and maneuverability.

Al says he appreciates the fact that the MF4609 has both power and maneuverability.

Al Kuehnert’s initial reasons for purchasing the Massey Ferguson® 4609 were pretty practical. “I’m really good friends with the dealer,” he says, recounting his longtime relationship with Harmony Outdoors owner Don Harter. But despite that friendship, Al had never purchased a Massey Ferguson tractor before the MF4609. “The price was right and the size of the tractor was right, so we bought it,” Al says simply.

However, after using the tractor for the better part of a year now, the co-owner of Kuehnert Dairy Farm near Fort Wayne, Ind., has a long list of reasons the tractor was a terrific purchase for the farm.

For starters, Al says he appreciates the fact that the MF4609 has both power and maneuverability. In fact, its 3-cylinder diesel AGCO POWER engine has more power than many equivalent 4-cylinder engines, allowing it to pull heavy equipment like a 12-ton sand wagon. Yet, even with all that muscle, it’s still small enough to maneuver easily inside the close quarters of the barn.

“The turning radius for a 90-HP tractor is great,” Al adds. “It turns really sharp, and I like the new-style clutch.” The MF4609 has 12 forward and 12 reverse speeds that don’t require use of the foot clutch for shifting from forward to reverse and back again.

His son Nathan agrees. “We appreciate the flexibility of it and the diversity of different things we can do with it,” he remarks. “It’s compact but can handle some of the bigger jobs we do. We use it to bed the stalls. We use it a lot on our manure pumps. We use it to haul silage wagons. Plus, it’s easy to get on and off of. We’d be inclined to buy a larger one down the road.”

“Donnie treats us right too,” Al adds. “Donnie has made the whole [purchase] process easy, and his follow-up on service has been excellent too.”

<< See the full story on the Kuehnert dairy and agritourism operations, “You Got Milk?”