New defender

hally

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
cumbria
tbh i couldnt care about the seats, any stock farmer not using seat covers is mad. 3t legal towing is a real shame, as i much prefer the permanent 4wd, better suspension and brakes on the cruiser but i have had to go for a hilux instead

interesting point, i would doubt that is the case with the new LC as it is more than capable, and what difference would the extra 500kg make for warranty claims?
tbh i couldnt care about the seats, any stock farmer not using seat covers is mad. 3t legal towing is a real shame, as i much prefer the permanent 4wd, better suspension and brakes on the cruiser but i have had to go for a hilux instead

interesting point, i would doubt that is the case with the new LC as it is more than capable, and what difference would the extra 500kg make for warranty claims?
I don’t know why all pickups haven’t got leather seats as standard…..it’s not like the “leather “in a pick up has ever seen a cow.
 

Cowabunga

Member
Location
Ceredigion,Wales
03 plate Nissan pickup here.
Scratches and dents but don't worry where I drive it.
Great for school run as well.
Everyone gives you room as their new and shiny 4x4/suv don't like being close to farm truck!!
Must be oldest vehicle outside school by 10 years minimum
I’m sure people will be saying similar things in fifteen year’s time about their old beat-up 2021 Defender.
 
Let’s see now.
Superior refinement
Far lower noise vibration and harshness.
Higher power
Higher torque
Significantly higher tow capacity
Superior mechanical 4wd system
Electronic traction aids that are in a different league
Choice of mechanical or air suspension
Air suspension giving variable ride height
Optional electrically deployable tow bar or removable.
More options and accessories to choose from
Higher payload capacity
Higher roof load capacity
Superior crash test performance
Far more passive and active advanced collision avoidance and crash mitigation devices and software
Proven eight speed heavy duty automatic gearbox rather than the six speed offered by inferior rivals.
Seating options include a third front centre seat facilitated by a walk-through floor.
Adaptive cruise control
Optional rear view roof-mounted camera system
Large number of wheel and tyre options.
Far deeper wading depth.
Better approach and departure angles
More lighting options, mainly LED's
Trailer driving assist option.
Far superior infotainment system, touchscreen and steering wheel controls.
App and connectivity options for all kinds of utility. None available for outdated rival.

Those are the ones just almost without thinking about it. Given and extra ten minutes and I’d probably find more significant advantages. Here’s one basic that I’d forgotten… it has a 300hp Diesel engine option and all engines have mild hybrid electric assistance for greater fuel economy than otherwise.
Mounting options externally.
Optional air compressor and gauge built in.

I could go on, but that’s enough for now.


That is an impressive list.

Now then, how many of these are options you won't ever be able to spec, and how many will actually be that useful in it's natural habitat- the workshop area of a LR dealer?
 

Cowabunga

Member
Location
Ceredigion,Wales
I don't doubt it has its advantages but when with a trailer behind you're better taking a tractor and trailer as it will fit better where you're going it's not ideal.
If you wish to tow more than 3.5 tons not too far, then a tractor and trailer are obviously the answer. However for a 2.5 ton payload of sheep or cows or fertiliser or ballast of any kind, a 3.5 ton towing capacity is needed by thousands of users for their utility vehicle. No amount of obscuration will alter that fact. If it doesn’t apply to you, great.
 

dave mountain

Member
Livestock Farmer
I'm not disagreeing with the legal side but land rover 90s and daihatsu fourtraks legally allowed to tow 3.5 ton was/is a joke.
the mk7 hilux can be uprated to 3.5t just by fitting a particular tow bar and filling in some forms, so perhaps the same for the new cruiser??

im not sure why toyota are so unambitious with their tow capacities when the vehicles are clearly capable of 3.5t. the 60 series cruiser was only rated to 2 ton odd towing, despite essentially being a 3 ton truck with a 4 liter diesel engine, seems just as silly as the rating on the new cruiser and older hiluxs. especially when you compare them to a landrover 90.
 

Cowabunga

Member
Location
Ceredigion,Wales
That is an impressive list.

Now then, how many of these are options you won't ever be able to spec, and how many will actually be that useful in it's natural habitat- the workshop area of a LR dealer?
I’m no fan of LR the company and do not currently own one, but they do make some superbly capable vehicles. You must feel very smug denigrating a vehicle that you cannot afford to buy or run and have zero use for even if you could. Jealousy is one of the Ten Commandments and was never an attractive trait even in the Stone Age I’d hazard a guess.
No idea why you mention that you will not be able to spec those in my list. Most are pretty well standard on Defender and the others are commonly ordered options. There are far more options available, from winches to snorkels to extra interior lights in the cargo area to roof tents, available from JLR dealers and, increasingly, from third party suppliers like ‘Powerful UK’.
 
If you wish to tow more than 3.5 tons not too far, then a tractor and trailer are obviously the answer. However for a 2.5 ton payload of sheep or cows or fertiliser or ballast of any kind, a 3.5 ton towing capacity is needed by thousands of users for their utility vehicle. No amount of obscuration will alter that fact. If it doesn’t apply to you, great.
You miss the point tbh. I'm not arguing about anyones need for a pickup but the fact that pickups getting longer wider and higher (ever tried reaching over the side to get something out the back) is spoiling the flexibilty of them for a lot of people. It's making the lack of a reliable shorter wheelbase capable towing vehicle on the market an even bigger miss.
 

Nithsdale

Member
Livestock Farmer
You miss the point tbh. I'm not arguing about anyones need for a pickup but the fact that pickups getting longer wider and higher (ever tried reaching over the side to get something out the back) is spoiling the flexibilty of them for a lot of people. It's making the lack of a reliable shorter wheelbase capable towing vehicle on the market an even bigger miss.

It's not a pickup problem though, sadly.

Look at a Corsa from 2000 compared to one now - or a Fiesta


Everything's gotten bigger
 

Cowabunga

Member
Location
Ceredigion,Wales
the mk7 hilux can be uprated to 3.5t just by fitting a particular tow bar and filling in some forms, so perhaps the same for the new cruiser??

im not sure why toyota are so unambitious with their tow capacities when the vehicles are clearly capable of 3.5t. the 60 series cruiser was only rated to 2 ton odd towing, despite essentially being a 3 ton truck with a 4 liter diesel engine, seems just as silly as the rating on the new cruiser and older hiluxs. especially when you compare them to a landrover 90.
The 80, 100 and 200 series are rated for 3.5 tons. It has nothing to do with engine size. The proof of that is that my old 67hp LR110 pickup was rated for 3.5 tons as standard, which it did regularly tow for 22 years on difficult roads. Sometimes it needed low range towing up hill on A roads around here. Third gear high was used very often even unladen and the speedometer then doubled as a rev counter where 30mph equalled 3000rpm and 35mph in third was 3500rpm. Where it could just about manage 30mph towing 2.5 tons, my current 2.2 Ranger automatic prances along relatively effortlessly with the same load at 50mph at lower revs.
 

Cowabunga

Member
Location
Ceredigion,Wales
You miss the point tbh. I'm not arguing about anyones need for a pickup but the fact that pickups getting longer wider and higher (ever tried reaching over the side to get something out the back) is spoiling the flexibilty of them for a lot of people. It's making the lack of a reliable shorter wheelbase capable towing vehicle on the market an even bigger miss.
They either want and need a pickup or they don’t. It’s that simple. Plenty of vans and two wheel drive pickups such as that lovely Fiat 1 ton available. Vans available in 4wd if required and I was following a pimped-up VW the other day. Two unrelated friends, one a builder and the other a farrier, also have 4wd VW vans. There’s a lot to be said for large side doors and a low load deck for those that don’t need a pickup.
As far as towing goes, I’ve got two different contractors working on my lane this week putting down fibre optic cable in a tubular conduit [they intend to meet in the middle like how the Chanel Tunnel was built, only on a smaller scale and faster]. They have king cab pickups towing Ditch Witches and mini diggers. They drive two hours each way to work here and one lot only works for four hours and go home while the other is on piecework and to a full eight hours plus travelling.
I’m willing to bet that both the DitchWitches and diggers plus their trailers are very near 3.5 tons per unit.

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dave mountain

Member
Livestock Farmer
The 80, 100 and 200 series are rated for 3.5 tons. It has nothing to do with engine size. The proof of that is that my old 67hp LR110 pickup was rated for 3.5 tons as standard, which it did regularly tow for 22 years on difficult roads. Sometimes it needed low range towing up hill on A roads around here. Third gear high was used very often even unladen and the speedometer then doubled as a rev counter where 30mph equalled 3000rpm and 35mph in third was 3500rpm. Where it could just about manage 30mph towing 2.5 tons, my current 2.2 Ranger automatic prances along relatively effortlessly with the same load at 50mph at lower revs.
i know. i have 2 80s and had a 60, 100 and 120. as well as some hiluxs, an l200 and a defender. the defender was nowhere near as good for towing as the 60 or 120 (let alone the 80s or 100) despite the much higher tow rating. hence my point about Toyota being very unambitious with the ratings

that was an 08 defender so your old 110 would be significantly worse still.

that a 67hp 110 is rated to 3.5t and the landcruiser (prado) is only 3t is ridiculous. there is not a single part of a 110 that would be better for towing than any landcruiser since 1980
 
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I’m no fan of LR the company and do not currently own one, but they do make some superbly capable vehicles. You must feel very smug denigrating a vehicle that you cannot afford to buy or run and have zero use for even if you could. Jealousy is one of the Ten Commandments and was never an attractive trait even in the Stone Age I’d hazard a guess.
No idea why you mention that you will not be able to spec those in my list. Most are pretty well standard on Defender and the others are commonly ordered options. There are far more options available, from winches to snorkels to extra interior lights in the cargo area to roof tents, available from JLR dealers and, increasingly, from third party suppliers like ‘Powerful UK’.

I am not 'jealous' of the vehicle: I don't know how you came to that conclusion and if you care to look back I think you will find comments about the reliability of LR products are not that rare on this forum.

No, I do not need a snorkel or a winch on any LR product nor any other vehicle. Thank you for alerting me to the possibility of having one though. I am near certain such things could be installed on competitor vehicles.

I presume you did not notice other, earlier comments about this car and how buyers were being told that many options were totally unavailable and LR dealers would not take orders of them?
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 79 42.0%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 66 35.1%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 16.0%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 7 3.7%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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