The Landini 6550 is a medium-power tractor of the Fabbrico works, powered by a Perkins diesel of 65 PS. It belongs to the broad middle of the range that Landini developed from the 1970s onwards, after the 500 series of 1973 introduced the 12+4 gearbox and after the Perkins licence had made diesel engines the company’s standard.
Landini 6550 at a glance
| Maker | Landini, Fabbrico, Emilia-Romagna |
|---|---|
| Engine | Perkins diesel, 65 PS on the example shown here |
| Class | medium-power farm tractor |
| Related series | 500 series of 1973, models 5500, 6500, 7500 and 8500 |
| Gearbox of the 1973 series | 12+4 |
| Diesel history | Perkins licence since 1957 |
| Ownership of the period | Massey Ferguson, then independent from 1989 |
| Later tractors of the range | series 60, 70 and 80 of 1988 with a 24+12 gearbox |
| Plant | Fabbrico, which sold 13,000 units in 1988 |
No Wikipedia article covers the 6550 itself. This page uses the Italian and French company histories for the series it belongs to, and the description of the photographed tractor for its 65 PS Perkins engine.
History of the Landini 6550
The middle of the range
In the years after the Second World War Landini replaced its hot-bulb engines with fast diesels built under a Perkins licence taken in 1957. Those engines, developed further, remained the basis of the range for decades, and the 6550 carries one of them: the example photographed here is described as having a Perkins engine of 65 PS. The model belongs to the class of general-purpose farm tractors that made up the bulk of Landini’s production in the 1970s and 1980s.
The 500 series and its gearbox
In 1973 Landini presented the models 5500, 6500, 7500 and 8500, equipped with what the Italian company history calls a revolutionary 12+4 gearbox. The French history describes the same family as the 500 series, with outputs from 55 to 102 CV. The numbering of the 6550 follows the same pattern as the 6500 of that generation, and the tractor belongs to the medium-power part of the family rather than to the big machines at the top of the catalogue.
From Fabbrico to Argo
The 6550 was sold in the period in which Landini was part of Massey Ferguson and then regained its independence, when the American group sold 66 per cent of its shares in 1989. In 1988 the Fabbrico plant reached 13,000 units sold, mainly thanks to this intermediate range, and in the same year the company launched the 60, 70 and 80 series with a 24+12 gearbox. In 1994 the firm became part of the Morra group, later Argo, and in 1995 it bought the specialist maker Valpadana. Tractors such as the 6550 are the link between the post-war diesel generation and the modern Landini range.
Design and features
- Perkins diesel: 65 PS on the example shown here, from the engine family Landini had built under licence since 1957.
- General-purpose class: the medium-power tractor that formed the centre of the catalogue.
- Twelve forward speeds: the 12+4 gearbox that the 500 series of 1973 made its mark with.
- Proven plant: built at Fabbrico, which sold 13,000 tractors in 1988 alone.
Landini 6550 versions
- 6550: the standard model of this page, with a 65 PS Perkins engine.
- 6500 of 1973: the model of the 500 series whose number the 6550 follows.
- Larger 500 series models: the 7500 and 8500, up to 102 CV in the French account of the family.
- Later 60, 70 and 80 series: the 1988 generation with a 24+12 gearbox.
The 6550 sits between the older L series and the 1988 8860 of the 80 series. More Landini tractors are in the Landini collection.
Video: Landini 6550-4 with Perdu 3-row transplanter
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Landini (azienda), Italian Wikipedia: 500 series and 12+4 gearbox, 1988 sales, later series
- Landini, French Wikipedia: 500 series outputs, Perkins licence, ownership
