Mater might want to think twice before trying to tip this one. The Fendt Vario 1000 has to be the meanest-looking tractor in the field, and it’s got the stuff to cash any checks that its mug writes.

Fendt has injected new life into its 800-series tractors, most notably with a switch of engine supplier that should put an end to the mechanical maladies that have plagued S4 iterations. It’s the ...