WHILE the volume of technology on show at the Agritechnica expo in Germany is staggering, award judges managed to narrow down the offerings in the tractor segment to announce winners in a range of categories.
AGCO made plenty of noise taking out three awards including Tractor of the Year for its Fendt Vario 1050.
It also picked up awards for its Massey Ferguson 5713SL and Valtra N 174V.
The Fendt is technology whizz bang with a VarioDrive system matched with the highest horsepower standard tractor available some 367 kW or 500 hp.
The judges praised the Fendt’s innovative VarioDrive system that provides independent hydraulic drive to the front and rear axles.
This, they commented, offers a driving experience very similar to the most sophisticated cars.
Massey Ferguson is also the first to take the top spot in the new Best Utility category with its 95 kW (130 hp) MF 5713 SL.
Judges said they had no doubts about the tractor’s unique All In One Selective Catalytic
Reduction (SCR) system, employed to meet the strict Tier 4 Final regulations.
Thanks to its compact dimensions, the SCR system fits neatly under the steps, not under the bonnet allowing a steep sloping bonnet for excellent visibility.
In awarding the ‘Golden Tractor for the Design 2016 Award’ the judges said the Valtra N 174V sported a "modern, dynamic, compact and cool look".
The very compact design and a high level of functionality, ergonomics, visibility and comfort reached a new level judges reckoned and, as with all Valtra tractors, an optional N Series cab is also designed for reverse driving.
AGCO Australia’s, general marketing manager, Michael Partridge said the company looked forward to seeing the technology reach our shores.
“We’re delighted and proud of the recent awards. The award won by Fendt for the 1050 Vario model reinforces the brand’s reputation as the industry leader as it continues to push the boundaries of efficiency with great technology features," he said.
“In Australia, the 1050 Vario will be ideal for broadacre and row cropping applications and improve the utility of high horsepower tractors that typically at this horsepower range are only used for a limited number of tasks a couple of times of the year.
“The new 1050 Vario provides more versatility and can be used for chaser bin work, spreading and mowing.”
He said the Massey Ferguson 5713 SL is an extension to the current MF5600 Series.
“The MF5700 Series is a great loaderready tractor that is the ideal general purpose and allround workhorse.”
Valtra’s Golden Tractor for the Design 2016 award also reinforces Valtra’s position for providing smart features and a host of options.
“The new N Series will be ideal as a general purpose tractor such as for a dairy farm or it can be spec’d up with unique features such as TwinTrac reverse console that make it ideal for forestry type jobs,” Mr Partridge said.
AGCO expected the Fendt 1000 Series, the MF5700 and the Valtra N Series to be available in Australia in 2017.
New Holland’s T7.315 tractor (pictured below) took out the Machine of the Year 2016 title in the L category.
The machine was rewarded for its technical innovation with selection criteria focusing on innovative features, performance, productivity, cost of operation, ease of use and operator comfort.
The company reckoned it exemplifies New Holland understanding of their customer needs.
New Holland’s, tractor product manager, Sean Lennon said they devoted a lot of effort to a tractor meeting the specific needs of customers.
“We asked them what they wanted from their ‘ideal tractor’. They told us they would like a top of the range T7 with more power that would also be capable of high load jobs usually done by heavier tractors and of taking multitasking to a new level,” he said.
The T7.315 is not yet released in Australia but is one of two new heavyduty models that extend the T7 Series largeframe tractor range.
It also features the revolutionary IntelliCruise tractorbaler automation that enables New Holland’s BigBaler to control the tractor’s speed to maximize productivity and bale consistency.
The overall title for Machine of Year was picked up by Europe’s leading harvester manufacturer Claas for its Lexion 700 series.
The ‘Machine of the Year’ title is awarded each year alternately at Agritechnica in Germany and SIMA in France.
The jury made special mention of the Lexion’s technical innovations, such as 4D cleaning and automatic crop flow monitoring.
4D cleaning was developed for harvesting on uneven fields, to provide continuous feeding of return pans, preparation floors and the sieve when going up or downhill.
The system comprises two components a slopedependent rotor flap control, and automatic fan control.
If a machine is fitted with 4D cleaning, it has an additional, third pair of rotor flaps.
The active control of these rotor flaps depends on the transverse or longitudinal tilt of the machine, and the current burden on the separation and cleaning elements.
Whichever half of a rotor cap segment is on the uphill or downhill side is opened or closed automatically.
Claas has also developed an automatic input flow control for the new Lexion. This monitors and synchronises the rotational speed of the motor, APS threshing mechanism and ROTO PLUS residual grain separation. If things get serious, the feeder canal, front attachment and grain tank unloading auger are automatically switched off at once to prevent breakdown.
Other improvements include the ongoing development of the award winning CEMOS Automatic system, which automatically optimises harvesting operations for maximum throughout, grain quality or fuel efficiency to suit the prevailing conditions.