September 2010 Archives

The new Quadtrac range has been unveiled in Prague. The range now spans the 355hp to 608hp bracket, with max power a whopping 391hp to 670hp - making the range-topping 600 the most powerful production tractor available. Case-IH has also announced that for these new models it will be adopting SCR technology to meet engine regs.

There's a host of new features, all of which you will be able to hear about in next week's magazine and shortly on www.fwi.co.uk - however here's a brief snapshot of the new features:

• 12.9l two stage turbo FPT Cursor engine(on the 350 there's an 8.7litre FPT bloc)
• HIgher capacity axles
• More cab space
• Mullti-controller armrest
• New higher capacity transmission
• 428litre/min hydraulics
• Car quality paint job

and much more..

There are also five new Magnums, ranging from 235hp to 268hp - max power toping out at 389hp on the 340. In the Puma range - there are eight new models, ranginf from 131hp to 230hp - all available with CVT tranmission in the form of Case-IH's CVX.

I'm just off out to see them working in the field so will post pictures later on tonight...

So, the Lincolnshire police have pimped a tractor out in police livery - and I think you would agree it looks pretty sweet.

The tractor will be out and about at farmers markets, livestock marts and dealerships and will be used to promote how seriously the police are taking rural crime. It will also be treated with something the NFU is championing - SmartWater - a DNA marking soultion that's simply dabbed onto the uneven surfaces of the tractor. It's almost impossible to remove, and each bottle contains a unique code registered to the owner. The solution glows under ultraviolet light, but is invisible to the naked eye. 

Of course, the 20mph legal limit for tractors may inhibit what the JD 6630 can actually catch, but watch out dumper trucks, mopeds and drunken bicylists... 

So, after a lot of hype - the Fendt forager has finally been unveiled at the company's renowned field days in Bavaria.  

The Katana 65, so named say AGCO after a Samurai sword used in Japan to slay Jaguars, boasts a 650hp MTU engine. For those unfamiliar with the engine manufacturer, it was a subsidiary of Daimler and is the first of its size to boast SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction). This means that the Katana is also the first forager to get urea-based exhaust treatment to meet the Stage 3b regs due to come in next year.

Full technical specs of the Katana are still sketchy. In fact, it's going to be quite some time until the machine is actually on sale. To begin with, it will use Kemper grass and maize headers (an interesting choice given Kemper is owned by John Deere).

Next year, six pre-production prototypes will be at work in Germany and across Europe.

There were hints at the launch that this 650hp version is just a taster of more to come. In fact, AGCO is investing heavily in a production facility near Leipzig that will be primarily responsible for the production of the Katana among other harvest machines.

AGCO's first foray into the world of forage harvesting, will test the dealer network, both abroad and in the UK. That is why, says Richard Shelton of Fendt UK, the machine will not be available on sale until 2014 over this side of the channel. Test machines will undoubtedly be running over the next few years, however they won't be placed with customers until 2013, when the Katana will also make its debut at the UK's grassland event Scotgrass.

Fendt appreciate that providing forager back-up is critical for both contractors and farmers, which is why initially it's rumoured that the forager will only be available through key dealers in selected areas capable of providing this level of service.

While it won't be around for a couple of years yet, the Katana is sure to put the cat among the pigeons in the UK forager market. In fact, AGCO reckons that within a few years Fendt will account for a double-digit market share both here and in Europe. While this may sound an optimistic claim, the forager market is growing, so there could be room for a newcomer.

The company is also aware that, in a bid to provide a full range of grassland machinery, it's 50% ownership of Fella will provide a key opportunity. According to Martin Richenhagen, CEO of AGCO, there will be a considerable amount of investment into research and development and in the future he hinted that Fendt-branded grassland machinery could be a possibility.

So, while owning a Fendt forager may still be a while off for UK farmers and contractors, AGCO has a fair amount to put in place in a relatively short amount of time.

Until then, I reckon this go-kart could be a good option.