We’ve all been there. Sat in a tractor trying to figure out what button to push to get the front linkage to go down, or how to unlock the hydraulics, or even, in some cases (usually sat in a Fendt seat), how to make the tractor go forwards.
Perhaps you’re in the field. You think you’ve set up the headland management system to automatically disengage the PTO when you lift up at the end of the bout, then assume it’s going to kick back in when you stick the implement back in the ground.
As you start to bulldoze most of the field in front of the power harrow, it’s clear that something hasn’t quite gone to plan. It may only be a case of operator error (perhaps too many hours spent staring at the control screen in the first place), but it takes valuable time to identify what’s gone awry.
Sometimes, it almost demands a degree in computer science to fathom what you can actually do with modern-day terminals and all-singing-all-dancing armrests. And while that doesn’t mean that all these super-sophisticated features aren’t fantastic (when they work) – we’re all agreed that the simpler it is to operate, the better.
Tractor designers have almost become a victim of their own success. The more features are packed into a tractor, the more complicated the layout and the less chance of drivers simply being able to jump in and drive. In fact, while the public may think that tractors are simple, the fact is that the latest models are far more sophisticated, versatile and high-tech than even the plushest car or technology-rich teenager’s bedroom.