First look: Massey Ferguson unveils 170-245hp 7S Mark 2s

Massey Ferguson has cross-pollinated its 7S and 8S tractors to fill a band of infertile ground between the two.

The six 7S “Mark 2s” don’t officially supplant any existing models, though their combination of middling wheelbase, big engine and palatial cab is likely to have a suffocating effect on the neighbouring ranges.

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In reality, they are long-hoped-for replacements for the biggest three 7700s, which many buyers have mourned since they were decommissioned to accommodate the 8S line-up in 2020.

The reshuffle proved imperfect and Massey’s market share in this critical power bracket took a hit, both from within the Agco camp and externally from New Holland’s T7s and John Deere’s recently revised 6Rs.

Enter Goldilocks. Despite sharing the same name, the 170-245hp 7S Mark 2s have little in common with the 175-220hp 7S Old Guard.

The five OGs remain available and unchanged – and are likely to continue in their current guise for another couple of years. Fendt took a similar approach when phasing out its Gen6 700s.

On the other side of the Mark 2 sandwich is the six-strong 8S line-up, propped and topped by the 8S.205 (225hp) and 8S.305 (305hp), respectively.

Including the four-cylinder 6S range, the firm now has 17 models and four chassis sizes across 150-250hp. Thoughts go to the salesmen charged with memorising the specs.

© MAG/Oliver Mark

Agco Power

Massey has secured Agco Power’s new(ish) Core75 engine, the 7.5-litre, single-turbo block for which Fendt had first dibs on its Gen7 700-series. Power rises in 15hp increments from the base 7S.170, and torque is bounteous.

While the 7S.210 OG musters 860Nm, its Mark 2 equivalent – the 7S.215 – releases a 1,019Nm torrent that flows freely through a broad 800 to 1,500rpm range.

From an ownership perspective, this engine is simpler too. It is reckoned to have 25% fewer parts and, by managing without exhaust gas recirculation, should run cooler, cleaner and more efficiently.

The kicker is usually higher AdBlue consumption. Not so, says Massey, which reckons on a 6.75% ratio against diesel. This seems a tad fanciful given Fendt’s 724 (same engine) managed 10% under the scrutiny of boffs at the DLG testing house in Germany.

Whatever the figure, it shouldn’t affect daily output. Stretching the wheelbase to a longer-than-average 2.95m – 7S OGs are 2.88m, 8Ss 3.05m – has freed more tank space, with diesel up 105 litres to 410, and AdBlue rising 26.5 litres to 56.5.

Enough, apparently, for two 11-hour days at max power. The bigger engine also comes with a 20% longer service interval, now 600 hours. A saving, of sorts, but it’ll need an extra 3 litres of expensive oil.

Changes to the standard-fit Dyna-VT (ML 180) drivetrain are negligible, aside from a higher 57kph top speed. But the Dana suspended front axle has received attention to maintain a decent 5.3m turning radius – 37cm shy of the shorter OGs.

There are also two new tyre options from Indian maker BKT, which is a reflection of Massey’s broader push to source more components from Asia.

The Agrimax V-Flectos can be had in furrow-friendly VF 650/70 R42 or versatile VF 710/60 R44 sizes, both paired with VF 600/65 R30 fronts.

Central tyre inflation is available through the MF By You customisation studio, where the tractors are fitted with a bigger, twin-piston compressor to deliver up to 800 litres/min of airflow at 2,100rpm.

© MAG/Oliver Mark

Acres of glass

The drip-down of the 8S’ radical four-post design has been a drawn-out affair. But the retro, boxy and slightly naffly named Protect-U cab subframe has finally made it to the 7S.

This reinforced greenhouse is reckoned to be the biggest in the sector, with 3.5cu m of air space and 6.6sq m of glass. A 15cm gap between cab and engine helps diffuse noise, vibration and heat.

Equally important are upgrades to the touchscreen(s). Massey has lagged the pack in terms of size and usability – something the new 12in Datatronic 6 looks to have changed.

As well as being 3in larger, it’s 90% faster and has more scope for customisation, with a quartet of “tiles” on each of the four swipe-through displays.

And where the previous version had a built-in computer, this version is purely a monitor. The brains are lost behind trim below the rear window.

This makes speccing a second screen far cheaper and, as it plugs into the same control unit, it now operates in identical fashion to the main terminal.

Previously, it was limited to isobus and guidance functions, but it can now display feeds from four cameras and control tractor settings, air-conditioning and multimedia. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are currently available only as a third-party fitment.

Other highlights include the migration of tractor read-outs to the A-pillar to leave a slimline dash, the integration of LED lights within the roof to shave a few thou off total height, and more generous seat swivel thanks to the relocation of the side window wiper.

© MAG/Oliver Mark

Any options?

Plenty of choice for those willing to submit to open wallet surgery. The starting point is one of two specs: Efficient (mechanical and electric) and Exclusive (electric only).

Beyond these, buyers get myriad further options. There’s remote locking with keyless start; a “deluxe” leather seat with three memory profiles, electric adjustment and lumbar massage; Cat 4 filtration; and a reversing fan.

Then there are four lighting packages, topping out with a 27-strong LED array, a proper cool box that can subject its contents to -30C, and a blow-your-socks-off speaker system with “sound exciters” that use the front windscreen to mimic a subwoofer.

These tractors are also the first to come with a new cloud-based Farm Engage management platform – the first fruit of the PTx brand spawned from an Agco/Trimble joint venture.

Combined with the integrated telematics system, it allows managers and operators to exchange job plans, maps and performance stats. And it will work with other systems of its type, including Gatekeeper, Field Ops and John Deere’s Operations Center.

The on-board software has several new features too, such as adaptive curve waylines and K- and Y-shaped Autoturn manoeuvres.

© MAG/Oliver Mark

Farmers Weekly verdict

This is the tractor many Massey fans – and dealers – will have been screaming for.

The longer wheelbase adds stability and reduces the need for ballast, while the engine change brings more torque and the cab makes a laughing stock of the old six-poster that has been in service since the 6100-series of the late 1990s.

Price will inevitably be a key factor in its success, and we won’t know that until November. First deliveries are slated for early spring.