A REVERSE-DRIVE TRACTOR MAKES FOR VERSATILITY
A REVERSE-DRIVE TRACTOR MAKES FOR VERSATILITY
Reversing the driving
position can do wonders for
a tractors versatility,
explains Mike Williams
TRACTORS with a reversible driving position allowing the driver to face either forwards or backwards can be used for a wide range of jobs including loader work, operating forestry equipment and buckraking. But the most popular job is powering a fully-mounted forage harvester.
Putting a forager on the rear linkage and driving the tractor backwards with the seat and controls reversed is said to offer faster work rates than a conventional trailed harvester. The mounted version works in line with the tractor, giving some of the compactness and manoeuvrability of a self-propelled harvester, but with more versatility and a lower capital cost.
Versatility is improved because the tractor – the most expensive part of the harvesting combination – is available for other jobs outside the silage season. The capital cost of the tractor and forager combination is much less than even a small self-propelled harvester, but the output is also substantially less.
Fully-mounted foragers designed to work with reverse-drive tractors are available from Germany where two-way tractors and equipment are much more popular than in the UK. The Pottinger MEX V and the Mengele SH40H are both cheaper than equivalent trailed models because three-point linkage mounting avoids the need for a drawbar and wheels and also simplifies the main frame.
The price of a MEX V base unit distributed by Pottinger GB is £16,430 plus £6,220 for a 1.9m pick-up and £14,410 for the 3-row maize attachment. This compares with £19,520 plus attachments for an equivalent MEX V1 trailed version. Base prices for Mengeles SH40H mounted forager and the trailed SH40N version from Reco are £14,695 and £17,395 respectively.
Viv Richardson, Recos sales director said sales of reverse-drive Mengele harvesters peaked at about 20 machines in one exceptional year in the 1980s, but since then demand has fallen to about 4 or 5 sales per year.
"Reverse-drive harvesting is particularly suitable for maize. The maize acreage has increased in Britain, but so has the number of self-propelled forage harvesters and they have taken over a big proportion of the maize acreage," said Mr Richardson.
Swivelling seat
On a reverse-drive or bidirectional tractor, the seat swivels through 1800 to face either the front or the rear of the cab, the main controls either swivel with the seat or are duplicated at both ends of the cab.
The aim is to provide a more efficient working position when using rear-mounted machines including loaders, buckrakes and forage harvesters. Instead of twisting round to look to the rear in a conventional cab, the driver faces backwards and looks straight down on the equipment. And when the job is finished the driver can turn to face forwards again and the tractor is ready to work conventionally. In most two-way cabs an experienced driver can make the switch in a minute or less.
The biggest selling reverse-drive tractor in the 1980s, the MB-trac, is no longer available, and some other companies have also pulled out of this market sector.
Deutz and Renault were leading suppliers of bidirectional tractors in the 1980s, but the distributors say demand has fallen as self-propelled foragers have grabbed a bigger share of the silage acreage, and they no longer offer a reverse- drive option.
The leaves Fendt, SAME/Lam-borghini and Valmet as major suppliers – plus the New Holland based Moffet MFT tractor from Ireland.
Fendt offers reverse-drive on the new 260hp Vario tractor and on 800 series models from the 165hp 816 upwards. The cost of the factory-fit option is £2389 and most UK sales are for forage harvesting.
Orchard types
Reverse-drive is available on SAME and Lamborghini orchard tractors from 60hp upwards and on agricultural models between 80 and 190hp. Specifying the two-way option adds £4500 to the price, and product specialist Chris Cann said silage work is creating most of the demand.
"Reverse-drive forage harvesters provide a small but steady demand," he said, "but there is also an increasing number of farmers and contractors who are using a very wide mower on a reverse-drive tractor to keep ahead of self-propelled forage harvesters."
The Twin Trac option from Valmet with swivelling seat and duplicate controls is offered on Mezzo and Mega series tractors of 79hp upwards, adding £2750 to prices. Valmet reports a small increase in sales, including two Twin Tracs sold recently to a contractor for silage buckraking.
In reverse-drive mode the Moffet MFT is used mainly with a rear-mounted industrial type loader. It is based on 95 or 100hp Series 40 New Holland tractors and prices start at £40,900.
Customers who dont fancy any of the manufacturers offerings can have a conversion job on the tractor of their choice. This was the option Sussex farmer, John Randle, chose to cope with the 2500t of grass silage and 64.8ha (160 acres) of silage maize on his 648ha (1600 acres) at Church Farm, Fletching. He chose a 210hp New Holland 8870 tractor and a 3m (9.8ft) Kemper header to handle last years maize harvest, and this will be joined by a 2.5m (8.2ft) pick-up to handle two tow rows at a time for this years grass silage.
Mr Randle chose the tractor to fit in with his existing all Ford/New Holland fleet, and the 210hp model was selected to provide plenty of power in reverse for harvesting and forwards for ploughing, subsoiling and discing.
Total cost of the tractor plus conversion work and the Kemper harvesting equipment was less than the smallest self-propelled forage harvester, Mr Randle said, and his investment includes a big tractor capable of doing most of the farms cultivation work.
Mr Randles reverse drive conversion was carried out by Doncaster BOM. It has carried out reverse-drive conversion work on many of the leading tractors makes and the manager, Paul Metcalf, said some tractors are easier than others to convert.
"It is obviously more complicated if you have to move the fuel tank, and the controls on some tractors can be complicated to alter for reverse-driving," he said. "The job usually takes three of four weeks and the cost varies from £5000 to about £7000." *
Above: Buckraking is easier when youre facing the other way.
Left: Moffett tractor working with drivers seat reversed.
Below: Twin Trac conversion on Valmet Mezzo and Mega models allows two-way working.