At Agritechnica in Germany last November, Agco unveiled its newest line of Fendt tractors, the 600 Series.
For North America, though, the 600 Series was officially introduced in late August this year and had its first Canadian public appearance at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show at Woodstock, Ont. in mid-September.
With Agco’s tractor brand offerings long since pared down to two, Massey Ferguson and Fendt, the company has positioned Fendt to be its premium, flagship line — and the features built into the new 600 Series are certainly in keeping with that strategy.
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WATCH: Fendt launches new 600 Series tractors at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show
The four-model family spans the 149 to 209 rated horsepower range. Maximum power ratings bump those numbers up to 164 to 224. All tractors get their power from a new Agco Power four-cylinder, CORE50, 5.0-litre diesel.
The new engine stays with the brand’s low-speed, high-torque concept, delivering maximum torque between 1,200 and 1,600 r.p.m. That, the brand claims, will make the CORE engines pretty thrifty when it comes to fuel consumption.
“It’s designed to make horsepower at low r.p.m.s.,” product specialist Dan Gunning says. “The rated speed on this tractor is 1,900 r.p.m.”
When the first CORE engine design was introduced in October 2022, Agco said one of its advantages would be the ability to adapt to future changes in the type of fuel used. The Gen7 700 Series tractors were the first to get a CORE engine, sporting the initial, larger 7.5-litre version.
“Our CORE engine family is an engine designed for sustainability,” Gunning adds. “We’re prepared to run alternative fuels. We can run HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil), methane, ethanol. It all uses the same base engine.”
Behind that diesel is what the company describes as a completely new generation of Fendt’s unique VarioDrive CVT transmission, which can divert power back and forth between the front and rear axles, depending on which has the most traction.
“Our VarioDrive essentially drives the front and rear axles separately,” says Gunning. “It takes all the operator input out of it. You pick your speed; the tractor decides if it needs to be in two- or four-wheel drive. In four-wheel drive we essentially have traction control. If the front tires are slipping we can send more power to the rear. If we’re slipping on the rear, we can send more power to the front.
“It actually helps our turning radius quite a bit because the tractor is smart enough to know when we’re making a turn in the field. It speeds up the front axle and pulls the tractor around the curve.”
The transmission also allows for a pretty wide range of speeds, from just 0.02 km/h (65 feet) to 50 km/h, depending on tire configurations. It can also travel at that very slow speed in reverse.
“There are no ranges,” Gunning explains. “When you operate the tractor you set it for 10, 15 m.p.h. (or whatever speed is desired) and the tractor does all the work for you.”
The mid-horsepower 600s can be spec’ed out for loader or row-crop field work, and can come equipped with the brand’s Cargo loader.
“The tractor is very versatile,” Gunning says. “We can range from 17,000 pounds (7,711 kg) to our max gross vehicle weight of 29,900 lbs. (13,562 kg).”
For maximum traction and minimum soil compaction, the optional VarioGrip system can adjust tire pressure to match conditions.
Standard hydraulic capacity is 152 litres per minute, but that can be upgraded to an optional 205 l/m. The tractors can be equipped with front, centre and rear remotes, for a combined total of 10.
Unlike the typical trans-hydraulic system common on most tractors, the Fendt 600s use a separate hydraulic reservoir, to avoid any risk of contaminating the transmission oil.
Inside the cab, operators will find a premium, customizable control layout that can be preset for different implements and operator preferences.
“The fendtOne operator station allows us to customize the layout of the armrest, customize the layout of the cab and set it up for each operator, each implement or both,” Gunning says.
As for warranty, Fendt’s Gold Star Customer Care program offers one of the most impressive plans in the industry, with full service taken care of by the dealer and a guarantee of a loaner replacement if the tractor goes down for more than 48 hours.
“It comes with a base three-year, 3,000-hour warranty that can be taken out to five years, 5,000 hours if you’d like,” Gunning says. “It includes all the service as part of the purchase price, oil changes, air filters, everything that’s in the operator’s manual for the first three years.”
