In late August, AGCO held an international press conference livestreamed from Germany, which focused on its Fendt brand. Attending that event (virtually) meant setting the alarm clock to be ready for its 3:30 a.m. Central Daylight Time start in Manitoba.
Typical of press conferences held in Germany, it was loaded with a lot of detailed information about the brand and its market objectives, something not usually included in similar events held by the major brands on this side of the Atlantic. But the big news coming out of it was the introduction of an all-new 700 series line of Fendt tractors called the seventh-generation models.
The five new tractor models will span the 203- to 283-horsepower range. But with the Fendt DynamicPerformance (DP) extra power concept adding another 20 horsepower to the flagship model 728 Vario when needed, that brings peak horsepower to 303 for the line.
The existing 700 series sixth-generation tractor line will continue to be offered — at least for the foreseeable future — because those tractors occupy a lower horsepower range, starting at around 150 horsepower. The new seventh-generation machines build on the existing model line and push the power range significantly higher, and they incorporate a lot of the high-end features previously only offered in Fendt’s high-horsepower models.
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Among those high-tech features is the FendtOne digital system, which offers such things as Fendt guidance, sectional control and variable-rate control.
AGCO had been aiming its marketing of the smaller, existing, sixth-generation 700 series tractors primarily at livestock growers, emphasizing the tractors’ loader and PTO capabilities for tasks such as haying. But the new, bigger, seventh-generation series tractors are being introduced as more all around, versatile machines.
The new 700s get newly designed Cargo and Cargo Pro front-end loader options with load capabilities pushing 9,150 pounds and lift heights up to 4.85 metres (15 feet). They’re even more capable at handling loader tasks than the smaller sixth-generation series models, keeping their reputation as efficient materials handling machines. And they weigh in with an overall base weight of just 67 pounds (30.5 kilograms) per horsepower, well below the industry average. But despite that, they also get some serious qualifications for heavy draft work.
To cater specifically to the North American market, these will be the first 700 series tractors available with a 60-inch track width and a factory duals option for row crop field work. And the Fendt VarioGrip on-board tire inflation system can air tires down to improve traction and reduce soil compaction, then the operator can re-inflate them for road travel from the cab. And there is now a wide choice of tire options.
What’s under the hood?
Under the hood, you won’t find Deutz-Fahr diesels in the seventh-generation models like their smaller sixth-generation brothers. Instead, these tractors get AGCO’s own newly minted 7.5-litre, in-line, six-cylinder, AGCOPower engine. It meets all global emissions standards, including Europe’s Stage V.
The new engine runs on Fendt’s low-revs, high-torque concept, with a rated speed of only 1,700 r.p.m., delivering 1,070 foot-pounds of torque in the top-of-the-line model 728 at 1,300 r.p.m.
To keep those diesels cool, seventh-generation models get the Concentric Air System cooling package. It uses a fan driven by a hydraulic motor rather than directly off of the engine, so maximum cooling can happen at low engine revs. And with a fan only 56 centimetres (22 inches) in diameter, it allows for a narrow, sloping hood. Despite its small diameter, it can run efficiently at a slower speed than a typical fan and, therefore, uses up to 40 per cent less engine power, reducing parasitic power drain.
That engine power gets delivered to all four wheels through the Fendt VarioDrive system, which distributes power dynamically to the wheels that need it. One other advantage of that system is it doesn’t need to be manually switched back to two-wheel drive for road travel. The VarioDrive system takes care of that too.
Hydraulic capacity gets bumped up on the seventh-generation models as well. They get 220 litres per minute (58 gallons per minute) of flow through a maximum of five sectional control valves at the rear and two at the front, along with up to three mid-mount valves dedicated for front-end loader operation. And the three-point hitch gets a new draft control system to shift weight to the rear axle for maximum traction.
Like their bigger brothers, the seventh-generation 700 series tractors qualify for Fendt’s Gold Star Customer Care program, which offers a three-year, 3,600-hour warranty and complete maintenance care, including the cost of oil filters, other maintenance items and a loaner tractor, if necessary, due to a breakdown.
Delivery of seventh-generation 700 series tractors will begin in 2023.
