Cover story
Agile powerhouse With new features to make turns smoother and towing implements easier, the new Fendt 900 and 1100 Vario MT track tractor range is ideal for the heaviest jobs Two new high horsepower tractor models have joined Fendt’s product lineup in Australia and New Zealand, with the Fendt 900 Vario MT and 1100 Vario MT track tractors now available nation-wide. With a host of new features designed to enhance both comfort and performance, the tractors are built to handle big crop production jobs, including medium-to-heavy high-speed tillage, as well as the largest planters and seeding implements. “There’s nothing we haven’t thought of in creating the new Fendt Vario MT track tractors,” says Fendt product manager Tyron Midgley. “For flotation, ride comfort, fuel efficiency, implement operation, power and reliability, these new track tractors will definitely stand out as a great choice for the heaviest jobs. “We’ve added some totally new, Fendt-exclusive innovations, such as a steerable three-point hitch system and a hydraulically controlled swinging drawbar option that make headland turns with large implements smoother for the operator, less demanding on the tractor and gentler on the soil.”
closer to the front of the tractor and giving them a suspended undercarriage and a longer wheel base for better weight and power distribution. Equipped with a category 5 free swinging drawbar with a 4,990kg load rating as standard, the 1100 Vario MT series also offers the choice of a hydraulically controlled 6,800kg load-rated drawbar and hydraulically controlled three-point hitch. Fendt says both hitches make it easier for the operator to make headland turns while towing large implements – with the drawbar providing 28 degrees of swing left and right, which allows the tractor to turn closer to its natural turning point under load.
A The steerable hitch system provides 12 degrees of movement in the hitch and 11.5 degrees of swing, with the drawbar allowing the tractor to steer easily around contours and field obstacles without raising the implement. This hitch uses two steering cylinders to keep the drawbar in a fixed position or allow it to float with restriction. It is controlled from the tractor cab and integrated with the tractor steering for smooth turns with large implements. Smart Ride Plus load levelling, a Fendt-exclusive option, integrates with the front suspension springs to adjust tractor height and also keep it level when operating heavy attachments.
C
Fendt 1100 Vario MT There are four different versions of the 1100 Vario MT, with the biggest being the Fendt 1167 Vario MT, equipped with a six-cylinder, 16.2L diesel engine making 673hp (502kW) and which Fendt claims is the highest horsepower track tractor available on the market. The three other models, the 1151 (511hp [381kW]), 1156 (564hp [421kW]) and 1162 (618hp [461kW]), are powered by MAN six-cylinder, 15.2L diesel engines – with all four models offering a CVT transmission and Fendt’s iD low-rev engine concept and tractor management system for fuel efficiency. Designed for the biggest jobs, the 1100 Vario MT tractors have been given plenty of attention in terms of suspension and hitch systems. The tractors are designed using Agco’s patented Mobil-Trac track system, placing the hardbar
14 Farms & Farm Machinery
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