TWO new high horsepower tracked tractors from German brand Fendt, the 900 Vario and 1100 Vario, are now available in South Africa.
Frans Cronje, Regional Sales Manager for Fendt, AGCO Africa said that unlike other tracked tractors, the Fendt 900 Vario MT (Multi-Tracked) is not a variation of a wheeled tractor, but instead has been developed as a pure tracked tractor.
In terms of the track system, the wheelbase has been extended to 2 565 mm, which is 13 cm longer than previous versions. The total ground contact area is 3.25 m² on 25″ wide tracks, 3.90 m² with 30″ and a hefty 4.42 m² on 34″ tracks.
This, he said, equates to more traction, less soil pressure and an optimal weight distribution across the entire contact area, even in the case of a heavy load, all combined with optimised driving comfort and reduced ground compaction.
The Fendt 1100 Vario MT is the first tracked tractor in this class to feature a stepless drive. The Vario transmission has been revised and adapted to the special requirements of a tracked tractor.
Cronje said the introduction of the stepless Vario transmission greatly increases overall efficiency. “The newly developed SmartRide suspension combined with two options of cab suspension provides unprecedented driving comfort for a tracked tractor.”
With this suspension system, the hard bar is mounted on the frame using coil springs, shock absorbers and silent rubber blocks, offering a considerable overall suspension stroke of 217 mm. The central carrier can oscillate by 11° for best ground-hugging. A coupling rod (Panhard bar) prevents any movement to the side and stabilises the tracks lengthways.
The three rollers of the undercarriage are attached to the chassis frame in a unique bogie-in-bogie system allowing for long travel distances and adaptive ground tracking. The weight is distributed evenly across the track to the ground maximizing traction. A wide range of tracks is available for the Fendt 900 Vario MT, with two designed especially for agricultural use and two enhanced versions for special applications.
The Fendt 900 Vario MT has a seven-cylinder AGCO Power engine with a 9,8 litre cubic capacity, generating up to 317 kW/431 hp at a rated speed of just 1 700 rpm. Two in-line turbochargers with fixed geometry provide constant power generation. The maximum torque of 1.921 Nm is reached at just 1 450 rpm thanks to the Fendt iD low-speed concept. The engine speed range is between 1 000 and 1 700 rpm, while the engine idle speed is just 800 rpm.
The Fendt 1100 Vario MT range has four models to choose from, ranging from 511 hp to 618 hp. The MAN six-cylinder in-line engine offers a cubic capacity of 15.2 litres on the Fendt 1151 Vario MT, 1156 Vario MT and 1162 Vario MT models. The high-end Fendt 1167 Vario MT model boasts 16.2 litres, providing an unbeatable 673 hp to the auxiliary power consumers under extremely high-power requirements. A Common Rail system with an injection pressure of up to 2 500 bar and a turbo-supercharger with variable turbine-geometry (VTG) deliver the power evenly and dynamically, even at low engine speeds.
Efficient cooling is ensured by the unique Fendt Fan and Concentric Air System (CAS) cooling concept. Here a forced-draft high-performance fan is positioned in front of the cooler unit where it sucks in cool dense air, accelerates it via the concentric hood and pushes it through the cooler.
The CAS has its own hydrostatic drive to deliver ideal cooling power to each component according to need, independent of the engine speed. The fan is tilted upwards to prevent harvesting residue from being sucked up from the ground.
The Fendt VarioDrive drivetrain from the standard tractor Fendt 1000 Vario has been extensively and adapted for the Fendt 900 Vario MT. The result, according to Cronje, is an innovative and efficient continuously variable drive for tracked tractors that meets all practical requirements.
“As a result, you can drive without manually changing speed ranges. This allows the tractor to operate at optimal engine speed with, maximising performance and fuel efficiency.”
Fendt has a nationwide dealer network covering the whole of South Africa, offering service, sales and support.
