It has become tradition that, shortly before “Agritechnica”, Fendt gathers journalists from around the world to tease them with new products. We got lucky, and we saw what they’ll only be showing you in Hannover, and not for another couple of months at that. But how could we possibly keep something a secret from you, our dear and beloved readers? So, in short, and don’t tell anyone! 🙂
So, picture this. Germany. Bavaria. Beer. A farm attached to a monastery – 240 ha, this farm is already more than five hundred years old. In the old hangars – old Fendts, the 311 LSA and the 716 Vario.
And then, straight from the field, a big, powerful Fendt 1000 Vario rolls into the yard. This machine sure knows how to make an entrance. If you read our story from last year about the Fendt X 1000 presentation at Germany’s Neuschwanstein Castle, you’ll know what we mean.
Well, what can we say. The appearance of a 500-hp machine in a standard configuration is a very logical step for Fendt. You could say this machine was born for Ukrainian fields. In short, while serious latifundists are adding “Fendt 1000 Vario” to their wish list for Father Frost this New Year, we climbed all over it and inspected it from every angle.
What the Fendt 1000 Vario looks like on the outside
Huge rear wheels, 2.35 m tall. Even at maximum rear-wheel ballasting, the tractor’s width stays within the allowed limits – 2,950 mm.
The VarioGrip Pro tyre-pressure adjustment system. Last year, by the way, it was just VarioGrip, without the Pro. They’ve improved something, apparently – we’ll figure it out later.
Weight without ballast is 14 t; if needed, they say it can be ballasted up to 25 t.
Under the bonnet – a 6-cylinder 12.4-litre MAN.
The German engineer from Fendt stands proudly next to the tractor and gives dry answers to every question. Just numbers and facts, that’s just how “German” it is, darn it.
He says maximum torque of 2400 Nm is achievable at just 1100 rpm. The engine’s rated speed sits at around 1700 rpm. The main working range is between 1150-1550 rpm. The Fendt 1000 reaches its maximum speed of 60 km/h at 1450 rpm, 50 km/h – at 1200 rpm, 40 km/h – at an engine speed of only 950 rpm.
We try to work out what this means for our farmers. Turns out, they’ll be burning less fuel.
VarioDrive — a new power-transmission principle. Power is now delivered to the front and rear axles through separate hydraulic motors.
The German also explained to us what the Pro suffix in VarioGrip means. It turns out that in the first version of the VarioGrip tyre-pressure adjustment system, which we saw last year already, there was one “unpleasant moment” – the rear tyre took a full 7-8 minutes to pump up by 1 atmosphere. And demanding German farmers rightly grumbled – too slow, they said. German engineers gave German farmers a worthy answer, and now the updated VarioGrip Pro system pumps 1 atmosphere in just 30 seconds.
German farmers are in shock. So are we, for now. Let’s keep going!
Approaching from the rear. Two independent hydraulic circuits. Two axial-piston pumps. Pump output is 220 l/min and 210 l/min (two identical pumps, but running at different speeds — to rule out vibration).
Again, we think about what benefit this brings our farmers. Turns out, you can work with two implements that have different pressure requirements.
We climb into the cab. This year, journalists were let into the cab for the first time, by the way – and at Agritechnica, they say, everyone will be let in. All in all, what can we tell you – great visibility, a comfortable driving station, comfortable seats.
Overall, the Fendt Vario 1000 line-up includes 4 models, from 380 to 500 hp. Most likely, in Ukraine the two “middle” options will be most in demand – the 420 and 460 hp ones.
Turns out one such machine could handle all the heavy field work by itself, plus it moves comfortably on the road thanks to its standard dimensions. A universal soldier, so to speak.
The Fendt 1000 Vario in the field
After we’d climbed all over the tractor, the German engineers drive the tractors out into the fields. To show the German Meisterwerk at work.
The twelve-metre Horsch Joker disc harrow is a worthy implement for a machine like this. It moves easily and smoothly.
Christian Eckers stands off to the side, proudly watching the thousand-horsepower machine move smoothly across the field. One thing leads to another, and Christian says he sees great prospects for the thousand-horsepower model in Ukraine.
“Powerful, versatile, compact. Knowing how much Ukrainians love our 936 Vario and 939 Vario, we’re confident you’ll take a liking to the Fendt 1000 Vario line-up too!” Christian assures me. He says sales of the thousand-horsepower model in Ukraine will begin in the second quarter of 2016.
The field we were disc-harrowing with the Fendt 1000 was right by the road. German farmers kept stopping by, coming over to take a look, asking questions. We try to strike up a conversation with the locals. Honestly – go ahead and judge us, but we don’t get why Germans need a machine like this on their 250-ha farms. But they take offence and say that in eastern Germany they have farms of up to 2,000 ha, even 3,000 ha. We decided not to shock them and kept quiet about the fact that Ukraine has a “farm” of seven hundred… thousand… hectares.
I think the Fendt 1000 will have the same story as the Mercedes “little cubes” — there’ll end up being 100 times more of them driving around Ukraine than around Germany.
Once everyone had left, we caught the driver of one of the “thousand-horsepower” tractors and asked him what it’s like to drive a machine like that. Florian said driving the thousand-horsepower model is no harder than driving a car. “And what’s it like at 60 km/h?” we asked the guy. Florian looked around – to check everyone had already left – and said, “climb in the cab”.
We didn’t need to be asked twice, and a few minutes later we were racing along the field tracks with Florian. Honestly, we never got up to 60, the top speed was 55 km/h. But that’s probably not the tractor’s fault, more the small fields and short field tracks. Just as we’d pick up speed – end of the field, a new track.
Well, what can I tell you. When 14 tonnes go racing down a field track at 50 km/h, you feel like a kid – your soul fills with a kind of childish joy. And really, when you think about it, men are probably just big kids after all. When we’re little — we play with tractors in the sandbox. When we grow up – we look for bigger toys. Ones like the Fendt 1000 🙂
