ST. PAUL, Minn. – Agco’s new constant velocity transmission attacks the biggest enemies of efficiency for ground applicators: transport time, stuck time and field speed.
All farmers and custom operators must apply products within the application window. Driving into wet, soft ground is often unavoidable.
No matter how gentle the operator, putting a conventional power shift transmission into reverse usually breaks traction. It takes only a slight chirp to spin the tires, causing soil to build in front and back of the tires.
Read Also
Agriculture ministers commit to enhancing competitiveness
Canadian ag ministers said they want to ensure farmers, ranchers and processors are competitive through ongoing regulatory reform and business risk management programs that work.
The next move is to call for the tractor, said Agco’s David Webster, who was in St. Paul, Minn., for a preview of the new CVT drive 6303 and 8303 TerraGators. They will make their public debut Aug. 16.
“The new CVT gives you a creep speed of one foot per minute,” said Webster.
“You back out very slowly without breaking traction. You can tiptoe very carefully with this new transmission. A stuck applicator can sometimes turn into a major dollar loss.”
Transit time is a necessary evil, and another huge money loser for ground applicators. Ground application units spend 30 percent of their life in transit in well managed operations. In a few situations, machines spend nearly 50 percent of their time in transit.
For the past three years, Agco has tracked and documented the location and function of prototype implements across North America with their new Ag Command system. Using GPS and telemetry, Ag Command is designed to help farmers and custom operators increase the efficiency of their implements.
“The transport data was a real surprise to us and to the operators. Their first comment was always how they reduced transport time,” said Webster.
“They get up to speed quicker and decelerate quicker. If you’re moving down a road with a lot of stop signs and other obstacles, you get to your destination sooner.
“Fuel savings is part of the picture. If the operator decides he wants 40 m.p.h. road speed, the engine and transmission intelligent link controls talk to each other and settle in to that speed at 1,800 rpm.”
Field efficiency is enhanced with the new transmission, according to Agco. Fuel burned per hour is about the same as when the big applicator was powered by the Cat engine. However, fuel burned per acre is 15 percent less than before because the CVT does a better job of using power.
“With the old power shift, you often caught yourself between two gears. For example, you might have the power to run 17 m.p.h., but the gear limited you to 15 m.p.h.
“CVT lets you run any speed you want. It’s infinitely variable.”
Agco introduced its first CVT for tractors in 1996. Since then, it has installed more than 150,000 CVTs worldwide.
However, it found the original tractor CVT wasn’t adaptable to a ground applicator. The tractor version works in a low-speed, high-torque machine. As a result, it started from scratch on the CVT for ground applicators, which is designed for a high-speed low torque machine.
CVT efficiency is attributed to fewer moving parts. For example, there are only seven cut gears in the CVT and all are under constant load, so they never experience the shock associated with mechanical transmissions.
The other change to the TerraGator is the Sisu 8.4 litre engine from Finland, which has lowered the sound level in the cab by two decibels compared to the previous Cat engine.
“The engine is balanced much like a NASCAR engine. All rotating parts are balanced to within one gram. It’s a very smooth running engine. Very little vibration,” said Webster.
The wheelbase is longer on the new TerraGator, but it still turns within a 45-foot circle.
For more information, contact: david.webster@agcocorp.com
