REGINA – Climbing in the Lamborgini to drag the sprayer over that back 80 acres sounds like something from a farmer’s lottery dream. But if that Lamborgini is a tractor, the fantasy can become real.
Farmers used to Masseys, Deeres and Internationals are hearing some new names. European tractors are making their way onto the Canadian market and distributors say the foreign machines have a lot to offer.
“Farmers in Europe demand a lot from their tractors,” said Phil Pepper, of JCB Inc., a British equipment manufacturer. “There are a lot of features on the tractors that you don’t see on North American machines. EC (European Community) manufacturers have to provide some things that aren’t standard here.”
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Pepper brought the JCB Fastrac tractors to the Western Canada Farm Progress Show last month. Fast is the key word. The tractors have a cruising speed of 70 kph. And with a full suspension and four-wheel outboard disc brakes, the machine can stop safely from that speed. A full air brake system is standard along with specially designed Michelin tires that cross over between field and road, allowing the tractor to pull grain trailers and field equipment over long distances. The machine runs a six-cylinder Cummins engine and Eaton 54 speed autoshift transmission. The 185 horsepower model 3185, four-wheel drive is the largest in the company’s line and sells for about $150,000.
Drop in horses
The farm show, held in Regina each June, saw four new tractor lines debut in Western Canada. All the field tractors had several things in common, including semi-automatic transmissions, four-wheel drive, fully appointed cabs, front and rear PTO and three-point hitch. But the most interesting point for Canadians was the size of the machines. The largest was 230 hp., with most being less than 200 hp.
“These machines fit a market for mixed farms and medium to smaller farmers who need all the flexibility they can get in a tractor,” said Dan Chiru, of Catex Equipment Inc. “The tractor sizes can do many things well. They just can’t pull the very largest equipment.”
Chiru represents the HŸrlimann line of tractors, built in Italy by the Same Deutz-Fahr Group. HŸrlimann began building tractors in 1929 in Switzerland and was the first company to use a diesel engine in a field machine. Today, the tractors meet European Union emissions standards and offer options such as reversible driving stations for multi-directional operation.
“With the front-mounted PTO a farmer no longer has to run snow blowers and other PTO-mounted equipment on the back of the machine. He can see what is going on and drive forward. We even hope to have a self-propelled swather design for the machines,” said Chiru.
The HŸrlimann sells for 10 to 15 percent less than a comparable North American machine.
The HŸrlimann factory also produces another tractor line for the Same Deutz-Fahr Group. The Lamborgini of racing and sports car fame also has a tractor. Sporting nearly all the same features as the HŸrlimann, the Lamborgini tractors have programmable electronic shifting, well-appointed cabs and are available for 15 to 20 percent less than their North American counterparts. A 190 hp. tractor carries a list price of $115,000. A 150 hp. version of the four-wheel drive will take $105,000 from the bank balance.
Lamborgini tractors arrived last fall to fill out the product line for Zetor/Motokov tractor dealers. HŸrlimann tractors have 12 dealers in Western Canada so far.
“We are approaching it carefully because we want to make sure they (dealers) get the service training and build the right product knowledge before we put a lot of machines on the market,” said Chiru.
At the top end of this European invasion is the Fendt. Marketed by AGCO, the machines filled a gap in that company’s product line for a high end full feature mid-sized tractor. Using the latest in German technology, the Favorit line of field tractors sports a unique transmission system that uses both hydrostatic and traditional transmission systems. The result is a stepless transmission with an 81 percent efficiency rating. The producer simply selects an operating speed and shift down intervals for the computerized transmission and the tractor will operate the transmission automatically. The operator controls the machine’s motion from a joystick on the right hand armrest. The PTO speed can be continuously maintained while the shifting takes place.
More comfortable
A suspended front axle improves ride and keeps the machine level for accurate operation of forage harvesting and seeding equipment.
“We feel this machine will find a home in farms where there is baling or forage harvesting as well as a full range of field work taking place. This is for farmers who run their tractors into high hours and use the machine for everything,” said David Webster, of AGCO.
Those farmers can count on comfort for their dollar as the Fendt uses an insulated, fully suspended cab, resulting in one of the lowest interior noise ratings in a tractor. The turbo-charged, intercooled MAN engines are available in 175, 200 and 230 hp. Like the other European tractors, a full range of front and rear PTO and three-point hitch systems are available.
At $188,000, $198,000 and $218,000 respectively, the power units are priced about 20 percent above their domestic competition.
