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New Fendt control for Dutch farmer
At the same time as Fendt's launch of the 900 S5 tractors, it is also showing a completely new operating concept: FendtOne. The familiar armrest with joystick has been considerably improved. The dashboard even completely disappeared. It will be available first on the 300 and 700 Vario.
The news may be a little underwhelming with the new heavy tractor series, which will be launched simultaneously in Marktoberdorf. Still, it might be more interesting from a Dutch point of view. The 300 and 700 series are both models that are extremely popular in our country. And Dutch users like new gadgets.
Emission standard tightened on 700 series
The 700 Vario is what the English call the 'bread and butter' model. The all-rounder that is also popular in our country with contractors, arable farmers and some dairy farms. Fendt does not add new models to the series. For now it will stay as it is. The tractors will soon meet the Stage 5 emission standards. By supplying it with different track widths, Fendt hopes to make the series attractive for the world market as well. For example, North America.
The 300 series will get 1 new model: the 314 Vario. It has slightly more power and is the only one with the new FendtOne control. With a 12" touchscreen terminal, (rtk) GPS, Isobus section control and VRA, the 4-cylinder is packed with luxurious functions. There are also technical innovations. Dynamic Performance is an intelligent power boost that determines how much extra power is required and for which element of the trigger.
New controls
The operating concept was completely overhauled by Fendt. The brand has been at the forefront for years with their single multi-function lever, but the competition hasn't stood still. The German premium brand hopes to return to the top in this way. In addition to 1 driving lever, the 'golf ball' is replaced by a cross lever for the hydraulic functions or front loader. It has 27 functions. CNH and John Deere, among others, also do it that way. You operate the terminal with a large rotary knob, as you are used to from luxury cars. Each driver can assign buttons and save them for himself. A color coding helps you with the functions. The color changes when you let the valve change function! There are more handy gadgets, such as operating 3 valves simultaneously on the front loader and a quick coupling for the hydraulics.
The new joystick also controls Isobus functions. In addition to the well-known plug on the back, Fendt will soon also have 1 on the front. In the cabin, which remains the same in terms of construction, you will find a maximum of 4 screens. The dashboard is replaced by a tablet-like screen of 9". There is a 12" terminal in the armrest and a second 12" terminal is optional. This is located in the roof edge, for example to display the implement functions. This can also include data from the All screens are completely freely programmable The digital dashboard houses a navigation system with traffic information Projection on the windscreen, as Valtra is trying out, Fendt ignores for now.
Tractor and office connected
FendtOne, the big news, refers to the link the brand makes between the driver in the cab and the office of the farmer or contractor. They are continuously connected to exchange data. Not only all parameters of the tractor, but also the planning of work and fields. This connectivity will play a major role in the future. Until now, especially John Deere has invested heavily in this. Fendt now follows suit. For this part, Fendt hangs an iPad in the cabin. Vantage Agrometius also recently announced that it would be investing heavily in the same management system.
Everything is managed via 1 online platform that the brand manages in-house. For this you have to purchase the luxury Profi+ version. Not only do you indicate from the office on which plot you have to work, you can also indicate which crop protection products should be used, for example, with Task Manager. When the task is done, you automatically get it shot back to the office. To make the whole thing talk with other brands, Fendt has a link with DKE Agrirouter. In short, a German counterpart of JoinData, which focuses entirely on machines.
Field data centrally stored
In addition to rtk-gps, Guide Sync ensures that all fields are recorded with the associated AB lines and field information. All vehicles use the same data that is stored centrally. From November next year, all Fendt machines will have this system available through a software update. The entire FendtOne concept will be launched first on 700s for Germany, France and the United Kingdom. Then the rest of Europe follows. It has not yet announced anything about costs, but there is undoubtedly a subscription structure attached to it.
Fendt has even more in store for the driver. Thanks to a 4.1 surround system with subwoofer, you have crystal clear sound from the new DAB+ radio. A dual antenna also helps. As on the new 900, 8 microphone openings have been incorporated into the roof for hands-free calling. There are no further similarities with the new series and that is quite special. Usually the biggest tractors get the new gadgets first. On an electronic level, this is now bottom up and certainly an advantage for Benelux users.
News on all fronts
In addition to the tractor news, Fendt comes with even more small news on harvesting machines, haymaking equipment and spraying technology. A new top model combine harvester: the Ideal 10 has a 16,2 liter MAN engine with almost 800 hp. That is 150 hp more than the current top model and also more than the competitors offer. In the cabin you will no longer find a steering wheel. You operate it with a joystick in the left armrest, as is more common with shovels. The Katana chipper is also getting an update. The Katana 650 has an adapted knife sharpener and is available with the Kemper StalkBuster attachment.
OptiNozzle is new on the field sprayers. It's a lot like Agrifac's HTA. You set the desired droplet spectrum in the cabin. The combination then regulates the delivery and pressure itself. Caps can be operated individually or per group. OptiNozzle should limit drift, even when the application rate and forward speed change. It is available on both the trailed Rogator 300 and the self-propelled Rogator 600. The Rogator 300 is therefore equipped with TIM (Tractor Implementation Management). For example, the field sprayer can steer the tractor using Isobus and adjust the driving speed to prevent drift.
Self-loading wagons
The Tigo XR loader wagons, which Fendt inherited after the takeover of Lely, will also be on board by TIM. In this way the loader wagon can determine the driving speed itself without the pick-up being overloaded and seizing. The wagons are extended in series upwards and downwards with volumes from 22m³ to 50m³ content. With the other haymaking machines there are small news such as a new tedder with the famous Lely hook tine and updates to the mowers.
Niels van der Boom
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