30 November 2021

Soil preparation (III). Fendt 942 Vario

After a few autumn weeks, we continue with soil works before the sowing days. This time we went to Campo de San Pedro (Segovia) to see one of the giants of the field, the new Fendt 942 Vario Gen7 (7th generation of the 900 Series with Vario transmission). We were also able to see a very interesting implement, a Väderstad tine cultivator

If we talk about the new Fendt 942, we are able to write hundreds of lines to describe all the technology and features, but if we make a brief summary, we would like to highlight the specific ones: 

  • MAN engine of 9 litres and 415 HP (maximum power at 1,600 rpm) and maximum torque of 1,970 Nm at 1,450 rpm. 
  • Engine speed from 650 rpm to 1,700 rpm. 
  • 1,000 PTO at 1,280 rpm. 
  • New axles allow larger tyres (R44 rim on the rear tyres). 
  • Vario Drive transmission with variably distributes traction. 
  • Maximum authorised weight of 20,000 kg. 
  • Homologated maximum speed of 60 km/h (at 1,450 rpm) for countries that allow it. 
  • Vario Grip tyre inflation system integrated into the terminal. 
  • Hydraulic system up to 430 l/min (with two tandem pumps). 
  • New cab with FendtONE operator environment. 

Despite the fact that we only worked with the tractor for a few hours, our feelings were very positive. It is a real pleasure to work with, as you can automate almost everything: headland management, autoguidance, working speed, etc. We were able to work with the Väderstad tine cultivator at 12 km/h and the tractor really worked at around 1,200 rpm and the comfort in the driver's seat was absolute. 

In terms of transport, on the road or off-road, the feeling you get is that you are in an off-road car or even in one of the best saloon cars on the market because you have inside the cabin a great comfort... a real advantage for farmers who need (and can afford) such tractors.   

To conclude our review of the Fendt 942 Vario tractor, this tractor has verified every single capability we have read about - a tractor like this never disappoints. 

Versión en español.


18 November 2021

Soil preparation (II). Disc cultivator

We are involved in the sowing season and continuing with our series of posts on soil work. A few weeks ago we visited the New Holland Campus (Peñarubias de Pirón - Segovia), where we could work with one of our favourite implement for soil preparation, the disc cultivator.

About a year ago, New Holland signed an agreement with Maschio-Gaspardo to be able to market its disc cultivators and subsoilers under the blue brand, so now we present you our working day with this very interesting implement. It is a fascinating implement for several reasons related to efficiency work as you can see in the following features:

  • High working speed. More than 12km/h.
  • Suitable for minimum tillage tasks as well as traditional tillage.
  • Large number of hectares worked per hour.
  • Significant savings in time and therefore diesel.

New Holland has on the market two ranges of this same disc cultivator, the main features are listed below:

  • SDM
    • 520mm diameter concaved shape disc and rubber suspension.
    • 6 models: from 3 metres to 7 metres. 
    • Power requirements: from 100 hp to 320 hp.
    • Weights: from 1,665 kg to 7,360 kg.
    • Working depth: 3-10 cm.
  • SDH
    • 610mm diameter notched disc, mounted with C shaped spring.
    • 3 models: from 3 metres to 6 metres. 
    • Power requirements: from 140 hp to 360 hp.
    • Weights: from 2,460 kg to 7,420 kg.
    • Working depth: 6-12 cm.

We tested the SDM 400 disc cultivator together with a New Holland T6.180 DynamicComman tractor. Our sensations were really positive regarding handling, the tractor is well handled for both transport and tillage tasks. We could work for a few hours as you can see in our video. The most contributing factor is having a good suspension on the tractor, because this implement normally works on cereal stubble (usually hard ground) and at high speed. 

Another point in favour, doing direct sowing, is that this implement allows you to perform a superficial pass to generate better yields than direct sowing because it produces better germination of the seed.