The newest line of Fendt tractors, the 600 Series, has made its Canadian public appearance.
Why it matters: The company showcased the line at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show in Woodstock, Ont.
With Agco’s tractor brand offerings long since pared down to two—Massey Ferguson and Fendt—the company has positioned Fendt to be its premium, flagship line.
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The four-model 600 Series spans the 149-209 rated horsepower. Maximum power ratings bump those numbers to 164-224. All tractors get their power from a new Agco Power four-cylinder, CORE50, 5.0-litre diesel. The new engine stays with the brand’s low-speed, high-torque concept, delivering maximum torque between 1,200 and 1,600 r.p.m.
Agco says that makes the CORE engines thrifty on fuel.
“It’s designed to make horsepower at low r.p.m.s.,” said product specialist Dan Gunning. “The rated speed on this tractor is 1,900 r.p.m.”
When the first CORE engine design was introduced in October 2022, Agco said one advantage was the ability to adapt to future changes in the type of fuel used.
“We’re prepared to run alternative fuels,” Gunning said. “We can run HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil), methane, ethanol. It all uses the same base engine.”
Behind that is what the company describes as a new generation of Fendt’s unique VarioDrive CVT transmission, which can divert power back and forth between the front and rear axles, depending on which has the most traction.
“It takes all the operator input out of it,” Gunning said. “You pick your speed, the tractor decides if it needs to be in two- or four-wheel drive.
“In four-wheel drive we essentially have traction control. If the front tires are slipping, we can send more power to the rear. If we’re slipping on the rear, we can send more power to the front.
“It actually helps our turning radius quite a bit, because the tractor is smart enough to know when we’re making a turn in the field. It speeds up the front axle and pulls the tractor around the curve.”
The transmission also allows for a range of speeds from 0.02-50 km/h, depending on tire configurations. It can also travel at that very slow speed in reverse.
The mid-horsepower 600s can be spec’d out for loader or row-crop field work and can come equipped with the brand’s Cargo loader.
‘The tractor is very versatile … We can range from 17,000 pounds (7,711 kilograms) to our max gross vehicle weight of 29,900 pounds (13,562 kg),” Gunning said.
For maximum traction and minimum soil compaction, the optional VarioGrip system can adjust tire pressure to match conditions.
Standard hydraulic capacity is 152 l/m, but that can be upgraded to an optional 205 l/m. The tractors can be equipped with front, centre and rear remotes, for a combined total of 10.
Unlike the typical trans-hydraulic system common on most tractors, the Fendt 600s use a separate hydraulic reservoir to avoid risk of contaminating the transmission oil.
Inside the cab, operators will find a customizable control layout that can be preset for different implements and operator preferences.
Fendt’s Gold Star Customer Care warranty program includes full service taken care of by the dealer and a guarantee of a loaner if the tractor goes down for more than 48 hours.
“It comes with a base three-year, 3,000 hour warranty that can be taken out to five years, 5,000 hours if you’d like,” said Gunning. “It includes all the service as part of the purchase price, oil changes, air filters, everything that’s in the operator’s manual for the first three years.”
