WITH the 700 Vario being Fendt’s best selling range of tractors since being introduced in 1998, it’s no surprise the manufacturer wants to keep the models alive and up to date.
Now, the seventh generation of the Vario 700 has just been launched by the manufacturer who pointed out that the latest range has a 'ground up' new design and with an expanded power spectrum which takes it up to 300hp.
There are a number of new goodies on the latest 700 Vario, including, for the first time, a 60km/h transmission, plus a new engine and optional 60-inch track width.
Its a popular globa range, too, with models of the previous 700 Vario generations working on medium and large farms, as well as with contractors in Europe, North America, South Africa and also in Australia and New Zealand.
Five models
The seventh generation range features five models: Fendt 720 Vario, 722 Vario, 724 Vario, 726 Vario and Fendt 728 Vario, which range from 203 to 283hp. The Fendt DynamicPerformance (DP) extra power concept releases up to 20hp of extra power in the Fendt 728 Vario DP via a demand-dependent control system precisely when it is needed. That means the top model achieves a maximum performance of 303hp.
The extra power concept is not tied to driving speed, or special application pick-ups and functions purely dynamically, even when pto work is carried out at a standstill, said Fendt.
Designed to meet global requirements, the Fendt 700 Vario was developed with a low power-to-weight ratio, with a high performance range, flexibility and the careful use of resources and the environment in mind.
The six-cylinder Agco Power engine and its 7.5 litre capacity has been completely redesigned for the new power spectrum. Exhaust gas after-treatment takes place via a diesel oxidation catalytic converter (DOC), diesel particulate filter (DPF) and with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) without exhaust gas recirculation, it meets the required exhaust emission standards in all regions worldwide. In addition, maintenance-free hydraulic tappets are installed in the engine.
The single-stage Fendt VarioDrive driveline is made up of the engine and the matching Vario transmission. Intelligently controlled all-wheel drive management is one of the advantages of Fendt VarioDrive.
This eliminates the need for manual switching when changing between field and road operations. It drives the front and rear axles as needed and distributes the power dynamically. In the field, the full tractive force is available and stresses are avoided when driving on roads or curves. The so-called pull-in-turn effect pulls the machine into the curve during turns.
The innovative low-speed Fendt iD concept is already used in its larger tractor ranges. All components, such as the engine, transmission, hydraulics and cooling system, were designed according to the so-called high torque, low engine speed principle.
In this way, the Fendt 700 Vario achieves high torque even at low engine speeds and thus saves fuel. The rated engine speed is only 1700rpm. In the main working range, the speed is a quiet 1400 to 1700rpm, which also leads to a quiet working environment.
For instance, the new Fendt 726 and 728 Vario reach a top speed of up to 60km/h at just 1450rpm – at 50km/h the engine speed is 1200 rpm and at 40km/h it is only 950rpm. The maximum torque of 1450Nm on the top model Fendt 728 Vario is achieved at just 1300rpm, ensuring high tractive power and acceleration strength with minimal specific fuel consumption.
Weight ratio
With a power-to-weight ratio of just 30.5 kg per hp and compact external dimensions, the range topping Fendt 728 Vario is particularly manoeuvrable and exerts as little pressure as possible on the ground.
Depending on the work application, the range can be flexibly ballasted at the front, as well as at the rear on the rear wheels. A gross vehicle weight of up to 15 tonnes allows it to be used as a heavy towing tractor.
Optimum tyre pressure reduces slip and ground pressure and so the integrated Fendt VarioGrip tyre pressure control system is designed to increase the contact area with the ground and boosts tractive power by up to 8%.
When driving on the road, the air pressure is raised and thus the rolling resistance is reduced, thus another 2% can be saved, according to Fendt's engineers.
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