The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Slick tractors have added performance
MASSEY FERGUSON: Peter Hill looks at two of the latest tractors on the market
Added performance, control and comfort are promised with the addition of the slick-shifting Massey Ferguson Dyna-4 transmission to the 100hp 5710 and 110hp 5711 tractors.
Dyna-4 is familiar to users of MF’s higher-spec 5700 S models up to 130hp and 6700 S machines from 120-150hp as a four-speed powershift on a fourrange gearbox.
This results in a 16-speed transmission that offers good speed control variability, with the four-step powershift being available in reverse as well as forwards through the power shuttle.
The newcomers are part of Massey Ferguson’s Global Series project to create a new mid-range platform and are built in the Beauvais plant in France where Francesco Quaranta, head of Massey Ferguson’s European sales, marketing and product management team notes the “class-leading control efficiency” of Dyna-4 on the “workhorse” tractors.
A creep option is available for extraslow speeds to suit cattle feeding and bedding applications, along with AutoDrive, which the operator can engage in the field to leave powershifting decisions to a computer.
As well as easing the operator’s workload, comparative tests have shown that AutoDrive can outperform an operator in terms of overall performance efficiency and fuel consumption.
A further option combines clutch and brake operation, so the tractor can be brought to a halt using only the brake pedal and set in motion again just by releasing the brakes.
That allows the driver’s left leg to take things easy when the tractor works with a loader or round baler, which both involve repeated stop-starts.
Surprisingly for tractors of this size and specification, the MF 5700 Dyna-4 newcomers can also be had with cab suspension comprising spring-assisted shock absorbers for the rear mounts.
Meanwhile, new features and improvements are claimed to add to the appeal of Landini 4 Series tractors, which consist of three models on a compact 2,100mm wheelbase now starting at 69hp, include a 75hp version as before and go to a more powerful 88hp.
HiLo two-speed powershift is a new option for added control versatility on the move – with an 18% increase or decrease in ground speed and more ratios – 24x24 or 32x32 with creep.
Adding disc brakes to the front axle aims to ensure secure braking performance distributed across all four wheels.
Three models on the longer 2,230mm wheelbase have 90hp, 99hp and 107hp compact four-cylinder engines, an uprated braking system and revised trailer brake circuit to meet latest regulations.
Like their smaller siblings, a 32-litre/ min pump dedicated to steering and ancillaries ensures there is no oil starvation at a critical moment when the 49-litre/min (4-070 to 4-090) or 57-litre/min (4-095 to 4-110) main pumps are working flat out.