Fendt or Fastrac

Banana Bar · May 23, 2020

Robt said:
Have a zoom meeting with @Feldspar he will educate you! Jolly nice fellow too from just over the hill to you!

Know him well. Shall be quizzing him next week.

Bobthebuilder · May 23, 2020

What tractor you got atm, and any reason why just a fendt or jcb [emoji848]

Bobthebuilder · May 23, 2020

As far as I’m aware the legal road speeds haven’t changed so no reason to be buying fast tractors [emoji57] and any modern tractor should be comfortable enough in field speed

Thomas Simpson · May 23, 2020

We run a 4220 and it’s in another league for comfort and so far after 1400 hrs been reliable, more so than my nh which is on my trailed horsch. Would be a perfect match for the sprayer esp with 4ws steer for turning at ends and speed and comfort in the field.

Two Tone · May 23, 2020

Bobthebuilder said:
As far as I’m aware the legal road speeds haven’t changed so no reason to be buying fast tractors [emoji57] and any modern tractor should be comfortable enough in field speed

Wouldn’t airbrakes on the sprayer legally allow much higher road speeds?

Andrew K · May 23, 2020

Feldspar said:
My biggest concern after reading about Fastracs was the reliability. Got a 5 year warranty on ours given these concerns. Problem is if it goes down at a critical time we don't have another tractor that could pull the sprayer instead just like that, although given ISOBUS it could be done with some new hydraulic fittings. Have 1000 hr service coming up and a slight grumble in the diff with 4WD which I need to check (might be something I'm doing).

Never driven Fendt, so can't comment on their comfort, but can certainly say that the 4220 is just in another league compared to the Masseys we had. If you're thinking about a Horsch, one of the key strengths is stability at speed, and you need a comfortable tractor to make that doable from an operator's point of view. I had a sore back before and now it's gone despite having spent 750 hours in it this year. I almost wouldn't drive anything else now. 4WS does mean a bit of extra complexity and button pressing to swap between the two modes (Topcon doesn't steer in 4WS very well so use this at either end of the field). However, I find backing the sprayer into corners a LOT easier with 4WS as you can pretty much put the boom where you want it (almost easier than a SP now I've got used to it).

Only thing to think about with the trailed sprayers (especially a GS with a long wheel base) on 36m is that it's so long that you don't have much room to switch boom off and turn except in perfectly square headlands (this is again exacerbated with Topcon because at the moment I'm struggling to get it to model a steered trailed implement, but have been told of a trick to improve this which I need to try).

Which size tyres do you run on tractor and sprayer please James?

Bobthebuilder · May 23, 2020

Two Tone said:
Wouldn’t airbrakes on the sprayer legally allow much higher road speeds?

Depends on size,weight and width more than hydraulic or air brakes

tr250 · May 23, 2020

Two Tone said:
Wouldn’t airbrakes on the sprayer legally allow much higher road speeds?

High road speeds and trailed sprayer on rowcrops with water moving around sounds dangerous to me

Banana Bar · May 23, 2020

Bobthebuilder said:
What tractor you got atm, and any reason why just a fendt or jcb [emoji848]

4000hr 6215r
1800hr 6175r
1500 hr 8400r
1800hr 775e

Rogator 2016 on 5600 hrs

ollie989898 · May 23, 2020

What does the operator want?

Isobus controls and all on one screen etc. Comfort is subjective, do you want the operator to have the ability to pish along on the road at top whack?

Andrew · May 23, 2020

Two Tone said:
Wouldn’t airbrakes on the sprayer legally allow much higher road speeds?

Actually air brakes aren’t a legal requirement.
If the towing vehicle meets certain requirements (i.e. Fastrac or Unimog) then they can tow a trailer faster than 24mph IF:
It is less than 2.55m wide
It has a braking efficiency of 50%
It has twin line failsafe brakes (can be oil)
It has ABS if manufactured after some date about 25yrs ago
Probably a few more rules I haven’t mentioned.

ollie989898 · May 23, 2020

tr250 said:
High road speeds and trailed sprayer on rowcrops with water moving around sounds dangerous to me

Especially 6000 litre capacity one.

Two Tone · May 23, 2020

Bobthebuilder said:
Depends on size,weight and width more than hydraulic or air brakes

tr250 said:
High road speeds and trailed sprayer on rowcrops with water moving around sounds dangerous to me

Yes, I run a Fastrac with a demount and even on high speed rowcrops, it’s like driving a chivvers jelly down the road at any speed, never mind high speeds.

But I also use it for carting grain to a mill about 12 miles away with an air raked trailer and it is fantastic!
Even a 6,000 litres sprayer is going to weigh a fraction of our fully loaded grain trailer.

One of the reasons I chose a demount (with a front tank when needed) is that I want as fewer wheels as possible travelling on my land to create less ruts, especially for late Autumn, Winter and early Spring spraying.

It is so fast and stable going down thee road on normal or wide wheels, that I don’t need a very high capacity Sprayer tank.

Spud · May 23, 2020

How about a cvt 4wheel steer Fastrac with the sprayer on a 5th wheel coupling?

Badshot · May 23, 2020

Feldspar said:
My biggest concern after reading about Fastracs was the reliability. Got a 5 year warranty on ours given these concerns. Problem is if it goes down at a critical time we don't have another tractor that could pull the sprayer instead just like that, although given ISOBUS it could be done with some new hydraulic fittings. Have 1000 hr service coming up and a slight grumble in the diff with 4WD which I need to check (might be something I'm doing).

Never driven Fendt, so can't comment on their comfort, but can certainly say that the 4220 is just in another league compared to the Masseys we had. If you're thinking about a Horsch, one of the key strengths is stability at speed, and you need a comfortable tractor to make that doable from an operator's point of view. I had a sore back before and now it's gone despite having spent 750 hours in it this year. I almost wouldn't drive anything else now. 4WS does mean a bit of extra complexity and button pressing to swap between the two modes (Topcon doesn't steer in 4WS very well so use this at either end of the field). However, I find backing the sprayer into corners a LOT easier with 4WS as you can pretty much put the boom where you want it (almost easier than a SP now I've got used to it).

Only thing to think about with the trailed sprayers (especially a GS with a long wheel base) on 36m is that it's so long that you don't have much room to switch boom off and turn except in perfectly square headlands (this is again exacerbated with Topcon because at the moment I'm struggling to get it to model a steered trailed implement, but have been told of a trick to improve this which I need to try).

The front diffs are a weakness, although I thought it'd been sorted now.

James · May 23, 2020

ollie989898 said:
Especially 6000 litre capacity one.

Surely more dangerous half full than full

snarling bee · May 23, 2020

I would go Fastrac. So comfortable.
Mine is a 2016 I have had it nearly 18 months and taken it from 700 hours to 1500. We have had no reliability issues whatsoever, apart from a blown fuse.
The biggest problem is that nobody now wants to drive the John Deeres.

Feldspar · May 23, 2020

Andrew K said:
Which size tyres do you run on tractor and sprayer please James?

600s on the tractor and 580s on the sprayer. Pleased with the choice. 13 psi all round when half filled in wet times and 18-19 psi when filled with 8000l of fert. I'd be a bit nervous about narrower row crops on this size of sprayer.

Feldspar · May 23, 2020

Badshot said:
The front diffs are a weakness, although I thought it'd been sorted now.

They replaced the diff in the winter because it was the wrong type. Nothing seemed wrong before they did it. I didn't get into the exact reasons for the swap.

Feldspar · May 23, 2020

ollie989898 said:
Especially 6000 litre capacity one.

I find half filled to be much less of a problem than expected. Baffling seems very good. I think a number of Horsch sprayer have been tipped over and apparently most when filled right up going too fast round roundabouts.

Fendt or Fastrac

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