Mf 7499 dyna-vt problem

Wellytrack · Oct 19, 2015

Without wanting to sound callous toward the OP and his troubles I've not heard of major woes with the 74 series before..
I met a guy a couple of years back who was boiling Vario's but he was the type who enjoyed smashing everything so he could tell everybody it 'wasn't up to it',

He dragged 360 diggers up everything in the high range and demanded a van of Germans out with diagnostics.

I had been considering a 'big chassis' 64 series for next year, and more recently been leaning toward a 74.
How many hours is the Vario good for?
Thinking I'd get on with it better than a Dyna6.

Cowabunga · Oct 19, 2015

Wellytrack said:
Without wanting to sound callous toward the OP and his troubles I've not heard of major woes with the 74 series before..
I met a guy a couple of years back who was boiling Vario's but he was the type who enjoyed smashing everything so he could tell everybody it 'wasn't up to it',
He dragged 360 diggers up everything in the high range and demanded a van of Germans out with diagnostics.

I had been considering a 'big chassis' 64 series for next year, and more recently been leaning toward a 74.
How many hours is the Vario good for?
Thinking I'd get on with it better than a Dyna6.

How long is a piece of string?
There are far more of these transmissions in Fendt tractors and I believe some people manage well over 10,000 hours trouble free. Like all things, it depends on how they are driven, how they are maintained, and, crucially, on a good dollop of luck.

As for the McCormick repair cost, I am willing to bet that some major repairs will cost nearer £10k than 5. That's the cost of running tractors today. We just hope it doesn't happen to us.

Spud · Oct 19, 2015

I have an 06 reg 7480 on 10500hrs from new, still here, NO bother at all from the transmission, bar a wiring loom and a high low cable siezing up. And an 06 7495 that came second hand and left with 6000hrs...and two 7620 varios currently. Any fault codes? When its hot, hold down the up and down arrows (iirc) on the keypad for a few seconds, all the temps etc will show. Check the gearbox temp matches the one quoted by the dealer.
If the oil looks black and smells burnt, I'd be checking the cardan brake first, sounds like the most likely problem to me. Its not impossible the main brakes are knackered too, but unlikely unless its been driven by a hero.
Vario running costs across the two 74's = sub 30p/hr. Dyna 6 running costs over a 7000hr 6490? Just shy of £4/hr. Sounds to me like you need a different mechanic to take a look.

Wellytrack · Oct 20, 2015

Cowabunga said:
How long is a piece of string?
There are far more of these transmissions in Fendt tractors and I believe some people manage well over 10,000 hours trouble free. Like all things, it depends on how they are driven, how they are maintained, and, crucially, on a good dollop of luck.

As for the McCormick repair cost, I am willing to bet that some major repairs will cost nearer £10k than 5. That's the cost of running tractors today. We just hope it doesn't happen to us.

And are the 74 a notably better tractor than a D6 64?
Where do the D6 have a notable advantage over Vario?

Cowabunga · Oct 20, 2015

Wellytrack said:
And are the 74 a notably better tractor than a D6 64?
Where do the D6 have a notable advantage over Vario?

Personally I would choose the D6 for mainly transport but VT [Vario] for field work. The D6 is undoubtedly more mechanically efficient but the VT can assist in higher productivity and efficiency in the field whether in tillage or PTO work.
I wouldn't say either transmission is for everyone and both need a certain commitment to learning how to get the best out of them.

Speedstar · Oct 20, 2015

davidroberts30 said:
No,im saying no one has posted a price for a vario replacement

Know one and the complete box with casting etc was 18k + time to fit it

Speedstar · Oct 20, 2015

Wellytrack said:
And are the 74 a notably better tractor than a D6 64?
Where do the D6 have a notable advantage over Vario?

Like the D6 a lot better than a vario more power and wheel grip & better on hills

ARW · Oct 20, 2015

Drillman said:
So what your saying is you could get 2 power shift boxes fixed for potentially less than 1 vario?

If your lucky, my mx needed new clutch packs but by the time we mended everything, bearings, shafts etc there was 7k of just parts....

Drillman · Oct 20, 2015

ARW said:
If your lucky, my mx needed new clutch packs but by the time we mended everything, bearings, shafts etc there was 7k of just parts....

Ouch!!!!

mtx.jag · Oct 20, 2015

ARW said:
If your lucky, my mx needed new clutch packs but by the time we mended everything, bearings, shafts etc there was 7k of just parts....

Still a lot cheaper than the 18k mentioned above,and no doubt she has done a fair few hours..

H.M. · Oct 20, 2015

davidroberts30 said:
Brakes arnt dragging are they?

Not that we know of, it's had a Massey mechanic look at it and they said they couldn't see anything wrong

H.M. · Oct 20, 2015

Chae1 said:
Just keep using it till it goes bang. It's dealers fault if they've been made aware of problem and done nothing. You'll then get a new gearbox with more warranty.

That's what we've said we'll do, but it gets a bit dangerous when the drive cuts out on a hill [emoji33]

Llewellyn93 · Oct 20, 2015

Speedstar said:
Like the D6 a lot better than a vario more power and wheel grip & better on hills

I can see the power as the D6 loses less to the wheels. The grip though most people reckon the vario put the grip down better?

H.M. · Oct 20, 2015

Spud said:
I have an 06 reg 7480 on 10500hrs from new, still here, NO bother at all from the transmission, bar a wiring loom and a high low cable siezing up. And an 06 7495 that came second hand and left with 6000hrs...and two 7620 varios currently. Any fault codes? When its hot, hold down the up and down arrows (iirc) on the keypad for a few seconds, all the temps etc will show. Check the gearbox temp matches the one quoted by the dealer.
If the oil looks black and smells burnt, I'd be checking the cardan brake first, sounds like the most likely problem to me. Its not impossible the main brakes are knackered too, but unlikely unless its been driven by a hero.
Vario running costs across the two 74's = sub 30p/hr. Dyna 6 running costs over a 7000hr 6490? Just shy of £4/hr. Sounds to me like you need a different mechanic to take a look.

No fault codes come up. And that's how dad's checked the temp, and he rang the dealer and they said the gearbox temp was alright. The brakes seem to be fine [emoji53]
thanks for your help

H.M. · Oct 20, 2015

Wellytrack said:
Without wanting to sound callous toward the OP and his troubles I've not heard of major woes with the 74 series before..
I met a guy a couple of years back who was boiling Vario's but he was the type who enjoyed smashing everything so he could tell everybody it 'wasn't up to it',
He dragged 360 diggers up everything in the high range and demanded a van of Germans out with diagnostics.

I had been considering a 'big chassis' 64 series for next year, and more recently been leaning toward a 74.
How many hours is the Vario good for?
Thinking I'd get on with it better than a Dyna6.

It's always in low range when doing heavy work. There's no rough driving, it's way too expensive for that [emoji33]

Over 99% of people we speak to, who have a 74series, only have good things to say about them. So just our tractor must have something wrong with it, not the whole range.
Without these faults it's a great machine, and we really don't want to have to swap it for something bigger, when if this was fixed it would be more than capable of doing the job

Cowabunga · Oct 20, 2015

ARW said:
If your lucky, my mx needed new clutch packs but by the time we mended everything, bearings, shafts etc there was 7k of just parts....

Yes. I bet the final bill wasn't far off £10k.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, these are the kind of repair costs that are becoming common today. No matter what the brand of tractor, once you get big and sophisticated you may, if you are unlucky, be lumbered with a five figure bill.

Cowabunga · Oct 20, 2015

mtx.jag said:
Still a lot cheaper than the 18k mentioned above,and no doubt she has done a fair few hours..

That figure included a complete gearbox and back axle centre housing. A normal repair would mean dropping a factory recon unit into the casting which, in theory, is relatively quick, easy and factory warranted. Probably nearer £10k plus fitting than £18k with a LOT more labour to transfer and set the differential and so on.

Cowabunga · Oct 20, 2015

H.M. said:
Not that we know of, it's had a Massey mechanic look at it and they said they couldn't see anything wrong

I'd ask again and make sure that the mechanic is experienced with the Vario transmission.

I'm completely mystified about how this would effect the power, as you say it does, unless something is partly seizing up inside, possibly the brakes. [but possibly not]

H.M. · Oct 20, 2015

Cowabunga said:
I'd ask again and make sure that the mechanic is experienced with the Vario transmission.

I'm completely mystified about how this would effect the power, as you say it does, unless something is partly seizing up inside, possibly the brakes. [but possibly not]

I'll tell them to ask again. If it was the brakes wouldn't it do it all the time, not just when it's doing heavy work like subsoiling or when it's working on a hill? It's drilling right now on flat, easy going land and there's no smell or heat, there's also no lunging forwards at the end of a row when the implement is lifted up

Cowabunga · Oct 20, 2015

H.M. said:
I'll tell them to ask again. If it was the brakes wouldn't it do it all the time, not just when it's doing heavy work like subsoiling or when it's working on a hill? It's drilling right now on flat, easy going land and there's no smell or heat, there's also no lunging forwards at the end of a row when the implement is lifted up

Brakes with little clearance or a warp can be fine when cold but will bind up more and more as they heat up. I'm not saying that this is your problem but it is worth investigating, as are all other possibilities.

Mf 7499 dyna-vt problem

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