Cat Challenger

[spikeislander]

Yes I like it a lot, it’s a big improvement over the 765E it replaced for reliability and comfort but it does seem a little under powered

Do you think that’s due to gearbox ? My 936 doesn’t seem to keep up with 8345 but I think gets more slip do engine pulls back ?
Fendts can feel strange when box is working

 

[startinghandle]

Do you need to take test before driving on road?

 

[spikeislander]

Yes category d I believe

 

[spikeislander]

Oh hold on could be cat h

 

[fred.950]

Do you think that’s due to gearbox ? My 936 doesn’t seem to keep up with 8345 but I think gets more slip do engine pulls back ?
Fendts can feel strange when box is working

Yes definitely gearbox but because there’s so little track slip it might be an illusion, also very low rpm engines

 

[spikeislander]

I think that’s it tbh

 

[Norfolk Olly]

Not to hijack thread but anyone experience with fendt mt?

I had a 943 for a couple of weeks in the winter and thought it was a massive improvement over the E series, biggest hate was not being able to see the drawbar, ride was good for a twin track though it was new so tracks and mid wheels were good. Neighbours engine has just gone on theirs at 1100hrs

 

[spikeislander]

Doesn’t sound good , you are the second person to comment on the view out of the back ?
Would it be bad if ploughing with a lo to see front furrow?
Maybe I’ll look at a newer rt

 

[Norfolk Olly]

Doesn’t sound good , you are the second person to comment on the view out of the back ?
Would it be bad if ploughing with a lo to see front furrow?
Maybe I’ll look at a newer rt

I doubt youd see the front furrow the diesel tanks sit really high and wide across the back. I think youd get a good deal on an rt as i cant see them selling many as most seem to be going for the 8rx, big outfit near here are having 5 8rx’s To replace twin tracks. Out of everything ive demo’d, including the 8rx, the most impressive is the case rowtrac.

 

[fred.950]

I had a 943 for a couple of weeks in the winter and thought it was a massive improvement over the E series, biggest hate was not being able to see the drawbar, ride was good for a twin track though it was new so tracks and mid wheels were good. Neighbours engine has just gone on theirs at 1100hrs

We have just had a new engine in ours although nothing wrong with the old one, just as well by the sound of it

 

[spikeislander]

Why did you have a new engine if nothing wrong?
Not got any rx’s around here , I love the concept but wondered if they would just be a flash in the pan.
The row crops seem to fall in no mans land? Not a wheel tractor that can be used elsewhere but still must scrub a bit on headlands as they have a flat track?
Might look for a low houred Rt , if they are losing out to rxs the price should drop ? Although I have one to sell

 

[daveydiesel1]

For the grip in wet conditions would a cat D6 not be better than rubber tracks

 

[fred.950]

Why did you have a new engine if nothing wrong?
Not got any rx’s around here , I love the concept but wondered if they would just be a flash in the pan.
The row crops seem to fall in no mans land? Not a wheel tractor that can be used elsewhere but still must scrub a bit on headlands as they have a flat track?
Might look for a low houred Rt , if they are losing out to rxs the price should drop ? Although I have one to sell

We were just told there was a problem with that batch of engines, you don’t moan about having a brand new engine after 1500 hours. The fitter just said they now have super heat treated pistons We have an old half track 8530 here which is ok for a bit of rolling but it can’t pull straight up some of our steep banks which is why we stuck with the twin track. As others have said they are best left in the shed when it’s raining.

 

[warksfarmer]

I am keen of the idea of a crawler in order to keep going when it is wet and reduce compaction. Main work will be Jones Triple bedformer and a 3 m discordon. I don’t want new nor too old it has to do no roadwork and we are busy 52 weeks of the year so it could clock up a few hours but not working 24 hours a day. I am thinking B or C or D series Challenger. Any thoughts or suggestions.

Having owned a challenger and used JD crawlers as well as running tracks on combines for 15 years I actually don’t think they reduce compaction. In fact a lexion TT increases it in my opinion. The marks they leave in normal ground conditions like this year are considerably more than a wheeled version as we’ve seen this year.

In wet going our old challenger wouldn’t turn around on the headlands even with the trailed implement lifted up.

 

[Foxcover]

If you feel the need then I'd go for a late C the last of the cat engines, the D had a host of problems from engine to ad blue. They will not cut in as much as a wheel tractor when it's wet but are useless at lugging when wet, you end up with one track going like hell with the other hardly turning as it tries to steer itself down the field. Also I'd think about the healands, if it's wet they smear when turning and if it's soft they leave berms no matter how wide you turn, also the running costs will be higher from my experience. I went from a 765c to a 360hp wheel tractor and I will not want to go back. The only time I miss the crawler is when subsoiling across veg beds, when we had it on the vaderstad we had to pull the headlands up before drilling to try and level them up which we don't need to do any more and with the tyre inflation system and weighing 7 tons less it's just as good at top work.

Is a 936 really 7 tons lighter than a 765?

 

[Norfolk Olly]

Is a 936 really 7 tons lighter than a 765?

with no wheel weights on over the weighbridge yes, crawler did have idler weights on

 

[Banana Bar]

Avoid D series at all costs, I wouldn’t have another D if it was given to me. Total nightmare.

 

[Banana Bar]

Avoid D series at all costs, I wouldn’t have another D if it was given to me. Total nightmare.

 

[Mdt]

I doubt youd see the front furrow the diesel tanks sit really high and wide across the back. I think youd get a good deal on an rt as i cant see them selling many as most seem to be going for the 8rx, big outfit near here are having 5 8rx’s To replace twin tracks. Out of everything ive demo’d, including the 8rx, the most impressive is the case rowtrac. View attachment 908953

Even though the rowtrac and the smarttrax are identical I was told the rowtrac actually looses power as it has a Dropbox this is how it also has a shorter wheelbase. How true this is am not sure but interesting if so.

 

[BlackBear]

The 1st gen and B series MTs are the best of the new ones, if you want bulletproof reliability you’ll need to go for the Challengers built before the AGCO acquisition; 75E, 85E, 95E, etc. But finding one low houred enough to suit your needs will be a tall order. Also if you still want to use mounted implements then you’d best look for an MT700, if that doesn’t matter then an MT800 would be an immense tractor for you. We run a 55 and a 75c, great machines but about as much use as a chocolate fire guard in the wet, as the wheels rely on friction to transfer the power to the track itself. So if it gets wet the wheels just spin on the inside of the rubber track and spin, but you’ll know this yourself having run crawlers before. Hope this helps!