vario gearbox and road work

[henman]

looking at a fendt tractor witch are all vario ,the massey rep says that a powershift gearbox is the right gear box if doing a majority of its work on the road he says vario is for feild work.
dose the vario use more fuel on the road

 

[Chuckie]

Vario will sap a bit of power, but that's better than being in the wrong gear every time you get to a junction like dyna 6

 

[Wellytrack]

I’ve heard everyone say a Vario is murdered on hills but I’m not so sure.
I’d think you would have to take a Dyno of one of each and compare and then go to the road with them loaded.
Im not sure if anyone has taken that effort before bar say Profi @Durt Burd

 

[davidroberts30]

Vario do suffer on hils but i wouldnt have a normal gearbox again

 

[Sharpy]

Theory is that at some speeds the vario could be running at 100 percent hydrostatic transmission which will have about 50% power loss but the engine should always be singing at its sweet point for power and fuel economy. Reality is the same model powershift and vario working side by side the vario will burn more fuel but the driver is usually happier.

 

[Phil P]

Personally I wouldn’t go back to a manual/powershift transmission after using a vario/autopower tractor for any length of time. The fuel consumption is well and truly outweighed by the drivability and always been in the right gear for every task.

All my cars/pickup are all automatic now as well, must be getting old .

 

[Wellytrack]

Would like to see some factual comparisons.
Every transmission incurs losses.

 

[vantage]

Personally I wouldn’t go back to a manual/powershift transmission after using a vario/autopower tractor for any length of time. The fuel consumption is well and truly outweighed by the drivability and always been in the right gear for every task.

All my cars/pickup are all automatic now as well, must be getting old .

Just the car manual here, the Mrs was aghast that I wanted an automatic next time!

 

[KB6930]

Some suffer worse than others for sapping power on the road . My experience of fendt boxes I'd say yes they're very power hungry but that's only having a demo tractor against john deere autopower but I run a fastrac with fendt box and it's the biggest let down of the whole tractor but I'm assured by fendt men that fendt tractors are different.

 

[JCB_JCR]

If I remember correctly fendt Vario is 100% mechanical at full speed and 100% hydrostatic at slowest speed. Hence why it has 2 ranges and why you want to be in low range for field work for max fuel efficiency.

 

[CORK]

Vario here on two tractors and would never want to go back to a mechanical gearbox again. Clutch is pressed to start the engine and that’s it.

Always in the right gear with the vario which seems to increase output when spraying, fertilising etc.
Where tramlines allow, it’s easier to increase forward speed whereas in a semi powershift box, you may not want to bother changing range.

Hard to be sure about hills during transport work, they do die down in speed but can’t be sure if a mechanical gearbox is much better.

 

[Optimus]

My valtra is better on the road than my fendt.

 

[Speedstar]

We run Fendt & MF both are varios , Fendt is miles better on the road than the MF , a 516 Fendt is a pocket Rocket on the road

 

[Speedstar]

Some suffer worse than others for sapping power on the road . My experience of fendt boxes I'd say yes they're very power hungry but that's only having a demo tractor against john deere autopower but I run a fastrac with fendt box and it's the biggest let down of the whole tractor but I'm assured by fendt men that fendt tractors are different.

Its the JCB software its very poor

 

[KB6930]

Its the JCB software its very poor

I'm not totally disagreeing but I've tried a 724 and it was disappointing too

 

[Speedstar]

I'm not totally disagreeing but I've tried a 724 and it was disappointing too

may be just me but our 724 on the road is miles better than any MF gearbox tractor we have ever had , in pedal mode & TMS on it great

 

[Fendtbro]

Its the JCB software its very poor

The Jcb is geared higher. This means it runs more hydro input and therefore is slower.

 

[thom]

We run Fendt & MF both are varios , Fendt is miles better on the road than the MF , a 516 Fendt is a pocket Rocket on the road

Is there anything that can be done to stop a 516 over reving going down hill

 

[Speedstar]

Is there anything that can be done to stop a 516 over reving going down hill

Yes the exhaust brake

 

[Speedstar]

The Jcb is geared higher. This means it runs more hydro input and therefore is slower.

hubs may be a little more over geared but do they not do 60kph & a fendt 700 56kph