Vario or powershift

[Against_the_grain]

I should know the answer to this question but I'm not sure I do any more. Looking at a new tractor 150-180hp. Main roles are spraying, transport, bit of cultivation/ploughing and rolling.
Current tractor is powershift but a vario would be well suited to this role going forward. The problem is they are 10k plus more expensive and even more so when you look at dealers stock and the other options that vario tractors seem to have automatically bolted to them like front linkage etc.
I'm struggling to see how having a vario tractor with the associated increased purchase price will improve my bottom line and reduce cost of production which is surely what commodity production is all about. Is a vario just a luxury that actually doesn't make good financial sense in combinable crop production?

 

[Spud]

For the cultivating, transport and rolling, I'd say Vario isn't really a big bonus - the fuel savings won't make up the extra spend.
On a sprayer though, the difference is in another league. I used to spray with a 6290 MF, which was changed for a 7480 in 2006, and what a step forward! Particularly in spuds, where I typically spray at 11kph and turn at 4kph, thats a lot of changes in a powershift. Baling, fert spreading and potato work are other places where it shines.
My advice? Buy one new, look after it and keep it a good while. Changing them young seems to be a bit dear! Much cheaper to run than powershifts in my experience.

 

[Two Tone]

It depends on how many hours you can make it work to justify that extra £10k. That needs to be a lot IMO. I can't see Varios being any more reliable. To my mind, unless you can stick at least 1000hrs/year on it, it's nothing more than an unnecessary luxury that is very unlikely reduce your bottom line.

 

[Spud]

It depends on how many hours you can make it work to justify that extra £10k. That needs to be a lot IMO. I can't see Varios being any more reliable. To my mind, unless you can stick at least 1000hrs/year on it, it's nothing more than an unnecessary luxury that is very unlikely reduce your bottom line.

I used to think that, but I think buying new and keeping them longer term (ie pay it off then have a good while with no payments) is as good - a low hour second hand tractor will always be in demand.

Have you ever run a vario? Everyone seems to be scared to death of them - if you compare the internals of a vario and powershift, the vario is by far the simpler. Having run a few varios over the last 12 or so years, and acrued over 30,000hrs experience of them (including two over 6000hrs and one over 12,000) they've given me much less bother than powershifts. Semi powershifts are ok, but no better than varios re reliability (and we've run lots of them too)

You have to go back to crash box Fords to get to transmission reliabilty proper, and who wants to do that?

 

[Two Tone]

I used to think that, but I think buying new and keeping them longer term (ie pay it off then have a good while with no payments) is as good - a low hour second hand tractor will always be in demand.

Have you ever run a vario? Everyone seems to be scared to death of them - if you compare the internals of a vario and powershift, the vario is by far the simpler. Having run a few varios over the last 12 or so years, and acrued over 30,000hrs experience of them (including two over 6000hrs and one over 12,000) they've given me much less bother than powershifts. Semi powershifts are ok, but no better than varios re reliability (and we've run lots of them too)

You have to go back to crash box Fords to get to transmission reliabilty proper, and who wants to do that?

I have two very good friends that have run them, one Fendt, one MF. Both had serious transmission issues with them costing in excess of £10 to fix and no longer run them.
The idea of them sounds great and assuming others such as yourself have not had problems, great. Though I still wonder how to justify the extra cost and how that can reduce the bottom line.
I suppose It comes down to how confident you are about Various. You are and I'm struggling.
We have run many semi-powershift and Powershifts without issue.
Got another farm near here that runs three Fendts. The owner thinks it is wonderful that the dealer is always quickly on site fixing them. Once the warranties run out, he needs them gone!

 

[Ormond]

Having tractors here on the farm with a wide range of gearboxes.. ...the vario is far superior to anything else in my opinion no matter what job I'm doing with it. It's on the feeder wagon most of the winter . ..brilliant for that. Have a NH power command....dont like it all...having to pass through every gear is a backward step from say a semi powers gift like the mf dyna or JD

 

[Chae1]

Difficult to quantify benefits, been plenty threads about it on here.

We went from autopower jd to powershift NH and next tractor was definitely going to be a vario.

It won't make us any more money, but makes a long day more enjoyable. Just spoilt really.

Whats the point in a automatic car?

Wouldn't say reliability is a worry for me, wouldn't have bought one if i thought it would cost more to run.

Have had big repair bills for powershift gearbox already. Only gearbox we've had issues with.

 

[Against_the_grain]

We do run a vario already and love it but is it a luxury?!
Tbh it did go back to dealer with vario issues after 500hrs but all sorted under warranty.

 

[Norfolk Olly]

If spraying then a vario would be ideal

 

[Ormond]

We do run a vario already and love it but is it a luxury?!

Probably but the hours we work and the effort we put in, its a luxury well deserved ....

 

[Against_the_grain]

I still wonder how to justify the extra cost and how that can reduce the bottom line.

I wonder if Mr Tesco or Mr ryan air would be running varios if he had a farm?

 

[Spud]

I have two very good friends that have run them, one Fendt, one MF. Both had serious transmission issues with them costing in excess of £10 to fix and no longer run them.
The idea of them sounds great and assuming others such as yourself have not had problems, great. Though I still wonder how to justify the extra cost and how that can reduce the bottom line.
I suppose It comes down to how confident you are about Various. You are and I'm struggling.
We have run many semi-powershift and Powershifts without issue.
Got another farm near here that runs three Fendts. The owner thinks it is wonderful that the dealer is always quickly on site fixing them. Once the warranties run out, he needs them gone!

I'd rather my bottom line be increasing!

I thin a lot is to do with how they are driven and looked after - a man wanting say a NH powershift will rarely get the best from a Fendt Vario for instance. The other thing is any issues and folk seem to think the box is goosed, when (in the case of twoof ours at least) a gearbox wiring loom fixed the issues. A sticking high low cable can make you think it has gremlins too.

 

[Against_the_grain]

Whats the point in a automatic car?

Ease of use and quality of life but they are not normally 10% to purchase more than a manual

 

[Nelson Wilbury]

I wonder if Mr Tesco or Mr ryan air would be running varios if he had a farm?

Mr Ryanair Michael O'Leary has quite a large farm in fact, over 1000 acres if I'm not mistaken. He breeds pedigree Angus amongst other things. I'm not familiar with his preferred brand of tractor though.

 

[deere150]

If you want a vario and can afford a vario, go for it

 

[Chae1]

Ease of use and quality of life but they are not normally 10% to purchase more than a manual

If you really want to do it cheapest way. Get a lad in with a tractor for £30/hr and put feet up in house.

 

[HarryB97]

It's a bit like GPS steering it's hard to measure the benefits for the majority of farmers but it makes every job an awful lot easier and every day more enjoyable. If you have the money I wouldn't hesitate, especially as u'll be the main driver as well? Could always keep it for a few more years to make up for the higher cost

 

[Fish]

The last power shift left this farm 18 months ago, and now all tractors are vario, with the oldest comming up to 20 years of age this year, never had a single problem with anyone of them.
But, if you are happy with power shift, stick with it, but I will not be going back, all that chewing up and down the gears, it's so blo*dy tiresome, you just never seem to be at the right speed for the job, ether to fast or to slow, just need that half gear in between.

 

[benny6910]

£10k is a massive price difference, I’m guessing your not looking at a Deere. I think there was only £3k difference when I priced up to swap 11 months ago.

 

[stevedave]

Are the tractor spec for spec. The thing with a lot of varios is they tend to by high spec and only high spec but powershift can be speced up or down. For the record we have run stepless since 2005 and power shift. The stepless are one driver tractors the powershift has multiple drivers. I don't like semi powershifts at all work of the devil.