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Post by leemsutton on Oct 21, 2002 20:04:02 GMT 1
I think you'll find a lot of new tractors sold will be the variable transmission type as many farms are now doing more road work because they have taken on more land and need comfortable and smooth tractors to do all the haulage.
Its only a matter of time before JCB has a CVT type gearbox for their Fastracs, add the supposed fast tractor from JD which will have their autopwer system and you will end up with what effectively is like the Merc tractor unit gearbox which is fantastic. I have been in one as a passenger and they really are very clever indeed. All you do is steer!
I mean we dont need a Fast tractor or CVT type gearbox but at the moment the Fastrac is the cheapest contract hire option out there. If it has a variable transmission - then so be it.
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Post by Fred on Oct 22, 2002 7:55:39 GMT 1
Lee
What ya trying to say? - you've been in a fastrac with CVT? Tell us more:)
Yes I think you are right CVT will become more popular and could be the dominant gearbox a few years down the line as a result of the benifits and reduced production costs from greater numbers produced and reduced margin to manufacturer through it being less of a premium product. Look at gearbox history, started with 1 or 2 gears then four then eight etc. Then constant mesh, syncromesh, patial powershift, full powershift... Everytime people said it was not nessesary- power losses, too complicated, etc etc. What happens each becomes the standard expected by customers.
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Post by FarmerJohn on Oct 22, 2002 12:46:06 GMT 1
I know some new Fastracs will be introduced during the Smithfieldshow. But i haven't read any details. Does anyone know more about them? New transmission, more hp?
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Post by Woodbeef on Oct 22, 2002 13:12:27 GMT 1
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Post by Friedhelm on Oct 22, 2002 19:32:31 GMT 1
Lee:
What do you mean with Merc tractor unit gearbox?
Woodbeef:
I had a look at the pictures you mentioned. It seems it is the new TOP Model: 3220 if JCB stays by its way this means it has 220 HP. Also some Design changes.
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Post by European A on Oct 22, 2002 20:38:01 GMT 1
JCB used to sell about 30 units of Fastracs a year in North America in the latest 90´s...
To hear John Deere is developing a new tractor to compete versus JCB sounds really strange for me. It must be a model fully designed in Europe... Any clues?
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Post by leemsutton on Oct 23, 2002 10:56:07 GMT 1
Friedhelm,
I mean the Mercedes Tractor Unit (lorry, wagon, truck). A friend on mine runs quite few of them and I was a passenger for a day about 12 months ago.
Basically the computer inside the guts of the truck did everything for the driver apart from the steering.
He got in and inputted the distance he was going, the average speed he wanted to do, and the fuel consumption he wanted to achieve.
We then set off as normal and the auto gearbox did all the work whilst maintaining engine revs and also sticking to the desired fuel consumption level. This was all controlled by the computer system. Even when we approached a roundabout or something the driver slowed the unit down to go around it, while the computer maintained all the setting.
So my point was its only a matter of time before this type of system is put into a tractor and I'd guess that the fendt 2nd generation vario will be near to it. Also I would think that having a FAST TRACTOR (lorry replacement) JCB would not be far off. Then there is JD following close behind with this FAST tractor of theirs.
Just a thought nothing definate
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Post by Fred on Oct 23, 2002 12:53:14 GMT 1
Lee
Now I understand:) Yes I think you're giving the direction tractors are heading. Just think if all you do is steer then you can go back to putting and idiot on the machine and paying peanuts. He won't even need to put the optimum data into the computer. You could do that from your office via mobile/modem built into tractor. You can run many machines from the office or your own tractor at the same time. Gets over the problems of driverless tractors and safety. These can be used in field situations but I would think unacceptable for road use. The computer should also be able to slow the unit down if said idiot was driving too fast on rough track etc, ie sensor measures shock or stress and adjusts accordingly. That way only true damage would be hitting something. This could also be combatted with motion sensors.
European A
Rumours abound on the web about the fast JD, said to be called Pegases. Last rumour I saw it was in Luisianna at the Cameco works. If so maybe it is aimed at sugarcane haulage. A UK company were selling modified Fords/new hollands for this purpose, basically adding sprung front axle and upping the forward speed, can't remember the name though.
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Post by Friedhelm on Oct 23, 2002 16:06:53 GMT 1
Lee,
I did not understand you were talking about a lorry (tractor = lorry. My english is getting better every day I read and write here.) Could this be a Actros with EPS? I drove once a lorry with EPS but this wasn´t shifting automatically and have never heard about this device which sets gearbox and engine to one package. I will have a look at MB Homepage for it.
Also I´ve never heard about JD building a Fastrac or something similar. Fendt had something in that way at the agritechnica last year. EVO?
I sold 2 Fastrac in the last two years and in my opinion this machine is good for the work it was build for. But heavy pulling work in the field is not the strong side of it. Also the selectronic is good on the road but not very practical with work on narrow places. Due to the Quadtronic steering this could be a stronge side of it but the gearbox defeats this. A CVT with easy forward/backwards shifting would make the JCB Fastrac interesting compared to other brands. Comfort on Field and Road is outstanding already. I once went with 65 km/h from the road on potato field .
What you wanted to say with the Merc thing is something I am talking about a long time already. Waht does it help if you´ve got CVT and good engine but the driver uses it wrong and the fuel consumption is higher than it could be. I had this idea some Time back when I was working with MF Datatronic on the field. Xou can see how much Fuel the tractor with machine uses at that work and can try to get this down by different gear, machine settings, slip, control. If I just think about it: You want to plow with 8km/h, at a depth of 25 cm it should be possible nowadays to let such managment system handle it. It seeks the best "gear" on the CVT and tells the engine which power is needed to do this work with as less as possible Fuel. Just thinking about work with PTO. You have to run the engine at high rpm but often you do not need this amount of HP the engine is producing at that rpms. I think this is what will come in future and this will make CVT outstanding against common gearboxes.
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Post by eppie on Oct 25, 2002 20:08:11 GMT 1
When me and my class visited the Dutch Scania truck works in Zwolle, 18 km from my place, they showed us a tranny for a distribution truck. Clutch was controlled by the computer, but used just to start driving, not to shift up. upshift was done by the computer, controlling the engine revs to achieve synchrone speeds of the sets of gears to be shifted.
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