AgriArgo has been busy updating its smaller tractor ranges to meet Stage V emissions standards.
A single new McCormick X5 series was rolled out in Ireland in early May which was Stage V compliant.
The smaller X4 Stage V-compliant models, which have yet to be officially introduced here, were also launched in Landini colours elsewhere in Europe at the start of the year.
Currently there are just three models available within the new X4 range. They offer 61, 68 and 75hp respectively from an engine new to the AgriArgo stable.
The outgoing tractor models relied on Deutz to power them; the incoming machines will be fitted with Kohler KDI engines.
AgriArgo UK Ltd is the national distributor of Landini, McCormick and Valpadana tractors and Pegoraro tillage implements in the UK and Ireland.
Kohler across the pond
Kohler is an American company that is best known in the US for its strong presence in the kitchen and bathroom fittings market – Mira showers being one of its brands.
It would therefore seem an odd choice for a mainline tractor manufacturer.
Appearances can be deceptive however, for the company has been making engines for over a century now, although they were, in the main, small petrol units for lawnmowers and off road recreation/utility vehicles.
All of that changed with the acquisition of the Italian diesel engine manufacturer, Lombardini, in 2007.
Lombardini also dates back to the 1920s, producing its first engine in 1922 and concentrating on producing agricultural and industrial units from the 1930s onwards.
Its latest range of engines designed for agricultural use is the KDI (Kohler Direct Injection) series, which came to the market in 2016.
Agricultural engines from the sump up
These engines were designed for installation within tractors right from the start. According to the company, they are engineered to withstand the torsional stress inherent in a tractor’s load-bearing structure.
In addition to their physical properties, the engines were also designed to run with a variety of emissions reduction systems.
Manufacturers using the engines can pick from a mix and match menu of options to create a unit that will meet whatever emissions standard is current in the target market. The company calls the system Kohler Flex.
The units being fitted to the Landini and McCormick X4 series tractors are known as the KDI 1205TCR engine.
This has a displacement of 2,482cc and, at 75hp, is at its maximum rated output. They are fitted with diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) and diesel particulate filter (DPF) systems only.
A smaller three-cylinder version is available as is a bigger brother, the KDI 3404TCR, which currently offers up to 150hp.
Will we see this unit coming to the AgriArgo tractor range? It is a possibility, for both companies have Italian roots and Kohler, despite its limited market exposure and private ownership, is well established as an engine manufacturer.
What next?
The new Stage V McCormick/Landini X4 series are only available up to 75hp.
The old 4 Series had six models in all, ranging up to 107hp, but only meeting Tier 4 final emissions standards.
The stopgap Stage V-compliant McCormick X5.085 has an FPT engine. Will the rest of the X5s be similarly powered, or will Kohler reach further into AgriAgo’s line up?
As yet it is unclear, but Kohler certainly has the product which will slot straight into the range.