It would be hoped that by early August, the greater part of the harvest would be done and thoughts are turning to cultivation and drilling – this was certainly the theme of the day as the Valtra dealership, Paudy Buckley Tractors, held a demo day at Ballinspittle, Co. Cork.
Situated overlooking the coast and with an autumnal feel to the day, the event appeared well attended, with a good number turning out to view what Valtra was bringing to the tractor market.
The manufacturer was highlighting two major features of its models, the first being that it could offer a quality tractor with a variety of specifications across a wide power range, and secondly, its electronic driving aids, which are claimed to be the most advanced and user-friendly on the market.
Sales manager for Valtra Ireland, Paddy Cantwell, explained the philosophy behind the range as being able to provide either sophisticated or straightforward tractors at the more popular power levels, which may then be fitted with various driver aids – starting with simple a simple GPS guidance system, all the way up to the automatic function of driver operations.
It is this which he claims other manufacturers cannot offer, although he acknowledged that John Deere has adopted a similar strategy with its new 6M Series, which has yet to hit the showrooms.
Ranges explained
The Valtra range now comprises six distinct series of tractor available here in Ireland. A seventh group of specialist vineyard machines is produced and sold, where there is a market for the type.
It is the A and G series tractors which will appeal to the the stock farmer, with power outputs of up to 135hp in a compact frame.
The As are more basic than the Gs, which are intended to bring the advantages of digital aids to the lower hp end of the market.
The bread and butter machines serving the most popular power bracket of the 135 -271hp are the N and T series.
The biggest selling tractors in Ireland at the moment are around the 170hp mark and for Valtra, it is the N175, which tops its own sales charts.
On the day, the demo N175 was attached to an Amazone 3m Cenia cultivator, which didn’t appear to be testing it to its limit, but still gave a good indication of the tractor’s performance.
Having four cylinder blocks, the three N series models are small in size for their power which, in the N175 reaches 201hp when boosted, allowing Valtra to boast of having a 200hp four pot model in its line up.
The six cylinder T series overlaps the N series but goes up to 271hp. They are larger tractors altogether, providing a stable and robust platform for operations which benefit from extra strength in the frame and weight for increased traction.
These two series allow a choice of tractor types within the most common power bracket, light and agile or stable and robust with both being ready for the full suite of driver aids.
Jumping next to the S series which are the big bruisers, providing up to 420hpfrom their 8.4l six cylinder engines.
These are the largest models in the Valtra portfolio and will be more often seen on the steppes or prairies than the tillage fields of Ireland.
Q for quality
Yet in between the T and the S, comes the Q series, which was originally envisaged to cover the gap between them, but Valtra has taken the idea further and has created a line of five models which come fitted out with all the electronic technology and and top spec comforts.
The Q, we are told, stands for quality, the power comes courtesy of 7.4L engine and spans the 250 to 305hp gap, while the notion that these are designed to compete with its AGCO colleagues over at Fendt is not to be publicly acknowledged, yet the suspicion lingers.
Representatives of all the series, except the S series, were to be seen at Ballinspittle, but it was a T235 which was being used to demonstrate that other area of tractor operation that Valtra is keen to push, in cab technology.
Unfortunately, the phrase ‘digital technology’ tends to send people scurrying for cover or immediately go browsing elsewhere, but it has now become firmly embedded in the machinery world so notice should be taken of what it is offering.
All manufacturers take a slightly different approach to its implementation. Valtra is taking a step-by-step approach, in that tractors can be ordered without any electronic features, or they can have everything fitted at the factory.
In between, there is the option of ordering a bare tractor and equipping it with the various aids over time. This enables a gentle introduction to smart farming rather than a great plunge into the unknown, a step which puts many off.
Valtra apps
Matched to a four furrow plough, which it hardly noticed was there, the T235 was fully equipped with the three stages of digitalisation provided by Valtra.
In turn, these are Valtra Guide, which is the basic self steering app. Then comes Auto U-Pilot which is the programable headland management system while the third item is Smart Turn, which does 90% of the work of turning the tractor at the headland and is used in conjunction with Auto U-Pilot.
While those who have been following developments in the digital field will be familiar with the automatic sequencing of functions as a tractor with implement reaches a set boundary line at the headland, Smart Turn takes it further.
Having lifted the implement, in this case a plough, the system will initiate a turn to either the left or right setting at 90°C to the direction of work. At this stage the operator has to stop the tractor and engage reverse.
Having done so, the tractor will head backwards until the operator again pauses it and selects forwards, at which point it will head to the next furrow, lower the plough and set off back down the field.
It is a neat system and can reduce the amount of time spent turning on the headland according to Valtra, who promises further development and refinement of the system going forward.
It is thanks to demo days like this, that the true value of digital driving aids can be appreciated, it just doesn’t impress as much online or in print.
Reality is the best way of selling it and once into the digital way of thinking the efficiencies, it can offer start to become apparent.