The traditional 3-point hitch assembly shifts most of the implement load on to the rear axle. We counter this with ballast on the front end of the tractor, which is not always precise, but is always added weight (a drag on efficiency!).
Fendt looked at the problem in a less conventional way and came up with a new, automatically-calibrated means of shifting traction and axle load with the VarioPull.
With VarioPull, the load distribution is optimized for the front and rear axle of the tractor, and the vehicle weight is therefore ideally distributed on the ground, says Thomas Muëller, with AGCO Fendt.
Related: VarioGrip — a tire-in-tire solution
The design allows farmers to reduce the front ballast on the tractor using VarioPull without losing traction, he says. This means less total weight in the field, more efficient use of engine power, and increased driver comfort when driving from field to field.
In the video below, filmed in Germany at Agritechnica, Muëller and Kelvin Heppner discuss the VarioPull, traction, and shows us how it works. Farmers here in North America can expect to see this option within the next two years.
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