Fendt still has a reputation of being a little exotic here in Ireland, a tractor for the well to do or those with specific requirements to fulfil.
Over on the continent however, it is a bestselling brand and there is not the mystique surrounding them, a point underlined by the fact that the company has just produced its 100,000 700 series Vario at Marktoberdorf.
This milestone was reached on July 25 on the 25th year of production of the 700 series, which is now in its seventh generation.
Efficiency as first objective
Fendt itself considers the 700 series as an all-rounder, the VW Golf of tractors, which emphasises the success of the tractor models over the quarter century of production.
The evolution of the model series has focused on more power, less fuel consumption, greater manoeuvrability and increasing comfort, to which it might be added that the company has also sought to incorporate the latest digital technology across the range.
It was on August 30 1998 that Fendt presented the models of the Favorit 700 Vario series to journalists for the first time at Weissenstein Castle in Pommersfelden, Franconia, Germany.
Two days later, it was presented to the public at the grand Fendt Saaten-Union field day in Wadenbrunn.
Fendt Vario transmission
The Fendt Favorit 700 Vario was the second series to receive the Fendt Vario transmission and so helped popularise the stepless transmission on Europe’s farms.
Fendt also opted for four-valve engines in six cylinder engine developed exclusively for Fendt by Deutz, which had high power reserves and significantly reduced fuel consumption.
For this series of innovations, the 700 models won the Tractor of the Year 1999 award.
It was in 2003 that the suffix ‘Favorit’ was dropped from the designation of the series. Along with this development, the second generation established higher standards in comfort and fuel efficiency.
This second generation also saw The Tractor Management System (TMS), which controlled the engine and transmission, optimised the injection quantity and engine speed introduced.
At low loads, the engine speed was lowered, which significantly reduced diesel consumption.
With TMS, the foot pedal took on the function of an accelerator pedal for the first time, comparable to a car with an automatic gearbox, and so it was that the basic features of the Fendt 700 Vario range were established as the foundation for all further models.
