Massey Ferguson has released limited information about its new Global Series tractors, which are set to be launched later this year. The tractors were on show at the Massey Ferguson Vision of the Future event in France last week.

The Massey Ferguson Global Series will be introduced on a phased basis over the next five years, starting with the 62hp to 82hp MF 2700 and MF 4700 Series. These tractors are powered by AGCO Power three-cylinder engines for European markets. For developing world markets, they will be fitted with Indian-built Simpson engines, which are Perkins design.

The basic tractors will have an eight forward and eight reverse speed gearbox with a mechanical shuttle. There will be an electric linkage system using what looks like mechanical levers. The four-wheel drive and PTO engagement are electrically controlled, as is the differential lock.

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The tractors are designed to be rugged, dependable and easy to operate and maintain. They will be available as footstep, semi-platform, platform and cab versions. The first model in the range, the 82hp MF 4708, will be launched for Africa later this year.

Massey Ferguson claims that these new tractors are backed by an investment of over $350m from its parent company AGCO. The company claims that it has spent more than six years in researching and developing the Massey Ferguson Global Series as a brand new product line of 60hp to 130hp tractors. The aim is to manufacture these tractors at various AGCO factories around the world. “This is the largest manufacturing and new product development project in the history of AGCO and is an extremely significant evolution for the Massey Ferguson brand. It signals the biggest extension to our tractor line-up for many years,” says Richard Markwell, Massey Ferguson vice president and managing director for Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

‘‘Designed from the outset for global distribution, they will offer an array of specification, options and features to suit customers no matter where in the world they farm,” Markwell says.

Multinational engineering teams at Massey Ferguson worked on a clean-sheet design. Their brief was to take the concept of the utility tractor and re-engineer it from the ground up while incorporating the classic Massey Ferguson design tenets of straightforward, dependable operation.

Massey Ferguson claims that around 90% of the components are completely new. More than 36,000 hours of lab and field testing have seen prototype models show their paces in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas.

In what Massey Ferguson claims is a concept unique in the farm machinery industry, the thrust of the manufacturing strategy is to create a highly flexible network of plants where major units and complete tractors can be produced and assembled at multiple locations throughout the world.

Plants in the network include Canoas and Mogi das Cruzes in Brazil, Chennai in India, Manisa in Turkey, and Changzhou in China. At Changzhou, a state-of-the-art factory has been built to act as an anchor facility for both tractor manufacturing and for the supply of major components.

Dromone appoints Fastparts as Irish agents

Dromone Engineering Ltd has appointed Farmhand Fastparts as the exclusive distributors of its after- market products in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. William Egenton, managing director at Dromone, said: “Tractor pickup hitches and associated spare parts are safety critical components that must be independently-tested and homologated to meet the necessary safety standards of road going vehicles.

‘‘Dromone has appointed Fastparts as sole distributor to ensure reliable availability of this important range of product.”

Sinead Scrivener, Farmhand parts manager, said that the company has built up a stock of €250,000 of Dromone products and is confident that it will be able to offer a full service on this range.

Fastparts, now including Dromone products, is handled in Northern Ireland by K&M Walker, Hillsborough.

Moreway gets Dynaset deal

Moreway Ltd, based in Rushfield, Boyle, Co Roscommon, has been appointed as the Irish agent of the Dynaset range of power equipment. Dynaset is a Finnish company that manufactures a range of power devices, which convert hydraulic power into electrical power for use in a range of conditions.

Dynaset produces a hydraulic welder that can replace a traditional mobile welder.

The company also produces a hydraulic powered submersible pump, useful for pumping slurry.

Barry Graham (086-1528237 or barry@moreway.ie), of Moreway, said that the unit comes with an automatic speed control valve to make it possible to use the welder in any size of machinery. These welders also provide electricity for external devices, with the output depending on a hydraulic welding generator model.

Mark Casement heads AGCO sales

AGCO has appointed Mark Casement (pictured right) as director sales and country manager for Britain and Ireland. Mark succeeds to the position held previously by David Sleath, who has taken early retirement.

Previously country manager of Western Europe regional distribution, Mark’s new role gives him overall responsibility for all of AGCO’s sales and aftersales functions and activities for Challenger, Fendt, Massey Ferguson and Valtra.

These are managed by four distinct brand teams within AGCO, numbering more than 80 staff, and sold and supported by 92 dealer businesses.

Mark was born in Newtownards, Co Down and lived in Saintfield. He attended Down High School in Downpatrick, before going to university at Dundee and Strathclyde in Scotland.

Mark began his career with Massey Ferguson in 1989.

He worked for a period with the British Farmers Union, followed by two years with the Same Deutz-Fahr Group as British chief executive. He returned to AGCO in 2013.

Mitas introduces new tyre sizes for tractors

Mitas is introducing new sizes of Super Flexion Tyre (SFT) for high-horsepower tractors over 180hp. Six dimensions are available: 900/60R42, 710/60R34, 650/60R34, 710/65R46, 750/65R26, 580/85R42. Three new sizes – 620/75R26, 1050/50R25, 1250/50R32 –will be introduced later this year.

The nine sizes of Mitas SFT will not be produced in the Continental SVT range. They are solely designed and manufactured under the Mitas brand.

Mitas’ Super Flexion Tyre claims that the SFTs provide tyre flexibility at variable inflation pressures. It claims that flexible ultra-strong sidewalls allow low inflation pressures for high-load carrying capacities, gentle ground handling and higher yields.

This week’s machine of the week on the Irish Farmers Journal’s advertising website www.toplink.ie is this Kverneland ES80 four-furrow reversible plough, complete with a full set of discs and shimmers. The plough has hydraulic vari-width adjustment, as well as a hydraulic cross-shaft and is in good condition, which will include a full workshop inspection before sale.

Chris Dolan (087-9135141) at Lyons and Burton is quoting a price of €11,000, plus VAT, and he’s open to offers as the ploughing season begins.