For Massey Ferguson, this sector of the market is important across Europe as well as here in Ireland.

In Europe, this sector may be falling in importance but still accounts for over 55% of the total new tractor market. That converts to sales of more than 73,000 tractors among the 27 EU countries.

In Ireland, the sub 100hp category accounted for 26% of all new tractors registered this year.

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A new entry level tractor for Massey Ferguson on Irish farms will be the new MF 3600 Xtra series. These seem to have evolved from the specialist tractor range and are now seen as more mainstream in design for farmers who want a tractor in the 76hp to 92hp range.

The more relevant tractors for the Irish market will be the new MF 5600 series models that overlap to some extent with some models in the current MF 5400 series range. There are three models in the MF 5600 range compared with seven models in the current MF 5400 range so expect some changes of model availability early in the new year.

Across both ranges, engine power is provided by an AGCO Power three cylinder common rail diesel engine. Power varies across the ranges, while allowing the MF 5600 models to range from 85hp to 105hp in maximum power ratings.

Massey Ferguson claims that the engine, even though three cylinder in size, gives 1.1 litres per cylinder which allows it to develop high torque. They also claim that a three cylinder engine will have fewer moving parts and a bigger cylinder bore and should be more reliable as a result.

The good news for potential buyers of these tractors is that the service interval has been increased by 25% to 500 hours. This can deliver a significant running cost saving over the ownership period of the tractor.

The engine is a Tier 4i or Stage 3b common rail electronic management engine, which is fitted with a diesel oxygen catalyst (DOC) and exhaust gas recirculation (ERG), which seems to be accepted by most tractor companies as the more practical emission solution for this size of tractors.

The DOC catalyst requires minimum of maintenance but can be expensive to replace. Massey Ferguson claims that these engines provide less vibration, less fuel, are less noisy and more economical.

There are a number of useful features included in these new MF 5600 series tractors. These include the new brake to neutral facility, which means that loader work with these tractors should be easier.

The system means that the driver only needs to engage the brake pedal, which in turn operates the clutch just like with some of the industrial loaders. Lifting your foot from the brake pedal re-engages the drive and allows the tractor and loader to move further into the load to be moved.

Massey Ferguson claims that this new system will be easier to operate, require less maintenance and be more durable over the life of the tractor.

There is also a new Autodrive option for these tractors. This gives a form of automatic gearbox or CVT system to the tractor driver. It is available for transport operations and Massey Ferguson claims that it is more economical in that it allows the higher speed to be achieved with lower engine revs.

The tractors are fitted with a modified version of the Dyna-4 transmission, which is claimed to be able to cope with the load while being more efficient than before. Massey Ferguson did not quote any fuel economy figure however. This transmission provides 16 forward and 16 reverse speeds with the option of a 40km/hr eco speed version for road transport economy.

The cab for these new tractors is based on the frame of the cab fitted with the bigger MF 7600 series tractors and with more options. There is a choice of a standard cab or a Slimline version with lower height of about 100mm (4in) for shed work. Within the Slimline version, there are roof options with or without a roof hatch.

Massey Ferguson claims that the cabs are quieter by up to five decibels compared with the existing MF 5400 series. This is significant and the company claims that it’s due to a new design of the cab mounting system and the use of new materials in the cab construction.

In specification terms, all three tractors have a similar weight at 4,200kg while the larger MF 5610 weighs in 100kg heavier. They are all the same length and run on the same 2.46 metre wheelbase with a 7.9 metre turning circle. They come with a standard hydraulic oil flow of 58 litres per minute with the option of boosting this by a further 42 litres per minute. Two spool valves are the standard deal while the lift capacity is rated at 4.3 tonnes on the rear linkage.

Massey Ferguson is pitching this tractor as a loader tractor with a sloped nose bonnet that’s narrower than the existing MF 5400 series models. The loader can be controlled by a joystick that can also operate the forward and reverse shuttle.

Looking at the tractor at the EIMA Show revealed that the fuel filter needs to be re-located to a part of the loader mounting frame when a loader is fitted. The company said that the loader brackets are a factory fit option and they do not provide a re-location kit for the filter in the event of fitting another brand loader.

These tractors can be fitted with 30, 34 or 38 inch tyres. Massey Ferguson has redesigned the tractor’s fuel tank to allow the use of the smaller tyres while still ensuring good ground clearance. These smaller tyres will not impact on forward speed as the company claims that they will still achieve a 40km/hr rating.

The tractors will not be available until 2013 and as a result Massey Ferguson would not confirm prices as yet.

MF 3600 small tractor package

The new MF 3600 Xtra is a new smaller tractor package using the same AGCO Power engine as the bigger models but delivering less power in the range from 76hp to 92hp. But these are different tractors, more compact in design and styling.

These tractors are fitted with a 24 forward and 12 reverse speed gearbox with a forward and reverse power shuttle. The tractors have been designed to be fitted with a special Massey Ferguson loader developed in conjunction with Swedish loader maker Alo. The cab has been redesigned and the exhaust is now positioned beside the cab pillar giving the opportunity to have a front opening windscreen, which is popular in some continental markets.

For compact tractors they have a 3 tonnes hydraulic lift capacity and that’s impressive. Massey Ferguson claims that they are economical and are produced in Italy for the company.