Tested in action

This autumn AgroCentre held a number of equipment demonstrations in different regions of Russia. Challenger and Massey Ferguson high-end tractors, self-propelled sprinklers, grain combine harvesters and a number of towed tools underwent a real test in action on the farms of Lipetsk, Tambov, Orel, Kursk and Penza oblasts. 

In Kursk oblast, on the fields of AK Olymskoye LLC, the Massey Ferguson 8690 (340 hp) tractor paired with the Carrier 820 eight-metre cultivator from Vaderstad showed excellent results in tilling the soil for winter sowing. In five hours, it tilled 10 hectares at a depth of 6 to 7 cm. At a tractor speed of 14 km/h, fuel consumption was around 5 l/ha.

“In designing the Massey Ferguson tractors, the engineers placed particular emphasis on engine fuel efficiency,” says Sergey Dorofeyev, sales manager of the Kursk branch of AgroCentreLiski. “PROFI magazine even carried out dedicated tests whose results showed that the second generation AGCO Power engine (8.4 l capacity) installed on the MF 8600 series consumed less fuel than other engines. The efficiency is obtained due to the EEM (electronic engine management) system, which uninterruptedly adjusts the fuel injection with due regard to the revolutions and workload.”

Oleg Lepsheyev, chief agronomist of the Agropromyshlennaya Kompaniya Holding, incorporator of AK Olymskoye, noted that the tractor appealed to the farmers not only by virtue of its fuel efficiency but also by its movement on the field. The cultivator does not skid or wobble.