Fendt
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Fendt is a German manufacturer of agricultural tractors and machines. It is part of AGCO Corporation. It was founded in 1937 by Xaver Fendt and purchased by AGCO in 1997.
Fendt manufactures and markets a full line of tractors and balers, and recently began selling combines built by AGCO and Laverda. Fendt also developed the Vario gearbox which is one of the most advanced tractor gearboxes. It is also used in JCB, Valtra and Massey Ferguson machines.
The vario gearbox was first developed in the 1970s but due to lack of funding it was never seen on a production tractor until 1996 when Fendt launched the revolutionary Fendt 926 vario. This was the first ever stepless transmission to be launched onto the tractor market, and still is the only ever true stepless transmission with brands such as John Deere and New Holland trying to make a piece of machinery as advanced as a Fendt. When put into a tractor the gearbox electronics can be "tweaked" to make this tractor go much faster than its electronically limited 50km/h top speed.
Fendt has just launched what is claimed to be the fastest, most powerful conventional tractor ever, the Fendt Vario 936. This has all of the technology featured in the previous tractors plus a little bit more. These tractors are capable of speeds of 65km/h and are rated at 360hp(DIN)
Fendt is widely regarded as being the 'Maybach' of tractors, in terms of build quality, technology and customer service, however they are generally priced higher than the competition, although some higher spec European John Deere / Massey Ferguson machines may be of similar quality.
Fendt has just released a prototype of a new concept tractor at Agritechnica 2007 in Hannover, Germany called the "TRISIX" and boasts 540hp and six wheels. The front axle and the rearmost steer the tractor. As the speed increases the steering on the rear axle reduces to make it safer. It also completely locks out when in transport mode and with some implements. To handle the horsepower it has two of the company's trademark "vario" gearboxes, which push the machine up to a top speed of 60km/h (38mph). Fendt has not confirmed production of this machine yet. It is only a prototype but has undergone a great amount of testing.
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