Massey Ferguson Delivers on Harvesting promise
Massey Ferguson customers are currently reaping the benefit AGCO’s multi-million dollar investments in research and development and manufacturing that have produced a vast range of new, innovative and highly efficient harvesting technology.
Six years ago Martin Richenhagen, AGCO Chairman, President and CEO pledged that AGCO would deploy all the resources necessary to become a world leader in harvesting technology.
Today Massey Ferguson is delivering on that commitment offering a range of 14 new combines which have all been introduced since Mr. Richenhagen announced this bold strategy. Globally the company now offers 22 models from a straightforward 175hp, Class 4, five-walker machine to the impressive, completely new Class 8, 500hp MF 9820 DELTA hybrid, which is making its first public demonstrations this season.
“Massey Ferguson invented the self-propelled combine harvester,” says Campbell Scott, Massey Ferguson’s Brand Development Manager. “Harvesting equipment is part of our make up – it’s in our DNA! We introduced the world’s first combine harvester – the Massey Harris MH20 – and have been at the forefront of developments ever since.
“Many Massey Ferguson innovations were introduced well before their time – the Powerflow header is more than 30 years old, but it is still the best on the market. We pioneered precision farming in the 1990s, again years ahead of any other manufacturer. Constant flow – which automatically controls forward speed relative to cylinder load, is again another feature that we pioneered that some manufacturers still can’t offer. It’s a long list and the innovation continues.
“Today we have the MF 9820 Delta, which is the world’s first harvester to feature a seven cylinder engine with SCR exhaust technology. This machine combines our experience in conventional drum and concave threshing with innovative new twin rotor technology, developed from our unrivalled experience in rotary separation,” he adds.
Massey Ferguson harvests the world’s crops
Massey Ferguson combine harvesters can be found working on every continent across the world. A truly global manufacturer, its machines are designed and built in Breganze, Italy, Santa Rosa in Brazil and Hesston, USA, in some of the world’s most modern and efficient facilities. This recent revitalisation of the harvesting line-up results from the engineers’ ability to harness the unrivalled design and manufacturing expertise in all of these Harvesting Centres of Excellence.
“Massey Ferguson has benefited from unprecedented developments thanks to the massive investment from AGCO that is helping us to deliver on Mr Richenhagen’s promise to become a world leader in harvesting technology,” adds Adam Sherriff, Manager, Powered Harvesting.
“The resurgence began with a whole new range of large square balers, designed and built in our Hesston factory. These machines continue to set the benchmark in terms of output, efficiency and reliability. Indeed, the bales these machines make are now the industry standard among professional contractors and end users.”
In the same period AGCO purchased a 50% share in the Laverda manufacturing location at Breganze, forming a joint venture that added massive momentum to the development of its harvesting business.
“This investment not only brought us superb, modern manufacturing facilities, but also immediately extended the Massey Ferguson combine range. In a single move we introduced eight completely new combines in the ACTIVA and BETA ranges into new market sectors for us.
“The joint venture is a key component of our growth strategy. Straw walker combines still account for the largest share of the market across the world and the machines produced here have a tremendous reputation for efficient operation, reliability and resale values. And the AGCO investment didn’t stop at the acquisition of the 50% share, it continues to invest heavily in new manufacturing facilities and design capacity at the factory, some of which is in preparing for the production of the CENTORA and new DELTA models,” says Mr Sherriff.
At the same time Massey Ferguson continued developments on its existing higher capacity models, introducing the CENTORA range. These four models are unique, because they are the only combines on the market to provide eight straw walkers.
“This offers a third more separation capacity in the same space as a six walker machine. No other manufacturer provides this level of separation,” explains Mr Sherriff. “The CENTORA 7282 at 413hp stands alone as the highest capacity conventional combine, which combines high output with low running costs and an exceptional grain and straw sample.”
Meanwhile, at Hesston in the USA the team set about completely redeveloping the Massey Ferguson rotary combine range. The result is three completely new models in the FORTIA Series, which blend well-proven components with new and innovative features that provide industry-leading performance and high capacity at low operating costs from the straight-forward design.
Yet another first from Massey Ferguson, the FORTIA introduced an innovative 3.56m long, 800mm diameter rotor, which is the largest in the industry. This is driven hydrostatically for optimum versatility and its unique design means there is no need for a rear beater and the straw simply exits from the rear of the rotor.
But Mr Richenhagen’s statement was clear; his commitment is to make AGCO a ‘world’ leader in harvesting technology. So, back in Europe, the company brought its unrivalled expertise into force on designing an impressively efficient ‘hybrid’ harvester, using a combination of conventional threshing technology and twin rotor separation.
“In northern Europe the ‘non conventional (hybrid)’ design is the fastest growing sector in the market,” adds Mr Sherriff, “and it’s a sector where we previously were not competing. But with our intense focus on harvesting coupled with massive investment in research and development, a dedicated team of engineers, including some of the world’s most experienced combine designers, came up with a completely new design with many unique features,” he says.
Massey Ferguson is again setting the standard with the MF 9820 DELTA, which is first combine in the world to be powered by a seven cylinder engine with the SCR system.
“The aim was to not only provide the performance, output and reliability these users require, but to do all that with optimum efficiency. High power doesn’t necessarily equate to high outputs – it’s how that power is employed that makes the combine most effective and efficient. Tests have shown the MF 9820 DELTA not only provides the performance, but uses 10% less fuel for the same output in equivalent conditions.
“This new harvester sets the new standard in the hybrid sector and represents a big step forward in harvesting performance. We are confident this will put us in the capacity stakes where it matters for large scale producers. The new combines take the lead for us in terms of combine capacity, efficiency and economy,” he adds.
The MF 9820 DELTA made its first public debut at the Agritechnica show in 2009, where it immediately won the coveted Machine of the Year award. It is currently being demonstrated at work across Europe this season, ready for sale for harvest 2011.