TWELVE months after purchasing an impressive-looking Massey Ferguson 8690 tractor which pumps out 250kW (340hp), the Tiller family has successfully integrated the machine into its 2600-hectare cropping enterprise.
Located in Pinery district 70km north of Adelaide, the newcomer has clocked up some 600 hours work, splitting duties between big seeding and chaser bin work programs.
The Tillers were running an articulated 8424 AGCO Star tractor principally earmarked for seeding, but it was unable to change gear under load when hauling a tined seeder.
However, the property’s change to a disc seeder required more precise control of operating speeds, due to the higher work rates, prompting the family to choose the six cylinder turbocharged flagship 8600 series tractor.
Equipped with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology, it meets the latest European and North American exhaust emission regulations.
AdBlue must be added to help turn noxious exhaust gases into harmless water and nitrogen, courtesy of a separate tank that is in addition to the tractor’s twin fuel tanks which hold 590L of diesel.
"It’s now become a multi-purpose tractor and done all we’ve asked of it," Derek Tiller said.
"It pulled a 12m disc seeder at 15kph up some pretty big hills - plus I can only say the transmission is exceptional," he added.
This was a reference to AGCO’s infinitely variable Dyna-VT gearbox with associated power shuttle and automatic shifting, which is the level of wizardry expected of a modern-day work horse.
"But it’s not just the transmission, it’s the engine management system that it’s hooked up to - everything’s really well calibrated, altering its revs and transmission ratios on the go," Derek explained.
"All we do is set the cruise control speed and simply let it do its thing."
This close communication between the engine and gearbox essentially is overseen by MF’s Dynamic Tractor management system.
As far as fuel consumption is concerned, the 8.4L SISU engine and its common rail fuel injection system turns in a miserly 3.5-4L/ha when working at speeds up to 18kph, according to Derek.
Either way, the fuel saved through operating SCR technology more than covers the cost of the AdBlue needed to achieve the latest Stage 3B international requirements.
In early November the property was looking forward to a rewarding harvest with its wheat, barley and canola, lentils and faba beans all shaping up well prior to the header being cranked up.
Derek and his wife Karin run the property alongside his parents John and Christine, and his brother Clinton and sister-in-law Emma.
The Tiller family runs dual wheels on the 8690’s rear axle, believing the weight distribution it offers is best suited to its flat sandy loam soils, also some of their heavier, more hilly country.
Turning to the 8690’s all-important hydraulic power, Derek says he was "really happy with the pressures" it delivers.
This is important because the property also operates a linkage-mounted four tonne disc spreader that spans 36m.
He also commented on the hydraulics being programmable, with the settings able to be saved for all sorts of functions, adding the active cab suspension was "very good," featuring an in-cab adjustment facility.
In today’s world, Derek said "we have auto-steer on everything" in a bid to keep abreast of the latest technology that becomes available.
Describing the new 8690 as a solid tractor, Derek said "it’s balanced - as far as its transmission, its engine, its chassis, its weight distribution, also the tyre set-up."
Trelleborg’s Quik-Release Twinning system sees rear duals fitted to the 8690 with no need to equip the front axle with duals.
The Tillers believe American-built tractors were set up for row cropping operations, then adapted for broadacre work - unlike the 8600 series which were conceived, developed and hail from AGCO’s giant Beauvais factory in France.
"But the European-built 8600s are set up for broadacre, turning up on our property with all its weights - so we didn’t have to change a thing," Derek said.
The Tiller family does not chop in its tractors after a set number of hours, counting on the new 8690 being around for quite a while.
Should they upgrade their air seeder, perhaps to a liquid system, the balance of their existing configuration may be compromised, prompting a more powerful tractor - but that is for the future.
"For the moment it’s all spot-on and just how we want it," Derek said.
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