Farming Talk: Fendt reworks Vario range for fuel savings

In light of European emissions regulations, Fendt has reworked the 300 Vario range and now presents the new 300 Vario with fuel-saving SCR technology.

It sees state-of-the-art engine technology and the addition of the new top model, the 313 Vario with 135 hp.

The 300 Vario now covers the power range from 95 to 135 hp. The new 300 Vario tractors are powered by a 4.04-litre 4-cylinder Deutz engine with four-valve technology and a 1,600-bar common rail high-pressure injection system.

The electronic engine control EDC 17, the turbocharger with electronic wastegate and the viscous fan have been adopted from the high-horsepower tractor ranges and are standard on the 300 Vario.

For the new 300 Vario range, Fendt also relies on the fuel-saving SCR technology for compliance with emissions standard Euro 3b (Tier IV interim). This technology, familiar from the 700, 800 and 900 Vario high-horsepower tractors, has already shown superior fuel economy in neutral PowerMix tests.

The 936 Vario, the big brother of the 300 Vario, achieved a record-breaking 240 g/kWh in the DLG PowerMix test. Since exhaust after-treatment with AdBlue urea solution takes place after the combustion process, and exhaust gas recirculation is not required, the engine can be tuned optimally.

Therefore, in addition to improving fuel economy, it also increases performance and makes handling livelier. The four-cylinder is characterised by a torque rise of up to 43 per cent, combined with a maximum torque of 590 Newton metres. The engines on the new 300 Vario combine exceptionally low fuel consumption with enormous performance.

Adding the Fendt Cargo front loader – available in various configurations – turns the 300 Vario into a CVT wheeled loader. The front loader is mounted compactly on the tractor, so the centre of gravity of the tractor plus the loader lies farther back towards the rear.

With the compact 3X70 front loader arm, the 300 Vario is optimally suited for loader work inside buildings and barns, where the tractor's tremendous manoeuvrability is a great advantage for these operations.

The brakes have been refined, allowing the permissible gross weight to be increased from 8 tonnes on the previous model to 8.5 tonnes. In combination with a low unladen weight of 4,230 kg (309 Vario), this amounts to a maximum payload of 4,270 kg and a weight-to-power ratio of only 33 kg/hp (313 Vario).