Consumer News

A New Approach To Efficient Tractor Engines

Posted: 9/7/2010

Experts say new tractor engine technologies can keep emissions in check while also delivering outstanding performance and fuel efficiency.

(NAPSI) - There's good news for farmers concerned that they won't be able to find a tractor that can meet federal emissions standards and get the job done--all while saving money on diesel fuel. A new line of tractor engines may be able to help them meet all three objectives.

According to Dennis Bartz, a corn and soybean farmer from Grafton, Iowa, he had concerns regarding fuel efficiency when investigating the purchase of a new tractor for his north-central Iowa farm.

"Buying a tractor that is fuel efficient makes good business sense. It's like buying a car that offers better gas mileage. It's going to put more money in your pocket at the end of the year. I was concerned that many of the newer tractors with engines that comply with these emission standards might lose fuel efficiency."

Instead, Bartz is just one of an increasing number of growers who have found that new engine technologies can keep emissions in check while also delivering outstanding performance and fuel efficiency.

One example of this trend is the AGCO SISU Power 8.4 L engine with e3 selective catalytic reduction (SCR) clean-air technology, which is found in both Challenger and Massey Ferguson high-horsepower row-crop tractors. SCR is a post-combustion process that doesn't interfere with the engine's ability to provide power. More efficient engine function leads to better fuel economy, which can mean lower operating costs.

"Right now, I can tell you that for the horsepower my [Challenger] MT645C is putting out, it's running much cheaper than the previous tractors we've owned. When it comes to horsepower and fuel consumption, it's better--by far," says Bartz. "AGCO has looked at all of the angles. They have the emissions compliance down cold, and there's no question about the fuel efficiency. All the way around, it's an ideal tractor for agriculture."

Test results released by the Nebraska Tractor Test Laboratory support Bartz's assertion. The Challenger MT600C and Massey Ferguson 8600 Series of 205- to 275-PTO horsepower row-crop tractors delivered from 4 percent to 20 percent better fuel efficiency than competitive tractors in this category. For farmers looking to keep input costs down, this kind of fuel efficiency can be significant to their operation--and to their bottom line.

To learn more, visit www.righttractor.com/challenger.