Deutz-Fahr has unveiled its latest Agrotron 6 series tractors with RC-Shift transmission
I was fortunate to be at last week’s event at the Victorian HQ of Deutz-Fahr distributor PFG Australia, and I wasn’t left disappointed – and nor were the dealers from around the country who flocked to check out and jump in the 6 series tractors.
When jumping on-board the new Agrotron 6215 RC-Shift, I was immediately struck with its spacious cabin.
Driving the machine was New Zealand sales manager Alistair Horrocks, who told me this was the updated Series 2 ‘maxivision’ cabin, which is separated from the engine itself and blocks out the heat and noise.
The latter is thanks to its additional sound proofing and better sealing, which result in a decibel reading roughly around 67-68dB.
The 215hp 6215 RC-Shift is the highest horsepower variant in the range, which starts with a 155hp model.
The highlight of the launch was definitely the new RC-Shift transmission, which makes gear shifts as easy as pushing up or down on the joystick.
“Being an RC tractor it means it has a manual gearbox, but has full automation built into that gearbox,” Horrocks says. “It has a five-range gearbox, then a six-stage powershift. The beauty of this RC-Shift gearbox is that it has a lot of overlap.”
Aimed at contractors and professional, high-end farmers, the Agrotron 6 series is designed for all types of work.
“It’s used for anything really,” Horrocks adds, “From baling, to tillage work, but it’s also a good haulage tractor, it definitely covers all bases.”
The 6215 RC-Shift I was on board can be purchased as a TTV, which is simply Deutz-Fahr’s continuously variable transmission.
“I think dealers and customers will be impressed by the functionality of the transmission,” Horrocks says, “and also the level of automation in the new RC-shift tractors, where it drives and operates like a TTV but gives the operator the luxury of having an automated tractor with a manual gearbox.”
The 6215’s layout is also a standout; the controls and buttons are all colour coded, making for easy operation.
“Orange is to do with your transmission/engine; yellow is your PTO, green is your hitch and blue is your hydraulics system,” Horrocks explains.
“We find that when we demo the tractors, if [the operators] understand the colours they can decipher how everything works quite simply.”
Pretty simple enough, I thought.
Being the passionate Aussie I am, I had to find out why Horrocks and the cousins from across the ditch had received the new Agrotron 6 series before us. So I tracked down PFG Australia Ag Division product manager Anthony Daveniza for an answer.
“We’ve had to wait a little longer than New Zealand, because we’ve been waiting for the non-AdBlue and zero DPF technology engine to arrive,” he says.
“Here in Australia we don’t have the emission regulation seen in Europe, plus farmers don’t want these emission controls as they prove to be headache from maintenance and a service point of view.”
And Daveniza says it was worth the wait, with Deutz-Fahr dealers impressed by the new range.
“The new Agrotron 6 series with the RC-Shift has been very well received by the dealers,” Daveniza says. “They’ve been really impressed with how quiet the cab is, with the new layout and how well the transmission works.
“You can drive it like an automatic car,” he adds.
Photography: Harrison Hunkin