Innovative engineering, greater fuel efficiency and cleaner emissions featured.
Challenger introduces the most powerful and innovative row crop tractor in North America — the Challenger MT600C Series. Offering four models with maximum gross engine horsepower from 270 hp to 350 hp, the MT600C Series heavy-duty capabilities include a range of features and benefits that are completely unprecedented.
"We've listened to our customers talk about what they want in their tractors," says Jason Hoult, product marketing manager for high-horsepower tractors. "And then we added bigger, quieter cabs, more advanced engine management, and breakthrough transmission technology. We now deliver the combination of power, comfort, technology and performance that is unmatched in this tractor class."
Powered by the AGCO SISU POWER™ 8.4 L engines, the MT600C Series tractors are addressing EPA emissions standards now and in the future by introducing e3 Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) technology to significantly reduce the emissions of nitrogen oxide and particulates.
"This new generation of tractors is setting the standards in terms of productivity and the cleanest emissions in the industry, while meeting professional farmers' demands for more power and higher efficiency," Hoult says.
CVT and Power Management
Built for the professional farmer, the MT600C Series offers unparalleled simplicity and performance with the introduction of the all new, industry-leading TechStar™ continuously variable transmission (CVT) with Power Management.
The most efficient transmission in the industry, the TechStar CVT provides infinitely variable forward speed variations up to 32 mph. The Power Management feature, which can be activated from the cab with the push of a button, automatically coordinates engine speed with the transmission, helping the tractor to operate as efficiently as possible. This allows the tractor to maintain the most productive engine speed and transmission gear in any task and any field condition. The CVT, unlike powershift transmissions, always operates the tractor at the optimal speed and most effective RPM levels for the desired speed.
Helping to maintain consistent engine speeds goes one step further with an engine speed switch with the option to preset two speeds. “Using memory settings, operators can maintain ideal, consistent engine speeds in PTO operations or for different settings during headland turns,” explains Rawley Hicks, product marketing specialist for high horsepower tractors.
Hicks adds that the CVT with Power Management is simple, reliable and efficient for the operator to use. “Efficiency can be a very clichéd term. Everyone talks about efficiency with fuel, but we want to expand on that definition. It’s not enough that we are giving you good fuel efficiency; we’re also making the operator more efficient. That’s the key. This tractor is all about the operator.”
World-leading engine technology
AGCO is planning for the future with the introduction of the e3 Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) technology to the agricultural industry as these new tractors meet the EPA standards for emissions. SCR is the process of reducing nitrogen oxide emissions by injecting diesel emissions fluid (DEF) into the exhaust after it leaves the engine.
“The e3 SCR technology offers a potential fuel savings over our competitors – up to 15 percent better” says John Rogers, senior product trainer for AGCO Corporation. “That allows us to improve the efficiency of the engine significantly. Our hp to fuel use ratio leads the category.”
These are two dedicated systems working together to produce maximum efficiency. The SCR technology works by treating the exhaust emissions after engine combustion. SCR allows the engine to perform at optimum power, performance and economy, without making alterations to meet exhaust gas emissions requirements. Instead SCR engine system exhausts are treated with DEF fluid, marketed under names like TerraCair® and AdBlue®, urea-based products that converts nitrogen oxide into nitrogen and water vapor.
Comfort and convenience
Moving from engine technology to the all-new tractor cab technology, Challenger is taking operator comfort and convenience to a new level, and introducing a brand new cab. One of the most striking visual features of the tractor, and an innovative approach to cab design has produced the Pinnacle View cab. The four-post cab, surrounded by 67 square feet of glass for a 360° view, is almost 30 percent larger than the previous model, and currently is the largest cab in its class. And, with professional farmers covering more acres and spending more time in the cab, it addresses the needs for comfort and office-like conditions they demand.
“Farms are getting larger and larger, and when you are working in the field all day long, your office needs to be comfortable and accessible. This cab truly is an office; it’s not just 28 percent more space,” says Blane Clark, product marketing specialist for high-horsepower tractors. “I can get into the cab, move around comfortably, and my legs aren’t hitting the armrest. My feet fit under the seat better because there’s no seat platform and we have a full, flat floor.”
The Pinnacle View cab sets the new standard in comfort, noise reduction and ergonomic layout and design. The new cab design also puts command of the machine at the operator’s fingertips. Using the Challenger Tractor Management Center (TMC), nearly every tractor or implement function can be quickly controlled and modified to suit a variety of operating conditions.
“The most commonly used controls are ergonomically placed on the TMC, directly to the operator’s right, to provide maximum comfort and greater ease of use,” Clark adds. “The less frequently used controls are located in a recess with a folding lid to prevent accidental operation. There are also places to set up a laptop, cell phone, and other necessary equipment to do the job right for today’s top tier farmers.”
The MT600C Series also features an integrated ISOBUS control system, which uses the TMC Display as the operator interface. This gives the operator the flexibility to use the tractor with any ISOBUS compliant implement, no matter the manufacturer.
Other new cab features include:
• New Opti-Ride cab suspension that moves with the tractor to give the driver up to a 50% smoother ride.
• Improved climate control with three vents at the operator’s feet for heating and cooling.
• Exterior lighting touchpad to make it easy to turn lights off and on.
• Adjustable staircase ladder for easy access in and out of the tractor.
Other innovative features
The Challenger tractor also includes several other innovative features. A brand new sculpted chassis has been developed to withstand the enormous stresses and loads that professional farmers put these tractors under on a daily basis. The chassis, combined with new front axle support and integrated front linkage system, provides a solid foundation for the optional front 3-point hitch that is mounted directly onto the front of the chassis rails. The front linkage has a lift capacity of 11,000 pounds.
It takes a lot of hydraulic power to handle the lifting demands. And, that means more muscle to lift the load. A bigger rear linkage system is built with larger lift cylinders and stronger lift arms to provide an incredible lift capacity of 22,760 pounds at 24 inches from the link ends. A programmable, multi-directional joystick allows the operator to program the flow and speed of all functions and then repeat them by moving the joy stick, which helps shorten cycle times and reduce operator fatigue.
“We are excited to introduce this new, innovative technology to help meet the challenges of today’s farmers, and those in the future,” Hoult says. “We are moving at a faster pace today than at any time in the past half-century, and Challenger is committed to setting new standards in large-scale farming in North America.”
For more information on AGCO e3 technology visit www.agcocorp.com/e3. For more information on the Challenger MT600C Series, visit www.newfromchallenger.com.
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