The recent demonstration day hosted by Kilkenny Agri Machinery Ltd., focused on its two major brands, McHale and Valtra, including the latest Q Series, providing the power for McHale’s now complete range of grassland machinery.
Valtra itself had little that is entirely new; many manufacturers are keeping their powder dry until Agritechnica, while the Finnish company has its own launch of the new S Series in September.
Q Series is star
However, the latest tractors to join the Valtra line-up are the Q Series machines, introduced late last year year, and the company has been making much of this addition during 2023, especially its onboard digital technology capabilities.
This has, however, detracted from a rather more basic design criterion and that is they are unashamedly big tractors which can handle large implements.
Many companies have been working on cramming more power into smaller frames, and Valtra is no exception, but in the case of the Q Series it has stuck with a six-cylinder long wheelbase format that is aimed squarely at customers with a lot of field work rather than shunting around yards.
On the day, the stability and engine torque of a Q305 were matched to the 9m Proglide mower set which weighs in at 2,700kg.
Adding the front mower brings the implement load up to 4,000kg, which, although it may be manageable on smaller machines, is handled with aplomb by the Q Series.
Rough, undulating or sloping ground demands more from a tractor than horsepower alone, and while ground compaction may be considered a disadvantage of a heavier machine, it is usually outweighed by being able to get the job done in a timely manner.
Having a 300hp Valtra on a 9m mower is, it must be appreciated, a dream ticket for many, but farming progresses and this combination gave a glimpse of what is possible today and how the future is shaping up.
Baler ready
Another notable combination working on the day was a T195 pulling a Fusion 4 baler. This pairing is a more realistic purchase for the majority of contractors with a maximum output of 210hp when boosted.
This is 95hp more than McHale suggests is the minimum required, but with two silage bales on board, one forming, one wrapping, it will be weighing in excess of 7t.
The baler will also be demanding a fast forward speed to make the most of the latest improvements to the intake of material, which all adds to the power requirement. Those 210 horses will not be wasted.
Being one of Valtra’s fifth generation tractors, it is also ready equipped with ISOBUS as standard, allowing it to communicate with the baler now that McHale has brought the technology to its products.
Small is beautiful
Power dense tractors are all the rage among manufacturers at the moment as they battle to bring more horses to the humble stock orientated machine.
Valtra is no exception and the G series machines have benefitted from this move.
Having a 2.55m wheelbase and an all-up weight of 5,140kg with full tanks and driver, the top model will give a boosted maximum of 145hp, which is enough to cope with a lightweight 8m mower combination.
The model being demonstrated at the event was from the top of the range, a G135 which had gone through the Valtra Unlimited workshop and emerged with black wheels plus a few other options.
Smaller still
Despite all the hi-tech gear being shown, Valtra has not totally abandoned the sub 100hp segment of the tractor market and for those users who might not require a bonnet full of horses and sophisticated transmissions, the A series could well be the answer.
Available in three wheelbase lengths from 2.25m to 2.5m and ranging in power from 75hp to 135hp, these tractors are the only machines in the Valtra line-up that come with a 12X12 manual gearbox.
There is the option of the HiTech 4 transmission which has 16 electronically controlled gears and a creeper ratio, but the A series is intended to be simple to use and maintain, while still offering a good performance.
Valtra now mainstream
Despite the miserable summer the three companies concerned put on an impressive display of equipment which amply demonstrated the capabilities of the latest farm machinery, as produced by two leading players in their respective fields.
Static displays at shows can only ever tell a fraction of the story; actually seeing the products in the field and working gives a far clearer picture of what machinery might be worth investing in.
Valtra is not the cheapest on the market, as is readily admitted by Brian Roche, sales manager for Kilkenny Agri Machinery, who admitted that customers have to be sure as to why they are buying one.
He makes this quite clear when talking to prospective purchasers – they have to want one for what they are, rather than just buying on price, because he has no hope of selling one on price alone.
Yet, what the company does offer is a quality and range of tractors neatly segmented to match the size and type of users who appreciate the build and functionality of the machines.
It is a marque that is to be taken seriously.
The brand also has something which other makes lack, a certain character that comes from its origins in northern latitudes which instils a sense of purpose and solidity that can still be seen today.
