Driving impression: Valtra T202 Versu tractor Over recent years Valtra tractors have arguably lagged a little in the gearbox stakes. Now, though, the Finnish firm has a fully automated, semi-powershift set-up on offer, along with its own stepless CVT on the way. Nick Fone takes the helm of one of the first semi-powershift units to land on UK shores – a T202 Versu
It’s rare to climb into a tractor cab and find it almost completely devoid of levers. But step up into any of Valtra’s N- or T-series tractor models equipped with the company’s new Versu semi-powershift transmission, and you’ll find all of its consoles dominated by switches, dials and buttons rather than the customary stalks and levers.
The absence of any mechanical controls might seem extreme, but the Finnish firm reasons that, with virtually all tractor functions now controlled electronically, there is no real requirement for chunky manual controls when switchgear will do the job just as well. That’s a significant shift for a tractor manufacturer that until now has only been able to offer mechanical gearboxes with a three-step splitter. In fact, prominent, wand-like gear levers have long been a trademark feature of Valtra cabins.
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