Tractor test: Valtra S280 While Valtra has built a substantial UK following in the mid-sized tractor class the Finnish maker is struggling to make a similar impact with its twinmodel flagship range the S-series in a 230-300hp sector that continues to be dominated by the likes of Deere and Case IH. Is it down to hardware? We put the 206kW/280hp Valtra S280 through our test.
The Valtra S flagship seems to have been around for a long, long time, even though it’s still a relative new boy in the UK. That’s because this tractor was first debuted at a public show way back in 1999, in the Agritechnica exhibition halls, Hanover, Germany.
Whatever the view taken of such an extended launch policy, it’s largely irrelevant to the end user: The man in the seat – and the man that really counts. With this in mind, we head into our full tractor test of the S280, which benefits from a look and spec that certainly mark it out from much of the competition. All other factors aside, the S is a design that prompts comment and incorporates items of detail that question conventional thinking. From Valtra, profi would expect nothing less.
Boasting a 206kW/280hp delivery at its 2,200rpm engine rated speed, the turbocharged and intercooled 8.4-litre Sisu six-cylinder produced a 182kW/248hp rated output at the shaft at the DLG’s test station, and this figure climbed to 193kW/262hp as the engine rpm tailed off. Which is all top-notch stuff. Not quite so impressive are stats of 28% torque rise, 20% constant power with 5% extra power, and a start-off torque of 112%, even though these are still satisfactory returns for a tractor in this size category.
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