So, it would never happen? Wrong. Those who scoffed that Fendt would never fit its Vario stepless transmission to smaller tractors will now be tucking into humble pie. For, at Agritechnica ’99, Fendt introduced the new three-model Farmer 400 Vario range. Starting at 63kW/86hp, all three sport Vario gearboxes. But there is more to these new tractors than just being ‘stepless’, as we found out when driving the Farmer 410 Vario
There are three Farmer 400 Vario models to choose from:
Model Rated Power Max Power
409 Vario 63kW/86hp 68kW/92hp
410 Vario 74kW/100hp 80kW/109hp
411 Vario 81kW/110hp 87kW/118hp
All three tractors are powered by four-cylinder 3.8-litre Deutz engines, with four-valves per head and turbocharger. And all feature a new ML 90 infinitely variable Vario gearbox. Built to the same design and offering the same functions as the existing Vario units on high hp Fendt models, the ML 90 version is tailored to the smaller and less powerful 400 models.
To avoid confusion, these new tractors will not completely replace the established Farmer 300 range, the 307 C, 308 C and 309 C models of 55kW/75hp, 63kW/86hp and 70kW/95hp remaining in production. But the top 310, 311 and 312 models and Favorit 500 range are all to be discontinued.
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