We always wondered how Massey Ferguson was going to graft the 8S onto the 7S without making it look like a giant wobble head. Yet the 7S Mark 2 design team has sprinkled a bit of magic over the new additional range, as it certainly looks the part.
KEEPING IT BRIEF
- Six models 170-245hp in 15hp increments.
- Production will start Q1 with units starting to arrive from May onwards
- Two specs, Efficient and Exclusive. Both are Dyna-VT only.
- The current 7S will continue to be offered alongside.
- First public showing will be at the Italian EIMA show in November.
Big things are expected of the latest addition to the Massey Ferguson tractor family, the 7S Mark 2, a six-model range that slots into that all-important 170hp to 240hp bracket and is due to enter production in early 2027. Even though it shares the 7S moniker, the only real shared component between the two is the ML180 stepless transmission.
But don’t panic, classic 7S lovers, the long-standing 7S.155 to 7S.210 model range will continue to be offered alongside for at least the next three or so years.
There are several reasons for this doubling up. One is to give customers a choice of tractor at two different price points, and the other is that the newcomer will initially only be offered with the Dyna-VT box. A semi-powershift version is in development, but Massey Ferguson’s sales director, Marco Lombardi, says it wants to thoroughly test this new gearbox before launching it.
From the ground
The Mark 2 sits on a new common platform chassis with a wheelbase of 2.95m that will also be utilised by Valtra in the T6 (see news for details). Sticking with Massey Ferguson, if you like comparing stats, then the 7S is 2.88m (the old long wheelbase 7700 was 3.00m, while the 8S is 3.05m). That should give you a better picture of where the new boy slots in.
There is also an increase in the gross vehicle weight to 14t, with a 7S Mark 2 typically weighing in at around 9,000kg resulting in a payload of 5,000kg. Around 60% of the weight sits on the tractor’s back axle, which is why Massey Ferguson has been working with BKT on all-new 2.0m tall tyre options, the Agrimax V-Flecto VF710/60 R44 and VF650/70 R42 partnered with a VF600/65 R30 on the front.
A PTG central tyre inflation also becomes available to 7S buyers via the ‘MF by you’ options package, which is operated from the 800l/min twin piston compressor. For Mark 2 ballasting there is also a new 2.5t front weight block option.
On the subject of the front axle, this a Dana 750 unit with a turning circle of 10.7m. The front axle suspension has also been tweaked with the hydraulic dampers now positioned behind the beam. This change is claimed to make better use of the rams’ 140mm of travel. The cab comes with mechanical and semi-active suspension options.
Incidentally, the Dyna-VT’s top speed is now 57km/hr. Extra regulatory requirements such as needing front axle braking is the reasoning for not breeching the 60km/hr barrier. As it is, the Mark 2 still relies on braking via the four-wheel drive.
Core 75
Massey has leap-frogged Fendt in getting an updated version of the AgcoPower Core 75 motor with a longer service interval of 600 hours. And compared to the 6.6-litre used in the 7S, the 7.5-litre, six-cylinder in the new models benefits from hydraulic cam adjustment and helical timing gears, so it runs smoother.
There is no EGR but it does rely on SCR and DOC to meet Stage V emissions. There is an 88% larger AdBlue tank (56.5 litres) though consumption is said to be 6.75% of fuel use. Diesel tank capacity has also been upped to 410 litres.
Maximum power tallies up with the number you see on the bonnet. There is no boost function; what you see is what you get.
The torque curve remains relatively flat between 800 to 1,500rpm where it reaches max torque. This ranges from 815Nm on the 7S.170 up to 1,184Nm on the top model, the 7S.245. Maximum Mark 2 power is reached at 1,900rpm.
Go with the flow
Down in the hydraulic department there is a choice of three swash plate pumps: 110, 150 and 190l/min. Essential spec tractors come with two manual and two electric spools as standard, but the latter can be swapped for levers if you want to save a bit on the price.
Max flow on the manual couplers is 80l/min, and 120l/min on the electric. There is a total of 95 litres of exportable oil available, and hydraulic and transmission fluids are kept separate.
Up front, buyers can have two double-acting coupler plus a free-return. Mid-mount valve count is six and a maximum of five couplers are possible at the back, plus Power Beyond couplers. These are still Bosch couplers with the pressure relief levers, the same as current 7S DVT models.
Up top
While the Mark 2 shares the same 3.40m3 roomy cab with the 8S and 9S, there are a number of updates on what Massey calls the Protect U 2 cab.
For instance, the 9in Datatronic 5 terminal makes way for the 12in Datatronic 6, and this is the first Massey Ferguson to get more PTX integration including the Farm Engage package. Each tractor has a five-year licence to the software platform that allows remote connection for sharing job sheets, waylines and documentation. Exclusive spec includes one screen, with the option of adding a second display — FieldStar 6. TIM implement and steering is also part of the Mark 2.
Other differences include the option of an Isri TI Deluxe seat in place of one of the Grammer perches. There is also a keyless start/stop button with remote door locking from the fob as well as RFID immobiliser. The right-hand door wiper motor has been repositioned, so it clears more of the glass area. A heated/coolbox is an option.
For anyone using their 7S for spraying, the cab now benefits from Category 4 filtration.
Other details
- There are four pto speeds as standard: 540, 540E, 1,000 and 1,000E.
- Rear lift capacity has not changed; it is 9,600daN.
- The 7S.200 and 7S.245 are expected to be the best sellers in the UK and Ireland. The 7S.180 Dyna-6 and 7S.210 DVT have been the most popular 7S models in the current range.
- Service intervals for the transmission is 2,400 hours and hydraulics 1,200 hours.
- A 7S.170 Mark 2 Efficient model will start at £187,320; the 7S.245 Exclusive will be £224,260 including auto-steer and PTX Engage.
- Warranty packages for up to five years, 6,000 hours will be available.
- Up to 30% of all Beauvais-built tractors pass through the ‘MF by you’ bespoke factory-fit options centre. Central tyre inflation is one of the choices.
What we think
Despite the huge, roomy cab, the 7S.245 Mark 2 that we were introduced to looks and feels well proportioned. The wide, flat mudguards are a bit of a muck magnet — it didn’t take long for them to get covered in a blanket of dust — but that’s not going to stop this tractor from getting on and doing its job. The longer service interval for the big displacement engine is also a move in the right direction, and the ML180 is a well-regarded transmission, even if you still have to manually swap between road and field operating modes.
From a driving perspective, both Essential and Exclusive versions are easy to just hop on and get to work. The cab feels refined, and the Datatronic 6 is relatively intuitive if you want that level of tech — though remote accessing for the dealer is not yet possible. Visibility and comfort are very good.
The weight and performance stats suit the 245hp we were using, but we can’t see the two smallest models, the 170 and 185, being that popular with UK and Irish buyers.
The new R44 tyre sizes and the option of central tyre inflation will also play their part in getting the power to the ground. The well worked soil we were tilling was not going to pose much of a problem to the two tractors, so hopefully we will be able to more fully scrutinise the Mark 2 on another day.
Mervyn Bailey
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