Practical test: Fendt Cargo 4X/75 and John Deere 583 HSL compared Fendt and John Deere own-brand front loaders set out to be a perfect match for their tractors. Yet, after using them, we reckon that one is too heavy and the other is short on build quality. But which is which, and what are the duo like to work with?
Back in 2009 we compared eight front loaders, made by specialists and built for tractors in the 100hp bracket. Fendt and John Deere — significant noises in the tractor world though not in loaders — reckon that their own-brand units make an even better match for their tractors. Fendt offers the Cargo 4X/75 for its Vario 300s, while John Deere suggests the 583 HSL loader goes down a bomb with its 5R tractor range.
To find out if it really is best to keep it in the family, we paired these two loaders with a Fendt Vario 312 (91kW/124hp, EG 97/68) and a Deere 5100R (74kW/100hp, EG 97/68), then set about some practical work and measurement. First, though, here’s an overview of this couple of front loader combinations.
We’ll start with the Fendt. A Vario 312’s hydraulic outputs and tyres (440/65 R24 front, 540/65 R34 rear) are the same as on the lower-powered 100hp Vario 310 and 114hp Vario 311. In fact we’d planned to use the 114hp model for this comparison, but Fendt supplied the 124hp 312. The loader itself boasts boom suspension, a multi-coupler for the hydraulics, mechanical Z-kinematic parallel control and both a third and fourth service. Operation comes from the tractor’s standard crosslever. So far so good, but then the same loader is supplied for the higher-hp Vario 400 and 700 ranges. As a result it ends up too heavy and too far away from the cab when teamed with the lowly Vario 300, but more on that later.
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