While the Valtra S and Massey Ferguson 8600 might share the same hardware, the Finnish manufacturer has added its own touches to how the tractor is operated from the seat. To see how all the various components come together we put the 250kW/340hp Valtra S353 model through the profi test

IBy its own admission Valtra has not been the strongest player in the 250hp+ tractor market over the past couple of decades, yet it’s now hoping to change all that with the sales of its latest generation S-series. And it’s not just focusing on big arable farms for the extra business: a factory-fit reverse-drive facility for powering triple mowers or high-capacity wood chippers should help so broaden ‘S’ appeal across a number of sectors. At least, that’s the Finns’ theory. The current five-model range of 182kW/240hp to 250kW/340hp tractors shares much the same engineering, albeit with the notable design exception of the front axle. Power comes from a six-cyl, 8.4-litre AGCO Sisu Power motor, whose second generation SCR system ticks the all-important box for Stage IIIB compliance, while flagship unit in the range is the 250kW/340hp S353 — the model that we’ve chosen to put through our tractor test.

First stop at the DLG test station was the customary couple-up to a dynamometer. Here the S353 knocked out 236kW/321hp at the pto when working at rated speed and 249kW/338hp as it went on to develop its max. But perhaps surprisingly there’s no power boost to call on: standard ‘rated’ and ‘max’ are what the operator gets, irrespective of whether the tractor is employed on pto, transport or draft work. Indeed some users might find this refreshing — that there are no manufacturer promises of muscle to come if certain parameters are met.

With work on the dynamometer completed, DLG engineers hitched the Valtra up to the brake truck to check its lugging power. They measured a whopping 196kW/264hp down at the wheels with the engine operating at rated speed an pushing this power through a CVT. Up at maximum engine output the motor managed another 10.0kW/13.4hp at the wheels, reaching 204kW/277hp — an excellent result.

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