Bluegreen/ Phil Phoenix pics 2021

[phil phoenix]

I usually start the years pics at Lamma or The Doe Show, however with Covid still causing havoc and Biblically bad weather (And it is biblical by the way) Ive had to make do with dealers yards.

So a trip to the JD dealers to pick up some yellow spray paint.  And yet another 8RX being readied to go out (The 6th from Burgess already)...............very nice it is too, but dont forget there are other smart makes in the RX category, lets not see green and yellow tracked machines in every field. 

 

[phil phoenix]

And a few more.

 

[phil phoenix]

Next up was the Fendt/ MF/ Valtra dealer  TNS

I will admit that MF have broken new ground with the 8S but apart from its bonnet and rear fender indicators, its not for me...........I will gladly take a JD6250 or Valtra T254 over the 8.265S.

I was unaware that Fendt had changed the old Challenger "E" series style of exhaust for the one off the larger 875E models.............It does look good though.

A smart grey Valtra T with black wheels and a cute little Massey with a fancy bonnet completed the tour.

 

[Pingu]

I’m sorry Phil there is nothing else in the RX category the rest are half tracks and poor in comparison in grip and turning so think the JD will start making ground we just bought one to replace a CAT and we are a Fendt farm we tried them all and the RX was a no brainier sadly the nearest was the axion but that will slip it’s track in the wet and still not as powerful in field for grip

Fantastic photos though 

[AndyB]

2 minutes ago, Pingu said:

I’m sorry Phil there is nothing else in the RX category the rest are half tracks and poor in comparison in grip and turning so think the JD will start making ground we just bought one to replace a CAT and we are a Fendt farm we tried them all and the RX was a no brainier sadly the nearest was the axion but that will slip it’s track in the wet and still not as powerful in field for grip

Fantastic photos though 

Agree Phil, one of my growers has just replaced 2 Challengers with one 8RX and having had a go on an 8RX410, I have to say they are brilliant, the effect on turning headlands alone is enough to sell them.  A little unsure about the massaging seat though - felt a bit wrong

[phil phoenix]

Yes Phill, It was more in hope than expectation that I hope we can avoid a JD avalanche of 8RXs, and please dont get me wrong I think the 8RX is fabulous looking piece of kit. However I always get a bit annoyed when one brand (Or model) lords it over the rest of the pack.  Doesnt seem fair when CASE & NH have a really good product in the Rowtrac or indeed the Claas version or the smart Fendt Challenger, and they all get ignored.  This JD situation takes me back to the mid 90s when Ford first released the 70 series, for 6 months they sold like hot cakes, everyone had to have one and then "Wallop" the JD 8400 landed!!  And within 3 years you would have been hard pressed to find a 70 series on most of the local farms as they all got traded for a JD 8000 Series.

I noticed Gs have bought an RX 370 to replace a CAT E series (Your farm Phill??)which wasnt unexpected, however they also changed the Quad 620 for the Deere 9RXversion which seems very unfair.  The 620 had done 5000 hours in 2 years with excellent back up from Pecks following on from a 2015 620 that had done over 7000hrs and the thanks the dealer gets is its machine being replaced by a 9620RX which im reliably informed aint as good as the CASE!!  Watch the Mike Mitchell video review of his tractor fleet in which there are 4 x 9RX and one Quad 620 and he tells it straight "Ole Red is the better tractor"!  And thats before the 2021 Quadtrac with all its smart upgrades lands on the market.  I suspect JD will upgrade the 9RX in response before years end and are probably sharpening their pencil to undercut all the competition with the existing machine knowing that once a farm goes green it seldom changes back

The one good point is that those "E" Series Challengers are a bugger too shift 2nd hand as TNS have discovered, Deere dealers might not be so keen for marketshare when they get stuck with a yard full of unwanted 2 track machines

[Tractorman810]

that exhaust must create a hell of a blind spot in that fendt crawler ,  all these new tractors coming out with great visibility, being played on in the sale blurb, and that comes out ,whys it so dam big 

[catkom3]

2 hours ago, Tractorman810 said:

that exhaust must create a hell of a blind spot in that fendt crawler ,  all these new tractors coming out with great visibility, being played on in the sale blurb, and that comes out ,whys it so dam big 

According to the report in this month's Farm Machinery Journal that exhaust " vanishes behind the A pillar " Inside it houses the diesel oxidisation catalyst, And the diesel particulate filter,?? The one on the 1100 is even bigger, Wonder what a replacement cost's,

Regards

Joe.

Edited February 23, 2021 by catkom3

[phil phoenix]

Now thats what I call an exhaust.................best looking big CAT todate that 1100 series.

One of the local farmers had a few days with a MT943 before xmas, I passed it one evening on the road and it looked like the star ship enterprise, very impressive lighting package.  And it was travelling twice as quick as their existing 765C...............a super smooth ride apparently.

[Pingu]

On 2/23/2021 at 6:23 PM, phil phoenix said:

Yes Phill, It was more in hope than expectation that I hope we can avoid a JD avalanche of 8RXs, and please dont get me wrong I think the 8RX is fabulous looking piece of kit. However I always get a bit annoyed when one brand (Or model) lords it over the rest of the pack.  Doesnt seem fair when CASE & NH have a really good product in the Rowtrac or indeed the Claas version or the smart Fendt Challenger, and they all get ignored.  This JD situation takes me back to the mid 90s when Ford first released the 70 series, for 6 months they sold like hot cakes, everyone had to have one and then "Wallop" the JD 8400 landed!!  And within 3 years you would have been hard pressed to find a 70 series on most of the local farms as they all got traded for a JD 8000 Series.

I noticed Gs have bought an RX 370 to replace a CAT E series (Your farm Phill??)which wasnt unexpected, however they also changed the Quad 620 for the Deere 9RXversion which seems very unfair.  The 620 had done 5000 hours in 2 years with excellent back up from Pecks following on from a 2015 620 that had done over 7000hrs and the thanks the dealer gets is its machine being replaced by a 9620RX which im reliably informed aint as good as the CASE!!  Watch the Mike Mitchell video review of his tractor fleet in which there are 4 x 9RX and one Quad 620 and he tells it straight "Ole Red is the better tractor"!  And thats before the 2021 Quadtrac with all its smart upgrades lands on the market.  I suspect JD will upgrade the 9RX in response before years end and are probably sharpening their pencil to undercut all the competition with the existing machine knowing that once a farm goes green it seldom changes back

The one good point is that those "E" Series Challengers are a bugger too shift 2nd hand as TNS have discovered, Deere dealers might not be so keen for marketshare when they get stuck with a yard full of unwanted 2 track machines

Very fair point, no I manage a farm further towards the sea and changed a high hour B for it as even chandlers said avoid an E if you can. We went for a 410
 

I won’t bad mouth other brands but the CNH rowtrac have a horrendous reliability record with a neighbour swapping one for an RX at 2 years old and loosing 2/3rds it value as couldn’t cope with breakdowns and another neighbour says there E series Cat is more reliable!! So we didn’t even look that route, the Fendt twin trac was lovely but used value of twin track machines is going off a cliff as headlands are ruined by them and can’t work in wet. Claas well was awesome would happily run one. 
 

But I will confirm this farm won’t be all green the 3 Bavarians will stop that especially when 730 is released later in the year. On 9RX front I agree I don’t get the fuss I worked with 3 in previous life and erm yer quad is far far nicer and more reliable just a certain dealer is erm interesting 

Edited February 26, 2021 by Pingu

[phil phoenix]

So a Fendt 730 is coming?   Is that why TNS have a yard full of 828s (literally) that no one wants, the 800 has become a white elephant so bypass them with a higher hp 700 which no doubt will be more JD6R size to house the extra beef.

[phil phoenix]

A nice line up of Deeres at Doubledays in time for a "21" Reg plate.

6215R, 6155R and a pair of nice 6250Rs  on the right.

 

Edited March 2, 2021 by phil phoenix

[phil phoenix]

I suspect Deere will be changing the 6Rs later this year along with Fendts 700 series................................JD6250R still my pick off the Deere bunch along with the 8RX...........I still havent seen any new wheeled 8 or 7s.

Doubledays Kings Lynn branch hasnt changed much since I photographed a 3000 series there back in 1986!

[Pingu]

On 2/27/2021 at 7:18 PM, phil phoenix said:

So a Fendt 730 is coming?   Is that why TNS have a yard full of 828s (literally) that no one wants, the 800 has become a white elephant so bypass them with a higher hp 700 which no doubt will be more JD6R size to house the extra beef.

By all accounts yes the unknown bit is if will fit variogrip, but there will be a 727 and a 730 on a larger chassis with 724 being updated bonnet etc and MAN engine. The 800 series is very unreliable by all accounts I don’t know any on original engine’s locally

[phil phoenix]

Look at this!!   Thurlow Nunns new Demonstrator Fendt 1162................Now that is Ridiculously good looking😍

[The Tractor Twitcher]

5 hours ago, phil phoenix said:

Look at this!!   Thurlow Nunns new Demonstrator Fendt 1162................Now that is Ridiculously good looking😍

Impressive, great to see Phil. Hoping to get the chance of a little go in one later in the year. 

[Paul Palmer]

that is apart from that humungus exhaust and all the stuff with it

[844john]

It's funny how people view things differently, i think they're really quite ugly to be honest

[Paul Palmer]

2 hours ago, Paul Palmer said:

that is apart from that humungus exhaust and all the stuff with it

plus all the scuffing at the headlands

[Tractorman810]

6 hours ago, The Tractor Twitcher said:

Impressive, great to see Phil. Hoping to get the chance of a little go in one later in the year. 

hopefully you can get a go and take a pic out the front while your in it .i am really curious how much that exhaust is visable/ not , it looks huge .

[catkom3]

2 hours ago, Tractorman810 said:

hopefully you can get a go and take a pic out the front while your in it .i am really curious how much that exhaust is visable/ not , it looks huge .

Going by the view on this video the exhaust doesn't get in the way at all, It lines up perfectly with the screen post, You might want to whiz that up to 05:10,

Regards

Joe.

[phil phoenix]

I like the exhaust, its very impressive!   Im not sure they will sell many though as 4 track machines have really taken over now,  John Deere seem to be giving away 9RX machines knowing that once a farm goes green they seldom go back😠

I got told today that one farm that has been running a 845E for 3 seasons are waiting for a demo of the beast above, they changed up from a MT 775E because it couldnt pull their biggest cultivator fast enough so hopefully they wont be joining the mass exodus into the JD 8RX.  Ben Burgess claims they have already put 23 off the 8RXs onto east anglian farms and I know Doubledays are in double figures also. Meanwhile the local CASE Dealer is desperately trying to find a home for their demo Rowtrac, I hate it when things get this one sided, spread the business around so we get plenty of different colour machines I say.

[The Tractor Twitcher]

On 3/13/2021 at 10:17 PM, phil phoenix said:

I like the exhaust, its very impressive!   Im not sure they will sell many though as 4 track machines have really taken over now,  John Deere seem to be giving away 9RX machines knowing that once a farm goes green they seldom go back😠

I got told today that one farm that has been running a 845E for 3 seasons are waiting for a demo of the beast above, they changed up from a MT 775E because it couldnt pull their biggest cultivator fast enough so hopefully they wont be joining the mass exodus into the JD 8RX.  Ben Burgess claims they have already put 23 off the 8RXs onto east anglian farms and I know Doubledays are in double figures also. Meanwhile the local CASE Dealer is desperately trying to find a home for their demo Rowtrac, I hate it when things get this one sided, spread the business around so we get plenty of different colour machines I say.

Quite lucky up here around on the Yorkshire, North Lincs, and North Notts borders with the variety of rubber track crawlers at work. Both generations of Magnum Rowtrac, the New Holland version, a couple of 8RXs, a Axion 960TT and a smattering of Quadtracs, 9RXs, and older Challengers and 8RTs at work too all within 20 to 30 miles of each other. Twin track crawlers definitely on the wain in preference to four track / half track configurations. Quite a few staunch Challenger users that encountered no end of reliability issues with the seven cylinder MT775E have switched brands too so Fendt's MT crawlers seem to be few and far between as a result.  

[phil phoenix]

Yes David, The 7 cylinder MT775e has a bad reputation for reliability, whereas its bigger brother the 800 series are generally sound.  Quite a few 865/ 875s in these parts and mostly between 6 and 12 years old.

On my last visit to my local AGCO dealer I was rather surprised to see a number of MF8700 Series models in the yard. Some looked like they were in for servicing pre hectic planting season and others were brand new!  I then discovered that the ever expanding Pretoria Energy Maize company have ordered a fleet of 10!!!!!!!!!! new 8740S & 8732S machines.........Yowser😆................Ive no idea whats being replaced as they currently run several NH T7HD & T7 short wheelbase machines.  Clearly they are aiming too pull fewer trailers but move up to tri axles I suspect.  Tri axle tankers and 16 row maize drills are already part of their fleet, but more tankers and perhaps 24 row drills are on the way no doubt. Anyway I think the current 8740S models with the new exhaust system are the bees knees and way better looking than the new 8S models, especially with that S Series bonnet😍...................Clearly there is no money in food production farming, but piles of it in energy and electric production.   Ive noticed these  MF8700S series tractors are easily the most popular big MFs since the old 8400s.  The 8600s hardly sold any, nor did the early 8700s. Maybe after 10 years development they finally have a product farmers want, they are still a long way behind Fendt 900s and JD 8Rs in the popularity stakes, but id say they were a solid 3rd place in the 300/ 400hp bracket.

Edited March 26, 2021 by phil phoenix

[phil phoenix]

Here you go, confirmation from TNS Facebook page.