Tractor of the Year 2024: Claas, Landini and McCormick win
The Claas Xerion 12,650 model, which was previewed at Agritecnicha, won the "Tractor of the Year 2024" award. The Tractor of the Year (TOTY) award ceremony took place right in Hanover last Nov. 12, on the opening day of the show, when the names of the winners in the different sections of the award were revealed. Organized by "Tractors" magazine, the Tractor of the Year competition in fact includes four categories-Best of Specialized for specialized orchard and vineyard tractors, Best of Utility for multifunctional tractors, Sustainable Toty, and the Tractor of the Year Queens category for open field vehicles-in which a pool of finalist machines selected by an international jury of agri-mechanics journalists compete. The winner of the Tractor of the Year, to which Machinery World had devoted an extensive focus in the November issue, came out on top, overcoming fierce competition from the Valtra S416 and the 600 Vario, which were narrowly edged out just short of the finish line.
Best of specialized. In the section devoted to "narrow" tractors, those for vineyards and orchards, the Landini Rex 4-120 GT RoboShift Dynamic triumphed, outperforming the Tony 11700 V, the Farmtrac 25 Ghst, the e100V Vario (winner of the Sustainable Toty), and the Metrac H70. Tipping the scales on Landini's machine were not only the ADS system for precision farming, the cab with "Zero Shock System" suspension, and the digital and technological equipment available on board the machine, but -also and particularly - the innovative transmission developed by the Reggio Emilia-based company. "The outstanding feature of this model is the RoboShift transmission, equipped with an electro-actuated robotic system that," reads the motivations for the award, "works both on the three speeds under load and on the four basic gears. The Auto Power Shift function for the automatic transmission with adjustable responsiveness rounds out all this."
Best of utility. In the section devoted to multifunctional tractors, suitable for both field work and typical farm operations, another model signed Argo Tractors, came out on top. It was the McCormick X5.120 P3-Drive, a compact, robust, versatile and interconnected machine. The winner of the "Best of Utility" category comes with a 4-cylinder FTP F36 Stage 3.6-liter V engine, which delivers 114 horsepower, and an automated powershift transmission, which allows automatic shifting of up to 12 gears in the field and on the road. Standard equipment on the McCormick X5.120 P3-Drive includes the Advanced Driving System (ADS) for advanced steering functions such as automatic wheel realignment and directional maintenance on uneven terrain. At the same time, the suspended axle and cab provide optimum comfort in a wide variety of operating conditions.
Sustainable TOTY. The international TOTY jury awarded the "sustainability" prize to Fendt's in-house full-electric specialist, the e107 V Vario. The Tractor is capable of delivering an impressive 60 horsepower and is equipped with a 100 kWh battery, which provides between 4 and 7 hours of autonomy with partial-load implementations such as pruning, grass cutting, or road cleaning. Battery charging times are quite competitive: a full cycle takes about 5 hours. The Fendt e107 Vario's compact dimensions are typical of the traditional vineyard and orchard machines, while the four-pillar cab (without an exhaust pipe) offers an even wider view of the work area.
The Tractor of the Year will be back in 2024 at EIMA in Bologna, scheduled for Nov. 6-10.
