The international award for the best tractor in the European market is granted by a jury of 25 independent journalists from 23 European countries specialized in agricultural equipment. They evaluate the machine as a whole, emphasizing the technical aspects, design, ergonomics and quality of the machine and, last but not least, evaluate the tractor at work in realistic conditions.
"It was the first time we participated in the Tractor of the Year contest and we immediately got to the finals. It is a great success for ZETOR and all of our employees, which all of us are largely proud of. It confirms that support of investments in development of new modernized machines and presentation of new ranges of models is the correct approach taken by the company. During the contest, we got a unique occasion to present skills of the ZETOR tractor to experts from all over Europe, which we greatly appreciate. The FORTERRA HD tractor received several prestigious awards in the past, however, success in the Tractor of the Year has undoubtedly been the greatest recognition so far," says Margaréta Víghová, Corporate Communication Director, ZETOR TRACTORS a.s.
The contest is held every year and FORTERRA HD fought over the first place with six tractors of other brands this year, which was the 20th anniversary of the contest.
Tractors of famous agricultural brands had to pass several selection rounds. The first round was held in spring when each contestant presented its machine before the jury that subsequently chose the finalists for four of the announced categories. FORTERRA HD was nominated in the Tractor of the Year category.
FORTERRA HD with TIER 4F emission standard
FORTERRA HD is among the top models of the FORTERRA model range. It offers greater power (from 127 to 147 HP), more robust body, axle suspension and multifunctional control panel.
FORTERRA HD uses efficient ZETOR engines with a 16-valve head which are the result of our own development and production; the engines meet STAGE IV / Tier 4F emission standard. The engines have good acceleration and they are easy to start in low temperature. According to independent tests of Mendel University, Brno, Czech Republic, the engines with STAGE IV emission standard offer lower fuel consumption if compared with the engines of the previous generation; the savings are about 15-20% based on performed activity.
The transmission of FORTERRA HD offers higher number of usable gears, which helps to keep the engine in optimum revolutions both when working in the field and during transport. This is mainly reflected in lower fuel consumption. Within the most widely used range, the transmission offers 13 gears even under load in the operation range of 4-12 kph. In total, the transmission has 30 gears forward and 30 gears reverse.
Operation of the tractor is made easier by features such as PowerClutch, clutch button located on the gear lever, PowerShift, three-stage torque multiplier, and PowerShuttle, a hydraulic reverser.
The use of Bosch electro-hydraulics results in high effectiveness when working with aggregations. Two support hydraulic cylinders assist in even load of the tractor and offer lifting force up to 85 kN (8,500 kg). FORTERRA HD is equipped with four-sectional hydraulic distributor with electro-hydraulic control. The tractor is of course equipped with the HitchTronic system for measuring soil resistance during ploughing; using the measured values, it automatically regulates the rear three-point hitch. This results in fuel savings amounting to 5-7%.
In the area of ergonomics and comfort, the tractor is equipped with a spacious cabin. Front axle suspension brings about high operation comfort. FORTERRA HD is further equipped with a multifunctional panel which unites all important items of control into one logically organized place.
We have mentioned front axle suspension. FORTERRA HD uses a system of two independent suspended semi-axles. The tractor is also equipped with 100% differential lock. We cannot forget to mention Headland Turn Sequencing which reduces the number of actions at each turn of the headland. This makes the operation of the tractor and manoeuvrability easier.
