[small time operator]

Whats people opinion after any of you have put in a season with them?

I know they don't have all the bells and whistles of jd case and nh but in saying that there a lot cheaper.

Still seem to be sticking to KISS principle keep it simple stupid.

pros and cons thanks

 

[madsnake]

The door is a bugger of a set up to get in the cab. They price out ok from quote I got.

 

[small time operator]

if that's the only problem im sure you tolerate it, I sat in one at speed can say I noticed door problem perhaps im to easy pleased.

did you see the 25 inch auger chris someone asked me the brand I couldn't remeber

 

[jdinsk]

That's the first thing I noticed was getting a lmost getting knocked off the stair by the door. Imagine how many times you are in and out of that cab a day during seeding. Engineers definitely dropped the ball on that one

 

[offroadnt]

We got a 500, haven't hit my head yet but three others have, got to watch the hood sides too, they open to five foot ten... I can't believe engineers would design something for the next twenty years like that, just shows the results of city folk working in a cubicle I guess. I'm not sure of the logic behind the electronics taking ten seconds to startup and a minute to shut down, I've been told if you get ahead of them you can mix things up pretty good and take a few minutes to reset.
I've only spent a few hours driving and fooling around with it, the Cat powershift is a little disappointing so far, hopefully they can fix it, for some reason when shifting from five to four it goes directly to three, runs there for a couple seconds then shifts up to four, sometimes it stays in three. The reversing fan is a little entertaining, it goes to full suck, back to no flow, pushes for a few seconds, back to mid suction, it never seems to really stay at any setting, this is while idling. Under load it seems to do similar. Fuel gauge doesn't work, they are waiting for their third upgrade for that. Cab seems quieter then the old series and doesn't seem to get thrown around as much either. I see the glass is mounted the same, hopefully it doesn't fall out like the old one did.
Otherwise the tractor seems okay, did the fifty hour oil and filter change yesterday, seven big filters that are not too bad to get at and one coolant filter. Sometimes I wish they would do something with the threads on the filters to make them start better, that twenty pound oil filter they put on the side of the engine is a real pain to start, I might make a guide out of plastic I can bolt to the oil pan to help start that filter.
So far they've only been using it to pull the seven shank Kello Built subsoiler breaking up virgin prairie. It's operating 1800rpm in forth gear around 3mph, it pulls the engine down a few times but fuel consumption is showing around 12gph, half of what the 435 showed, I'm thinking one of these is off... They have a young lady running it that has never been within five miles of a tractor before so I guess that explains how simple it is to operate. The field is a mile square and it has Outback autosteer on it, she is in constant supervision of her boyfriend who is running the disk in the same field.
We're hooking it up to the scraper so we'll see how that works in the next bit.

 

[small time operator]

keep me updated

 

[Farmageddon]

You need to stand on the first step then reach for the door handle. I had my hat knocked off the first time I step into the cab. It is real a big door and cab. I love it. Great visibility and great a/c. Hydraulic noise is my only complaint and my John Deere salesman said that 95X0r's have hydraulic noise also.

 

[offroadnt]

Did the fifty hour inspection yesterday then took it out and did some earth moving. The transmission is going to take some getting used to. To get to the field you have to open four gates so I drive up and just kick the transmission into neutral, when you want to go again it shows F10 or whatever, you squeeze the button and push the shifter forward the tractor jerks ahead and cuts out of gear then shows F5. If you try with the clutch it does the same thing, it will go in F5 but it seems if you release the safety button too fast it also cuts out. It also cuts out if the engine isn't running fast enough (it idles at a 1000rpm but sounds like 1500). It seems to cut out of gear in reverse also if you try too high of gear. Haven't figured out how the autoshift works yet. If your cruising down the road and like to run mid revs it is very hard to set, the engine speed is all over the place, I wonder if the engine can be set for constant speed like the older ones.
In the fresh worked rough field it seemed to ride good, it doesn't hammer the cab back and forth like the 435 did. I worked it at seven mph in seventh gear with the engine wide open pulling dirt down into the valley and it seemed to have lots of power and the transmission stayed in gear no problem.
Still trying to figure out how to program the hydraulics, the book seems different hen the tractor...
Versatile is supposed to be coming out to check the transmission I'll have to see what they can do.

 

[KLAJB]

Have run Versatile for a few years now. Bought first because they were basically the exact tractor as the late 90's Ford/NH which we loved. You hit it right on the money with KISS - no extra gimmicks or accessories - exactly what I want - engine/tranny/hydraulics is all you need! There are definitely some minor issues:

1) older ones seem to have wimpy hydraulic capacity - new models have been beefed up
2) we have had premature engine accessory failures - nothing major - alternator/water pump - easy fixes

Other than that nothing to complain about. Earlier post talked about new tranny - takes some getting used to but I like it - should be able to change preset starting gear from F5 to F1 or 2. I have never been able to get going in F5.

Don't get caught up in all the minor complaints on this forum about these tractors. They are strong, simple, basic tractors. Definitely worth the price difference in my mind. If you are picky about details this tractor is not for you. I even wear headphones in my 435 because it is so loud - $25 headphones vs. $50, 000 price difference. The main brands must have issues too.

 

[joe.d.zhiner]

Versatile doesn't have design department.

You get what you pay for in this case.

As someone has said you get no frills. I mean basic frills like human ergonomics.

Get in. Don't bash your head. Turn on power. Drive and work. Get out.

The company does not have the resources to engineer and design like the competitors. Their motto is we don't make the trends, we follow them or piggyback off of them.

Take a look at their leadership. You will know why the product looks and operates the way it does.

 

[offroadnt]

It's a Versatile, not a Belarus (no offence Kirovet fans), it has all the creature comforts of the others.

 

[anythingbutgreen]

Versatile doesn't have design department.

You get what you pay for in this case.

As someone has said you get no frills. I mean basic frills like human ergonomics.

Get in. Don't bash your head. Turn on power. Drive and work. Get out.

The company does not have the resources to engineer and design like the competitors. Their motto is we don't make the trends, we follow them or piggyback off of them.

Take a look at their leadership. You will know why the product looks and operates the way it does.

Joe doesn't sound like you have any time behind the wheel off one of these new tractors. We bought a new 450 this spring and it has been a great tractor. The cab is incredibly comfortable and the perfomance was great.

 

[Transaxial]

Have run Versatile for a few years now. Bought first because they were basically the exact tractor as the late 90's Ford/NH which we loved. You hit it right on the money with KISS - no extra gimmicks or accessories - exactly what I want - engine/tranny/hydraulics is all you need! There are definitely some minor issues:

1) older ones seem to have wimpy hydraulic capacity - new models have been beefed up
2) we have had premature engine accessory failures - nothing major - alternator/water pump - easy fixes

Other than that nothing to complain about. Earlier post talked about new tranny - takes some getting used to but I like it - should be able to change preset starting gear from F5 to F1 or 2. I have never been able to get going in F5.

Don't get caught up in all the minor complaints on this forum about these tractors. They are strong, simple, basic tractors. Definitely worth the price difference in my mind. If you are picky about details this tractor is not for you. I even wear headphones in my 435 because it is so loud - $25 headphones vs. $50, 000 price difference. The main brands must have issues too.

I have had a 965B Challenger for a couple of years and still have not figured out all the "programming" stuff on the 16 speed Cat powershift. It throws codes lots about wrong programming etc. but as far as pulling the load it does just fine. There are 3 little buttons on the shifter lever about where your thumb can reach. I think it will stay in a higher gear if that is what it was last used in, maybe 5th is the highest gear unless you push the top little button to move the start gear higher. If you want a lower gear the next time ,you push the middle button to shift the start gear down to whatever you want for your start gear. All very confusing and unnecessary to be so complicated. You should not have to go out of your way to do the most simple of shifts. The manual is a joke. Obviously written by one of those professional manual writers!! Have never seen a 4wd tractor , much less sat in one to see how the buttons are laid out. Pretty hard to follow the descriptions when they do not even have the right number of buttons that they are telling you to work with??? Other than the poor programming stuff , I am happy with how the transmission upshifts, downshifts and gets the work done.

 

[goodoo]

I have heard of an earthmoving contractor who recently got one to try on the scraper bucket, who is not impressed with the fuel usage. I think it is around 500-600 hp

Says it is using over 1000l/day in about 8 hours and uses 70l/h just driving down the road.

 

[scott]

Did the fifty hour inspection yesterday then took it out and did some earth moving. The transmission is going to take some getting used to. To get to the field you have to open four gates so I drive up and just kick the transmission into neutral, when you want to go again it shows F10 or whatever, you squeeze the button and push the shifter forward the tractor jerks ahead and cuts out of gear then shows F5. If you try with the clutch it does the same thing, it will go in F5 but it seems if you release the safety button too fast it also cuts out. It also cuts out if the engine isn't running fast enough (it idles at a 1000rpm but sounds like 1500). It seems to cut out of gear in reverse also if you try too high of gear. Haven't figured out how the autoshift works yet. If your cruising down the road and like to run mid revs it is very hard to set, the engine speed is all over the place, I wonder if the engine can be set for constant speed like the older ones.
In the fresh worked rough field it seemed to ride good, it doesn't hammer the cab back and forth like the 435 did. I worked it at seven mph in seventh gear with the engine wide open pulling dirt down into the valley and it seemed to have lots of power and the transmission stayed in gear no problem.
Still trying to figure out how to program the hydraulics, the book seems different hen the tractor...
Versatile is supposed to be coming out to check the transmission I'll have to see what they can do.

Versatile has the capability to reprogram transmission ( Cat ) holds the rights to tranny, when starting out with tractor don't use clutch, I KNOW, sounds stupid, sure shift smoother, door issue yes not that a engineering feat along with doors for engine inspection, Scott.

 

[curtisrafa]

I purchased a new versatile 9280 (ford/versatile/new Holland) back in 1994 when they made all the major changes, the modern rounded fenders, huge flip up hoods for engine access, sight gauges for everything and they had a very nice cab...they were leaps ahead of the pack easily at the time, the john deere was basically an old Russian tank by comparison, and so were the case's. And the blue paint was so much nicer than the red paint that just fades to pink on the new ones!! It seems they are taking perfection and just wrecking it by over engineering everything (had to give someone a job) I'm glad both my 9280 and 9682 are from the 90's before they turned everything so gay with the undersized engines computerized to the max, they are both very reliable tractors, and if I ever see a tractor with a large computer screen mounted in it makes me realize mankind has taken a turn for the worse! Do you really need that crap to lay your seeds in the ground????!!! have people become that useless in this modern age!!??

 

[NESDfarmer]

I have not personally ran one of these machines but i have heard from people that have that they lose quite a bit of power through their transmission and axles and also are very fuel hungry compared to a JD or Case machine of the same power

 

[maninsilver]

we demoed one this summer.
I loved it. stay on the bottom step when you open door and you wont get banged on the head. and back up when you open the hood. i would do that gladly for $60000 less than other colors. It was a 450 we demoed and the transmission was perfectly smooth and the engine had serious balls and the cab was awesome.


If it were only up to me it would be the next tractor i would buy.


on jd combines 9600-9870 you had to back up when opening the door as well to prevent from getting banged in the head and you have to walk in the cab sideways because of the passenger seat and i have heard very few people complain about it. same with a quad track. you have to back up when you open the door if your not on the bottom step.

 

[98R72]

v 535

We have V 535, 4 seasons done, just 600 hrs, just a few gripes, electro hyd wiring problem, broken wire near artic joint, cab noisy up around 1700 rpm and above, a/c hose pushing on air hose under cab, spaced up cab mounts with 25mm steel plates. Hoses go up into cab frame right on top of air hose, chance of wearing hole in clean air tube after air filter.
Bought ours from dealer 600 kms away, Western Australia.
Not a good idea, rang dealer about electro hyd problem, 1st and only warranty problem.
Bright spark dealer principal 1st course of action, you are out of warranty by 2 weeks !!!!!! No other action suggested by this used car salesman !!!!
Stay away from dealer in Narrogin.
Haven't noticed any other problem so far, we also have had a V1150, hope Cat tranny fixes problem we had with V tranny in 1150.
Hope this bit of info is a help Geoff

 

[tj3752010]

I have a 2012 450 and I like it. I had a nh tj 375 before that. I liek the roominess of the cab and the ride is smoother than the nh. It had electro hydraulics I liek the monitor for them but I don't like that you have to turn them on with a seperate button and I don't like the trying to figure out how to keep it running constant. The nh all you would have to is push it and it woudl lock. But I have had no problems. a few minor recall things on it.