[Don Boles]

Actually swathers used to be like that. I never ran one myself but don't recall anyone who did being upset when they changed over to steering wheels.

Very first swather with a steering wheel...?
Versatile 103! Circa 1967. Ish?
Quite the mechanical conglomeration of double snowmobile belt drives with a sliding panel affair to vary the wheel speeds. Sloppy when brand new and a curious reversing pedal system.
But it had a steering wheel!

 

[meskie]

I’d take a joystick over driving with two levers any day.

 

[torriem]

Cub cadet just introduced a Zero Turn mower with a steering wheel. The claim its less fatiguing over the day

I think a lot of old time swather operators would agree. Of course the sticks were pretty crude affairs back then.

I saw one of those mowers. Pretty neat!

 

[712alberta]

I saw one of those mowers. Pretty neat!

Don't ask for a price on one, with out sitting down

 

[KWO]

Thought I read somewhere that the Tribine was joystick only, no steering wheel.
How hard would it be to have an electric steering wheel that "plugged in" to the console when needed.

 

[Haystack]

The mechanical link can be deleted in some electronic power steering systems.

.

 

[Deadalus]

Apparently MF dealers in Manitoba have now been told that current NA Massey combines will still be produced next year, if any get ordered. However, the Hesston plant only made 14 new units this year, with dealers in Saskatchewan in Alberta having cancelled most of their orders in favour of IDEALS.

 

[SK Farmer]

our MF dealer brought in 2 MF's, 1 Gleaner, 1 Ideal. Sold 1 MF already.

 

[alta66]

our MF dealer brought in 2 MF's, 1 Gleaner, 1 Ideal. Sold 1 MF already.

Not surprised when you can almost buy 2 9565's for one Ideal 9.

 

[torriem]

The mechanical link can be deleted in some electronic power steering systems.

My tractors haven't had a mechanical link connecting the steering wheel to the steering cylinders for as long as I've been alive! When autosteer is active the steering wheel doesn't move either. I realize the steering valve is a pump too, so in theory you could force oil to move by cranking really really hard on the steering wheel, but in practice doing so has no real effect. Certainly not going to move an articulated tractor when the power is off!

 

[Haystack]

No I don’t think there is any regulation or accepted prudence that off road equipment needs a mechanical steering linkage.

 

[S-MAN]

Who actually designed the Ideal. It's from Italy so it isn't MF/Gleaner engineers and Fendt is only in Germany as far as I know. So which subsidiary produced the thing?

 

[Haystack]

Quote
“The Breganze factory is the home of the AGCO European Harvesting Operations, the centre of excellence for AGCO Harvesting. Over five decades of experience in building self-propelled combine harvesters Modernisation and expansion of capacity for sustainable growth Latest production processes and machines for continually high quality and productivity.
The high-power combine, the Fendt IDEAL, and Fendt's 6 shaker models are produced at our site in Breganze, Italy, and distributed throughout Europe from here. This ultra modern plant spans 62 acres and has a headcount of around 610. The combines are manufactured in the Breganze factory according to the latest production standards by a dedicated team and meet the highest demands on quality.”

https://www.fendt.com/int/page_389_web_en
.

 

[Deadalus]

Who actually designed the Ideal. It's from Italy so it isn't MF/Gleaner engineers and Fendt is only in Germany as far as I know. So which subsidiary produced the thing?

It was developed by the team at Breganze Italy where all the European MF machines have been designed and manufactured for about a decade. The tracks were designed in Jackson MN by the same engineering team who design the tracks for the Challenger tractors.

 

[SK Farmer]

Who actually designed the Ideal. It's from Italy so it isn't MF/Gleaner engineers and Fendt is only in Germany as far as I know. So which subsidiary produced the thing?

It actually was designed by AGCO's European MF combine division. It is built in Italy along side the MF Delta and Centora combines. The MF 's are also painted Fendt colors which are built in the same plant.

 

[SK Farmer]

The only thing Fendt makes are there own tractors and forage harvesters the rest is all MF.

 

[SK Farmer]

The MF Activa, Activa S, and the Beta are also produced there.

 

[S-MAN]

I always thought the MF Delta was made in Denmark. That's a machine I would have loved to h as ve seen in NA. I also didn't realize that fendt had so many factories. Although it is a bit of a stretch to have the Hesston and Jackson plants identified as fendt plants.

 

[SWMan]

Anybody have some useful in-field experience with the Ideal combines yet?

 

[newfarmac]

Anybody have some useful in-field experience with the Ideal combines yet?

any near you