Review: Fendt 728 G7

The Fendt 728 G7 boasts a completely new ground-up design and expands the power spectrum up to 300hp

With the 700 Vario being Fendt’s best-selling range of tractors since being introduced in 1998, this seventh generation of the Vario 700 delivers plenty of fresh changes, including a new engine, optional 60-inch track width, FendtONE onboard and offboard, and a new generation of Fendt Cargo front loader firming the series as a versatile all-rounder.

Following in the footsteps of the 900 Series, the styling from the 1000 Series tractors is being bought down the range along with a number of its features. Many of them are proving themselves to be useful for operators in the larger series, so will be welcome additions to the new G7 700 series.

The Gen 7 will be sold alongside the current Gen 6 700 series, as a limited number of Fendt 800s are left to come into the country. This will shock the market, as they have been a popular model here in New Zealand and many large farms and contractors are running them.
The Gen 7, 700 series is currently available in five models: 700, 722, 724, 726, and 728. A first for Fendt is the introduction of an AGCO Power (SISU) engine, which will be the standout in this model.

Engine

The engine is a 7.5-litre Agco Power, which has been specifically designed for Fendt to join the larger series with a low-revving, high-torque concept. Full torque is achieved at just 1300rpm, which helps lower fuel consumption. The max torque is 1450Nm on the 728 — a decent amount and at such low rpm should enable the day’s tank of diesel to go slightly further. Another significant change is the idle rate at 700rpm. As soon as you first turn the key, you can tell there’s been a change in engine, as there’s an immediate different feel over the Gen 6 and previous Fendts.

As Fendt is owned by AGCO, it makes sense to produce an engine for themselves. This engine also introduces a 20hp boost, which is available when cultivating and while stationary and is additional to conventional boost requirements. While most AGCO Power engines don’t require a chassis, Fendt has kept its rail system to house the engine inside, helping transfer weight through to the back end.

The fan now resides in the front end of the radiators, blowing air through the cooling pack as a replacement for sucking the air. Driven hydraulically, this reduces the load on the engine as it will only run when needed, also helping reduce fuel consumption. As the fan is reversible from the cab, this helps keep the grill clean, maintaining a cool and uninterrupted airflow through the cooling package. If the operator desires, it can be set to reverse automatically, giving the operator less to worry about.

The cooling package is situated in the centre of the front axle, giving the front tyres a wide range of turning angle, which gives great manoeuvrability for a 300hp size tractor (although, the extra bonnet panels need to be removed to clear the radiator manually could be a hassle in these days where we’re used to extreme convenience).

Transmission

Fendt VarioDrive is renowned for its smooth operation, along with its proven ability to have the engine run separately to the ground speed for ultimate efficiency. The Gen 7 carries a similar transmission design to the 900 Series, which brings this style down to the smaller horsepower bracket, elminating the high/low selection giving the operator less to worry about while providing a smoother operating environment.

The four-wheel drive button has also been removed as the new transmission has an intelligent clutch along with a separate pump to drive the front axle itself. The intelligent clutch engages and disengages the front and rear axles depending on load and slip. Pressure sensors tell the computer if one axle is doing all the work or slipping, in turn engaging to let the front or rear transmission provide extra power to the axle with traction. 

Giving the front axle its own variable drive gives a better turning circle as a pulling action pulls the front around. A 10-metre turning radius is achieved with 540/65R30 front tyres, which is impressive when compared to a Gen 6 724 that has a radius of 12.2 metres on the same tyres. Multiple speed options are available with a 60km/h option present on the larger
two models.

Cab

It’s common knowledge that Fendt prides itself on quality and comfort. The cab on the Gen 7 is nearly identical to the Gen 6 with the iconic curved front windscreen that was introduced a decade ago. While it does look a touch small placed on the larger frame, the comfort, visibility, and space are nothing to complain about. A new seat option has been added to further increases the operator’s level of comfort, with electronic adjustment as opposed to the usual manual. The air conditioning gets an upgrade on this model with 30% higher cooling under full load than the previous model. The FendtONE terminal is still new to the market and is proving its worth day by day.

Admittedly, it takes some time in the seat to work out the full user interface to a competent level but, once the basic machine functions have been found, the interface becomes smooth and efficient. With essentially three terminal displays with ISOBUS compatibility, the need for additional machine monitors is limited. With the dash part of the customisable displays, the operator can select the screen that suits the task at hand best. It’s a remarkable feature that currently only Fendt offer.

The FendtONE terminal set-up incorporates all the cosmetic adjustments into the screen. The seat, mirrors, air-con, and radio are all based through the Fendt terminal, which depending on the operator is something they either like or dislike.

Getting back to those ISOBUS functions, Fendt has been a leader in the adaptation of the software and re-configuring the buttons to suit each operator. Most buttons on the FendtONE armrest can be reconfigured to suit the operator’s needs for the machine attached. For machines such as loader wagons, this comes in extremely handy, eliminating the need to run a separate monitor and giving a more ergonomic layout to help reduce operator fatigue.

The joystick for hydraulics plays a significant role in this, as it allows up to 27 functions to be programmed onto it. This is done by a rocker switch on the rear which changes all functions assigned. Although, to fill 27 functions plus all the places available on the main joystick would require some colossal machine, the ability to do this is great nonetheless. Sticking to the hydraulic joystick side, the addition of a change direction button impressed me greatly, not just the presence of it but the fact that it’s a singular button with no trigger on the rear needing to be pressed or anything. That makes it much more user-friendly to use and a much smoother operating environment.

Technical specs

The overall size of the Gen7 700 Series has been an interesting topic, wondering if it is the same size as the Gen 6 or the same size as the 800 Series. It falls, however, right in the middle of the two at a 2900mm wheelbase – roughly 150mm longer than a Gen 6 700 and 50mm shorter than an 800 Series.

A 165 litre per minute hydraulic pump is standard with an option to raise it to 220 litres per minute, which is well capable of taking on the largest implements. The back end has a lift capacity of 11,050kg with the front end boasting 5300kg. To get through the day, there’s a 450-litre fuel tank along with a 48-litre AdBlue tank.

Prolonging the life of tyres is a major part of a tractor’s upkeep and running costs. The 728 Fendt brings the VarioGrip option down to the smaller horsepower tractors. It’s an excellent feature, as through the FendtOne terminal, the tyre pressures can be adjusted to suit
ground conditions.

Pre-set pressures for the road and paddock allow the operator to change between the two at the press of a button. As this is easy to adjust, it’s beneficial in more than one way — the job in the paddock will get done at a higher rate of efficiency saving time and money and the wear on the roads is minimised getting more life out of the tyres.

The Gen7 700 Series packs in an impressive number of technical features, requiring a good amount of time in the seat to ponder through them all. The new 7.5-litre Agco power engine is going to make a statement in the range, plus allowing a boost up to 300hp (on the 728) certainly gives a great power-to-weight ratio. That, along with the high torque at low rpm, helps turn the large engine into productivity and efficiency to meet today’s tight margins. Fendt’s terminal set-up is substantial with configurable displays, and the ability to save all settings to an operator’s profile is great (if someone doesn’t jump in and ruin the settings).

VarioGrip along with the new transmission with no 4WD or high/low to worry about takes stress off the operator on those long shifts. The new transmission is definitely a notable component on its own, helping give a tight turning radius and giving great traction, as both axles can run at separate speeds.

The high power, small frame is something Kiwi farmers and contractors enjoy, and the Gen 7 700 Series packs a punch in this region.

Fendt 728 Gen7 Specifications

Engine	7.5L Agco Power (sisu)
Transmission	Vario/Stepless
Horsepower std/bst	283/303
Fuel capacity	450L
AdBlue capacity	48L
Torque	1450Nm
Rear linkage capacity	11,050kg
Front linkage capacity	5300kg
Wheelbase	2900mm
Hydraulic pump capacity std/opt	165L/min 220L/min

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Photography: Dan Reymer