Deutz Fahr AP 80

Date: 11.09.2006

Terry Stevenson meets a Waikato dairy farmer who relies on his three Deutz Fahr tractors to operate three farms. The newest, an Agroplus AP80, may seem small, but has more than enough agility and grunt to get the job done.

Deutz Fahr AP 80

Doug and Kathy Bentham own three Deutz Fahr tractors and run them on a very interesting farming operation on the flats of Manawaru, near Te Aroha. Technically, they run three farms. The main farm is a 56ha goat farm, and next-door are two dairy farms, which are run separately as they are in different stages of certification.

The Benthams own a three-year-old Agrotron 105, which they use to harvest their grass and, for bigger jobs, a two-year-old Agroplus AP70 and an Agroplus AP80, which has already clocked 120 hours since buying from Landpower at this year’s Fieldays. The AP70 has proved to be very versatile, doing front-end loader work on the goat farm, feeding out on the two dairy farms and mowing work. They were very happy with their 2000 hour AP70, so chose the slightly more powerful AP80.

The Agroplus AP80 is an ideal tractor for small- and medium-sized acreage farmers or as a second tractor. As you can see, all Deutz Fahr tractors have an unquestionable pedigree, which means they can be relied on to perform when the going gets tough. The AP80 isn’t a large tractor by any means, with a smaller 70hp AP70 option on the same sized chassis it isn’t a long way up the steps to the flat driver’s platform.

My first impressions were that, even with a loader fitted, it has very good visibility. It took awhile to find that the exhaust pipe exits on the left hand side, under the steps, just in front of the rear tyre. This leaves completely unobstructed forward vision enhanced by the forward sloping bonnet. To drive, the dry clutch AP80 feels like a very small tractor. Maneuvering around tight spaces would be very easy with this tractor, with a short 2242mm wheelbase and 55-degree steering lock. The front guards even pivot several degrees before the rear of the front wheels touch the loader or tractor frame, allowing full use of the steering lock and tighter turns.

A good-sized weather canopy is hung off a large diameter roll-over-protection bar. While the operating platform is nice and flat, the smooth steel floor beneath and around the seat area is angled, around 20 degrees, offering the advantage that all hay and general debris will fall forward, leaving the entire area much more tidy. With the loader controller fitted well to the right, it was almost as easy to get on and off on the right hand side of this tractor. Very unique and an obvious advantage. The dash is easy to read, with the rev counter, speed and PTO (three speeds) rpm indicator housed inside the same analogue unit. A small two-can sized box with a lid is moulded into the plastic and fitted just behind the hydraulic controls and a single, well-sized rear vision mirror is mounted on the right.

The German built 4314cc Deutz engine is a naturally aspirated air/oil cooled four-cylinder powerplant, with two valves per cylinder. The engine will rev out to 2300rpm and shares the same 102 x 132mm bore and stroke as the now old model AP70 (but with a larger injector pump) for a maximum torque of 267Nm. It has been said that air/oil cooled diesel engines make more noise than water cooled motors, however I found the AP80 made most of its noise through the exhaust pipe – not from the engine itself. This type of engine has proven to be long-term reliable here in New Zealand, and has the added advantages of lower maintenance costs and less hassle constantly cleaning out radiators.

The AP80’s assets are its relatively small size and agility, and its flexible gearbox. The Deutz Fahr SynchroSplit transmission system has three key levers, all mounted on the driver’s right. A short lever provides high/low ratio. The nearest of the two long levers controls yet another high/low range, plus reverse, which makes a welcome change as there is no chance of scrunching the gears while attempting to change gear in the most used section of the gearbox. The longest outside lever has five speeds on the stick and, while it took me a little while to get the engine revs just right, a good driver will be rewarded with easy changes without having to stop. All this gives the operator a choice of 20 forward and 10 reverse gear options. Unfortunately, I found the hand-operated acceleration lever got in the way when I changed gear. It was fairly stiff to move so the lever wouldn’t want to be any shorter, just in a slightly different place.

Although the farm was flat, the brakes provided really good feel when coming to a stop in a hurry, to the point where the wheels locked up and skidded on the wet grass. Little wonder, as I later discovered the AP80 has true four-wheel braking! In layman’s terms, that means each wheel has its own oil-immersed brake unit mounted at each wheel. This offers superior braking performance in all situations. Four-wheel braking is also easier on the drive train when you have to jump on the brakes for any reason while in 4WD.

At the rear the three point linkage offers a maximum lift capacity of 3600kg, with a remote operation lever fitted at the back. A pair of adjustable 42 l/min remote hydraulic valves are available to operate most implements.

Bentham swapped the Stoll F15 front-end loader from his AP70 and mounted it to the AP80. My first thoughts were that the loader was quite heavy for this sized tractor, until I was told a really heavy Pearson bucket was fitted.

By Terry Stevenson

BRIEF SPECIFICATIONS
DEUTZ FAHR AGROPLUS AP80

Max power – 2000/25/CE (kw/hp): 59/80
Max power – ECE R24 (kw/hp): 57/77
No. of cylinders: 4
No. of speeds (+ creeper speed) (F/R): 20/10 30/50 45/45
Powershift: 3 stage
PTO: 3-speed optional
Height of cab (mm): 2450
Unladen weight (kg): 3100