November 2016, the 250,000th Fendt Vario transmission model rolls off the production line in Marktoberdorf. More than twenty years after the first tractor with continuously variable Vario transmission was introduced, the quarter of a million mark has now been reached. 250,000 Vario transmissions – that means 250,000 happy customers relying on the stepless drive for its power, dynamics and driving comfort.

Revolution in transmission manufacturing

It was the world`s first tractor with a continuously variable drive: the 1995 Fendt Favorit 926 Vario. This tractor revolutionised agricultural technology. It was not only the 6-cylinder MAN engine with 260 HP that astounded visitors at the 1995 Agritechnica fair, but also the revolutionary Fendt Vario transmission that, for the first time, combines the efficiency of a quick shift gear with the advantages of a continuous drive. Fully future-proof, even back then it met the growing requirements of agricultural contractors and large-scale farms.

A fascinating concept

There were a number of reservations and the market was hit by a string of crises, but that did not stop Fendt from backing an innovation that was as visionary as it was complex. There were plenty of challenges for the Fendt gear developers. The vehicle electronics were still in their infancy in the early 90s but it was already clear that control and operation would no longer be mechanical but electronic in the future. The classic gear lever was defunct. In its place came the now familiar, easy to use multifunction joystick. A new challenge came about to improve comfort, as the oil pumps were far too noisy in the beginning.

"We developed a solution to soundproof the pumps with a flexible mounting system," reminisces gear developer, Richard Heindl, who has worked on the Fendt Vario transmission from day one. For him and many other Fendt engineers, the target was in clear sight; "I personally have a farming background and was fascinated by the idea of a tractor that just drives – at any speed, uphill or downhill, backwards or forwards, without juddering nor loss of traction, all without switching gears. "The idea is that the operator should be able to focus on what`s really important; the work on the field." And today, when automated driving has long since become reality, Fendt customers have testified to the enormous advantages of the Vario transmission two hundred and fifty thousand times over. Did anyone see this coming? "We at Fendt were always convinced that our transmission was a winner," says Heindl, looking back at the last 20 years. "The project was kept secret for a long time. We were very proud when we were finally able to announce the first continuously variable transmission gearbox. Because we knew that it would change agricultural technology forever".

Fendt VarioDrive: dare to try something new.

The launch of the 1000-series at Agritechnica 2015 – exactly 20 years after the first Fendt Vario tractor was introduced – heralded the next generation of Vario transmission gearboxes. Fendt VarioDrive is the name of the gear generation which has been consistently further developed from the ground up. This range includes the first permanently variable all-wheel function thanks to the independent axle drive – an entirely automatic system, without any operator intervention. New to this generation; both the rear and front axles have their own hydro motor.

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