Realising it needed a 114-134hp powershift, the SDF engineers have pulled off a blinder – they used the tried and trusted inhouse CVT and added some steps thus creating the new 6C RV Shift. We find out what it is like to drive and who it is aimed at with our first look.
With the launch of its new 114hp-136hp 6C tractor range Deutz Fahr has taken the unusual decision to add simulated steps to its homebuilt CVT gearbox. Potential purchasers now have the option of choosing from the company’s confusingly titled ‘Powershift’ manual stickshifter, its in-house built TTV stepless box or this latest variant – the RV Shift.
Using the same mechanical underpinnings as its CVT stablemates, the new option brings 20 computer-generated steps in the forward travel range and 16 in reverse all through a simple to operate interface that you can jump on and drive says the maker. It’s a slightly baffling concept but Same Deutz Fahr isn’t the first manufacturer to do it.
When Fendt was battling to break into the fiercely powershift-loyal North American market in the early 2000s, the Bavarian tractor maker put simulated powershift ‘gears’ in place in its trademark Vario stepless
gearboxes. It’s unlikely that the strategy was wholly responsible for Fendt growing its market share in the US and Canada but its fair to say two decades on the brand now has a credible position in that region. JCB too had a powershift mode on the CVT equipped Fastrac 8000 when it hit the market 17 years ago.
For more up-to-date farming news and reviews click here and subscribe now to profi for just £3.99 an issue.
