McCormick dealers travelled from all parts of Britain to the Yorkshire Wildlife Park near Doncaster, Yorkshire to hear about - and try for themselves - the new models and improved features being introduced this year.

There was no time for any monkey business or feeding the lions as the dealers got down to the nitty-gritty of learning about new 'X generation tractors for livestock and arable farms, and features such as touch-screen computer control of the tractor and ISOBUS-equipped implements, a CVT transmission and satellite auto steering.


Steve Cann (second left), southern area sales manager at AgriArgo, explains differences between the new 107hp X4.70 and its smaller sibling, the 69hp X4.30 to dealer principals and sales representatives at the pre-LAMMA presentation

"It was very important to us that our dealers had an opportunity get some detail on the new tractors and to drive them before the LAMMA show," says Ray Spinks, sales director and general manager at AgriArgo UK. "We had dealers from as far away as Scotland and South-West England learning about the new developments to pass on the information and their impressions to customers."

McCormick manufacturer Argo Tractors has invested heavily in a new product development programme that will produce as many as eight new ranges over three years, bringing added refinements, greater performance and modern control technologies to the tractors.

At the top of the range, the 143-188hpMcCormick X7 Series can have a 12in touch-screen ISOBUS terminal to set up and control various functions on the tractor and implements.

The new VT Drive version is the first McCormick with a continuously variable transmission (CVT). Instead of shifting gears manually, the operator only has to use the accelerator pedal or the EasyPilot control joystick - computer control automatically selects the best engine speed and transmission ratio for efficient road travel and different types of field work.

"This is the sort of technology that brings added performance, fuel economy and precision to farming operations," says Ray Spinks."It's especially appreciated by a younger generation of farmers who use computers of one type or another in all aspects of their lives."

Apart from appealing to end users, Ray Spinks hopes the expanded and modernised range, and the availability of new technologies, will help attract dealers in areas where the McCormick marque is not represented.