An exclusive look at the 8S tractor Massey Ferguson just launched

Massey Ferguson is replacing its 7700 S large-frame tractors with a new family of 8S tractors. This includes four models ranging from 205 to 265 hp. During an exclusive interview with three product experts, Successful Farming was the first to see the tractor in North America.

SF: How was the Massey Ferguson 8S born?

"The 8S represents the most ambitious new design of a Massey Ferguson tractor in recent history. It was designed with the farmer in mind, and built from the ground up," says Brian Celli, marketing manager.

"It took a lot of years and a lot of feedback from customers to develop what we've got today," adds Jeffrey Ratliff, senior marketing manager.

"8S is whole new era for Massey Ferguson," says Tyler Hillman, marketing product specialist.

SF: Where was the 8S born?

JR: Most of the engineers for this product are based in Europe, but we have engineers all around the globe who have input on new product design.

SF: What was it like to launch a global tractor design in the middle of a worldwide pandemic?

JR: It took a lot of extra effort to communicate. Normally we do things in person with the design team. It was harder to ensure we got our needs incorporated into the product. I think the coolest thing about it all is now that we're getting ready to bring it to market, we're going to get to do it in person. We're launching this product at an in-person event at Farm Progress Show.

SF: What kind of farmer was the 8s tractor designed for?

BC: This is an extremely versatile tractor. It's got the capabilities to fit perfectly for planter operation, tillage, cow/calf, hay operation, and loader work. You can customize it for yourself.

SF: What sort of questions is this farmer asking when shopping for a tractor?

TH: An operator looking into getting a tractor such as this is probably going to ask themselves three questions. First, what is my return on investment going to be? How long will this tractor last me?

They'll ask about the fuel efficiency. Is it going to be costly to operate?

They'll also want to know, what are the service intervals on this tractor? Am I going to be stopping throughout the day to clean out filters if I'm running in dirty conditions?

SF: What has this product category looked like for Massey Ferguson in the past?

JR: Historically, the 200- to 300-hp. tractor was a big tillage tractor on many farms. As farms have grown in size, this category has become more of a planter and hay tractor on many farms.

Our Massey Ferguson 7600 and 7700 tractors are the two generations of tractors that came before the Massey Ferguson 8S. These both have a solid reputation with farmers around the globe for being straightforward and dependable machines. The Massey Ferguson 8S builds on this solid foundation.

SF: How does this tractor fit in the AGCO family?

BC: This tractor is replacing our current 7700 S large-frame tractors.

SF: What's improved over the previous generation of tractors?

BC: The 8S offers farmers increases in torque, horsepower, and hydraulic flow.

We really wanted to focus on the operator comfort, visibility, and ease of use. We stayed true to our performance and productivity standards that we'd set with the prior generation.

SF: What do you believe makes this tractor better than some other tractors that might be on the market?

BC: We've included some revolutionary new designs, primarily the Protect-U design. There's a 9.5-inch gap between the engine housing and the cab. That does a number of things for the operator, and the tractor. First, it reduces vibration in the cab for the operator. Second, you get less heat transferred from the engine to the cab, making it more comfortable. Finally, it reduces noise to 68 decibels in the cab, making it an industry leader.

SF: Can you break down the details of the Protect-U design?

TH: Starting with the engine, we went to an encapsulated design and separated the engine from the cab with a 9.5-inch space. This helps with cooling efficiency going into the engine. We're able to pull cooler and cleaner air right there in front of the windshield into the air intake.

With that Protect-U design, we protect the cab and isolate it from the engine heat, keeping the cab cooler, and efficiently make the operator more comfortable.

Finally, the Protect-U design keeps you away from vibration and noise, making this cab the quietest cab on the market. The quietness helps when you're trying to listen to the game, or your favorite podcast, but also gives you the chance to listen to what's going on around you. Now you're able to listen to those chains on your drill or listen to your planter.

Less vibration is easier on the operator throughout a long day.

SF: What features make this an attractive planter tractor?

JR: One of the things that we were looking at as planters get bigger and we use more hydraulic drives on planters, is we needed to have the extra hydraulic capacity to support them. It will be a lot better planter tractor than some of what we've had in the past, for these newer planters.

The 8S family of tractors is standard equipped with a 40-gpm load sensing hydraulic system. That's 36% more flow than the previous system.

TH: With our four-post cab, we were able to put everything nicely into the corners of the cab, keeping your visibility at 360° for those larger implements on the rear.

SF: What makes the 8S a good tractor for hay operation?

TH: For hay season, this tractor is perfect for those large square balers. We have a front-wheel assist to maneuver and stay over the windrow.

All 8S models come with a four-speed PTO so farmers can choose from 540, 540ECO, 1,000 and 1,000ECO based on the task at hand.

BS: The hood has been slimmed down so you can see your windrows or triple mower.

SF: What makes this tractor good for a farmer with livestock?

TH: You have the option of putting a loader on the front of it for your winter work to load a mixer wagon, to move silage, and things such as that.

BC: Our three-point linkage goes up to 16,500 pounds.

SF: What precision technology is the 8S tractor equipped with?

The 8S includes a touch screen Datatronic 5 in the cab to manage tractor functions and control all ISOBUS-compatible implements. A Fieldstar 5 terminal is optional for managing Massey Ferguson technologies like section control, task doc, and guide. The Fieldstar 5 records field boundaries and provides automatic field detection.

SF: Tell me about the lighting package on this tractor?

BC: The top end option is a 14-light LED package producing 37,000 lumens, which, currently, is the most on the market.

SF: Where can farmers see the new 8S tractor for themselves?

The 8S will on display at the 2021 Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Illinois, from August 31 to September 2. A video of Massey Ferguson's launch is available on YouTube.

SF: What is the availability of this tractor for U.S. farmers?

BC: This tractor is available for pre-sale right now. I'd encourage anybody to go online to masseyferguson.com to configure one for themselves. We expect these tractors to be landing on dealers' lots in the first quarter of 2022.

SF: How much will an 8S tractor cost?

JR: Price ranges from $200,000 to $285,000. It varies a lot with the different configurations. Customers can go online and use the configuration tool to build what they want in their tractor. They'll be able to see exactly what the list price is on that machine at masseyferguson.com.

SF: Once pre-sale concludes in Q1 of 2022, how will sales be handled?

Farmers can request a demo and order the Massey Ferguson 8S Series now and throughout the 2022 growing season. Units will begin arriving on farms and at dealerships in the first quarter of 2022.

SF: AGCO president and CEO Eric Hansotia recently said sourcing tires and steel has been challenging. How will that impact delivery time/availability of these machines?

We are experiencing the same kinds of supply chain challenges as other manufacturers around the globe, but the Massey Ferguson 8S Series is moving forward on our original timeline for its launch in North America.