On 25 July 2024, the 100,000th Fendt 700 Vario rolled off the production line in Marktoberdorf. This milestone was celebrated at Fendt in Marktoberdorf. For 25 years, the 700 series has been a firm favourite on farms and in contracting businesses. Each of the seven generations has repeatedly impressed with new technical solutions.
The anniversary of a winning series: Fendt builds 100,000th Fendt 700 Vario tractor
On 25 July 2024, the 100,000th Fendt 700 Vario rolled off the production line in Marktoberdorf. This milestone was celebrated at Fendt in Marktoberdorf. For 25 years, the 700 series has been a firm favourite on farms and in contracting businesses. Each of the seven generations has repeatedly impressed with new technical solutions.
The 100,000th Fendt 700 Vario rolls off the production line in Marktoberdorf
The Fendt 700 Vario is and remains a farmer's favourite - for generations: tractors from this series are in use on all continents, on farms, in contracting businesses and in the non-agricultural sector. A small turning circle and high performance with low fuel consumption have always characterised this series. No other tractor has been registered as often in Germany as the long-standing top model, as the Fendt 724 Vario. A total of 33 awards in nine categories from nine countries recognise the further development of the series from 1999 to the present day.
Christoph Gröblinghoff (Chairman of the Fendt Management Board)
"As an all-rounder, the 700 series is the VW Golf of tractors, so to speak," says Christoph Gröblinghoff with a laugh, confirming the success of the tractor models. "The Fendt 700 Vario has evolved with each generation of drivers in order to fulfil ever-increasing demands: More power, less fuel consumption, more manoeuvrable and even more comfortable. To make an outstanding tractor even better, that was and is the aspiration of our developers," says the Chairman of the Fendt Management Board.
Farmers' favourite since the first generation
You can hardly get any closer: Interested visitors to the grand Fendt Saaten-Union Field Day in Wadenbrunn take a close look at the new models.
An extraordinary setting for the premiere of a promising series: On 30 August 1998, Fendt presented the models of the Fendt Favorit 700 Vario series to journalists for the first time at Weissenstein Castle in Pommersfelden, Franconia, Germany. Two days later, crowds of visitors surrounded the machines at the grand Fendt Saaten-Union field day in Wadenbrunn. The Fendt Favorit 700 Vario was the second series ever to receive the Fendt Vario transmission and popularised the stepless transmission on Europe's farms. Fendt also opted for four-valve engines - an absolute novelty in agricultural technology. The 6-cylinder engine developed exclusively for Fendt had high power reserves and significantly reduced fuel consumption. For this sum of pioneering innovations, the series won the "Tractor of the Year 1999" award.
A view of the award-winning Fendt operating system
Fendt was the first manufacturer to introduce machine operation via joystick and terminal in the 115 to 160 hp power class. The associated Variotronic in the Fendt Favorit 716 Vario was honoured with the "Bronze Ear" at Agribex in Brussels in 2000. Favoured by farmers, the first generation reached the milestone of over 10,000 tractors delivered.
Impressions of Generation 1: Fendt Favorit 700 Vario
Generation 2: "Like driving an automatic"
As early as 2003, the suffix " Favorit" was dropped from the designation of the series. With the second generation, Fendt set new standards in comfort and fuel efficiency. The Tractor Management System (TMS), which controlled the engine and transmission, optimised the injection quantity and engine speed. At low loads, the engine speed was lowered, which significantly reduced diesel consumption. With TMS, the foot pedal took on the function of an accelerator pedal for the first time, comparable to a car with an automatic gearbox.
The newly introduced VariotronicTI headland management system was able to memorise function sequences at the headland and thus automate them for the first time. One push of a button triggered 13 functions, and the resulting time savings made the function a bestseller. The innovations impressed farmers and juries alike: In 2003, Fendt was awarded the bronze medal at the demopark trade fair in Fulda for the function for changing direction by joystick.
In the field and on grassland with Generation 2
Always on track via satellite: the third generation
Automatic on-track steering for the first time: With the third generation, Fendt offered track guidance ex works. The fully automatic Fendt Auto-Guide guidance system worked on the basis of a proportional steering valve for precise following of straight lines or defined boundaries. Farmers could set up a portable receiver for the correction signal at the edge of the field for passes with an accuracy of up to 3 cm. Even back then, guidance meant that the tractor stayed on track by itself. Combined with VariotronicTI, precise field work first became the standard and then the norm. Fendt also recognised the demands of current implements and delivered. These included higher lifting forces for the rear power lift, a new front loader and an increase in axle load.
Generation 3 in various applications
Generation 4: The design generation with DLG top results
The 4th generation of the Fendt 700 Vario won a total of 3 design awards
The unmistakable design emphasised the completely new development of the fourth generation. It has received a veritable shower of awards: The series won prestigious prizes such as the "RedDot Design Award 2012", the "German Design Award" and the gold medal of the "iF Product Design Award". "Power, dynamics and performance - these are the aspects that characterise a tractor. The Fendt 700 Vario also shows an independent and striking appearance in the design area, where details are almost reminiscent of the trucker design from the USA," was the judgement of the iF product design jury.
Awarded "Machine of the Year Germany" and twice "Favourite of the Nation 2012" and 2013 as the most approved tractor in Germany.
The new appearance is based on the principle of "form follows function", clearly recognisable in the completely newly developed Fendt VisioPlus cab with the revolutionary, curved windscreen for the best view and the multifunctional armrest for ergonomic working.
With SCR technology, the machines saved up to 10 per cent diesel. In the independent DLG-PowerMix Test 2012, the new top model, the Fendt 724 Vario, promptly achieved the best result in its performance class.
The Nation's Favourite and award-winning diesel saver
From 2014, the revised fifth generation of the Fendt 700 Vario directly continued the success of its predecessors. The top model achieved the " Nation's Favourite" in Germany with its registration figures for five times between 2014 and 2019. Models such as the Fendt 720 Vario and the Fendt 718 Vario also regularly make it into the top ten.
Daniel Otto with his employee in front of one of the 700 series teams
The fifth generation also improved fuel consumption: The SCR technology was additionally equipped with a Coated Soot Filter (CSF) and external exhaust gas recirculation, reducing diesel consumption and halving AdBlue consumption. The independent DLG-PowerMix from December 2016 once again confirms the record-breaking economy of the top model Fendt 724 Vario with a consumption of just 255 g/kWh diesel and a low AdBlue consumption of just 3.4 per cent. These impressive results convinced numerous farmers. Daniel Otto, for example, opted for four Fendt 720 Vario tractor combinations as new employees in the harbours on Rügen and in Vierow. The fuel consumption and ease of operation convinced the branch manager of Germany's largest railway ferry port.
Proven operation, completely reimagined with the sixth generation
Renowned US award for user-friendliness: The AE50 Award from the American Society Agricultural and Biological Engineering (ASABE)
Customers describe the fifth-generation driver's workplace as simple, popular and proven. And then comes the sixth generation - with a completely new operating system: FendtONE. The new FendtONE onboard driver's workplace includes a completely redeveloped multifunction armrest, the new multifunction joystick, the 3L joystick, the rotary pushbutton and up to three terminals in the cab - a tripling of the previous display area. This is a completely new approach to Fendt operation and forms the basis for future developments and functional enhancements. The control panels and numerous function buttons on the armrest and joystick can now be freely assigned - just as the driver needs them. In addition, FendtONE onboard and offboard offers numerous Smart Farming options that further simplify the control of the machine and combination.
The Fendt 724 Vario has been the "nation's favourite" in Germany for 4 years in a row (2020-2023), but the other models are also regularly in the top 10.
"I love FendtONE - it's easy to use and incredibly versatile," says David Ellin, farm manager on an arableland, suckler cow and sheep farm in England. The sixth generation is the first series ever to receive FendtONE and can seamlessly build on the success of its predecessors.
A new class of its own: The Fendt 700 Vario Gen7 with up to 300 hp
The bar was set high for the seventh generation of the 700. Once again, development started on a blank sheet of paper with the aim of building the most manoeuvrable, fastest and most efficient 700 of all time. The Gen7 makes the technologies of the large tractors accessible to the compact class up to 300 hp. It remains true to its principles: the Fendt 700 Vario Gen7 is also agile, has a high payload and particularly low fuel consumption. The generation impresses with its newly developed, single-stage Fendt VarioDrive drive train, the integrated VarioGrip tyre pressure regulation system and a licence for speeds of up to 60 km/h. In the independent DLG-PowerMix Test 2023, the Fendt 728 Vario achieves a new best value and takes the lead in the 300 hp class.
As a real prize magnet, this generation has received the most awards to date with eight distinctions. The honours include "Tractor of the Year 2023", "Farm Machine 2023", "AE50 2023", two innovation awards from Hungary and Poland, a silver medal for new products in Finland and two awards for the launch campaign and the launch event.
Celebration of the 100,000th Fendt 700 Vario with one of the first customers: Karl Heller
This year, interested parties can view the anniversary model at the Fendt Holiday Weeks at the Fendt Forum visitor centre in Marktoberdorf. The milestone tractor will then go on tour to trade fairs in France, Italy and other countries.
