With the introduction of the Crystal, I assume the Maxterra project has been trashed?
Originally they were planning a Maxterra range with a ZF 6x4 semipowershift, and a
Forterra 6c with a 5x4 powershift, based on the 5x3 powershift of the "forterra power" which we now know as the Forterra HSX. Meanwhile the market has moved up in horsepower, 135 and 145hp six pots are no longer middle of the market machines, but those would be six pots in 4 cylinder territory. Also it would be pointless to add an extra powershift step to the 5 speed main gearbox, because with the wide powershift overlap it would have, you would still be shifting the 5 speed all the time because these steps are still small.
Thats where the Crystal came in. A basic workhorse, with some luxury one expects in this horsepower class, but not too much complexity.
For the Maxterra, if you search the internet you can find
Zetor has patents on an arrangement of the dual clutch gearbox like used in Volkswagen, audi cars and John Deere 6 and 7R tractors (DirectDrive) Also a Czech government subsidy office website says they are getting an R&D subsidy for a project called "dual path transmission" for 2012-2015.
So it is very unlikely that Zetor will put money in building a Maxterra with an outdated ZF 4 stage powershift, when they are developing a modern 8 stage dual clutch gearbox for themself.
If they have this 8 stage dual clutch gearbox, and the bugs worked out, they would give New Hollands PowerCommand gearbox a serious competition, because New Hollands powershifts that shift up to three clutch packs at the same time, arent the most reliable gearboxes because to make three clutches shift smoothly at the same time, a lot of slipping occurs. When you dont calibrate a TM or T7 gearbox regularly, it is trashed and ready for a full rebuild in 3000hrs.
The DSG gearbox however, is brilliantly simple: a countershaft for the even gears and a countershaft for the odd gears act upon the very same mainshaft. A computer pre-engages the synchro clutch for the next gear, when the signal comes that the gear is preselected, the computer releases the clutch on the odd countershaft, and engages the one on the countershaft for the even gears.
The development risk is much lower than that of New Hollands PowerCommand, but at NH history dictated this awkward solution: they started with the mechanical gearbox with 3 ranges and 4 gears, of the Fiat 1300 of 1969. Then 10 years later in the 1180-1880 models they added a mechanical splitter gear. In the 90 series, 115-90 to 180-90 of 1984 they changed the synchro splitter for a 2 stage powershift. in 1987 a 4 stage powershift was developed out of this transmission. Then in the M100-160 (8160-8560) of 1996, the Ford engine was put into the Fiat 80 series, first with the two stage powershift (dubbed Dual Command) and later with a six stage powershift called Range Command. This Range Command was essentially the 2 stage powershift, with a three stage powershift behind it. after shifting from one to two, the two speed shifted down while the three speed shifted up. 2 times three is six, hence the 6 speed with 5 clutch packs.
Now, in the 2002 PowerCommand fullpowershift for the TM 175 and 190 models, they kept adding to this 1969 Fiat 1880 gearbox by also making the ranges shifted by clutch packs. So when shifting from 2 to three, the two speed powershift part shifts down and the three speed shifts to 2nd. As well as when shifting from gear nr 4 to 5. Now, in the PowerCommand, when shifting from 6 to 7, the two speed powershift section shifted one gear down, the three speed powershift section shifted three gears down, and the 3 speed range section shifted one gear up.
Off course in 2002 this had to shift slick because customers wouldnt accept the bumpyness of 1970 anymore, even though the differences in shaft speeds during this shift from 6 to 7 made it hard to control for a dataprocessor, and totally out of whack when the calibration of the clutch packs was off.... Hence the rebuilds at 3000hrs when the 500hr recalibrations werent done...
Therefor, i really am in love with the dual clutch gearbox: The technology has all the time in the world (half a second, which is a lot of time for solenoids to do their job ) to preselect the next gear, and when its time to break traction and engage another clutch, a rather primitive logic controller can switch over to the other clutch pack, just like the old torque amplifier or dual power of the 80's. Its just wonderful how many engineering risks and trouble are avoided by detaching the actual gear change, from the milliseconds of drive interruption during the power shift.
When we first got our
Ursus C-385A (polish built Zetor 8045) when i was 10 years old, it was the first time i got to know this torque amplifier. Back then, after careful deliberations about this interesting gearbox i had only hear about and now got to drive, i already told my brother, i dont see the point. I can only shift down when driving in hare. When the going gets tough when i drive in tortoise, i still have to stop and lift the cultivator a bit to get going again. So it only works half of the time. It would be much more useful if there were two gearboxes inside, so i could change the other gearstick to the desired gear at ease, and then quickly flip over to that gearbox with this little lever under the steering wheel....
Back at that time i had no idea how a gearbox actually looked from the inside, and more knowledgeable people around me said that the tractor would become too heavy if it had two gearboxes so i ditched the idea...
I am not sure, but i think Buhrer from Switzerland (now a Zetor dealer, formerly a high end tractor manufacturer) had a transmission like that: a primitive dual clutch gearbox which was manually preselected. The history on their website just doesnt give a clear description of what this phenomenal gearbox, which Fendt wanted to buy from them, actually was, but it might be an early dual clutch gearbox from what i read.
Also the Agriomatic S gearbox in the 1950's IHC built in Neuss, Germany also had a similar concept: the Agriomatic S was an overcenter lever that operated the two speed splitter, under load. But you could also shift this low speed of the splitter into reverse, so it would become a powershuttle gearbox instead...
Actually thats what the Zetor dual clutch gearbox patent is all about: They are sort of using the Agriomatic S principle on a DSG gearbox
The Agriomatic S disappeared, and when IHC went broke in 1985, Case introduced the IHC developed powershift in the Magnum, and the David Brown developed powershift in the Maxxum.... Engineering history isnt allways written by marvelous inventors ahead of their time, its often written by those who knew to make the right move at the right time...
Anyways, the power split CVT (or leistungsverzweigt, as the Germans say) isnt new either. Voith had the DiWa gearbox for city buses, it wasnt a mechanical path and a hydrostatic variator coupled by a differential, but a torque converter and a mechanical path, coupled by a differential (Differential Wandler in German)
....anyways, enough tales for today
I've seen Forterra HSX140s listed for about $80,000 USD. A comparable NH T6.145 has a base price of $103,000 USD.
If you add the options to the HSX to meet the T6, there is no price difference. the T6 has a bigger
oil pump, and i believe cab susbension as standard. Add air suspended seat or whatever options, and you'll see that for a similarly spec'ed tractor the price is quite the same.
....and that just doesnt feel good for many Zetor buyers. They were statisfied with a Zetor because they knew they saved money on purchase. The very first 140HSX that went on demo at a long term Zetor customer in Holland, really got this customer into a higher spec'ed tractor. He liked powershuttle and the such. Then the NH dealer came around and gave him a T6 on demo, and offered it for the same price. The customer bought it because the NH had a better cab.... So long for Zetor. The idea that their trusty Zetors had a better resale value and lower parts cost and lower repair bills than the Italian Fords, is something they never thought about because it has never been an issue...
