1600 series tractors

   / 1600 series tractors #1  

toy

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Aug 24, 2003
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Is Massey Ferguson going to phase out the 1600 series tractors? If so is the 1700 series replacing them? Will the attachments on a 1500 or a 1600 or a 1700 interchangeable with each machine?
 
   / 1600 series tractors #2  
Yes, MF 1700 series will be replacing the 1600 series. Attachments are interchangeable between tractors makes and models, what's important is what class they are (size of pins at attachment points). Things such as width and capacities of course are dependent upon the HP / weight and size of the machine.
 
   / 1600 series tractors
  • Thread Starter
#3  
Mike 476 thanks for the reply, I was kind of thinking they might be doing that. As long as the attachments from the 1700 will fit the 1600 series then it wouldn't matter but if they didn't then my concern would be of not being able to find attachments to fit the 1600 series in time to come. I remember reading a thread a while back and it was about someone buying an out of date model tractor and couldn't find an attachment they wanted for it. It was a back hoe if I remember correctly and that would be something that would interest me.
 
   / 1600 series tractors #4  
Not sure what size you're looking at, 1600 series are probably getting harder to find depending on the HP range and I'm uncertain of the availability of the 1700 series just yet.

I'm looking forward to someone posting photos of the comparable 1700 series tractor to my 1660.
 
   / 1600 series tractors #6  
Whenever I start to think that way I just look over to my 135 :laughing:.

Hopefully I'll be around in 30 - 40 years to tell the tale of how well my 1660 has performed over time.......
 
   / 1600 series tractors #7  
I saw a video of the 1700 series and I'm not sure it's an improvement. Massey had to move the fuel tank to under the left step because the engine compartment under the hood is crammed with Tier IV emissions junk. The Hydro is different, too, with electronic controls (buttons and knobs) to govern RPM and speed. The steering column is new, along with dash and gauges.

Glad I got my 1643 under the wire.
 
   / 1600 series tractors #8  
I haven't really done any research since making up my mind to buy the 1660 a few months ago. I should probably do a little reading.
 
   / 1600 series tractors #9  
Go to You Tube and watch the videos. You'll get a better idea of what the 1700s are.
 
   / 1600 series tractors #10  
That's exactly what I did, there weren't too many videos out on the 1700s when I was looking a few months ago. The MF website has also been updated with some additional information on the AGCO engineering and support capabilities and more reference to their other brands than I've seen in the past (Fendt / Valtra / Challenger).

Fuel tank placement - unsure what type of protection there is, I'm sure MF would have designed some sort of a skid plate to protect the underside from damage. There is another make that suffers from heat damage due to placement of fuel tank too close to components that generate tremendous heat.

Electronic HST - years ago I wasn't a big fan of electronics, still have some reservations on its use but we have come a long way in ensuring the reliability of these types of systems. Most larger modern aircraft I have worked on are completely fly-by-wire, not many cables / push-pull rods in todays aviation. Aside from that I own a Dyna-QPS, a transmission that uses electronic shifting but has a proven track record for reliability. I can certainly appreciate the fact that the new capability to control HST response time would be a benefit. Not sure if it was because of the video or not but the new HST seemed extremely quiet, hopefully they have engineered the harmonics issue out of their new HST.

Cab version - I like the 1700 series cloth seat; sitting on a vinyl seat inside a cab just isn't as comfortable; petty I know but when you spend that kind of money I think a creature comfort or two is nice. Don't get me wrong, the cab is very quiet, the climate controls amazing and while the speakers could do with an upgrade the sound system is pretty darn good for a tractor.

Dash - looks interesting, difficult to tell from the videos I've watched to see in detail how they are laid out, I like the 1600 series lay out but I'm sure the new 1700 series will benefit from the same consideration from MFs engineering branch.

Tier IV - must say the new engine seems really quiet. As far as all the gobbly-gook to get there is concerned, when it comes to reliability over the long term, like the HST any newly engineered capability has significant testing before being released for use but it's only after being tested by us folks that it will earn the reputation for performance and reliability in the field. MF has a pretty solid reputation so I wouldn't be too concerned.

I am glad MF didn't change the style of their 1700 series from the 1600 series, they are a sharp looking tractor and for those of us vane enough to want to own something that looks sharp, that's important.
 
 
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