Fortis AS – the new HORSCH universal cultivator
With the Fortis AS HORSCH introduces a new generation of universal cultivators and thus expands its product range in the tillage sector. It currently is available in 6 to 7 m working widths, but for the future we have working widths from 6 to 9 m in the pipeline.
In the past years the power of the standard tractors has increased – partly from 350 hp to 450 and 500 hp. To react to the changing customer requirements, HORSCH developed the Fortis 6 and 7 AS. They can cope with the increased tractor powers and provide more flexibility with regard to working depth and adjustment options. The Fortis 6 AS with 6 m working width has been designed for tractors with up to 550 hp, the Fortis 7 AS with 7 m working width for tractors with at least 350 to max. 600 hp.
With a working depth of 4 to max. 30 cm the new Fortis 6 and 7 AS is ideal for shallow and all-over cutting as well as for deep loosening and primary tillage.
With regard to the packer, too, great importance was attached to flexibility. The customer can not only select the type of packer but can also decide if the packer is to be connected rigidly to the frame or pretensioned hydraulically. With the pretensioned version part of the weight of the front packer roller can be transferred to the rear one and thus for example a sinking in of the packer on very light sites can be avoided. Especially for packer combinations that combine deep consolidation with a shallow finish this is a real additional benefit.
To keep the levelling quality in this wide working range at a constant level, the tine holder of the fourth bar was extended. Thus, there always is enough loose earth in front of the levelling discs and the customers achieve an optimum result. The tine spacing of 27 cm is ideal for shallow tillage and an all-over cutting in all conditions but also takes account of the requirements for a low horsepower requirement in case of deep primary tillage.
For an impeccable soil adaption of the Fortis the farmer can chose between single and double front support wheels. Depending on the site and the conditions of use the range of use can vary. They range from a simple depth control of the machine via an exact maintenance of the working depth to a support of the machine in case of high working depths. The depth adjustment can either be carried out by means of the well-known clip system or fully hydraulically from the cabin. Like almost all cultivator models the Fortis, too, is equipped with an integrated traction reinforcement system which transfers up to 1.2 tons to the rear axle of the tractor and thus, efficiently prevents slippage.
Our customers about the new Fortis:
France
Yann Geoffroy and his son Viktor run a farm in the department Charente-Maritime and have been working with a Fortis since summer 2022. The machine has already worked more than 700 hectares to prepare the fields for sowing wheat, rape and barley.
“For 15 years, we have been using two Terrano 8 FX which are still working without any problems. Due to this machine we made an enormous agronomic step forward: it only cultivates the top layer of the soil and helps to improve the soil structure – even in the tyre tracks and at the end of the field. Due to the tine shape of the Terrano 8 FX the earth flows through the machine and you can work with a high operational speed. The earth is distributed excellently due to the deflectors that are not symmetrically.
The Fortis AS combines all the advantages of the Terrano 8 FX and even has some more assets. Due to the 4-row design there are more tines per meter (one tine every 27 cm instead of every 31 cm). This leaves enough space for high amounts of harvest residues.
The tyres now are integrated in the frame. This provides more stability and there are no protruding parts. We like that the wheels are only used for road transport. With the Terrano 8 FX this was not the case.
The double roller is a significant further development compared to the single RollFlex. The ring spacings of the RollFlex are very tight and it produces a lot of fine earth but also generates cloggings in wet conditions. The double roller of the Fortis leaves a somewhat coarse field however this can easily be compensated when sowing or when passing with another tool. At the end of the field this is a real asset to avoid soil compactions when turning directly on the roller. Moreover, the double roller stabilises the machine on slopes and prevents a lateral displacement.
The machine is more robust but also heavier. You need a Fendt 942 with tyres size 900 – and an appropriate ballast in the front as a good grip is required. We work with an operational speed of 12.5 km/h. The Fortis uses up between 80 and 100 % of the tractor power. It depends on the soils we are working on and the degree of compaction. We have a lot of medium loam-lime soils and some silty and clayey soils.
The front depth control wheels are large and help to keep the machine in the track. However, we noticed one small shortcoming: When you lift the machine on the headlands, you lose quite some time. You have to wait almost twice as long until the machine is lifted as the wheels use up the complete hydraulic power. This is a technical detail which in our opinion will be solved rather quickly. “
Romania
Stefan Lehr works on the farm SC Agrifarm S.R.L. in Dolj, in the south of Romania. The soils mainly consist of sandy-loamy black earth with 2 % humus and the region is characterised by relatively long dry periods. Up to three months might pass without any noteworthy rainfall. The summers are very high with up to 42°, the winters however are rather mild with up to -15°.
The arable land of the farm amounts to approx. 3420 ha, 95 % of that is cultivated with a plough. Winter wheat is cultivated on 1240 ha and thus on the largest part of the land. Moreover, the farm grows sunflowers on 680 ha, winter rape on 580 ha and winter barley on 540 ha. The remaining fields are used for chickpeas, mustard, legumes and fruits etc.
“Because of a problem with our Terrano 6 MT, we had the chance to test a HORSCH Fortis 7 AS this autumn from 25th of September to 5th of November 2022. The cultivator was equipped with a SteelFlex packer, 80 mm wide HM Plus coulters, a mechanical depth adjustment by means of clips and double feeler wheels. We removed the points wings at the TerraGrip tines as we aimed at a working depth of more than 25 cm. The Fortis 7 AS was pulled by a Challenger caterpillar tractor MT 865 E resp. a Quadtrac 9380 with an operational speed between 8 and 13 km/h. As we had plenty of rain, there was an above average plant vegetation in the fields consisting of grass, volunteer crops and volunteer sunflowers as well as orache, amaranth and nightshade. The working depth was about 28 cm. In total, we cultivated around 1300 ha with the Fortis 7 AS during the cultivation period in autumn. It was not necessary to replace the coulters. The machine had already worked 3000 ha before and at the end of the season had done a good 4.500 ha
What we particularly like about the HORSCH Fortis 7 AS is the robust design as well as the TerraGrip tines of the latest generation as these spring packs are considerably less prone to wear. But we were also convinced by the simple adjustment of the working depth by means of the well-proven clip system at the front control wheels and the packer roller. We would not prefer a hydraulic solution. For our purpose, turning on the running wheel instead of the packer rollers has a lot of advantages. Due to its design the HORSCH Fortis 7 AS runs like a trailer behind the tractor - on the double support wheels at the front and the SteelFlex roller in the rear. Thus, the relatively long cultivator perfectly adapts to uneven soils and guarantees an even working depth. Another asset is the “parking position” of the chassis in transport position. The stop points that are attached at the frame prevent that the tines touch the ground and thus a breaking of the tines is avoided. Another advantage is the large parking support with a crank-handle as well as the robust ball eye for the hitch bolt. We did not use the integrated traction reinforcement, but it surely is a beneficial device. We did not use the existing HorschConnect either as our tractors were not equipped with an appropriate socket.
However, besides the many plus factors we also noticed some weak points. On the one hand, in working position the chassis and the frame are so close together that the chassis touches the frame when lowering the cultivator. On the other hand, the hosing of the chassis cylinder rub on the middle frame. This might result in a bursting of the hoses. We have already discussed both points with the engineers so that they will be modified quickly. Moreover, the clip rod at the packer roller will be reinforced as at the moment it is too weak for such a weight. At our farm, the clip rod broke two times, and we then welded it firmly in place (we did not want to change the depth). It took getting used to the high centre of gravity of the machine during road transport. Two shells broke at the TerraGrip tine because of air pockets in the cast iron parts. Otherwise, the tines and the tine carriers convinced us due to their stability. We missed a depth limitation of the cultivator via the chassis as we always use our HORSCH Terrano 6 MT without the packer roller to create the winter furrow. This kind of winter furrow gathers the winter humidity in the furrow much better and creates a better micro-climate in the valleys in spring. Moreover, you can go earlier into the field on the dry earth ridges. An axle stub of flex roller broke but we did not have to stop working as the cultivator can absolutely continue to work without them. It took us only 30 minutes to mount the new replacement stub.
In total, we are very satisfied with the Fortis 7 AS and the result. The Fortis 7 AS is a well-thought through machine for shallow and deeper cultivation. The linkage, the tine layout as well as the whole design guarantee a constant working depth and allow for an excellent mixing of the soil.”