On February 15th, the exhibition hall of UAB „Ivabaltė“, an agricultural machinery trading and service centre located in the village of Savyčiai, Kėdainiai district, resembled a cosy barn: it seemed as though balers and reapers had rolled through the entire hall, which is almost 2,000 square metres.
A truly wintery respite: rolls adorned with mirror trays, wine and soft drink glasses arranged on them refracted the light, sweet snacks tempted the sweet-toothed, children merrily scuttled across the straw „carpets“, and the farmers gathered here gazed at the castle that loomed to the high ceilings at the edge of the hall – one couldn't call the Fendt 6335 C combine harvester, covered with light fabric and awaiting its presentation, anything else, having gathered about 300 farmers from the country for the event.
Fallen curtain
The largest C-class „Fendt“ combine harvester, presented for the first time in Lithuania, was met with special attention and a celebratory mood. This was partly due to the confluence of beautiful holidays. Irmantas Tarvydis, CEO of UAB „Ivabaltė“, addressing the attendees, said: „If it hadn't been for February 16th, I wonder if we would have all the other holidays, or if we would be gathered here today...“
The protective cover was removed, and the „Fendt 6335 C“ was revealed in all its glory. Martin Engberink, AGCO Corporation’s Central European Sales Manager for Fendt combine harvesters, who attended the celebration, and Gintaras Dovydėnas, UAB „Ivabaltė“ product manager, who introduced the new machine alongside him, referred to it as the flagship of the C series, the beginning of a new stage in AGCO Corporation's combine harvester production.
Following improvements to advanced manufacturing processes, the C series becomes a next-generation technical solution, very attractive with its unified control system.
Later on, during a conversation with Liudvikas Špokas, a professor at Aleksandras Stulginskis University, a renowned expert on combine harvesters and this type of machinery, I had the opportunity to return to the same topic. „Imagine what a revolution this was in the machinery industry, providing such convenience for the farmer. When he gets off a Fendt tractor or a self-propelled forage harvester and gets into a combine harvester, he doesn't feel any inconvenience in operating it: the combine harvester's cabin is equipped in exactly the same way as other machines from this company,„ the professor remarked on the innovation.
Smart system
Unlike other models in the series, the Fendt 6335 C also features the new Fendt Varioterminal control console with a 10.4-inch high-resolution touchscreen terminal. It is divided into four sections, allowing the combine operator to monitor four machine operations simultaneously, such as: engine parameters and driving speed, threshing-separation system and cleaner settings, and the chopper's operating mode. The view from the standard rear-mounted or optional second camera can be displayed in one screen sector or over its entire area. All data displayed on the screen can be recorded as if in a logbook, and later analysed and evaluated by the operator.
The redesigned cab structure and all exterior details, the intelligent control system and the multi-function joystick – great attention for those who value the latest machine control solutions.
The new C-Class was first introduced in the autumn of 2012 in Germany.
„The “Fendt" C series are medium and high-capacity versatile combine harvesters for small and medium-sized farms. An important feature of these machines is that over 80% of all surfaces, including the straw walkers, are fully coated with a corrosion-resistant zinc coating, and all augers are coated with an abrasion-resistant alloy.
The design of the grain tank on the combine harvesters has also been altered: the 9000-litre capacity (the PL model has a capacity of 8600 litres) tank, with its centrally located auger, ensures even filling; operation of the 5-metre long, hydraulically folding unloading auger – its folding, and the start/stop of unloading – is controlled by pressing a button on the multi-function lever. The maximum unloading height reaches 4.45 metres.
The Fendt 6335 C was presented at the event – the most powerful and efficient in its entire series range. It should be noted that its engine is environmentally friendly, as advanced SCR technology has been implemented. The combine harvester will also participate in the „What You Sow...“ 2013 exhibition.
The service package was presented by Tomas Gineitis, Project Manager at Nordea Finance Lietuva, and Algis Čepulis, Head of Business for the Nordic Region at the insurance company If.
The „Fendt 6335 C“, presented at the festival in early May, will be heading to the Kupiškis district: the combine harvester was purchased by local farmer Almantas Bartaševičius, who manages a 240-hectare farm. He attended the festival with his student daughter, Gintarė. They enjoyed the festivities with the bustling crowd, who weren't deterred by the chill in the air, and sampled hot broth and smoky pancakes.
A great place for a celebration
The event's mascot – seemingly by chance – became devil and witch masks from the Rokiškis Region Museum's collections. They adorned not only the artistic invitation to the event but also a symbolic coin minted on the spot. One side of the coin bore the inscription „Fendt“, while the other featured a little devil and a little witch. Žemaitian masks from this museum's collections also decorated the festive trading and exhibition hall on mobile stands. „I have always been proud of „Ivabaltė's“ attention to business and the public. This celebration is not only for the farmer and his family members but also for the museum worker, cultural employee, journalist, and preserver of the tradition of chasing the winter out of the yard,“ said Nijolė Šniokienė, Director of the Rokiškis Region Museum.
The festival, which began with the name „Let's Clear Winter from the Yard,“ opened its doors to spring and the „Fendt 6335 C“ combine harvester. Both were sung about by „Žažumbrio Slibinai“ – the thieves of Anykščiai's narrow-gauge railway – and the „Drum Fever“ show exalted them to the rhythm of the drums.
The winner of this year's UAB „Ivabaltė“ masked carnival was Audronė, wife of Jonas Talmantas, a farmer from Pelėdnagiai eldership. She received a devil mask carved by Rimantas Zinkevičius, arguably Lithuania's most renowned wood sculptor. He carved two such masks: the second will be a gift to the newspaper that most beautifully and accurately conveyed the essence of the festive event.
Journalists from the Anykščiai district newspaper „Šilelis“, Rokiškis - „Gimtasis Rokiškis“, Kretinga - „Pajūrio naujienos“, Gargždai - „Banga“, Kėdainiai - „Rinkos aikštė“ and „Kėdainių mugė“, Kaišiadorys - „Atspindžiai“, Mažeikiai - „Būdas žemaičių“ and the magazine „Mano ūkis“ participated in the celebration.
