Test drive with smooth self-propelled Agrifac Condor Vanguard

A test drive was made with the very first automonous sprayer Agrifac Condor Vanguard. An impression. - Photos: Jacco van Erkelens- Photo's: Jacco van Erkelens — A test drive was made with the very first automonous sprayer Agrifac Condor Vanguard. An impression. - Photos: Jacco van Erkelens

Sprayer manufacturer Agrifac presented a new field sprayer last year. The self-propelled Condor Vanguard fills the gap between the Condor V and the Endurance. Yet this machine, which is only 2.55 meters wide, is more than an intermediate model. A test drive was made with the very first Vanguard. An impression.

Agrifac is known for its beet harvesters and field sprayers. The trailed sprayers are now a thing of the past, the focus is entirely on self-propelled vehicles. In the factory in Steenwijk, a large number of sprayers are ready for completion, and then delivery. A specific sprayer is reserved for us: the very first Condor Vanguard produced.

Legislation in France determine

Before the introduction, Agrifac’s range consisted of two models: the Condor V (the Roman number five) and the Endurance. There was a gap between the maximum 5,000 liter tank of the Condor V and 8,000 liters of the Endurance. The Vanguard fills this with a model with a 6,000 liter tank.

The biggest challenge during the development of the Vanguard was mainly the regulations in France. There it is mandatory to stay within 2.55 meters width if you want to drive 40 km/h. The other two sprayers are at least 3 meters wide.

The requirement to stay within 2.55 meters on the road means that the folding sections of the booms must be longer. After all: the shorter the tree parts, the thicker the pile on the side of the tank. That is the reason to build a longer chassis: you can fit longer tree parts on it. The platform behind the cabine has disappeared, and space has been made for a longer and narrower tank with an integrated clean water tank. The tank is more forward and thus also ensures a better weight distribution.

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Due to legislation in France, the Vanguard was not allowed to become wider than 2.55 meters during transport. For that reason, the folding parts of the boom have been made longer. This way you have a less thick pile on the side. The sprayer is therefore longer: plus 80 centimeters compared to the Condor V.

More compact pump set

There are two centrifugal pumps on the machine: one for spraying and one for filling. Due to the narrower chassis, the pump set has been modified. It is narrower and shorter. The piping is also shorter, so that fewer liquids remain in the system. You connect the hose between the rear wheels to the sprayer.

Before you get out, you can indicate in the computer how much water you want to load, or how much water is allowed in the tank in total. If you want to have a maximum of 2,500 liters in the tank, the computer itself calculates how much is in the tank and how much needs to be loaded. You can also have the clean water tank, which is in the tank of the Vanguard, filled automatically.

Then you connect the hose and fold up the beautifully finished cabinet that hides the keg cleaner. Here you can fill the sprayer using a small, compact touchscreen. In the meantime, add the plant protection products via the container cleaner.

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The GreenFlowPlus pump set has been updated and made more compact. The filters (just out of the picture) are also more accessible. The lifting device above has also been renewed.

Automatic bleeding

The centrifugal pump on the back of the sprayer for loading water has a chamber that holds water. A centrifugal pump cannot pump air and is normally not self-priming. Agrifac solves this by adding a water chamber.

If air does get into the system, this can be remedied automatically. A new venting program has been integrated into the EcoTronicPlus-terminal for this purpose. Because the pump system was overhauled anyway, the filters are also better positioned. The suction filter and the pressure filter are more accessible.

Drive pedal responses smoothly

Just behind the cab, a 6.7 liter six-cylinder from Cummins roars. Agrifac has been using Cummins-engines for the Condor-sprayers since 2020. The engine drives a Linde hydrostatic transmission. With the accelerator pedal you can drive steplessly from 0 to 40 km/h in road mode. The accelerator pedal is arranged exponentially. At low speeds, such as entering a shed or entering a roundabout, you can dose the pedal well without having to change the driving range.

You can now switch from road to field mode while driving. For that you have to drive under 10 kilometers per hour and have your foot on the accelerator pedal. Pressing and holding the range switch button will switch you to field mode, then drive the drive lever and use the 4-wheel steering. The reason behind this is that previously you had to stop and it took a while for the machine to switch to field mode, for example to turn into a tight dam with four-wheel steering. Practice has shown that motorists then become impatient to overtake, resulting in dangerous situations. Agrifac solves this so cleverly.

Available from € 450.000

You quickly feel at home in the cockpit of the Vanguard. After some explanation, the EcoTronicPlus-operating system is easy to understand and the machine is easy to operate. The pendulum suspension, hydraulic shock absorbers and air suspension do their job comfortably. We drove with an R&D- (research & development) machine, which means that some things are still being tested on this sprayer. Agrifac has now built five Condor Vanguards, two of which are already in service with end customers.

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The EcoTronicPlus control system is central to the Claas cabin of the Condor Vanguard. We find the same armrest and controls in the Condor V. After some explanation we quickly find our way.

The so-called J-boom boom is available from 24 to 55 meters working width. The in-house air support system is not yet available on the Vanguard. This AirFlowPlus boom will be available from 2024.

An Agrifac Condor Vanguard in the basic version with 36 meter boom width, 25 centimeter nozzle distance, FastFold, automatic balance control, container cleaner, automatic greasing and section control is in the price list from gross € 450,000. The machine can already be ordered.