Sloped Down Hoods Catching On Fast

Sloped down hoods catching on fast TRACTORS Accessories 16-1-21 Sloped-down tractor hoods, which FARM SHOW first told you about nearly two years ago (Vol. 14, No. 3) when a Norwegian farmer came up with the idea, are catching on fast with major tractor manufacturers all over the world. At least five tractor manufacturers exhib ited models with sloping hoods at the recent DLG show in Germany, including Massey Ferguson and Ford. Cutting down hoods increases forward visibility, which is especially handy with front-mount equipment. The idea originated with air-cooled Deutz tractors, be-cause they don't have an up-front radiator, making the conversion easy. Deutz has come up with its own factory sloped-down models but now other manufacturers are sloping the hoods on water-cooled, gas engines by relocating the radiators and other up-front components. MF's new 85-hp. 3065 "Datatronic" tractor, which was shown at the DLG show but won't be on the market until February, 1992, has a water-cooled engine. It features a new-style radiator and air filter and costs about $1,500 more than non-sloped models. Fiat, Landini, Same, Steyr, MF and Ford noted their success and have followed up with their own designs. Ford is the first manufacturer to sell a sloped-hood tractor in the U.S. with the introduction of its new tractor series late last fall. In addition, some company dealers are making their own conversions. Deutz officials, who brought out the first sloping hood tractors in 1990, say 25 per-cent of its new tractors sold in Europe now sport the new sloped design. The company has four sloped hood models on the market.

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