300-series Vario are among Fendt’s best sellers. The steplessly-transmissioned tractor scored well in many respects but on price it’s way off the mark.

Engine 10/10

As with the Deutz Agrofarm, the small Vario’s engine comes from Deutz. But the Fendt shares only the basics with the Deutz because the 310 has common-rail injection, four valves per cylinder, viscous fan and external exhaust gas recirculation.

The tractor cut a good figure in the lab tests with 84hp at rated rpm and fuel consumption down at 258g/kWh, substantially under the average. At 97hp peak performance it increased its lead with 238g/kWh (test average was 272g/kWh). It was a similar picture over the 6-point test – 270g/kWh took the 310 almost 9% under the group average of 296g/kWh.

The constant power output range of 33% is also impressive while the 50% torque rise at 43% rpm is an average figure for the test group. In terms of draft performance the Fendt put 70hp on the ground at rated rpm and for this took only 327g diesel out of the tank for every kWh. At 80hp peak performance consumption was still only 298g/kWh.

Transmission 10/10

The stepless transmission is more simply put together than is usually the case with Fendt. It has only one range but despite this it will reach 40kph at a thrifty 1700rpm. Basic functions are simple to master. Four-fifths of all 310s are, like our test machine, delivered with TMS engine-transmission control.

With this, the tractor can be set up with the throttle pedal or golf-ball-esque drive lever handling both engine revs and transmission ratios in combination. Alternatively the driver can control the two independently. TMS automatically regulates rpm and transmission ratios to get the best efficiency.

A small, squint-inducing dash display deals with all this information. Ideally, this could be simplified by the use of a simple button to switch between lever and pedal drive modes. In addition, a simple dial could be used to set the gearbox up for draft, transport and pto work.

Despite this, the ease of operation of the stepless transmission is top class, helped by two programmable cruise control speeds. Direction, meanwhile, is changed via a switch to the left of the steering wheel; the switch isn’t great for those with bigger hands.

Cab 7/10

There are no surprises in the cab, nor is it completely new now. But in this class it offers plenty of space. The door on the left could be wider but the seat offers good leg freedom. Fendt has still not found a decent solution for the passenger seat, though. In-cab storage is scarce, though our machine boasted a paperwork wallet.

Four worklights sit at the back and front of the roof as well as two on the grab rails and mudguards – all that is missing are clearly identified switches.

The 310 doesn’t have a computer terminal. Many of the settings are taken care of by four blister-pad buttons on the right-hand console and the small display on the dashboard. The whole thing could be more speedily accessed via a rotary dial and the display is often blocked by the steering wheel.

As for noise, the Fendt was a little better than the 77dB(A) group average with its 76dB(A).

Visibility forwards is fine but the consoles and mudguards hamper sight to the sides. You can see the lower links and the hitch clearly; however when a trailer is being tipped the air conditioning system overhanging the cab hinders the view skywards.

Hydraulics 7/10

The rear hydraulic arms have the usual Fendt hardware – there’s nothing to complain about here. A chunky electronic lever deals with linkage controls. On average, the arms lift 4.2t and still manage 3.8t at the low-end – pretty much the group average.

The 50 litres/min oil flow can be increased to almost 80 litres/min at the touch of a button that makes use of steering pump backflow. Some 45 litres of oil is available from the separate hydraulic oil reservoir – impressive.

Our 310 had four spool valves to the right of the seat. All use cable controls but the first two are combined on a single cross-lever.

Pto 9/10

Three-speed 540, 540E and 1000 pto is simply switched by a dial. While there is the option of a ground speed pto, no 1000E is available.

The pto is activated by blister-pad buttons. There is an auto function and buttons for external controls on both mudguards. As a handy extra, the “slurry pump” mode activates a pre-programmed pto speed as soon as the pto is activated from the outside.

4WD/diff-lock 8/10

Earlier Fendt tractors had four blister-pad buttons for 4wd and diff-lock. This meant auto and manual modes were clearly selected. Now there is only one badly-labelled button for each and there’s a danger of mixing them up. The automatic function (activated by the linkage and forward speed) have to be pre-selected awkwardly via the dash display.

Driving comfort 9/10

Our tractor was fitted with optional front axle and cab suspension, which obviously improved driving comfort. In fact Fendt was the only tractor offering both in the test group.

To keep the comparison fair, we operated with the axle suspension off. Even so, comfort was above average. The steering was also excellent (nearly four steering-wheel turns from lock to lock) but with a 12.33m turning circle the Vario needed more room to turn than some.

Plenty of leg action is required before the brakes finally pull the tractor up and when they do kick in, it’s an abrupt affair.

For more from out tractor test click here.