02 Series introduced new features each year in the 1970s

Valmet adopted the model series approach with the 100 Series back in the 1960s. The second model series was the 02 Series in the 1970s. As with its predecessor, the 02 Series introduced new tractors and features each year throughout its production run. While the cab on the bigger 100 Series models were marketed as the farmer’s office, a truly ergonomic cab was introduced only with the 02 Series. The working conditions inside the new windtight, warm and quiet cab were the best on the market. Other tractor brands also began marketing “winter cabs”, but they were no where near the level of the cabs on the 02 Series or the closely related Volvo BM.

A cutaway drawing of the Valmet 702 hand drawn by Antamo Vaajakallio in 1976.

Customers were used to the fact that tractors in several different size classes were available from the same tractor brand at the same time. The 02 Series kicked off with the smallest tractor model in 1971, when the Valmet 502 entered the market. Demand for this model, boasting the quietest cab on the market, was strong. The cab floor was flat, and hydrostatic steering came as standard. Even more attention was paid to the conditions for the driver, and proper ergonomics were introduced on tractors.

The Valmet 702 introduced a year later in 1972 was a natural addition to the model series. This model also featured a new quiet and warm cab. For the first time, proper attention was paid to cleaner emissions with a new engine. When the Valmet 1102 was introduced in 1973, the 02 Series could boast three “ergonomic” models. The two biggest models featured 4-cylinder engines, with turbocharging on the biggest model. Customers could then choose the tractor that best suited their individual needs.

The 02 Series was further expanded in 1975 with the launch of the Valmet 702S, which featured a turbocharged engine producing 102 hp (SAE). The new model was considered more suitable for farming, whereas the Valmet 1102 was better for contracting. A six-wheeled model with a bogey axle, the Valmet 1502, was introduced at the same time. Although it was the first Valmet tractor to feature a six-cylinder engine, demand was weak. However, a four-wheel-drive version of the Valmet 1102 was launched the following year, which had the pulling power to meet the needs of customers looking for the biggest tractor. Further opportunities were seen in the contracting market, leading to the development of industrial models, including diggers, loaders and even modified airport tractors based on the Valmet 1102.

The model series gained another new model in 1978 with the launch of the Valmet 602, which was designed for smaller farms. Its three-cylinder engine produced 58 hp DIN (approximately 65 hp SAE). Compared to the Valmet 502, its engine capacity increased to 3.3 litres with a longer bore. In the same year, the Valmet 702 and 702S models were offered for the first time with four-wheel-drive. As a result, the 02 Series came to comprise ten tractors in total: 6 different basic models, of which the 4 biggest were also available with four-wheel-drive.