In this blog, we look back through the long and continuous history of Valtra’s front loader tractors. We highlight the main milestones in engineering and technology developments in tractor front loaders from the 1950s right up to the modern-day technologically advanced smart front loaders offered by Valtra.
The front loader concept was already well underway in the 1950s
Nordic history concerning farm and industrial loaders is spectacular - and was already well underway when Volvo bought Bolinder Munktell in 1950. Soon thereafter the first wheel loaders were born. They based much on tractor parts and looked like “a tractor with a rear end loader”. Anyhow, once the two concepts were divorced, wheel loaders developed their path and tractors their own. Both reached huge achievements. In farming, front-end loader started to appear early 50s However, with two-wheel drive tractors, the solution was not yet really ready to conquer the world.
Valmet’s three early partners formed a good foundation for front loader tractor development.
In the early days in Finland, Valmet had three Finnish partner companies to deliver front loaders. One such company was Lankisen konepaja, (later Vilakone) which developed into the current Wille Machines Oy. Another one was Syväsen konepaja (which was also know by the brand name James), which later was incorporated to Lännen Engineering. These companies were approved partners when Valtra’s line of contractors' machinery was blooming from the early 1960s to the 1980s.
In the meantime, the backhoe, a tractor fitted with a kind of excavator was invented, and it also became very popular in all Nordic countries. Special industrial-type tractor models were introduced, and Valmet started to develop and sell backhoe-loaders, so in the 1970s and 80s machines fitted with both backhoe and front loader were available. This is still a valid concept and today Valtra Unlimited offers a really up-to-date solution here.
From the 1950s, front loader tractors were particularly strong in Sweden.
In Sweden, the story of farm-use front-end loaders was particularly strong. It strongly centres on Karl-Ragnar Åström, who in 1949, after some in-farm experiments, started to produce good devices up in the north, in Brännland next to Umea. . In the first years of industrialization, tractors needed to be sent to his workshop, later known as Ålö AB, to fit the loader to them. In 1958 a new idea was launched - a loader that was easy to mount and dismount to the tractor - and in 1963 the patented Quicke system was fully ready for the market. Then the sales started to boom and today the company works under name JOST Umeå AB and claims to be the number one front loader factory in the world.
Four-wheel drive accelerates front loader tractor capabilities.
Four-wheel drive was the real kick for front end loaders, and they started to really to grow both in capacity and sales volumes. The Volvo BM Valmet 05 Series, launched 1982, was the world’s first middle size tractor which was designed as a four-wheel drive model right from the start. So, this tractor was immediately a popular base for front loader units. Five years later in its domestic market of Finland, Valmet discontinued the work with previous distributor Hankkija and founded a “direct sales” organization. The new company had no workshops in the country, so front loaders needed to be fitted at the factory.
ALO AB was already a supplier to Valmet and as the 1990s approached it became a very close partner. The developers of loaders and tractors started to work closely together. Valmet was the first in the world, to deliver complete tractors with integrated front loaders to all markets. The advantages were many: a fast delivery with a complete unit with better finish and painting. All units were fitted the same way with equal quality and covered by one warranty. In the early years of the 1990s, Valmet’s Customer Order system developed fast. Mass tailoring covered both tractor and loader. One could get just what was needed for an efficient front loader tractor unit. The Finnish loader suppliers steped back, although they retain their position with the niche “industry loaders” for heavy usage.
An interesting sidestep was the re-introduction of the rear-end loader in the 1980s. That was reminiscent of the forerunner wheel loaders of Volvo BM, and even Valmet and Ålö AB built the prototypes for Valtra reverse drive concept. Anyhow, this idea was not commercially able to fly, but the Valmet / Valtra TwinTrac reverse drive concept has been a success story since that day. Today, more than one-fifth of new Valtra N Series tractors have TwinTrac! By the way, its worth noting other less successful studies have been made on rear-end loader, both inside and outside AGCO.
More hydraulic output and full electronic control
In 2001 Valmet changed to Valtra and soon the tractors got a new design, and more importantly from a loader perspective, more hydraulic output. Full electronic loader control was introduced together with the launch of the N and T Series. . In the N Series, the front axle position was changed further to the front, giving better weight balance and better agility. The T Series followed finally in 2014. By then, all of Valtra’s main “loader models” could offer outstanding agility - just as great with or without a front loader. A new cab was introduced with the “T4” which offered the biggest roof window on the market. Now even “high lifters” could follow the load all the way up. The N Series got the same great visibility window one year later, followed by the A Series in 2017. So now both visibility and the hydraulic capacity were not just good but the best on the market.
At the same time the front loaders developed to be stronger, better looking, and more versatile. Following the path marked out by Valtra, AGCO sister brands started to work with our Swedish partner. But Valtra’s strength is, as it has been from the beginning, a full cover factory fitted portfolio, and also in the last 30 years, the super-simple but genial air suspended front axle. With the air-suspended front axel, you know it works - summer or winter, with full or empty bucket!
Strong front loaders get smarter
Could the professional farmer, a heavy front loader user, still ask for more? Valtra’s high lifting capacity up to 4.75 meters or 3.5 tons of load, and 100 to 200 l/min hydraulic flow controlled by the best electronic CANbus fingertip easiness, was already achieved years ago thanks to the well-thought-out, tractor-integrated Valtra design. However, there is indeed more that could be done - a need for Smart Farming!
First, the “Hydraulic assistant” was introduced. This Valtra feature utilises CAN technology to recognise when the operator asks for high-speed movements, and provides the user with a boost by increasing engine revs automatically, which in turn, creats more oil flow. Patented skills were incorporated. When the tractor is on the move, it can keep the ground speed stable even when engine revs increased by shifting down the powershift.
But it is high time to introduce precision farming into front loaders. From the early days, farming logistics have been paid by the mass. Yield needs to be measured, whether you sell your harvest or feed the cattle with it! So, three years ago Valtra introduced a solution that answered farmers' very basic and old challenge: how to know what the weight is!
With Valtra Precision Lift and Load, (PLL) you can way your forklift or bucket load, save the masses, and use them in any calculations. Without further explanation the advantages are clear! But this is not all! No doubt Valtra PLL has many safety features Karl-Ragnar maybe thought of, but now they are finally here. For example, you can set the height limit for when you work in a building. And the ultimate ergonomics are enhanced with semi-automatic movements. It cannot be easier! But even the Swedes of the old days could not imagine that you can map where your front loading took place! You will know where the valuable foodstuff is located and how much there actually is. And, of course, by automatically rememberingthe location you can find the bale grip again when you need it again after few months!
Valtra now offers option packages for front loaders that make choosing and equipping your front loader tractor easier and more cost effective. Ask your dealer about Valtra front loaders today.
