Off to the south pole – again

 This month, 56 years since the launch of the Massey Ferguson brand, an MF 5610 tractor (110hp) will make a similar trek. The 5000km return journey will begin at Novo Base late November and reach the geographical south pole about mid December.

The aim is to highlight the need for technologies and services to enable farmers to produce more food. During its few weeks on the ice the MF 5610 will clock up as many hours operation as an average year’s work on many farms.

 Also supporting Antarctica2 are Trelleborg, Castrol, AGCO Finance, AGCO Parts and Fuse Technologies.

 “Antarctica2 is a bold and exciting mission full of exceptional challenges and we are proud to be part of it,” says Warwick McCormick, vice president and managing director for AGCO-Massey Ferguson. “It reflects the spirit of our brand and our desire to achieve, no matter how difficult or demanding the path.” 

The MF 5610 has been prepared by Massey Ferguson at AGCO’s Beauvais tractor plant in France.

Expedition ambassador and lead driver is Manon Ossevoort – ‘Tractor Girl’ – who once drove a tractor from her childhood home in the Netherlands to South Africa. Also in the party are seasoned polar explorers Matty McNair (lead guide) and her daughter Sarah McNair-Landry (guide and audio-visual support), Nicolas Bachelet (lead mechanic) and Simon Foster (creative director and audio-visual lead). Expedition specialists Arctic Trucks will provide guidance and safety support.

“It was my dream to drive a tractor to the end of the world, and I was inspired by Sir Edmund Hillary’s mission,” Manon says. “My journey has inspired other people to talk about their dreams, so I set about collecting these dreams with the goal of taking them to the South Pole.”

The MF 5610 has been cold weather tested under the supervision of Massey Ferguson engineering project manager Olivier Hembert. “The polar environment demands the kind of straightforward, dependable engineering for which MF machines are famous,” he says. “Our tractors regularly work in very low temperatures on farms inside the Arctic Circle, for example.”

Icy challenge

Temperatures down to -40^oC, altitude of 3400m and deep soft snow will challenge the tractor. 

Its 3-cylinder engine remains unaltered but the cab, electrics, air intake and filtration are adapted to withstand the freezing conditions. 

Key partner Trelleborg worked with MF to develop multi-purpose tyres for maximum traction and safety. 

Tyres are more efficient for this kind of expedition than tracks because they are capable of higher speeds, use less fuel and provide suspension.  

The tractor will run on Jet A1 fuel.

The expedition also calls on AGCO’s parts supply and technical capabilities. Parts will be carried and maintenance done twice daily. 

The AgCommandtelematics system will relay performance data to a 24-hour support team at the tractor factory in Beauvais and enable them to monitor progress across the ice. 

A special version of AgCommand will allow the engineers to regularly analyse data on fuel consumption, forward speed and oil temperature.