While some farmers may have seen the Turkish built Armatrac tractor at the recent Ploughing Championships, the good news is the appointment of an Irish importer and distributor is eminent. The discussions are almost complete and will be confirmed in the coming weeks.

This will bring to total of Turkish tractor manufacturers on the Irish market to three, alongside Hattat and Tumosan. Other tractor companies, such as New Holland and Valtra, also offer Turkish built tractors in their ranges.

For the Irish farmer the Armatrac tractor 904e, delivering 94hp, will be the most popular in the range. This tractor is powered by a Perkins 850 Series engine, through a Carrero transmission.

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The new Perkins 854E-E34TA engine is a 3.4 litre four-cylinder engine that is fully compliant with EU Stage IIIB, EPA Tier 4 Interim and MLIT Step 4 emission regulations due to come into force this summer. The engine is turbocharged and air-to-air charge cooled.

Perkins claims that the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) technology on the after treatment unit, performs through the whole cycle of the engine for maximum efficiency. The particulate filter consists of a porous ceramic silicon carbide wall flow, delivering a minimum of 90% removal of particulate matter and a minimum 3,000 hours of ash service interval.

It also contains a Diesel Oxidation catalyst to remove hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and the soluble organic fraction, with the gasses passing straight through the device rather than through the walls.

The four-wheel drive ArmaTrac 904e has a 12-forward, 12-reverse full synchromesh Carraro transmission, with powershift and a forward/reverse shuttle.

It comes with a 48.5 litre per minute hydraulic system with four hydraulic valves and 3,000kg of lift capacity through the CAT 2 linkage.

The independent and synchronised PTO runs at a 540 or 540e, which allows the tractor to work on lighter jobs with lower revs and therefore lower fuel consumption. The fuel tank capacity is 110 litres.

Most of the ArmaTrac904e functions are manually controlled via mechanical hand levers, including the pto, hydraulics and external valves. Brakes are hydraulically controlled, five-friction discs with an oil bath at each wheel.

ArmaTrac tractors are designed and manufactured by Erkunt Tractor Industry, Ankara. Erkunt was founded in 1953 to produce casting parts for the construction and automotive industry.

Today, this Ankara based firm has evolved into being a strategic partner to many companies, including CAT, AGCO Sisu Diesel, Volvo, Cummins, Perkins, Iveco, Valtra, MAN, Deutz, and ZF. Erkunt not only produces the cast elements, but also machines these cast components ready for JCB, Steyr, Same and Zetor.