VIDEO: Kirovets resurfaces Down Under

Built out of a factory in St Petersburg, Russia, the Kirovets brand of tractors is re-entering the Australian market in a higher horsepower category, more specifically 300 to 428hp.

They now feature Mercedes-Benz engines and a much better assembly than before, says Australian distributor APCO Machinery.

"The issue with Belarus was, it was often assembled pretty poorly but you'd get it right with a bit of reassembly," says Alex Milne from APCO Machinery.

"The biggest change has just been putting the factory under some rigorous quality control and getting rid of all the old practices that were letting them down."

Making its debut at the 2017 Wimmera Machinery Field Days, the Kirovets K-744R boasts a 12.8-litre six-cylinder Mercedes Benz engine that offers up to 428hp. It comes with a mechanical transmission with sixteen forward and eight reverse speeds in four ranges. The gearbox features all spur gears for maximum strength and power.

The new frame consists of welded solid box section steel to provide sturdy support for the body of the tractor and all other components.

Automatic locking "no spin" axles keeps tyres in a straight-ahead position, hence providing excellent traction.

The hydraulic system is a load sensing type with four outputs, supplied by a Bosch-Rexroth axial flow pump with 180 litre/min capacity.

Inside the cab, controls are large and clearly labelled, making for a no-fuss operation.

"We're not going for farmers who want the latest computerised systems, instead we're going for people who want something more simple," Milne says.

"The only computer on this tractor is on the engine itself, and apart from that it's mechanical systems that people will be used to which won't be giving you sensor failures, and have tractors shut themselves down because the computer tells it to."

According to APCO Machinery, the Kirovets K-744R retails for about 60 per cent of the price of most other tractors on the market in the same horsepower category, which the company says will really catch the attention of farmers.

"For the 428hp machine, the list price is about $A270,000," Milne says.

"The response has been out of control. A lot of people are responding well to the simplicity and elimination of the computers."

Milne adds there are plans down the road to bring in a 500hp workhorse, as well as mid-range tractors ranging from 180 to 250hp.

"This [lower horsepower range] is new even for the Russian factory, as they've never built anything in that category before," Milne says.

APCO Machinery has so far secured several dealers in South Australia and Victoria for the Kirovets K-744R, and the plan moving forward is to expand its reach to the rest of Australia in the next six months.

Find out more at kirovets.com.au