TerraGator C Series: The Best Get Better

New agronomic technology and methods are changing the agricultural landscape, placing even greater demands on the nutrient programs that support crop and forage productivity.

With that in mind, AGCO^® has designed the new TerraGator C Series of floaters from Challenger^® to deliver the agronomic and operational benefits growers need. The high-capacity, self-propelled applicators can run both liquid and dry systems with unmatched precision and section control in any crop, terrain or climate. 

With its high ground speeds and improved mixing and reload features such as the OptiLoad^™ keypad for controls and digital tank level, the new series helps hit those narrow application windows that can make or break crop yields and profitability. Options include three horsepower levels in the series’ robust three-wheel models (TG7300C, TG8300C and TG9300C), plus the TG8400C, which, with four wheels and the longest wheelbase in its class, expertly handles hilly or uneven terrain.

“The total cost of ownership of the TerraGator C Series—when you consider the number and types of product this machine can handle, the acres involved and the resulting bushels of grain harvested—just can’t be beat,” says Mark Mohr, AGCO tactical marketing manager for application equipment, North America. “We’ve improved this machine throughout, even something as simple but important as more-robust boom pins,” he says. Increasing the boom-pin size on liquid system booms from 1³/₈ inches to 1³/₄ inches increased durability and uptime.

The new Generation 3 TerraGator Boom also features seven spray sections for more precise product placement, which means better crop health, less wasted product and more acres applied per load and per day. Boom heights are adjusted hydraulically, with automatic height-control options available. The full-boom breakaway allows for 30 degrees of relief to dampen acceleration and the forces of high-productivity operation and to ensure longer service life. Boom stops are now moved back to the system out of the operator’s forward view.

The AirMax^® Precision dry pneumatic systems continue to deliver productive and precise product placement with lower total cost of ownership, Mohr says. Enhancements include a new robust fan mount and corrosion-resistant hydraulic components. New Leader^® spinner-spreader system enhancements include corrosion resistance and the ability to adjust the spread and swath of dry product to replicate the placement of 16 sections.

Fast, accurate, easy to operate

Professional applicators who field-tested the new machines report gains in productivity and accuracy while treating customers’ fields. “The CVT transmission is a lot faster when outlining a field because you don’t have to stop before changing direction,” says Scott Melvin, with Sun Ag Inc. in El Paso, Illinois. Eric Batchelder, with Van Horn Inc. in Warrensburg, Illinois, says, “It’s just a real accurate machine. If you set 250 gallons to the acre … that’s what you come out with.” 

The TerraGator C Series cab shares a common layout and ergonomics with RoGator C Series applicators and Challenger 1000 Series tractors.

Operator control of all TerraGator C Series chassis and machine functions, as well as guidance options, now runs through the Challenger AccuTerminal.^™ The 10.4-inch touchscreen is mounted on the floating armrest with the multifunction joystick and keypad for convenient fingertip control. Product control is provided through the large Raven Viper^® 4+ field computer with customizable map-based views. Long days are made easier in a comfortable cab with enhanced air-ride suspension, itself similar in ergonomics and layout to that of the RoGator^® C Series applicators and Challenger 1000 Series tractors.

“We are bringing the whole fleet into a common operating experience,” says Mohr, with controls at your fingertips and machine functions in clear view for better accuracy and productivity. “This makes it more consistent when training workers to operate machines, and makes everyone more productive while providing the best crop care possible.”