Fendt Brings Autonomous Tractor and Combine Demo to Northwest Ohio Farmers

Fendt brought its Harvest Tour to Hancock County, Ohio, this week, demonstrating autonomous tractors, combines and grain carts to farmers weighing labor shortages against equipment costs. Yahoo reported the tour stop.

What Fendt Demonstrated in Hancock County

Brandon Booth, a Fendt senior marketing specialist, described the system as a normal tractor converted by an outfitted kit. "Autonomous. No one's in the tractor," Booth said. "So you can run it. So it's a normal tractor, but it's an outfitted system that we can turn that tractor into. So it can be ran with no one in the seat."

The tractor operates without a driver in the cab, and the combine controls where it can go during field operations. Booth said the offering removes one worker from the harvest operation. "So this is an offering that helps bring one less person that you need in the operation to keep the whole thing going," he said.

Levi Haselman of Next Gen Organic Farms LLC attended the demonstration to evaluate the equipment for his family's operation, which has farmed for generations and used organic practices for about nine years. He said he wanted to compare fuel efficiency and grain quality against his current combine while also assessing a new grain cart and autonomous tractor. "Today we're looking for fuel efficiency and grain quality, comparing that to our current combine that we got now," Haselman said.

Haselman said autonomous technology could extend beyond harvest to tillage and grain cart work, though farmers must weigh the cost of new equipment. "Labor is getting harder and harder to find. It's getting more and more expensive to hire full-time guys, extra guys," he said. "So it's a really cool thing to maybe see how this would work in like a tillage equipment or maybe you're possibly running the grain cart."

Fendt's Recent Product and Partnership Record

According to akta.pro company records, Fendt renewed a two-year partnership with the National Hot Rod Association in February 2026 as official tractor provider, with Fendt 314 Vario tractors supporting the NHRA Safety Safari at all national events and six midway displays planned for the 2026 season. The same records show AGCO's AgRevolution dealership network partners with AGCO at trade shows including the National Farm Machinery Show to showcase Fendt products and autonomous technology solutions. AGCO Power developed the Core80 engine in close cooperation with Fendt, and it powers the Fendt 800 Vario Gen5.

Fendt's Fall Product Rollout

Fendt and Massey Ferguson unveiled new planter machines at the 2026 Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa, in September 2026, with Fendt's 80ft Momentum planter targeting large-scale operations, Agriland.ie reported. Successful Farming reported that Fendt introduced the 300 Vario Gen5 compact tractors with 113-152 hp, FendtONE, smart farming and DynamicPerformance, with first deliveries beginning in 2027. Agriland.ie also reported that AGCO unveiled the second-generation Fendt 1100 Vario Multi-Track at the same show, with power ranging from 521 to 680hp.

Where the Harvest Tour Goes Next

The Fendt Harvest Tour will continue west through the Midwest, with additional planned stops before concluding in Fargo, North Dakota.