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The Maxxum 145 Multicontroller can do a lot with very little. Fitted with the new eight-speed powershift ActiveDrive 8 transmission, it produced the best fuel economy for a four-cylinder tractor ever seen in the DLG Powermix tests.

ActiveDrive8 offers eight powershift steps in each of three ranges, providing a total of 24 speeds in both forward and reverse. The transmission incorporates a number of features designed to make the tractor more efficient and the driver more relaxed.

Covering speeds up to 10.2 km/h, range one is specifically designed for heavier draft work. For very low speeds, such as with vegetable crop work, ActiveDrive 8 is also available with additional creep speeds. Range two, the main working range, covers nearly 90% of all field and loader requirements, allowing the tractor to work under full load, without any torque disruption, from 1.6-18.1 km/h. For road travel, the transmission is designed to start in range three, and a skip-shift function allows quick progress through the powershift speeds. An auto shift feature means the tractor can be set to progress automatically through any set of eight speeds in the field, and through all 16 gears in the top two ranges on the road. A pedal kick-down function can be used to over-ride the transmission automation and cause it to downshift.

In terms of operation, the clutch pedal is not required, making the transmission suited to power-hungry tasks where momentum is important, such as cultivations or mowing with twin or triple mowers. A true power shuttle ensures no loss of drive or traction during changes of direction on slopes, while ´Active Clutch’ improves ease of stopping and safety at road junctions, or when stacking bales with a loader. Both shifting and shuttle can be modulated for a faster or slower response according to the task in hand.

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