A beautifully restored Landini L55 tractor exhibited at the EIMA show in Italy added historic interest to an exhibition focused on the latest in farm tractor and equipment technology.
But it had to vie for attention on the Argo Tractors stand with its modern-day equivalent turned out in the marque’s historic grey and yellow livery – as well as the lovely ladies who graced the exhibits to give the event a bit of motor show glamour.
When launched in 1954, the L55 was one of the most powerful tractors with a ’hot bulb’ engine, a large capacity single-cylinder semi-diesel that developed up to 60hp running at fewer than 1000rpm.
Although liked by many farmers in Continental Europe because of its fuel versatility and mechanical simplicity, ’hot bulb’ engines were not universally popular. To start the engine from cold, part of the cylinder head had to be heated using a blowlamp to initiate the combustion process; combustion heat kept the cycle going thereafter.
Within two years of the L55 tractor’s launch, Landini signed a licensing agreement with Perkins Engines to produce faster-running multi-cylinder diesels. It was the start of an association with the Peterborough firm that endures to this day – Landini manufacturer Argo Tractors sources almost all its four-cylinder engines from Perkins.
The high-tech 1104D-E44TA version used in the new Powermondial 120 is the most sophisticated used in a Landini tractor. It features an electronic fuel injection management system that produces two distinct power curves.
For draft work such as ploughing and cultivating, the 4.4-litre engine serves up to 112hp. But for operations that are easier on the transmission, the fuelling system is remapped to generate up to 121hp – an 8% or 9hp increase that enables the tractor to deliver performance equivalent to a more powerful and more expensive model.
The Dual Power feature kicks in automatically whenever the tractor operates a pto-driven implement or the driver engages the transmission’s top range for road travel.
The tractor shown at EIMA in Landini’s historic colours attracted a great deal of attention from young and older generation farmers alike. And showing it alongside the L55 emphasised the long experience of the Landini marque in producing tractors that serve up class-leading performance.
Photos show the beautifully restored Landini L55, which took pride of place on the Argo Tractors stand at the EIMA exhibition in Italy, and the new 112/121hp Landini Powermondial 120 exhibited in an historic colour scheme.
