The Valtra 8350 was a six-cylinder tractor of the 8000 series, built from 1998 to 2003. With 130 hp from a 6,598 cm³ engine and a 250-litre fuel tank, it sat in the middle of the range; the first examples were sold as Valmets, the last as Valtra.
Valtra 8350 at a glance
| Maker | Valmet, Suolahti, Finland |
|---|---|
| Series | 8000 |
| Production | 1998–2003 |
| Engine | six-cylinder turbocharged, 6,598 cm³ |
| Power | 130 hp |
| Fuel tank | 250 litres |
| Brand | Valmet; Valtra from 2001 |
| Series neighbours | 8050 (119 hp), 8150 (125 hp), 8450 (140 hp), 8550 (150 hp) |
| Company | part of AGCO since 2004 |
The 8350 has no Wikipedia article of its own; its figures come from the Finnish table of Valmet tractors and the history from the English and Finnish articles on Valtra.
History of the Valtra 8350
The 8000 series
The 8350 belonged to the Valmet 8000 series, a family of six-cylinder tractors produced from the mid-1990s to 2004. The series used a 6,598 cm³ engine in most of its models, among them the 8050 of 119 hp, the 8150 of 125 hp, the 8450 of 140 hp and the 8350 itself with 130 hp, while the larger 8550, 8750, 8800, 8850 and 8950 moved to a 7,368 cm³ engine. The 8350 was built from 1998 to 2003 and carried a 250-litre fuel tank, one of the largest in the range at the time.
Under two names
The tractors were still sold under the Valmet name when the 8350 went into production, and they changed brand during its life: in 2001 the tractors were renamed Valtra. The same tractor was therefore delivered first as a Valmet and later as a Valtra, without the model changing. Production took place at Suolahti in central Finland, where tractor assembly had been moved from Jyväskylä in 1969, and in 2004 the company became part of the American AGCO Corporation.
Innovation in the series
The 8000 series was also where Valmet introduced one of its best-known innovations. The 8750 Sigma Power of 1996 was the first tractor in the world with PTO boost, which engaged automatically when at least 30 horsepower was being transmitted to the power take-off. Valtra — like Valmet before it — had been a pioneer of turbocharging as well: the Valmet 1100 of 1969 was the world’s first turbocharged four-cylinder tractor, and the Valmet 602 Turbo of 1979 the first turbocharged three-cylinder.
Design and features
- Six-cylinder engine: 6,598 cm³ turbocharged, 130 hp.
- Large fuel tank: 250 litres for long working days.
- Middle of the series: between the 125 hp 8150 and the 140 hp 8450.
- Two brand names: sold as a Valmet until 2001 and as a Valtra afterwards.
Valtra 8350 versions
- Valmet 8350 (1998–2001): the original Valmet-badged version.
- Valtra 8350 (2001–2003): the same model under the new name.
- 8550 and 8750: larger six-cylinders of the same series with a 7,368 cm³ engine.
The six-cylinder line later continued as the Valtra T series, and the Brazilian line is described in the Valtra B series page. More tractors are in the Valtra collection.
Sources
- Valmet (traktori), Finnish Wikipedia: engine, power, fuel tank and production years
- Valtra, Finnish Wikipedia: change of name to Valtra in 2001
- Valtra, English Wikipedia: Suolahti plant, AGCO ownership, PTO boost and turbocharging history
