The Valtra B series is the Brazilian line of the Finnish tractor maker, sold beside the Finnish A, N, T and S ranges. It runs from the 65 hp BL to the 210 hp BT, and the same plant builds Valtra harvesters and sprayers as well.
Valtra B series at a glance
| Maker | Valtra do Brasil, Mogi das Cruzes |
|---|---|
| Lines | BL, BM, BH and BT |
| BL | 65–95 hp |
| BM | 100–125 hp |
| BH | 145–205 hp |
| BT | 150–210 hp, higher specification than BH |
| Other products | BC harvesters, BS sprayers |
| Factory opened | 1960, first model Valmet 360 D |
| Position in South America | second or third best-selling tractor brand |
| Parent company | AGCO |
The B series models have no Wikipedia articles of their own; the details come from the Brazil sections and model lists of the English and Finnish articles on Valtra.
History of the Valtra B series
A factory in Brazil
Valmet had been exporting several hundred tractors a year to Brazil by the late 1950s, and when the Brazilian government decided to nationalise tractor production and organised a tender for factories, Valmet’s project was one of those approved. Production began quickly in 1960 with the Valmet 360 D, at the plant in Mogi das Cruzes, which has built Valtra tractors ever since. Together with the works at Suolahti in Finland, it makes around 20,000 tractors a year.
The B lines
The Brazilian programme is separate from the Finnish one and uses its own model names. The B series covers four lines divided by power: the BL from 65 to 95 hp, the BM from 100 to 125 hp, the BH from 145 to 205 hp and the BT from 150 to 210 hp, which is described as having higher-end technology compared with the BH line. The same plant also builds the BC harvesters and the BS sprayers.
Place in the market
Brazil has long been one of Valtra’s strongest markets: in Brazil and South America the brand has been the second or third best-selling tractor make depending on the year, while it leads in Finland and Scandinavia. The tractors were sold as Valmets until 2001, when the name was changed to Valtra, and since 2004 the company has belonged to the American AGCO Corporation. Valtra tractors are sold in about 75 countries.
Design and features
- Separate range: the B series exists only in Brazil and is not part of the Finnish A, N, T and S programme.
- Four power classes: BL, BM, BH and BT from 65 to 210 hp.
- Higher specification: the BT line is described as more advanced than the BH.
- More than tractors: the plant also produces BC harvesters and BS sprayers.
Valtra B series versions
- BL: 65–95 hp, the smallest of the Brazilian lines.
- BM: 100–125 hp.
- BH: 145–205 hp.
- BT: 150–210 hp with higher-end technology than the BH.
- BC and BS: harvesters and self-propelled sprayers built alongside the tractors.
The Finnish ranges are described in the Valtra T series and Valtra A series pages, and the 1990s six-cylinders in Valtra 8350. More tractors are in the Valtra collection.
Sources
- Valtra, English Wikipedia: Brazilian model lines, Mogi das Cruzes factory, market position
- Valtra, Finnish Wikipedia: Brazilian factory history, name change in 2001
