Extraordinary all-electric agria 9700e tool carrier brings versatility

Wednesday, 17 April 2024

Having designed the agria 9500 and 9600 radio- controlled hybrid grass and brush mowers eight years previously, Agria’s R&D team was very well equipped for the challenge of developing the all-electric agria 9700e tool carrier.

Launched late last year in the UK, the name ‘tool carrier’ doesn’t really do it justice because it is a power unit which connects existing equipment up to 300 kg via standard three-point linkage, CAT 1. The PTO drive is both variable and bi-directional giving operators full scope to maximise efficiency and work in tight spaces.

The 9700e is extraordinary because it reaches places totally off limits to an equivalent 30 hp tractor. For a start it can work safely on slopes up to 50°, so high banking and difficult gradients suddenly become possible. This opens up a brand-new set of possibilities for landscapers, contractors, and those challenged with keeping amenity and residential areas groomed and healthy.

Instantly with a flail mower attachment, like a Muthing Flail, unkempt areas can be tamed; unsightly vegetation can be shredded into fragments for faster decomposition. But it doesn’t just mow. Attachments can be swapped over to suit seasonality and the job in hand. The unit can be used to attach blowers, rakes, seeders, spiker tools, snow ploughs, giving it no end of usefulness across the calendar.

Andy Kerr, lead demonstrator for both Wiedenmann UK and Agria UK said it is the focus Health & Safety that really attracts customers, closely followed by its ‘all electric’ credentials and variety of task.

“Health & Safety is absolutely prioritised; the 9700e operates via a remote-control pad with joystick, allowing the operator to stand up to 100 metres away, always in a safe position.

“With its low centre of gravity, it can tackle steep inclines. Tilt and vibration sensors are built into the remote-control pad in case the operator accidentally trips or falls. When these sensors are triggered, the machine shuts down completely.

“Keeping employees safe always is imperative. Agria has cutdown the amount of both worry and H&S paperwork.”

Each full charge of the lithium-ion battery gives five hours of machine time in flail mode. An optional fast charger is available that charges the battery from 15% to 100% in just one hour.

“Specifically, the agria 9700e is carbon neutral and 100% electric. I really like its electric brushless drive technology; the constant low voltage requires little engine power to drive. The big advantage of this, say in a mowing situation, is that it allows maximum horsepower to be directed to the blades, giving excellent mulching of the grass, and leaving negligible amounts on the surface. And this will work in the same way for other types of attachments, too,” continued Andy.

Stepless and brushless- electric drive means the process is incredibly quiet and can work in low noise areas so outside schools and residential areas.