Dune-like mounds of earth, metres high, gravel and dirt everywhere. Every second, dust is thrown up into the air somewhere on the wideranging construction site. Again and again, one seems to hear the growling of wild animals. But something is still missing for a perfect desert scene. No camels or Bedouins to be seen far and wide. Instead two powerful draft horses from the Allgäu do their work in this barren landscape. What sounds like an adventure in the desert is actually a large construction site for the National Garden Show 2019 in Heilbronn.

The Stuttgarter construction company, Wolff & Müller, is responsible for the rough modelling of the site, has two Fendt tractors in operation here since the beginning of the year. A Fendt 933 Vario is being used with a lime spreader for improving the ground, a Fendt 939 Vario ensures a perfect subgrade with a mounted milling machine. For the Stuttgarter construction pros, the two tractors from Marktoberdorf were a great find. “The Fendt tractors are very well suited for this expansive construction site, since, thanks to their high speed, they can be used very flexibly,” says Philip Kircher, Head Construction Manager at Wolff & Müller, who is responsible for the management of earth-moving operations. He was the one who bought the two Fendt tractors. “I have a lot of experience in flood management. Tractors have been used successfully there for a longer time already,” says Kircher.

But not only the construction supervisor is enthusiastic about the engineering from the Allgäu. Marcel Stier and Steffen Sinn are too. These two road builders are namely the true masters over the white tractors with the red rims. They are both real tractor experts – that is absolutely clear after just a few sentences. Marcel Stier is 28 and, like his colleague, a true Hohenloher. But they not only have the work together at the construction site in Heilbronn in common. They also both grew up on a farm. So they are very familiar with agricultural machinery and the versatile use of implements. At home in Waldenburg, Marcel Stier has a 50 hectare part-time farm on which a Fendt 312 Vario has been operating since this spring. He explains what counts on the construction site in daily operation: “We need power; that is what is crucial here on the construction site.” The two men regularly take their Fendt tractors to the load limit. The 933 Vario has more than 2000 hours under its belt; its stronger partner already has more than 1500 hours. “For me there’s nothing better than Fendt,” raves Steffen Sinn, who likes the ride comfort and the unified operating interface the best. The 19-year-old is new at Wolff & Müller, just like the two tractors. The young man from Oberheimbach near Wüstenrot has been driving the 933 Vario since February. He also grew up with farming and now assists his uncle on his farm. The machines from Marktoberdorf do their job so well because the two operators take good care of them. “You have to treat the tractors as if they were your own,” says Marcel Stier. That is why both Fendt tractors are cleaned and checked every evening.

The earth-moving work in Heilbronn, which will be completed by the end of the year, places special demands on both operators and machines. “The ground conditions are very difficult,” explains Steffen Sinn. However, thanks to strong PTO power, the stony ground is no problem for the Fendt tractors. Even though things are quite rugged and dusty for rough earth-moving work, the two operators really appreciate one unique feature: “Thanks to the stepless Vario transmission, we can drive extremely slowly with the Fendt tractors. That is extremely helpful and practical for certain kinds of work. The Fendt can drive so slowly that even snails could crawl over its wheels,” jokes Marcel Stier. When the two Fendt tractors have finished their work on the grounds for the National Garden Show, they will go on to the next construction site, together with their friendly drivers, Marcel Stier and Steffen Sinn. Because the National Garden Show in Heilbronn is just the beginning. “In the future, we will be using our tractors on other construction sites,” says Construction Manager Philip Kircher.