Fendt revolutionizes agricultural hydraulics with the e-LS connect.

Fendt, the German agricultural machinery manufacturer belonging to the AGCO group, in partnership with Ropa, is innovating once again in agribusiness by presenting "e-LS connect," a pioneering system that establishes fully electronic communication of oil pressure between the tractor and the implement, promising to optimize the hydraulic control of high-demand implements, such as complex harvesters.

Technology surpasses a communication model that remained unchanged for 30 years: until now, tractors supplied implements with high oil requirements via Power Beyond, while control was hydraulically managed through the Load Sensing (LS) connection. Although some Fendt tractors and Ropa harvesters already use electronic components (e-LS) to optimize the system within the implement, communication of the required oil pressure between the tractor and the implement continued to be done hydraulically, via the LS control cable.

This hybrid process requires electronic signals to be converted back into hydraulic signals, both in the tractor and the implement, which demands more components and makes them more susceptible to errors. If there are inaccuracies in the conversion, the tractor may supply the incorrect oil pressure, the system may oscillate due to the necessary corrections, and the driver may need to manually adjust the control pressure difference, resulting in less efficient, dynamic, stable, and economical machines.

100% electronic oil pressure communication

With "e-LS connect," Fendt and Ropa become the first manufacturers to offer fully electronic oil pressure communication. When the operator wishes to operate a specific function, such as steering or implement depth control, the required oil pressure is transmitted electronically to the tractor's control unit via Isobus.

This electronic signal controls the pump on the tractor, providing the correct volume flow based on demand and precision, which is crucial for complex functions such as controlling telescopic axles or operating various bunker functions. This translates into a more dynamic and agile response, ensuring, for example, higher quality in potato harvesting when filling boxes, and a generally more stable system.

By using the "e-LS connect," components such as the pressure regulating valve, pressure sensors, LS line, and LS connection become superfluous, simplifying the system and increasing operational reliability. Since the standard pressure difference is always correctly adjusted, diesel consumption decreases.

At the same time, the quality of the work improves, since the combine harvester, for example, captures the furrows with even greater precision. Eliminating the coupling of the LS control cables also prevents dirt from entering the system and protects the environment by preventing losses due to oil leaks.

From mid-2026, existing tractors will be able to be retrofitted with the corresponding components through software updates, including the Fendt 500 Vario Gen4, Fendt 600 Vario, Fendt 700 Vario Gen7 and Gen7.1, and Fendt 800 Vario Gen5 series. Fendt and Ropa are opening a new chapter in tractor-implement integration, offering producers technology that translates efficiency into savings and quality of operation in the field.