Being a farmer is not for the meek. Burdened with challenges related to labor, soaring input costs, and heightened weather volatility, farmers are clamoring for opportunities and technology to manage their farm and grow their crops in a way that protects their land and livelihood for decades to come.
In response, manufacturers are releasing ag machinery with increasingly more features. But in a time when farmers are struggling to amass enough capital to purchase new machinery, it becomes more important than ever for them to measure the acquisition cost against the value of their investment. When it comes to finding the best compact tractor for their farm, they need innovation that can roll up its sleeves and do real work with real results. This is exactly what the electric, driver-optional, smart MK-V was built to do.
In addition to well-known gains, such as eliminating diesel costs, the MK-V is saving farmers additional time and money in ways that are not always immediately apparent. Use this list of metrics to help track an MK-V’s return on investment. You may discover that the best compact tractor for your farm is one that is also electric, driver-optional, and smart.
Electrification provides a lower daily operating cost and more stability as a source of energy. When driving the MK-V, Monarch’s Wingspan Ag Intelligence (WingspanAI) platform collects usage data and reports your electric tractor’s daily energy and fuel savings. Savings trends are expressed on a graph on the smart screen. A quick glance gives you a performance snapshot; the more you drive, the more you save.
WingspanAI also reports emissions savings. As consumers demand greater environmental transparency from producers and manufacturers, growers can distinguish their farms with usage reports that quantify their sustainable farming efforts. This feature appeals to buyers prioritizing sustainability and who are willing to pay more for a premium product.
Satisfying reporting requirements takes time. As an electric tractor, the MK-V’s zero emissions simplify regulatory compliance. Not only does it make it easier to generate reports for organic farming certifications, but an electric tractor eliminates the need to manage Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Tier 4 emissions compliance.
Daily management tasks, large and small, gobble up time every day. By generating automatic reports on hours of operation, distance covered, and average speed, WingspanAI improves labor accountability. With a clear picture of operations, trouble-shooting issues becomes more targeted and easier. WingspanAI also lets farmers and farm managers locate exactly where a tractor is in real time.
The MK-V returns precious minutes to a farmer’s busy day by making the many tasks involved in an operation simpler and streamlined. Tractor operators can monitor their surroundings from their seat by easily toggling between 360-degree views on the smart screen fed by the tractor’s ten cameras. No need to stop, get out, and walk around. Electric tractors make the time required to fuel up with diesel obsolete. The MK-V’s battery lasts a full workday (up to 14 hours based on farm, operation, and implement). Plug it in to charge at night and operators arrive in the morning to a fully charged tractor, ready to go.
A particularly notable operation efficiency unique to the MK-V is Row Follow, a semi-autonomous feature. Row Follow automatically drives the MK-V while keeping it perfectly centered in the row so operators can focus entirely on the implement without having to split their attention between the implement and driving. With Row Follow, operators are reporting less stress and fatigue and greater precision, thus reducing the likelihood of expensive tractor collisions.
Row Follow helps farmers in another way. With Row Follow, even relatively inexperienced operators can confidently conduct operations requiring heightened skill sets and precision; a valuable attribute in an industry plagued with labor shortages. And being able to finish operations in a timely manner frees farmhands to tend to other responsibilities on the farm.
An EV engine has fewer replacement parts than a diesel. Absence of oil changes, fuel filter replacements, and exhaust system upkeep provides a noticeable drop in maintenance costs over the MK-V’s lifetime. As a farm’s machinery becomes increasingly more electrified, the cost and hassle of transporting and storing diesel is reduced or eliminated.
The MK-V is engineered with software-enabled hardware that expands its capabilities with future updates and innovations; your MK-V will improve over time. This becomes especially notable as driverless features are approved and expanded into new markets and other money-saving capabilities are explored and developed.
Healthcare is expensive and farm-related accidents and illnesses are costly. A smart, automated, electric tractor can help alleviate this burden. From dairies to harvest operations, farmers are reporting that quieter and cleaner working environments feel safer and less stressful, both for workers and livestock. PTO entanglements are another risk factor. A PTO shaft will grab anything dangling within its reach — long hair, shirt cuffs, drawstrings, boot laces, or scarves, all with devastating results. Safety shields are an effective precaution, but only work when an operator takes the time to use them properly. By utilizing a camera above the hitch, the MK-V automatically stops the tractor and cuts off power to the PTO if an object or person comes in close contact with the rear of the tractor.
As states opt into federal financial incentive programs like EQIP, or create their own, as California has done with CORE and Carl Moyer, farmers purchasing an EV tractor can take advantage of these savings. Financial incentives shorten a farmer’s timeline to full payback on their investment.
As farmers seek to replace their older diesel tractors and improve their profitability, they need the best compact tractor for the job. Investing in an MK-V brings measurable savings that are felt immediately and ripple out across farm management and operations, compounding gains over time.
Monarch is making a tractor that works harder and smarter. For the benefit of farmers, ag workers, and the planet, doing so makes sense . . . and dollars.