In keeping with the industry trend of horsepower creep, these tractors also saw a few more ponies stabled under their hoods.

“The 380 and the 400 both get five additional horsepower,” said Morgan Dietrich, tractor segment lead for Case IH in North America. “Everything else in the large frame, starting at 250 and larger, they get 15. Our number one seller is the 340 and that will now be a 355.”

However, the tractors will still get that power from what the company calls the Cursor nine-litre diesel, which actually has an 8.7 litre displacement.

The 355 will also get a new transmission, a 21F x 5R power shift, which will be included in its base equipment list.

“That had only been available in the 400 before,” Deitrich said. “We changed the rear end on the 340 — which is now the 355— to enable this improved power shift transmission that has brake-to-clutch capability.”

The new transmission offering will make the 355 compatible with future autonomous operating systems by simplifying what’s required to make that workable when Case IH eventually offers it.

“It really kind of future proofs the tractor,” he said.

“Long term, when we have those controls, like brake-to-clutch, it allows the electronics to have a little more control of the transmission than our current generation. We don’t have autonomy features on it today, but it enables that capability in the future.”

Another significant change for the Magnums comes in how the brand will offer technology packages. Buyers can now pick and choose their preferred individual features, but for 2025 digital features will come in two complete package options.

“The big thing is we’re really pushing in on our technology messaging around model year ’25,” said Dietrich.

“So, we will now have tech bundles that we haven’t had in the past, where it’s been more of an a la carte situation. We’re going to have Core, which would be our base offering, where we’re going to put our Vector Pro receiver in base. And we’re also going to move to AFS 1 guidance correction. That’s a 40 per cent increase in guidance accuracy versus what our base offering was last year.

“For customers that need a little bit more, they can move up to the advanced package. And that has an RTK unlock in the Vector Pro receiver and it also offers dual display, where we bring more screen real estate into the cab to make it easier for them to run their implements.

“It really is a one-two punch of what best fits a customer’s operation. With these tech changes we’re making, it’s simpler for the dealer and easier for the customer, and it’s even easier for the second and third buyer to know what technology is on this machine when they go to purchase it.”

Both option packages use the AFS Pro 1200 monitor, but the difference will be in what features are unlocked.

At the rear, the Magnums will adopt the hydraulic coupler design used on their larger brothers in the Steiger line.

“We had different hydraulic couplers (on the Magnums and Steigers),” said Dietrich.

“Now, we’re aligning them between these two machines. The large-frame Magnums will get the same hydraulic couplers customers have been using on Steigers for the last several years. It makes it easier to hook and unhook. And it’s simpler having more continuity across the platforms.

“Our current Magnum didn’t have a lever to help assist taking hoses in and out, whereas the Steiger did. That’s why we went with the Steiger model. It’s simpler to hook and unhook.”

The post Case IH updates Magnum tractor line appeared first on Farmtario.

Several media outlets on Monday quoted organizers of the blockade at the Canada-U.S. border crossing at Coutts, Alta. as saying they would leave the area Tuesday morning.

Protestors in vehicles including commercial trucks, pickups and farm tractors formed a blockade halting traffic through the Coutts crossing, southeast of Lethbridge, and its sister crossing at Sweetgrass, Mont. starting Jan. 29. Single lanes of traffic later reopened but were blocked again Friday.

That blockade was formed in tandem with a demonstration still underway in Ottawa concerning current COVID-19 vaccine mandates for cross-border truckers, among a number of grievances related to pandemic-related public health policy and federal politics generally.

The Ottawa protest and Coutts blockade — along with several other blockades formed at major Canada-U.S. crossings across the country, including at Windsor, Ont. and Emerson, Man. — on Monday became the subject of the federal government’s declaration of a “public order emergency” under the Emergencies Act.

According to the government’s release Monday, the declaration allows it to regulate and prohibit “public assemblies, including blockades, other than lawful advocacy, protest or dissent” and to designate and secure places where “blockades are to be prohibited” such as at international borders or approaches to same. It also blocks foreign nationals from entering Canada with “intent to participate in or facilitate a prohibited assembly.”

The declaration is effective for up to 30 days and subject to confirmation from both houses of Parliament.

The protestors’ stated plan to leave Coutts also comes amid damaging reports of violence at the blockade, plus 13 arrests Monday among those attending.

Specifically, Alberta RCMP said Monday, “a large farm tractor and a semi truck, both involved in the blockade, attempted to ram a police vehicle” on Sunday evening.

The RCMP member involved “was able to reposition and avoid the collision” and both the tractor and semi truck alleged to be involved in that incident have since been seized.

On Monday afternoon, RCMP said, a northbound semi approached the Mounties’ checkstop north of nearby Milk River when “the driver accelerated and drove towards our members.” The driver of that vehicle “swerved at the last moment” and was later arrested nearby “for Criminal Code offences.”

Also on Monday, RCMP said they “became aware of a small organized group within the larger Coutts protest” and had received information “that this group had access to a cache of firearms with a large quantity of ammunition… (and) a willingness to use force against the police if any attempts were made to disrupt the blockade.”

RCMP on Monday morning carried out a search warrant on “three trailers associated to this criminal organization” and seized handguns, 13 long guns, a “large quantity of ammunition,” high-capacity magazines, “multiple sets” of body armour and a machete.

Eleven people were arrested at that time, RCMP said; another person was arrested later Monday after being stopped by police on the highway en route to the protest site, at which time “two weapons were seized.”

RCMP said Monday they would “resume efforts to end the illegal blockade” at Coutts and “encourage all participants who are involved in this illegal action to leave immediately or relocate to the designated site for the legal protest.”

“Our objective was to be here peacefully,” Marco Van Huigenbos, a protest organizer at Coutts, was quoted by CBC as saying later Monday. “To keep that message going, we want to peacefully leave Coutts and return to our families.”

‘Serious risks’

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, writing Monday on Twitter, made note of the arrests of people “believed to be involved in a potentially violent cell at the Coutts blockade” and hailed the “tactical operation that neutralized this potentially violent threat without incident.”

Also, Kenney wrote Monday, in spite of “threats and intimidation directed at tow truck operators and dealers, (the province) has successfully procured and staged the heavy equipment needed to remove commercial vehicles” at the protest site.

Kenney reiterated to remaining protestors that “it’s time to go home” and that their “continued violation of the rights of your fellow Albertans will not be tolerated.”

Separately, federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said in a statement Monday that she met with “meat industry representatives from across Canada” to talk about the blockades’ impact on “the transportation of live animals and beef exports, the movement of feed for livestock and the overall food supply for Canadians.”

The industry reps on the call “told me that the blockade is having a significant impact on the livelihood of Canadian farm families and businesses who cannot sustain any more delays,” she said, and that “shipments of animals are being delayed and cancelled, which is creating serious risks to animal welfare.”

Allowing animals, feed and feed ingredients to again flow across the border “is essential to support producers and protect the welfare of animals travelling between Canada and the U.S.,” she said, noting border transit delays “also heighten the risk of spoilage of perishable goods” such as fruit and vegetables.

With the public order emergency now declared, she said, cabinet officials “are monitoring the situation closely and working with our federal and provincial partners to identify and mitigate disruptions.”

In a joint statement last week, several national- and provincial-level transport, trade, manufacturing and distributing groups warned that “hundreds of millions of dollars in cross-border trade” including perishables and other goods, “are being impacted or lost because of ongoing blockades.”

Farmer and food processor groups including the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance, Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, National Cattle Feeders’ Association, Canadian Pork Council, Canadian Meat Council, Canadian Produce Marketing Association and Canadian Horticultural Council made a separate joint statement Friday calling for “immediate action by all parties to fully reopen Canada’s trade corridors.”

Canadian federal rules for cross-border travel by truckers and other essential workers were updated effective Jan. 15. Those rules currently require any Canadian truckers and other essential workers who are unvaccinated against COVID-19 and returning to Canada to follow the same quarantine protocols as other unvaccinated Canadians returning to Canada. Unvaccinated foreign truckers attempting to enter Canada are to be turned away.

The U.S. government has had the same rules in place for foreign unvaccinated truckers since Jan. 22 — with the effect of prohibiting unvaccinated Canadian truckers from bringing freight into the United States. — Glacier FarmMedia Network

The post Alberta border blockade expected to disperse Tuesday appeared first on Farmtario.

The new program, dubbed ‘Claas Used,’ will offer warranty protection on certified late-model units in Canada and the U.S., along with lower-rate financing through Claas Financial Services.

The Claas Used program replaces the ‘First Claas Used’ program set up in 2018, which in turn was billed as the “next generation” plan following the Lexion Field Ready Reconditioned program set up in 2011.

The new program also scraps the First Claas Used system of gold-, silver- and bronze-level classifications on used Claas equipment in favour of a new certified pre-owned (CPO) standard.

The ‘Claas Used’ plan comes as “supply chain disruptions and financial constraints have affected many growers across North America,” the company said Tuesday.

“By combining the superior power and efficiency of Claas machines at a pre-owned price with a one-year protection plan and excellent low-rate financing, growers who take advantage of the Claas certified pre-owned program can have the best of both worlds,” Allen Miller, the company’s remarketing manager for North America, said in Tuesday’s release.

The company will also offer “flexible” protection plans for CPO combines, forage harvesters and tractors under the Claas Used program.

All certified machines to be sold under the program will have been “inspected, repaired and approved based on rigorous criteria by Claas certified technicians,” the company said.

The one-year plan will also provide repairs, done with Claas parts, plus standard one-year drive-train protection with an option to upgrade to a “comprehensive” protection plan.

The level-up plan, dubbed Maxi Care Comprehensive Extended Protection, will be “an optional layer of coverage” for Claas CPO machines meeting the “strictest inspection standards.”

On eligible combines and forage harvesters, the standard one-year plan will provide protection for either a year or 500 hours of use, whichever comes first, with a $500 deductible.

On tractors, the coverage will be for either a year or 1,000 hours of use, whichever comes first, with a $500 deductible — or $250 under the Maxi Care plan.

Eligible CPO combines and forage harvesters must have fewer than 2,500 hours use and be no older than five years of age by machine model year. Eligible tractors must also be no older than five years, with less than 5,000 hours’ use.

Equipment certified under the Claas Used program will be available through the company’s used equipment website. As of Tuesday afternoon, in the CPO category, just three self-propelled forage harvesters are listed for sale on that site, all in the U.S.

For the Canadian market, the company said it will offer a low financing rate on CPO Lexion combines and Jaguar forage harvesters, at zero per cent for the first 24 months up to a maximum financed amount of $450,000. That offer expires Dec. 31 this year.

Claas bills itself as an early adopter of the CPO system for sales of pre-owned equipment, which has given major manufacturers the opportunity to boost their brands’ sales beyond the showroom floor.

John Deere and Agco rolled out CPO programs for their late-model equipment in North America starting in 2014, followed in 2015 by Case IH and New Holland. — Glacier FarmMedia Network

The post Claas retools certified pre-owned equipment program appeared first on Farmtario.

The division of AGCO launched the new Massey Ferguson 8S series of tractors during a high-tech virtual show in late July that brought together tractor enthusiasts from around the world.

The launch made obvious the popularity of the Massey Ferguson line outside of North America, with an emphasis on Europe and the southern hemisphere.

The words “straightforward and dependable” were sprinkled through the presentation and press materials emphasizing the market segment targeted by the Massey tractors.

The launch was led by Thierry Lhotte , vice president and managing director, Massey Ferguson, EME and Francesco Murro, director of marketing Massey Ferguson Europe and Middle East, who spoke while imposed on settings as varied as a futurist Massey Ferguson dealership and the moon.

“This is the start of a new era for Massey Ferguson, not just new a product,” said Lhotte. “This is a new age of straightforward and dependable tractors.”

The tractor is completely redesigned, with more power to the ground, the quietest cab on the market and connectivity to the Massey Ferguson and AGCO suite of precision farming products.

The tractor is the usual Massey red, but with a broader grey stripe across the hood. Fenders are square in a throwback to the Massey 3000 series of the 1980s, said Murro.

One of the most striking visual differences in the Massey Ferguson 8S is a 24 centimetre gap between the engine and the cab, a physical separation that Lhotte says reduces engine noise in the cab to what the company says is an industry-leading 68 decibels.

The 8S tractors range from 205 to 265 horsepower in four models. They are powered by a six cylinder, 6.7 litre, AGCO Power engine.

There are three transmission options: A Dyna E power dual clutch, the Dyna-7 semi powershift and in 2021, the Dyna VT continuously variable transmission will be available.

There’s also a new naming regimen for the tractors including the 8 for the tractor series, a letter that identifies the features level and then the horsepower number.

The functions of the tractor are controlled by an all-new armrest, with many programmable options, with a built-in monitor where all ISObus and precision farming functions can be controlled. The front dashboard has been moved to the front, right cab pillar, to allow for more visibility.

On the exterior, there are 16 LED lights for added visibility and a rear camera mounted on the roof allows for greater view of what’s happening behind the tractor.

The 8S launch brings the suite of Massey and AGCO precision farming tools to the Massey brand, with everything from MF Connect Telemetry and the optional MF Task Doc data transfer software allowing users to make management decisions. The tractor comes with a three-year subscription for MF Connect. The tractor can use AGCO’s Agrirouter to seamlessly and securely synchronize data and share it with others involved in the farm or service providers.

Lhoute says that a million engineering hours and 200,000 hours of validation were put into the 8S tractor in a process that started in 2014 with an event for producers that asked them what they wanted in a tractor.

“You helped us finalize the tractor you needed for the pragmatic future of your farm,” he said.

The tractor also puts more power to the ground. A new, rear axle combined with more oil flow improves efficiency and versatility. With up to 10 per cent more traction power and 20 per cent more flow, it enables the use of wider, more productive implements.

The post Massey Ferguson launches new mid-horsepower tractor appeared first on Farmtario.

The tractor was launched at the Commodity Classic in the U.S. a week earlier.

The tractor brings the AFS Connect technology, engineered throughout the whole tractor that arrived in the AFS Connect Magnum a year ago to the Steiger. The articulated Steiger line has Case IH’s largest horsepower units.

Patrick Landry, a high horsepower product specialist with Case IH, says that everything was redesigned in the cab, including more storage and power ports. In fact there are 29 power connectors and diagnostic ports to connect all the devices needed to control tractor and implement operations.

Landry says AFS Connect was available in classic Steigers, last year, but the 2020 version will allow a dealer to connect to the tractor remotely for diagnostics before leaving the shop. Remote Display View means the technician can do trouble shooting without leaving the shop and also tells them what parts are needed in the field.

The tractor comes with a five-year subscription to the AFS Connect service.

Landry says that should mean less down time for the farmer and more efficiency for the dealer.

The 2020 Steigers will also come standard with an engine brake, which will decrease stopping distance.

“I know some guys who are pulling heavy loads behind the tractor like liquid manure tankers or big silage dump trailers. By having the engine brake, it is more safer on the road if something is happening in front of you.”

In the long term, the engine brake slowing down the tractor should be easier on the transmission.

It has been an option, but is now standard on the 2020 Steiger.

Engine, transmission and drive line are all the same on the 2020 version as on the classic version.

The AFS Connect Steiger is available in Quadtrac, Rowtrac and wheeled configurations in horsepowers ranging from 370 to 620.

Buying a tractor will look like buying a car

Case IH is also trying to simplify the trip of tractors down the assembly line.

Landry says that if there were 3,000 Magnums built in a year, there might be 2,000 different combinations of the tractor rolling off the line.

He says that the hope is that the creation of the packages will help Case IH keep tractor costs competitive.

Now it will look more like car buying, with options packaged together.

Magnum buyers will have 13 packages to choose from.

In the future it will help the dealers to manage inventory and trades, he says, as what is on a tractor will be more consistent.

“This will allow us to have better quality control at the assembly line because the guy will always do the same job. It won’t be a different task each time,” he says.

The post Steiger tractors get a digital update appeared first on Farmtario.

Precision Planting believes it has found what really needs to be done – control the down pressure of the closing system based on sensors, supplying pressure to get the seed trench closed no matter the soil conditions. The goal is to put the soil back to the original state, before the planter rolled through and added a seed.

Precision Planting has worked through the row unit, from overall down pressure, with DeltaForce to creating more precision application of nutrients with FurrowJet, to measuring precision soil information with SmartFirmer. What remained was adding precision control to the back of the row unit, at closing.

“FurrowForce is the last stage of the corn planter, as that seed is released into that trench. The objective of a closing system is to destroy any evidence that we have been in the field,” says Shawn Livingston, region manager, with Precision Planting, in an interview at the London Farm Show.

“FurrowForce uses a sensor that allows us to monitor the ground contact to ensure that the first stage wheels are engaged in the ground to lift the sidewall of the seed trench and shatter it into place, followed by a second stage stitch wheel that is applying pressure to close the ground back up and eliminate any air gaps and firm up the soil so that we retain moisture to have proper germination.”

Precision Planting uses a couple of different variations in its closing system depending on soil type. A smoother wheel is used at the back of the system in sandy soil, instead of the more commonly used stitch wheel.

The concave front notch wheels were chosen as company research found it was the best configuration to lift dirt and wreck any sidewall before putting the dirt back in place over the seed.

The stitch wheels are designed to interlock at a slight angle, which puts pressure two inches into the soil or where the seed is.

There are three options to control down pressure on the closing wheels. The first is manually in the tractor planter-wide using an air system. The grower can set the pressure, after checking behind the planter to make sure there’s enough seed-to-soil contact at the chosen pressure.

A second mode is manual, but with a load pin that sends data back to the 20/20 monitor in the cab and gives the amount of weight being carried and the ground contact percentage. That system is planter wide.

The most complex system uses valves to control the air supply so that each row has an independent closing system. A target pressure is set and the sensor talks to the module to maintain that desired pressure. Pressure can be measured and changed multiple times per second.

The manual system is a simpler entry into the system, but the fully automated system gives the grower fewer operations to worry about as they are managing the tractor and planter.

Precision Planting studies in Illinois and in Ontario showed a seven-bushel advantage to the fully automated system over a traditional rubber and poly twister system. In Illinois, the difference between using the manual system and the automated system was 3.2 bushels.

Controlling closing wheel down pressure from the cab isn’t all that new.

CJ Parker, a crop production product specialist with Case IH, says that the company’s planters have had the option of down force control from the cab for years. It isn’t automated however, so the farmer still has to make sure that the pressure they are setting is of value for that planter and soil conditions. Down pressure used varies depending on soil type and moisture.

Parker says a conventional field could need 12 to 15 pounds per square inch of pressure, whereas a no-till field might need 20 to 25 pounds per square inch to get the trench closed properly.

Livingston says FurrowForce’s impact is significant and compares to the advantage found when DeltaForce, which manages overall down pressure, was introduced in 2013.

FurrowForce is sold out for 2020, as it was only a limited commercial release for this season. Livingston expects it to be fully available in 2021.

It is available for John Deere, Kinze, White, and Harvest International planters. Livingston says the company is investigating to see if there’s value in Case IH planters.

The post More precision in seed row closure appeared first on Farmtario.

That doesn’t mean diesel will always reign supreme, though.

According to three Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) technology experts, electric motors have the potential to play a major role on the farm if approached strategically and on a smaller scale. That is, looking at what equipment one has, if it’s being used efficiently, and whether electric technology can improve that efficiency.

Electric not yet suitable for heavy-duty field tasks

Electric power for industrial applications is not new, says James Dyck, crop systems and environment engineering specialist with OMAFRA. Most modern railway locomotives, for example, are hybrid vehicles driven by diesel-powered electric generators. This is because electric motors have a “distinct advantage of high torque at low speed,” which suits the work required of locomotives as well as tractors. There are also fewer moving parts associated with electric motors in general, which Dyck says can reduce equipment weight and overall mechanical issues.

Why it matters: Scaling-up electric-drive technology for large tractors and higher-torque work is not currently feasible. However, strategically swapping diesel for electric power on a smaller scale is. With the right price point, this saves money.

But it all requires energy storage, and that continues to be the major barrier.

“Battery life is dictated by load. Mowing the grass in an orchard, for example, is low load so the battery could last a while. Pulling a tank of liquid manure or a piece of tillage equipment is much higher load, and the battery will run out much quicker,” he says.

Dyck adds autonomous battery-powered tractors could automatically go back for charging, but additional tech to monitor battery condition, tractor location, and other factors would be required. The down-time during long recharging periods is another factor to consider.

“Electric motors are a fairly mature technology. There are always small changes and efficiency improvements, but improved battery tech and charging speed are two of the main opportunities which would lead to more widespread adoption of electric power,” says Dyck.

Opportunities at lower scales

Dragging iron through the field isn’t the only job on the farm, however. Indeed, picturing electric-drive technology solely in this respect ignores other opportunities where electric motors could make a significant — and immediate — difference.

In a joint interview, Ian McDonald and Alex Barrie — crop innovation specialist, and project engineer (in training) in the engineering development program with OMAFRA — agree the ability of diesel to move an implement through the soil is hard for electric power to match. Problems with electric engines in cold weather, they say, are also not unheard of.

However, they believe electric motors are perfectly suited for low-duty tasks, such as operating manure pumps and shuttling implements around the farmyard.

“You don’t need to tie up a tractor for that kind of job,” Barrie says, adding other sectors like the automotive industry have a long history of adopting electric motors in this way. McDonald adds scalability issues will also continue to decrease as smaller, autonomous machines (such as the DOT Power Platform or Fendt’s Xaver “swarm farming” units) become more common.

“We are on the cusp of a disruptive scale change in farm equipment and this little stuff will be solar electric and won’t have to, for instance, dig a trench along the entire length of a field to plant corn. It will just poke individual seeds into the ground at predetermined places,” says McDonald.

Dyck, McDonald, and Barrie reiterate electric motors are already replacing things like traditional hydraulic systems. This is a very low-scale example, they say, but it also highlights how the technology can be used in non-tractor form. There are also many opportunities for farmers to employ stationary electric motors where tractors might otherwise be used.

A livestock producer, for example, could use a standing electric motor in place of a tractor to scrape lanes within the barn. A grain grower could use one to run augers and other power-take-off systems. Both examples would free a piece of equipment for use elsewhere.

Pound for pound, McDonald and Barrie say more can be done with electric power on this scale.

Cost-effectiveness critical to adoption

Developing a true cost-benefit analysis on what equipment is being used, how much it costs to use it, and how else it could be employed is critical. Barrie says factors such as fuel consumption costs and reducing how many hours a piece of machinery accumulates while idling should be accounted for — particularly the latter if trying to maintain higher resale values.

Fundamentally, the cost of the apparatus, whatever it might be, is the other limiting factor. In order to really take off, says Barrie, electric motors need to be in the 60 to 100 horse power range, while being cost effective.

“I don’t want to buy something that can’t handle [the job],” he says.

The post Will electric tractors ever dethrone diesel? appeared first on Farmtario.

One was the Maxxum. It was our second chance to drive a Maxxum with the ActiveDrive semi-powershift transmission. We first drove one in Iowa ahead of their market introduction.

Now that they’ve been on the market for a year, we were able to do a follow-up review on a production model.

Just as Case IH is updating the look of all its tractor lines, the Maxxum also sports those same refinements, which include a new hood and cab designs.

“We do sell the Maxxum in two different cab configurations,” says J.E. Cadle, marketing manager. “We have the base version with premium features but a basic cab layout with mechanical remote levers and things like that. Then we have our multi controller cab. It’s more of a premium model. It has the armrest we traditionally had in Maxxums, Magnums and Steigers.”

But the real story with these tractors is the ActiveDrive transmissions.

“It’s our new transmission, the ActiveDrive 8,” Cadle says. “And there are two different transmissions now. We have our CVXDrive CVT transmission. And our newest is the ActiveDrive 8. It’s a semi-powershift 24 speed. Eight power shifts in three ranges. ActiveDrive is our name for a powershift transmission. When I change ranges in this tractor, it’s all electronic. I can do it from the multi-function handle.”

The ActiveDrive is a new design for the Maxxums and uses a dual-clutch arrangement that is becoming an industry standard on advanced powershift transmissions.

“What that means is I have dedicated forward and reverse clutches, dedicated odd and even (gear) clutches,” he says. “So my next gear is always lined up and ready to go, so I get very fast and smooth gear changes. It’s the same way with direction changes. The transmission has a lot of nice features. It’s a new transmission for us. We launched it about a year ago.”

But smoother gear changes aren’t the only thing the ActiveDrive offers. It has a host of features that have been more closely associated with a CVT transmission in the past than with a semi-powershift.

“It has what we call ActiveClutch II,” he explains. “In this tractor we don’t need to use the clutch at all. We can use just the brakes to slow and stop the tractor. I can feather it a little bit to back up to a hitch. You’re not working that clutch all the time. It’s really nice for repetitive work.

“On a round baler, for example, where you’re stopping every minute or so to kick that bale out, just apply the brakes and stop. Take your foot off the brake and you’re off again.”

Although it is only a semi-powershift with on-the-go changes available in only one range, the transmission can jump between ranges on demand and on the go.

“With SmartRange on this transmission I don’t have to go through every gear,” he says. “I can change ranges whenever I want. If I want to change ranges, I just hit the button. It lines me up to the right gear in the next range, to make it very smooth. It almost feels like a full powershift transmission when you shift it that way.”

When doing back-and-forth loader work, the transmission has a memory that will allow shuttling back and forth between pre-determined gears, which can be different in each direction.

“It has a memory shuttle, so it’s really good for repetitive work,” Cadle says. “It’ll remember what gear you were in, in either direction, and it will automatically shift you into that gear when you change directions. It’s a feature I can turn on and off. It’s a really nice transmission for loader work.”

And when starting off, the transmission can automatically up and downshift in two different modes: one for road travel and another for in-field work.

Variable ratio steering is also available on the Maxxums, which changes the number of steering wheel turns required to get from lock to lock, depending on ground speed.

Factory auto guidance and an AFS Pro 700 monitor can be ordered as a factory-installed option on the Maxxums now too.

Having had some wheel time in the new Maxxum with the ActiveDrive, it’s clear that livestock and forage producers will appreciate what these transmissions offer, whether baling, loading bales or mixing feed, the features make tractor operation much simpler.

The Maxxum line includes five models from 116 to 145 engine horsepower (95 to 125 PTO horsepower).

The post Case IH Maxxum tractor with ActiveDrive taken through paces appeared first on Farmtario.

The company promoted the tractor as a new step in the use of data for farmers, with software that allows remote access to the tractor, includes a new GPS antenna and new farmer controls over data.

But the machine also includes a number of tweaks that aim to improve user comfort and tractor function.

The tractor is the next step for Case IH towards putting the full suite of high tech functions now found in advanced pickup trucks into tractors.

For example, there is now digital monitoring of tire pressure, accessible from the cab and external mirrors can be extended and retracted by controls in the cab.

The tractor was first launched recently at the Louisville Farm Show, but was unveiled to Canadian farmers at the London Farm Show.

Patrick Landry, Case IH high performance tractor specialist, took Farmtario on a tour at the London show of the new tractor to be available in 2020.

He emphasized farmers’ increased ability to control and share data that comes with the tractor.

“Before sharing it will ask if you want to share the information, yes or no,” he said. “Nobody will have access to it until he chooses to share information.”

Farmers have expressed consistent concern about making sure they have full control and ownership over their data, and it appears that Case IH is responding to that concern.

The tractor includes three new systems to help manage guidance and data flow. They include:

• The new AFS Pro 1200 display is designed for more intuitive navigation and optimum visibility even on bright days. Farm managers can use AFS Connect to connect with the tractor’s systems and Bluetooth capability allows the ability to pair the display with a mobile phone. Remote service from a dealership is possible as well.
• The new AFS Vision Pro operating system can be configured to a farmer’s choosing, meaning the tractor can be set up to their liking.
• The AFS Vector Pro receiver streamlines guidance correction options, ranging from base (WAAS and AFS 1) to medium (AFS 2) to high (RTK and RTK+) accuracy levels. The receiver brings GPS and navigation modules into one unit.

There are several other cab-related improvements that include a seat that swivels 40 degrees for greater view of implements and a single panel door, also for better view and easier access to the cab.

The control arm has several customizable buttons. Forward and reverse, three-point hitch, acceleration and hydraulic functions are already within finger reach on the joystick.

Serviceability has been improved with the movement of most important service points to the left side of the engine, closer to where operators leave the cab.

There are some mechanical changes, including the dual spacer which has been made easier to install. It’s also 150 pounds heavier adding weight over the front axles instead of adding weight at the front of the tractor.

The AFS Connect Magnum is available in 6.7 and 8.7 litre engines putting out 225 to 435 engine horsepower.

The post New AFS Connect Magnum tractor launches at London show appeared first on Farmtario.

Now the updated tractor line has finally arrived here.

Kubota’s second generation M7-2 tractor lineup now includes four different models designed with differing specifications and features to suit a range of needs.

The models include the Standard, Premium and Premium KVT that were available in the M7-1 generation of the tractors.

But buyers can also opt for a fourth options package called the Deluxe. The Deluxe model combines Premium model features such as the 29 g.p.m. (110 l/min.) closed-centre hydraulic system with the “simplicity of operation found on the Standard models, offering the best of both worlds,” as the brand describes it.

“We are excited to introduce the Deluxe model to our lineup,’” said Kyle Dabrowski, product specialist, Agricultural Division with Kubota Canada, in the announcement.

The M7-2 generation tractors can be ordered with a new 30F x 15R semi power-shift transmission option that allows for six power-shift gears and five speed-synchronized, electronically controlled ranges. An auto-shift function senses the engine load and can automatically change gears or adjust engine settings.

The control arrangement gets some tweaking too, with changes like moving the hydraulic flow rate control dials to a more convenient location that is accessible from inside the cab on the Standard and Deluxe models. On the premium models that function is controlled through the monitor. A seven-inch monitor is available along with the previous 12-inch, which frees up more space in the cab. Premium and Premium KVT models can be outfitted with a seven-inch touch screen LCD monitor.

A new HVAC system allows for 25 per cent more air flow through the cab. And the cab gets a little quieter with the addition of more soundproofing material and a better, more comfortable seat with a wider range of adjustment.

The post Kubota M7 tractor update brings more flexibility in options appeared first on Farmtario.