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A Case Quadtrac is a very rare sight in Ireland. Currently, I believe there are none of them on farm on the island, despite more than 15,000 units being sold worldwide.
When given the opportunity to look at the world’s first articulated tracked tractor – now in its 20th year of production – it would be rude to say no.
Following on from the launch of the monstrous Quadtrac 620 last year, Case has gone down the constant variable transmission (CVT), otherwise known as stepless, route now, but only on the smaller horsepower versions, the 470, 500 and 540 which produce 525hp, 558hp and 613hp respectively.
This is the first time that any manufacturer has had a high-horsepower articulated tracked tractor available with CVT technology and has stolen the march on other manufacturers in this high-value worldwide market.
The CVXDrive (Case CVT) transmission in the Quadtrac 470, 500 and 540 CVX models brings with it a number of benefits, including ease of use, particularly for inexperienced operators, faster acceleration to field or road speed, reduced operator fatigue, full power availability at low ground speeds for special applications or implements and full hydraulic flow availability at low ground speeds.
Having sat in the big Case on the road, the most notable attributes of this new transmission were the smoothness in comparison with the old power shift and the amazing way that this mammoth of a tractor got from zero to 40km/h.
Although this tractor will never be an option on 99.9% of Irish farms, the capability of these machines to cover ground in parts of the world where they are used is phenomenal.
Case has introduced an eight-speed semi-powershift, joining its current four-speed semi-powershift and CVX as transmission options for Maxxum tractor range.
Most popular Maxxum
The Maxxum range from Case is its most popular range in Ireland, with models from 115hp to 150hp, with the range topper being a six-cylinder.
This six-cylinder 150hp model will be available with the new gear box and the current CVT offering from the third quarter of 2018. With this tractor, Case IH now offers the lightest, smallest tractor in the industry with a six-cylinder engine of this power output.
The range is powered by FPT Industrial’s 4.5-litre four-cylinder and 6.7-litre six-cylinder turbocharged and intercooled engines, which meet Stage IV emissions regulations using the Hi-eSCR selective catalytic reduction system.
This range has now been given a third transmission option with the introduction of the ActiveDrive 8, which provides a total of 24 speeds in both forward and reverse.
Range one covers speeds from zero to 10.2km/h, making it the range of choice for heavy draft work such as ploughing. The middle range will be the most used of the ranges for the majority of on-farm tasks.
For road travel, the transmission is designed to start in range three and a skip-shift function allowing quick progress through the power shift speeds. An auto-shift feature means the tractor can be set to progress automatically through any set of eight speeds in the field and through all 16 gears in the top two ranges on the road.
A pedal kick-down function can be used to override the transmission automation and cause it to downshift.
In terms of transmission operation, the clutch pedal is not required, meaning this transmission is suited to power-hungry tasks where momentum is important, such as cultivations or mowing with twin or triple mowers.
A true power shuttle ensures no loss of drive or traction during changes of direction on slopes, while a brake-to-clutch feature improves ease of stopping and safety at road junctions or when stacking bales with a loader.
Both shifting and shuttle can be modulated for a faster or slower response according to the task in hand.
The upgrades to the Maxxum are a major step forward for this highly-regarded model in the Irish market.
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