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Maschio’s Toro Isotronic folding power harrow comes with ISOBUS functions for monitoring things such as gearbox speeds, working depth, hours/hectares worked and drive shaft loadings.
While we have become familiar with ISOBUS enabled planters and sprayers, it’s not normally in the sights of power harrow manufacturers.
However, cultivation and seeding specialist Maschio has bucked the trend, with the recent release of its Toro Isotronic folding power harrow.
Available in 5, 6 and 7 metre working widths, the 4.3 to 5.1 tonne heavyweights. The new models offer a range of new features designed to increase production and extend the service life of the machines.
The ISOBUS functions include the monitoring areas such as power consumption, gearbox speeds and operating temperatures, working depth, hours/hectares worked, drive shaft loadings – as well as the switch from working to transport position.
Increases in gearbox operating temperatures might suggest the oil levels need checking, that forward speed needs reducing, or an adjustment needs to be made to working depth. Likewise, driveshaft torque monitoring might indicate that forward speed is too high or depth is too great and driveshaft slip detection might mean a foreign object is jammed between the rotors. Combined, this improved machine monitoring should help increase productivity and protect the machine against premature failures or consequential damage.
Additionally, the central gearbox features an improved cooling system. This allows the machine to work at optimum operating temperatures in hot zones, while the driveshafts to the lateral gearboxes are also monitored for proper alignment after moving from the transport to work position.
Elsewhere around the machine, a range of improvements include a larger 550mm diameter rear packer roller, said to improve flotation; the increased weight gives better consolidation and a finer tilth; and the roller is supported on improved Blindato bearing assemblies, incorporating new polymide/ polyurethane seal to stop moisture and dirt ingress.
Behind the rotor and ahead of the rear roller, a new levelling bar is now 200mm high. This compares to the 160mm of the old design, as well as 30mm nearer the tines to increase clod breakdown.
Other useful features include a new LED lighting system and a modified PTO shaft stowage bracket. There are also heavy-duty steel covers over key components.
Massey Ferguson has announced a strategic supply partnership with International Tractors Limited (ITL), a manufacturer of low-horsepower and compact tractors, with recognised brands such as Sonalika and Sollis, to expand its portfolio with a new tractor range.
With the biannual Italian EIMA machinery Expo less than a month away, Case IH has taken out a Technical Evolution award for the Advanced Vehicle Suspension system available on its Optum 360–440 series tractors.
The Advanced Vehicle Suspension system, available on Optum 360, 390, and 440 models, responds to changing conditions, automatically adjusting how the suspension reacts to absorbs shocks and controlling vehicle movement.
In operation, sensors monitor the vibrations transmitted from the tractor chassis to the operator cabin, allowing the system to adjust suspension damping in real time. The control system incorporates key priorities, such as comfort at lower speeds and stability as speed increases, while also reacting to factors such as lower tyre pressures, where the tyres absorb more of the initial shock.
Case IH said as suspension requirements change throughout the working day, as tractors move between the paddock and road transport, the system manages suspension response in the background as tasks, speeds and conditions change, leaving the operator without the need to make manual adjustments.
Richard Hollins, Optum series tractors global product manager, said: “Pioneering technology must earn its place in the working day. Farmers and contractors will judge an investment by what it delivers, including manageable ownership costs, dependable up-time and the versatility to tackle different jobs. With AVS, we are putting intelligent control to work for comfort and stability, without giving the operator another setting to manage.”
Organised by FederUnacoma, the Italian Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers Federation, the contest has been part of EIMA since 1986, with the Technical Evolution distinction awarded to products that introduce original improvements to solutions already manufactured or patented.
www.caseih.com
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