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JCB’s new 457S loader is its most powerful and heaviest machine to date.
JCB has upped the ante in the agricultural loading shovel arena with the launch of the new 457S.
The loader is its most powerful and heaviest machine to date, topping the scales at 20 tonnes and offering a payload capacity of over 6 tonnes. The machine is likely to appeal to contractors who need to shift large volumes of grass or maize silage in the race to keep up with high output self-propelled forage harvesters.
The development, a derivative of the industrial-focused 457 machine, has seen the inclusion of a new rear chassis and counterweight – alongside changes to the transmission, axles and wheels.
Power is provided by a 6.7 litre, six-cylinder Cummins engine that delivers a peak output of 282hp power and 1,200Nm torque. It can work in economy mode, where output is restricted to 224hp, and also features an automated engine shut-down function that kicks in after an extended idle period.
With both functions aimed at fuel savings, JCB reports that during clamp work, consumption is typically around 14 litres/hour – similar to the existing 435S.
The transmission takes the form of a new powershift unit supplied by ZF. It comes with manual/auto modes, 6 forward and 3 reverse speeds. The loader also features a torque converter lock-up function to achieve a mechanical drive for increased traction and pushing power.
Its heavy-duty, 20-stud axles are equipped with limited slip or auto locking differentials and shod on 710-75R32 Trelleborg or 800-65R32 Michelin MegaXbib tyres, both keeping overall width under 3 metres.
Standard ‘high torque’ loader arms offer a 4.3m lift height, although buyers can specify the high lift option that increases this to 4.8 metres. Optioning the machine to the Contractor Pro specification adds 360-degree LED lighting, cab carpet, a super deluxe half-leather seat, twin beacons and a stainless-steel exhaust stack.
JCB has also announced the arrival of a new 4.8m wide, 7.1 cubic-metre capacity folding buck rake, developed specifically for this machine.
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Following the record-breaking success of its hydrogen-powered Hydromax, JCB is ramping up its investment in the business, key to the first major change at the executive level of the business, with George Bamford stepping up to the post of joint chairman, alongside his father Lord Bamford.
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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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