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The 8S was entered in the truck category and is the first tractor to enter the event.
It seems that tractor manufacturers will go to great efforts to promote the versatility and durability of their offerings, a recent example being a Massey Ferguson with an 8S tractor entered into the Morocco Desert Challenge.
Next to the Dakar Rally, the Moroccan event is the second largest rally raid in the world, with eight stages leading entrants into the south of the country and the Sahara Desert. The 8S was entered in the truck category and is the first tractor to enter the event.
While the standard 8S series offers a maximum output of 301hp, the event entry – powered by the 7.4l Agcopower engine, was “tweaked” to deliver 400hp, with an additional fuel tank fitted to cope with an increased thirst.
Transmission choice was the standard Dyna E-Power dual-clutch unit, which MF says combines the benefits of a continuously variable transmission with the ability to transmit power as efficiently as a mechanical transmission.
The choice was driven to address the challenging terrain of sand dunes, requiring the tractor to apply maximum power to the ground without the momentary breaks in drive typically associated with mechanical transmissions during gear or range changes.
The top speed was increased to 75km/h (47m/h) with Michelin Evobib VF 600/70 R30 tyres fitted to the front and VF 710/70 R42 at the rear, with a PTG central tyre inflation system allowing inflation pressure adjustments to suit the varying conditions.
Prepared by Swiss machinery dealer Kufferagri Sarl, additions included a full roll cage with two fully harnessed racing seats and offset controls, a spare wheel mounted on the rear with a 180° pivoting crane, front axle suspension modification, side windows replaced with polycarbonate instead of glass and camera rearview mirrors.
The tractor completed the course in 75th place of 144 overall competitors, hitting fourth place from eight entrants in the truck category, surviving for more than 2000km of rigorous driving and more than 13 hours of continuous gear changes, proving itself a true competition-grade sequential gearbox.
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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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