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TRAX Equipment's UTV and ATV parts and accessories are designed and manufactured in New Zealand.
Known by most Kiwi farmers for UTV and ATV parts and accessories, TRAX Equipment's products are designed and manufactured in New Zealand.
Now well into its fourth decade, the company is less well known as the innovators of the life-saving ATV LifeGuard and QuadGuard. Still 100% owned and operated by the same Northland family, the company is rebranding with a new look to signal the bringing together of these three brands.
Back in the 1970s, founder Vernon Suckling started out by manufacturing farm related products from canvas and leather - such as truck covers and saddlery. As horses were replaced with machinery, the company switched its attention to the new farm 'horses', namely quads and UTVs.
This change of direction led to the 'Quad Pod', offering practicality, efficiency and comfort in those colder, wetter winter months. It has gone on to see more than 4,000 units sold in NZ, as well as thousands more overseas.
Over the years, product design and manufacturing has seen the arrival of useful accessories tailored for Kiwi farms such as gun racks, easy-to-use dirt bike carriers and windshields, and windscreen wipers.
One key development was a flexible roll bar for quads - the ATV Lifeguard or CPD (Crush Protection Device) - that mounts on the rear carrier of a quad bike. This provides space under an upturned vehicle in the event of a rollover - saving lives and preventing major injuries.
As that product evolved, development - driven by customer feedback for a lighter and more affordable system - led to the 2019 release of the one-piece, moulded plastic QuadGuard.
As ATVs started being replaced by UTVs or side-by-sides, TRAX adapted and developed to include a large selection of custom-made products. These include full cab, windscreen and roof options for quads and UTVs - all build locally in NZ.
The company has also become a New Zealand retailer for multiple international brands, stocking a wide range of imported accessories to provide the best possible safety solutions to customer requests.
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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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