WITH a name like Phil Christmas, it's difficult not to play on words.
So you could say all Phil's Christmases came at once when his employer, Atlas Farms manager Kim Gronow, gave the nod on a New Holland T8.360 front-wheel assist tractor.
The former shearer and experienced tractor operator has had his share of hard work and uncomfortable tractors which is why he is still wearing a grin after 600 hours of operating the T8.360 since he first jumped into the cab six months ago.
He has ticked off chaser driving, summer spraying and last week he added spreading to the list of duties which will make the T8.360 the most used tractor on a farm boasting a 4500ha (11,140ac) cropping program.
"We got it from McIntosh & Son, Wongan Hills, and it was specced with auto-steer, three point linkage and dual rear tyres which we can use if it gets a bit wet," Phil said. "We'll use the three-point linkage for tree planting.
"The only thing we added was auto-spray five-section control.
"So far it has not missed a beat and it has got plenty of power because we've been only running between 30 and 60 per cent of engine load.
"The 50km/h transmission also is great for getting back to the shed for re-fills and for getting to outlying paddocks faster which can be up to 12km.
"It's also a very stable tractor with a longer wheelbase (longest in its class) and it's easy to service.
"The first oil change is at 600hrs so until now I've really done nothing except put fuel in."
The T8 also comes with ECOBlue Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) engine technology, developed in partnership with Fiat Powertrain Technologies.
This requires an AdBlue solution to be injected in an after-treatment system to neutralise the exhaust emissions produced during combustion.
According to Phil, with a 1000 litre shuttle of AdBlue stored on the farm, it is a no-fuss process.
"We've probably used about half the shuttle so far so that's 500L of AdBlue to 15,000 litres of diesel fuel.
"We can't make the tractor smoke so it must be doing some good and we are using less fuel."
According to New Holland, the ECOBlue SCR technology offers significant performance advantages, through a Engine Power Management system, which continuously adjusts engine output to match actual working conditions by an intelligent-sensing of the PTO, hydraulic and transmission loads.
The company says the after-treatment technology to the T8 range offers a 17 per cent reduction in overall operating costs, thanks to improved fuel consumption and 100pc longer service intervals - basically every dollar spent on AdBlue, users will save up to seven dollars on fuel.
New Holland is further minimising the environmental impact of its products with the introduction of environmentally-friendly engine oil filters.
Inside the durable cast casing sits an easy to recycle filter element.
The optional exhaust brake, similar to that used in heavy goods vehicles, ensures even better braking performance and enhanced safety for operators when transporting heavy loads or working on steep slopes.
Standard with an advanced automated gear shifting functionality, the T8 range is equipped with Ground Speed Management (GSM), which has all the functionality of a continuously variable transmission combined with the simplicity of a full powershift.
It's available in a 19 x 4, 50km/h version, or in a 23 x 6 variant with creep speeds as low as 0.98km/h at rated engine speed.
Once the GSM mode has been engaged, the engine throttle control no longer controls the engine rpm. Instead the hand throttle becomes a speed lever and the foot throttle a drive pedal.
Under heavy loads, the control system will select a lower gear so the power train can take on higher loads to produce more power.
But as soon as the load is decreased the control system will raise the gear and decrease the engine rpm to ensure optimum operation.
