ESPERANCE farmer George Hulm recently became Australia’s first owner of a Case IH Steiger 500 CVT Quadtrac tractor.
Mr Hulm farms a total of 4040 hectares (10,000 acres), producing wheat, barley, canola and peas.
The new addition to his fleet of Case IH equipment comes from his local dealership, Farmers Centre Esperance and will immediately be put to work.
Mr Hulm said he was “ecstatic” with the new Steiger and was “looking forward to doing a few hours in it during seeding”.
The Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) is something he has across all his tractors and when it comes to wheels versus tracks, Mr Hulm said he found the tracks provided a much smoother ride and result in less soil compaction during tasks such as seeding.
According to Case IH high horsepower product manager Alyx Selsmeyer, the Steiger CVT technology was available on the Quadtrac 450 and 500 models and Rowtrac 400, 450 and 500 models, along with wheeled 400, 450 and 500 models.
Wheeled scraper 450 and 500 models also join the CVT stable.
“The Continuously Variable Transmission offers so many benefits,” Mr Selsmeyer said.
“As well as fuel cost savings, the CVT makes the tractor more user-friendly for operators of all skill levels and its features contribute to smooth operation and increased comfort for those behind the controls.”
Mr Selsmeyer said Case IH had been developing its CVT technology for almost 20 years, and apart from targeting fuel efficiency and operator fatigue, the CVT transmission provided faster acceleration, full power availability at low ground speeds for special applications and implements and full hydraulic flow availability at low ground speeds.
Three adjustable target speeds from 0 to 40 kilometres an hour can be stored with adjustments via a thumb-wheel and buttons on the Multicontroller.
The transmission incorporates a kick-down feature which ensures maximum acceleration and 40km/h is achieved at 1640rpm.
The transmission features four mechanical ranges, with automated range-changing.
The first time 100 per cent mechanical power transfer takes place is below 10km/h, matching heavy draft application requirements.
Four multi-plate wet clutch packs, mounted on the four planetary gear sets, changes the ranges without power interruption, with equal clutch speeds guaranteeing smooth shifting without clutch wear.
Active Hold Control allows the tractor to remain static when stopped on a hill, without the operator applying the foot or hand brake.
The park brake is automatically applied if it remains in this state for more than 45 seconds.
An inching pedal replaces the decelerator pedal found on Steiger tractors with powershift transmission.
This pedal is common across the entire CVT range from the Maxxum to the Steiger.
It’s ideal when backing up to attach implements or edging closer to objects and this feature lets you control the acceleration rate in either direction by simply using the inching pedal like the accelerator in a car.
The Multicontroller incorporates a power shuttle switch, which works in parallel with the shuttle lever on the left of the steering column, for convenient direction changes without releasing the steering wheel.
The Steiger CVT transmission was specifically designed for applications requiring more than 298 kilowatts (400 horsepower).