Case IH ups the ante on tractor warranty

Case IH is putting the pressure on its competitors this fall by offering a new three-year, 2,000 hour standard warranty on its 2019 line of Steiger four-wheel drive tractors. And they’ll also arrive on the farm with a factory-installed telematics package and a free one-year subscription to the brand’s AFS Connect telematics package.

AFS Connect is Case IH’s control center for monitoring and managing a red fleet. It’s current data sharing capabilities allow subscribers to transfer A-B guidance lines, application and seeding prescriptions, and as-applied maps, as well as monitor fault codes and key operating parameters. “Producers,” says Case IH, “are now able to both track and transfer data seamlessly to and from their Steiger tractors.”

RowTrac Steigers now get a high-speed capable rubber track that is rated for up to 25 m.p.h. and there is also a new 21-inch track available.

To make daily maintenance checks easy, the track modules include mid-rollers with a clear cap that have oil “fill lines” that operators can check at a glance. Track module wheels now have a bolt-on design with a polyurethane roller surface, which are attached to a newly designed axle assembly that is easier to access. That, claims the brand, should contribute to reduced downtime if repairs are ever required.

Currently, Case IH sources its rubber tracks from any one of three different providers. One of them, Quebec-based Soucy, offers 18- and 24-inch belts with a five-year prorated warranty on its tracks, along with a lifetime warranty on traction lug blowout.

“For more than 20 years, we have been relentless in refinement of our track technology, giving us a head start,” said Mitch Kaiser, Case IH Steiger tractor marketing manager, in a press announcement.

To beef up the undercarriage that holds the tracks on both the Quadtrac and Rowtrac models, this year the brand has also added a cast undercarriage beam with roller suspension. It also offers an improved ride for the operator.

And the company claims a new twin-flow Smart Torque hydraulic pump option provides up to 12 per cent more horsepower, equating to increased power at the drawbar.

Magnums

Marketing and engineering staff at the red brand haven’t forgotten about the Steigers’ smaller brothers in the MFWD Magnum line. Magnum tractors in all configurations from the 180 to 380 models will now get the same three-year, 2,000-hour warranty. And they, too, will also come fitted with a telematics package along with a one-year subscription to AFC Connect.

For 2019, Magnum Rowtracs will be available with a new 21-inch track. In all, Model Year 2019 Magnum tractors will be fitted with a variety of track options that allow a maximum travel speed of 25 m.p.h., which includes track widths of 16, 18, 21, 24 and 30 inches. And their undercarriages will get redesigns similar to those introduced on the Steigers.

For the wheeled Magnum, Case IH is offering something new there as well. A factory-installed Goodyear LSW 1100/45 R46 rear and 1000/40 R32 front tires will be available on the 250, 280, 310, 340 and 380 models.