Product news

Magnum™ AFS Connect™: the next level in data monitoring and management – and new cab comfort standards

06 May 2020

While obvious changes include a full-length door and new styling and lighting, some of the most significant upgrades are inside the cab and the tractor itself, helping operators and owners to farm with new precision.

The new Magnum development began when we set out to research and understand what users today are looking for in this class and size of tractor, spending time with farmers across the world to maximise our understanding of their needs and requirements," Brad Lukac, Case IH global product manager for Magnum said.

The New Zealand range comprises Magnum 250, Magnum 280, Magnum 310, Magnum 340, Magnum 380 and Magnum 400 – with respective maximum power outputs of 284, 315, 347, 374, 418 and 435hp. The Magnum 400 is available with 21/5 PowerDrive transmission only, offering 40 and 50kph at reduced engine speed.

All models feature 8.7-litre FPT Industrial Tier II Cursor 9 six-cylinder turbocharged and intercooled engines providing honest reliable power without the need for expensive emissions systems.

Models 340, 380 and 400 can also be specified in rear-tracked Rowtrac configuration using technology from its big brother the Quadtrac.

As before, the tractors have a rear lift capacity of up to 10,200kg while lift capacity of the front hitch, where fitted, is 4,090kg. Six remote valves are available at the rear and three at the front. Specifying a front linkage does not now limit the number of rear spool valves. Hydraulic pump capacity comes standard at 221 with the option of 282 litres/minute. The range has been extended with the introduction of the Magnum 400 for even heavier and more demanding applications.

Designed in response to customer feedback

Case IH product development involved manufacturing, marketing and quality standards staff not just from the Magnum plant in Racine, USA, but also from Case IH around the world.

The process included testing of concepts both in the 3D design facility at the Case IH Burr Ridge research and development site in Illinois, USA, and out in the field. The result was a new range that recognized farmers broad needs, while recognizing the requirements of innovative, forward-thinking farmers using precision technology.

AFS Connect: seamless, instant transfer and recording of data from all tractor areas

The Magnum models recognize the importance of data to today's farmers, encompassing operating data such as for the positioning of machines, but also performance, what's required in terms of supplies such as fuel, but also data such as field records – area worked and application rates, for example.

All of this data can now be recorded and transferred securely in real time on the move with the AFS Connect telematics technology inside the new Magnum models. As a result, the new tractors allow owners and operators to adjust, manage, monitor and transfer data the way they want.

AFS Connect is based on proven Case IH Advanced Farming Systems (AFS) precision technology but takes this a step further with new hard- and software, including a new display, operating system, receiver and completely redesigned hardware environment, allowing for remote display viewing, remote support capabilities and more. The new technology is contained within a redesigned cab interior equipped with new controls and displays.

New Magnum AFS Connect technology developments provide a two-way link between the new AFS Pro 1200 display in the cab and the Case IH AFS Connect portal available through the mycaseih.com website. This provides the gateway to management of data generated by the Magnum series tractor, allowing farm managers to precisely manage their farm, fleet and data from their office or mobile device, monitor current field operations and agronomic data – all recorded in real time. 

Secure wireless transfer means no requirement for manual movement of data using USB memory sticks, eliminating the associated risk of loss or damage. Farm owners and managers can also then have the freedom to share selected agronomic data with third-party partners of their choosing – such as their agronomist – and tractor operating data with their dealer, to help identify service or operating issues and get the best from their machine.

AFS Connect technology enables remote display viewing of the tractor's AFS operating screen by farm owners, managers and – with permission – the dealers supporting their equipment, providing exactly the same screen view the operator is seeing on the AFS Pro 1200 display in the cab. This can help identify problems and help provide solutions. If users agree, dealers can also use remote service support to remotely identify maintenance and service needs and, if required, to identify the types and numbers of any parts needed before visiting the machine.

Three core components work together to create the AFS Connect specification of the new Magnum range: the AFS Pro 1200 operator display terminal, the AFS Vision Pro operating system and AFS Vector Pro satellite receiver. These elements allow users to configure tractor management and precision farming as they prefer.

​"The new Magnum development began when we set out to research and understand what users today are looking for in this class and size of tractor, spending time with farmers across the world to maximise our understanding of their needs and requirements," Brad Lukac, Case IH global product manager for Magnum said.

The new AFS Pro 1200 display uses the AFS Vision Pro operating system allowing the operating system to be configured to the operator's preferences. In addition to touchscreen operation, pre-programmed hot keys allow certain functions to be accessed more easily on the move in the field.

The three AFS Connect elements work together to enable seamless communication between tractor owner, operator and, with the owner's permission, third parties such as their dealer and, for example, the farm agronomist. With remote display viewing, dealers can help address operational questions in real time, while two-way wireless data transfer means, for instance, that a variable-rate prescription map could be sent wirelessly to the tractor for seed or fertiliser application. All of this saves time, money and risk by eliminating the need for person-to-person transfer of data manually or via USB memory stick.

New levels of cab comfort and operating ease

The cab interior of Magnum tractors has been revised and refined throughout to create a new operator environment that sees familiar Case IH concepts such as pillar information displays and the multicontroller plus its armrest controls retained but re-thought.

Improved intuitive operation have been at the core of the development of new operating controls and data displays in the new Magnum with AFS Connect technology, says Case IH New Zealand product specialist Ben Payne.

"The new multicontroller armrest now has four configurable buttons on the new multicontroller joystick and a further four on the armrest, plus a turn-and-press encoder dial for selecting functions on the AFS 1200 monitor, and industry-exclusive configurable remote valve switches to allow drivers to set their tractor up the way they want to operate it. Key tractor operating data such as fuel level and coolant temperature can be gauged quickly on the new compact VIS2 smart screen display on the right front cab pillar, which replaces the former individual displays in the pillar."

For driver comfort, the tractors now have a 'light wheat' colour interior and new seat with 40-degree right and five-degree left swivelling. The tractors' heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems has been improved, operated via a new car-type control system in the right-side cab headliner. Storage and connectivity have been enhanced with the addition of a new arrangement of compartments and cup holders plus charging and data ports, while a full glass door with no centre pillar and a wiper option for better visibility.

The improvements include an industry-exclusive access management key fob, with automatic door lock/unlock feature and programmable functions, while the driver is also equipped with an in-cab torch at the base of the left wheel arch.

Also new for the operator on Magnum tractors is a brake-assisted steering system, managed via the HMC II headland management centre. Aimed at Rowtrac rear-tracked models in particular, but also available for wheeled Magnum tractors, this aids headland/end-of-row steering by automatically applying the brake to the inside rear track or wheel when a steering movement is made. A further option is variable-rate steering, as established on Case IH Optum tractors, for altering response rates between those required for field operations and those for road travel.

New look is about more than just styling

A key feature in the restyling the Magnum with AFS Connect technology is the front-end design reminiscent of the Case IH Autonomous Concept Vehicle. The new grille can be specified with the option of LED headlights which, combined with new cab-mounted 360-degree work lights with a cab exit delay, provides lighting with a power of over 35,000 lumens.

The nose of the tractor is also one place a camera option can be installed, for front-end implement viewing and road safety. A total of four camera feeds can be viewed on the AFS Pro 1200 display, with two cameras standard on the luxury cab configuration. Further cab options include tyre pressure monitoring sensors and a hydraulic semi-active cab suspension system.


Download Word Document Download Image Download Zip archive