Steiger 715 fuels efficiency gains for West Australian broadacre farmers

When Jason Guerini put his new Case IH Steiger® 715 Quadtrac® to work across his paddocks near Southern Cross, about 360km east of Perth, he needed a machine that could deliver more horsepower economically, across 14,000 hectares.

B & L Guerini & Sons is a fourth-generation broadacre farming operation run by Jason and Jason’s wife Rebecca, his parents Joe and Joanne, his brother Gary and Gary’s son Scott. The family business grows wheat, barley, oats, canola and this year, lentils. In the two years he’s had the Steiger 715, it’s not just outpulling his previous machine, but doing it with significantly less fuel.

A similar story has been unfolding 60km west of Southern Cross where Kelvin and Lara Kent farm about 10,000 hectares on their third-generation operation in South Bodallin.

The family run the business with the help of two Case IH Axial-Flow 8250 combines, a Magnum 340 tractor and two International Harvester tractors. Running wheat, oats and lupins, the Kents have also been operating two Steiger Quadtracs, a 600 and a 715, side by side during seeding.

“We’re pulling the same 60-foot bars, and the 715 is using about 20 litres an hour less fuel than the 600,” said Kelvin. “I expected it to use more fuel because of the extra horsepower, but it’s been the opposite. I’ve been over the moon with how efficient it is.”

Kelvin estimates the Steiger 715 is operating at about 4.4 litres per hectare compared to about six litres per hectare for the Steiger 600, which is delivering savings across his large-scale seeding programs.

“At our scale, those savings add up very quickly,” he said. “Anything that reduces fuel use without compromising output makes a real difference.”

Jason Guerini is seeing similar gains with his Steiger 715.

“It’s actually really good on fuel, which surprised me,” said Jason.

“We’ve got another tractor doing the same job, using the same litres per hour but it’s only pulling a 60-foot bar, while the 715 is pulling an 80-foot bar,” he said. “That tells you straight away there’s a fair improvement in fuel economy.”

For Jason, the benefits extend beyond fuel savings to overall productivity, particularly during seeding, where scale and efficiency are critical.

“We’re able to run wider gear, so we have fewer passes,” he said. “With our long runs, productivity is everything, and it’s certainly helping there.”

The tractor’s ability to maintain performance under load has also reduced the need for manual adjustments in the cab.

“With the older machines, once you hit a hard patch, you’d have to drop back a gear,” Jason said. “With the 715, I didn’t have to change down gears once, it just holds and keeps going.”

The Steiger 715 has been designed to deliver fuel efficiency through a combination of increased displacement, higher torque and optimised power management.

Its 16-litre twin-stage turbo engine delivers up to 778 peak horsepower, with the tractor built to handle high-draft applications while maintaining lower engine stress.

The PowerDrive powershift transmission is engineered for heavy-duty performance and maximum efficiency. Featuring Automatic Productivity Management (APM) diesel saver mode, it enables the tractor to maintain consistent ground speed under varying loads, helping optimise fuel use without sacrificing performance.

Justin Bryant, Case IH ANZ High Horsepower Product Manager, said the Steiger 715 was developed with a clear focus on reducing cost per hectare.

“The priority was delivering more usable power while improving efficiency, particularly fuel consumption. By enabling operators to maintain performance at lower engine speeds, we’re helping reduce fuel use in real working conditions, he said.

“In broadacre applications, even small reductions in litres per hectare can translate into significant savings across a season.”

In addition to fuel savings, the Steiger 715 incorporates design and technology improvements that support overall operational efficiency. A redesigned service layout provides improved access for maintenance, helping to reduce downtime during busy periods, while increased fuel capacity enables longer operating hours in the paddock.

The Guerini family has been a long-standing customer of Case IH dealer Hutton & Northey Sales. It has been a relationship that stretches back well before Jason was old enough to climb into a cab.

“As long as I’ve been around, it’s always been through them,” he said. “Brendan in the service department is really good, and if anything needs fixing, they’ll come straight up.”

Like the Guerinis, the Kent family’s relationship with Hutton & Northey Sales is a generational one.

“They’ve been around for four decades or more, back in the day when dad was running the farm. Their backup is second to none. Anything I’ve asked, they’ve always been out here to get the machinery up and running.”

Kelvin said he’s currently working with the dealership to get Case IH FieldOps precision technology fully operational across his fleet, where he looks forward to managing maintenance schedules and monitoring all his machinery remotely, adding to the efficiency gains he’s seen with his Steiger 715.