Back in the mists of time we nicknamed Case’s original Magnum 7120 the ‘Jolting Jumbo’ for the delicate way it shifted gears. Things have changed over the past 25 years…
Only a decade ago the powershift was king in American farming. The hydrostatic-based stepless transmission had been around since the mid-1950s and really took off in Europe with Fendt’s 1995 Vario, but the US market wasn’t impressed. Things started to change in 2005 with Deere’s introduction of a CVT on the 8030 series tractor, and that prompted Case IH to develop its own solution. Built in-house at the US Racine factory — home to the Magnum — this transmission is now the only option on the firm’s flagship Magnum 370, though the other five models within the range can have a conventional powershift box.
Before exploring the CVT, a word about the tractor. Candidate for this driving impression the 370 CVX packs an 8.7-litre, six-cylinder turbodiesel under its huge one-piece bonnet. Made by Fiat Powertrain Technologies (FPT), the engine meets Stage IIIB emission requirements through the use of SCR and AdBlue fluid; Cummins engines were dropped in the move to Stage IIIB compliance. The 370 CVX’s powerplant delivers 270kW/362hp/367PS (ECE-R 120) at rated speed, but when travelling beyond 18km/hr or when the pto/hydraulics are in use at
over 0.5km/hr, a very promising 308kW/419hp arrives. This output knocks the Claas Axion 950 off the pedestal marked ‘world’s most powerful production tractor’ (profi 12/13).
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