Case IH tweaks Magnum PowerDrive powershift transmission

Upgrades to the PowerDrive full powershift transmission and hydraulics system have been introduced for Case IH Magnum wheeled and Rowtrac semi-tracked tractors, along with a simplified choice of digital tech.

New model numbers identify the revamped machines, so the Magnum 340 becomes the 355, with a 16hp or 4% increase in maximum power output for draft work at 390hp, peaking at an unchanged 410hp for heavy pto and transport applications.

See also: Ultimate guide to buying a tractor 2025

The 380 is now the 385, with 417/435hp, while the 400 is re-christened 405 with a straight 435hp maximum output, both unchanged from the previous versions.

Extra features

While the stepless CVXDrive transmission also continues unchanged, a number of upgrades improve the PowerDrive alternative, including the ability to use just the brake pedals to come to a halt and move off again – a feature normally reserved for much smaller tractors.

It’s reckoned to be useful when negotiating a road junction, as well as when performing tight manoeuvres and hitching an implement.

Unusually, there are three settings balancing braking force and deceleration rate.

Automatic Productivity Management, which manages the powertrain in line with operator settings, draft loads and speed, has been revised with more opportunities for fine tuning.

Through the Pro 1200 Isobus display, operators can adjust acceleration rate, alter the target speed in 15% increments, and alter up-shift sensitivity and response settings.

There is also a shift “aggressiveness” button on the armrest for occasions when the tractor briefly needs more get up and go to handle a demanding load. Switching between road and field modes has been made easier, too.

Updated hydraulics

Also new to the Magnum tractors is a different design of electro-hydraulic valve, now installed horizontally and said to provide an improved power curve and maximum oil retention.

Lever-assisted couplers with colour-coded self-closing covers should make connecting and disconnecting hydraulic pipes easier, and the power beyond coupling is more accessible.

Front linkage performance has been enhanced, says Case IH, by drawing oil from a new mid-mounted valve slice providing 20% more pressure-side flow, peaking at 120-litre/min.

On the digital tech front, Connectivity Included is standard with no recurring charges, and buyers can choose from three levels of installed features, including FieldOps, CNH’s new all-encompassing digital platform, for machine and enterprise management.

A second Pro 1200 display with remote viewing can now be fitted, allowing more information to be seen simultaneously.

And AccuSync enables multiple machines to share data, such as A-B lines and coverage maps, when working in the same field.

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