NEW NAME PROVES A LIKEABLE CHARACTER
NEW NAME PROVES A LIKEABLE CHARACTER
The first McCormick to go
through a farmers weekly/
Boerderij tractor test
comes into focus, with
Andrew Pearce relaying
the results
WHEN is a Case not a Case? When its a McCormick. Glib but true, ever since the brand name was resurrected after New Hollands takeover of Case-IH. Mind you, the 115hp MC115 tested here is a bit different, as unlike its three lower-power siblings it has no equivalent in the brave new CNH world.
Launched last June, the MC115 is a mix n match. Under a Case MX-series cab is the powershift and back axle from a 1990s Maxxum, while a new front casting adds 95mm (3.7in) to the wheelbase so a four-cylinder Perkins can gain an intercooler. Elsewhere the spec is contemporary – closed-centre hydraulics, 55deg front axle, auto functions for the driveline, electronic control for the hitch. All of which should shortlist the McCormick for farms wanting a 114hp runabout for loader work, trailers or arable duties. Starting point for price negotiation is £37,265 (or £38,693 as driven with auto pto, front weights and wider tyres) centring the MC115 among its opposition.
First impressions? A short, modern-looking tool marked out by a startling orange-red paint job and a very long optional front weight carrier. Step up closer to see disc-centre wheels (no lugs to crack), the Case family dashboard, a solid-looking rear hitch and metal for the back mudguards and bonnet. Build quality in the 140-hour old demonstrator is just fine, apart from cab wheel arch trim already flapping, a flimsy-feeling main linkage control, an underbonnet exhaust leak and in places, some orange-peel paint finish.
AROUND this power point, engines are either turbo fours or big-displacement unblown sixes. This Perkins is a four, packing a wastegated turbo and intercooler to extract a claimed 114hp from just 4000cc – only Fendts 411 Vario displaces less.
From the drivers seat the impression is of a quiet engine, particularly flexible in the 1500-1800rpm area but wanting to fade under heavy load below 1300revs. What does the dyno say?
That its an average performer. Maximum pto power of 100.1hp arrives at rated speed, so theres no constant power and no output bump as revs fall back. Compared to the 114hp claimed at the engine, pto output shows an over-average 12.2% drop. Peak torque is on the class mean at 306lb ft/1355revs, while a 28% torque rise is below the norm. Beyond peak torque, twisting force drops away though not in a landslide.
Fuel consumption at maximum power/rated speed (265g/kW/hr) is over the class average of 243g/kW/hr, and 15% adrift of the class-best 223g/kW/hr. So as 1000rpm at the pto calls for rated speed, the MC115 will not be particularly economical in sustained hard work – and theres no economy pto mode to fall back on. Diesel capacity? Completely conformist at 189 litres. The tractor itself weighs 5329kg, average for the class.
THE MC115s four-speed, four-step powershift is recycled from the Maxxum range, complete with clutchless shuttle and 40kph top speed. A stocky shift lever slots metallically between four main gears, numbered I-IV. A click thumbswitch sorts through four powershift steps and a soft-shift button smoothes engagement if required. Ratio number is 16×12, as gear IV is blocked in reverse. A creeper set is optional.
Its an honest, simple transmission now showing its age. Covering the speed range with 16 ratios leaves none spare for overlaps, though the steps between main gears (2%-8%) are much smaller than the 20%-24% spacings within them. On 18.4R38 tyres, seven speeds fall in the 4-12kph (2.5mph-7.5mph) fieldwork range. Just enough, though work around 3mph and 6mph can be frustrating if conditions vary much down the field as theres no overlap between main gears. Reverse ratios are 15.7% higher than forward speeds so unless you can powershift down, headland turns with pto implements can be faster than is comfortable. Top speed runs out at 37kph (22mph), so the MC115 is only a true 40kph (25mph) tractor downhill.
The stick moves out of comfortable reach in third gear unless youve arms like a gibbon, though the powershift thumb clicker is simple and logical to use. If the stretch bothers you, check out the static-knob speed sequencer (around £720) that will be optional from March 2002. The box itself runs quietly under load, yet theres a hard edge to everything it does. Powershift changes happen so fast the thumbswitch seems directly connected to the cogs, and reactions from the foot clutch and shuttle are sharper than they should be.
The upside is when you want quick response from the box – say, when the engine is dying under load – its there; the downside is the need to always keep the transmissions general edginess in mind and not skip through steps when shifting down, as changes are accepted regardless of speed. Each powershift step snaps home, as though somewhere down below a big set of jaws is chomping on steel. The noise is enough to make you wince, particularly as the rest of the tractor is peaceful. Using the soft-shift button blurs engagement and kills the clack, though as the option is only available in gear IV the relief it brings is limited. On the road the MC115s transmission is OK – shifts under pressure are clean. As with any tractor with limited ratio number, its necessary to drop at least one main gear to move a load from rest.
THE TRANSMISSIONS getting on a bit but the cab is right up-to-date. Two deep glass doors close solidly, theres a high-set air seat and good views all round – particularly out over the snubby nose and back to the lift arms, the latter making for very easy implement connection. The interior is pure family Case. Wide, light grey, generally well thought out and apart from a flapping panel liner, screwed together properly. Just a 70s-style square instrument pack and the lack of a standard passenger seat mark it down.
Tall operators find the roof console too low, especially with a loader. Mirrors are big, held on sturdy arms. Heating and ventilation is good and the aircon effective. Storage room is not bad – space either side of the seat, a tray behind it and a bottle holder/tray in the right-hand console, though retainer plates at floor level would stop stuff rolling forward. Sprayer controls and the like are catered for by a back window slot, two power points and pre-tapped mounts. Moving to the outside, the test tractors nine standard worklamps are generous.
The office is quiet, too. Silsoe measured a maximum of 76db(A) under load with the windows shut: although not as hushed as the class-leading Fendts 73.5db(A), the low washing-machine whistle of engine and transmission are never a burden, even flat-out.
CAT III rear linkage kicks off well with a sensible holder for the strong top link, pin-and-hole stabilisers and a push-out Dromone hitch, whose ready visibility outweighs the temporary loss of one spool. But hiding the hitch release lever down behind the seat (where its a real back-ricker) is a dumb move.
Linkage control is electronic with basic radar-based wheelslip limiting optional. The system fronts the usual lineup of functions including effective implement anti-bounce in transport, then goes two steps further by adding the ability to control lift arm reaction during draft changes and to set a lower draft working depth – the latter very handy in fields with light and heavy patches. Response is tailorable to very wet conditions, letting us plough at high draft sensitivity yet not have the implement lift too much or dive too deep.
Control setup is straightforward once you twig whats going on, though turning the main position and draft sensitivity knobs in different directions to increase working depth is not logical, Mr Spock. Optional external lift switches on both rear mudguards give slow, controllable arm movement and complete a competent setup.
But at 4492kg, average lift capacity across the linkages claimed 610mm arc is poor and more appropriate to the 100hp class. And although force rises initially with arm height, it fades towards the top of the range, suggesting potential troubles with heavy stuff like a drill combo. Still, we had no practical problems with a long Dowdeswell plough and the optional assister ram is reckoned to boost lift by 899kg.
CLOSED-CENTRE hydraulics feed three standard outlets and a power-beyond port. Spools are double or single-acting with external flow control, plus a rotating barrel lock for every lever. Internal flow control and a fourth spool are optional, the latter a double-acter with no detents, worked by rocker switch. Depending on axle fill, a generous 42 litres can be taken from the back axle for trailer or other operations.
Spools are light to handle and set high on the console, making it easy to dispense oil controllably or to turn a plough. Maximum flow (100.1 litres/min) wouldnt disgrace a 140hp tractor and is well above the class average, as is 21.8kW of hydraulic power. A free-flow return serves hydraulic motors.
CONSOLE rocker switches click-in 4WD and the back diff lock, while the front unit is limited-slip. Both systems have a basic yet useful automatic mode, engaging and disengaging according to linkage arm position, travel speed and brake use; and if radar is fitted, both are also triggered when slip goes over 15%. In practice the setup works consistently to reduce driver workload.
ONLY two speeds are on offer, selected easily from a console lever and appearing at a reversible stub. Circlip fixing and dry shaft housing make changes potentially uncomplicated, though the test tractors circlip didnt agree. 1000-shaft revs need rated speed so with no overpower, the motor wont find it easy to nail rpm under heavy, changing loads. Cab noise stays low using either speed, attaching shafts is relatively easy as the stub is not deep-set between the back wheels, and drive takeup modulation is effective when starting a high-inertia topper from rest.
Pto automation sparks up this otherwise-modest setup. If used, the system shuts off the shaft as the linkage lifts then starts drive again on lowering. Better yet, the operator can easily programme the stop/start points to tailor operation to different machines – and those points are remembered even if the engine has been turned off. Another effort-saver.
AUTOMATIC 4WD engagement lets two wet disc packs share stopping between all four wheels, both on the move and when the engines off. System hydraulics use transmission oil, with automatic reservoir top-up. Pedal effort required for eyeballs-out stops is modest and action is progressive: all told, a reassuring setup.
GENEROUS tilt n slide column adjustment brings the MC115s steering wheel to all sizes of driver. Input effort is low, and on 72in track setting the 4WD turning circle is tighter than average at 10.3m – the short wheelbase helps. Independent brakes tighten the circle with little effort from the driver.
APART from the radiator header tank, daily checkpoints are on show without disturbing any covers. The bonnet lifts high to reveal a dense mechanical thicket, with silver-lagged intercooler plumbing snaking over the engine.
The aircon matrix lifts completely clear for cleaning, but blowing out the other units will need a long airline extension or some dismantling. Filters for oils and fuel are easy to reach, with the horizontal engine oil version potentially giving mess-free changes.
The battery is under the offside steps so takes a little reaching. The fuel filler neck is right to hand by the nearside steps, which also serve as a launch pad for cleaning the cabs external-air filter. Grease nipples around the front axle, linkage and hitch look reachable.
Verdict
Buying a reworked Case should bring piece of mind, as the key assemblies – engine, transmission and cab – have already served time elsewhere. McCormicks mid-priced MC115 is a likeable and easy drive. The cab is thoroughly modern, linkage control is competent and the driveline boasts some useful autofunctions: engine characteristics, fuel economy, the powershift and lift capacity are not up with the class leaders. Given some updating, McCormick will have a cracking product.
Comments and queries on this test, or suggestions for future ones? E-mail aapearce@mac.com