- New cab, controls and connectivity among key areas of enhancement
- All-new interior with the new Multicontroller armrest, configurable controls, AFS Pro 1200 monitor, tablet instrumentation
- Instant data transfer and remote monitoring courtesy of AFS Connect
The Case IH Optum CVXDrive tractor range – a strong seller for the brand since its 2015 introduction, on the back of its compact yet high-horsepower and high-specification design – has been re-engineered to create the new Optum AFS Connect range, with a new cab, interior and connectivity package designed to benefit both the operator and the owner.
Key among the changes, the new cab brings with it more space, lower noise levels and improved vision. There is a new Multicontroller armrest, configurable controls to allow the tractor and its implement to be adapted to the operator and the task, and upgraded luxurious interior materials. All of the changes have been designed to ease the operator’s workload, enhance efficiency, raise productivity and ultimately boost the bottom line of the business running the tractor.
The Optum AFS Connect range, like the line-up it succeeds, contains three models, with rated power outputs of 250hp, 270hp and 300hp, all featuring the Case IH CVXDrive continuously-variable transmission. However, many of the rest of the tractors’ key design points are new.
At their heart is a new cab in which a number of key areas of the interior have been completely redesigned. Many of these features are inherited from those established on the Optum AFS Connect’s larger Magnum cousins, which were upgraded to AFS Connect specification in 2019. They include the Multicontroller armrest and its multi-function lever, larger AFS Pro 1200 touchscreen monitor with greater functionality, and A-pillar tablet instrumentation for engine/transmission information read-outs. Meanwhile, the new tractors are now equipped as standard with the Case IH AFS Connect telematics package, for instant-two-way data transfer between tractor and online management portal, real-time machine monitoring and much more.
Key controls re-thought and re-designed: more intuitive and individual operation
One of the most prominent features of the new Optum AFS Connect range is the cab. Here, operators will find a larger interior with a volume increase of 7.5%, enhanced vision, courtesy of 11% more glass, and a noise level of just 66 decibels, helped in part by the premium materials in which the cab is now trimmed. All of this is designed for even safer, simpler and more enjoyable operation.
Inside, a prominent new feature is the all-new Multicontroller armrest, incorporating a new Multicontroller lever with configurable buttons. Via the new, larger AFS Pro 1200 monitor at the armrest’s front, key controls on the Multicontroller and armrest can be customised to suit operator preference and the job in hand, including the function buttons and remote valve paddle switches. The new ISOBUS-compatible AFS Pro 1200 touchscreen monitor has a high-resolution screen that not only allows the operator to monitor all primary tractor functions, but can also show front and rear camera feeds and is the key control gateway to operating and optimising the engine, the CVXDrive transmission and the tractor’s hydraulics and PTO. There are also short-cut keys and a new encoder turn-and-press dial on the new armrest, as established on the Magnum AFS Connect models.
Via the AFS Pro 1200 terminal, users can manage the tractor’s AccuGuide automated steering system and – for the first time in this Case IH tractor class – full AFS Connect telematics capabilities, technology which is well established on Case IH Magnum, Steiger and Quadtrac AFS Connect tractors.
With this system of wireless two-way data transfer between the tractor and the AFS Connect online management portal, tractor owners and farm managers have complete control over farm, fleet and data management, to help minimise costs, enhance efficiency and maximise performance.
Tractor performance and implement operating data are immediately, securely and continuously sent to the online portal for access by the tractor owner/manager. This allows them to make management decisions more precisely and with greater speed, supported by instantly-available and accurate data, both current and historical. They can also monitor real-time information such as the location of their tractors, their fuel levels and other key management and performance data. In this way it is possible to, for example, deliver diesel to a tractor as required, improve machine logistics or see if a job has been completed. As data transfer is possible both ways, job instructions, application maps and other data can also be sent remotely to the tractor from the farm office PC, using the ‘Farm’ tab in the AFS Connect web portal.
Farmers and – with permission – dealers can use AFS Connect Display Viewing to view the AFS screen display in real time as the driver is seeing it. For farmers/managers, this allows operating data to be checked and, if required, suggestions for adjustments to be made.
Owners can choose to allow their Case IH dealer to remotely monitor their tractor’s AFS Pro 1200 terminal screen via AFS Connect, if they so wish. Potential advantages include dealer notification of early warning signs of a tractor fault or issue, remote service access, and the opportunity to provide operating advice based on machine data. Under this AFS Connect Support PRO package, firmware over the air capability means dealers can wirelessly update the operating firmware of Optum AFS Connect tractors, meaning owners and operators can then immediately benefit from new features, functionality and enhancements.
