In Early February, Case IH revealed it will be giving operators of model year 2025 Steiger four-wheel drive Quadtrac tractors an option for a smoother ride, especially during road transport.
The machines will also spend less time on the road with a faster 40 km-h travel speed.
Those advantages will come thanks to the new HDS suspension system for the track modules, which will be an option on 2025 Steiger Quadtracs.
“We have a new track system on the Steiger four-wheel drive,” said Morgan Dietrich, tractor segment lead for Case IH in North America.
“At the National Farm Machinery show we released the HDS, Heavy Duty Suspension. Now we have a fully active hydraulic suspension system on our Steigers with a faster transport speed.
“We have a longer track that helps with heat dissipation. And the big thing there is long-term durability of not only the tractor, but the operator. We have a 40 percent reduction in vibration at the operator’s seat in transport. We’re taking those big jolts and jostles out of the whole tractor. We’re sucking it up in that suspension system of the tracks.”
HDS has greaseless design with a load-sharing hydraulic suspension and self-tensioning tracks. The brand expects to begin accepting model year 2025 tractor orders around this June.
New Holland updates the T8 tractor line
The introduction of the AF11 twin-rotor Case IH combine in February may have been a bit of a shock to longtime enthusiasts of the red brand.
The twin-rotor concept had been strictly a New Holland design feature until then.
Combine design has been one of the major differences when it comes to machines offered by sister brands Case IH and New Holland under CNH Industrial ownership — until now, that is.
The similarities between the new Case IH AF11 and the New Holland CR 11 combine, which was introduced at Agritechnica in Germany, aren’t completely clear yet, but the trend toward more design integration between equipment offered by the two brands has become noticeable.
“For us, it was how can we streamline our manufacturing process, make it easier to produce quality equipment and get it out to customers faster than what we’ve done before. I think that’s what it’s really boiled down to.”
“Between Case and ourselves, it is a straight carryover as far as what we’re both introducing for model year ’25,” he said.
“There’s really no differences, per se.”
Both the Case IH Magnums and New Holland T8 tractors are built at the same assembly plant in Racine, Wisconsin.
“You could see a blue one come down the line and right behind it a red one,” said Paul.
“For model year ’25 on the T8s, we’re moving to Tier 4B/Stage V emissions standards,” Paul said.
“All our high-horsepower models are now at that Stage V. What comes along with that is a change in our rated horsepower curve, so we’re picking up approximately five percent more rated horsepower than what we had before, about 15 h.p., which really shines in that tillage, draft type application.”
New Holland Rolls Out Electric Tractor
The tractors will still use an SCR exhaust after treatment system like they do currently, but it will be more efficient in limiting nitrogen oxides.
“There’s no change in the after treatment system,” he said.
“Stage V filters out more of the NOx than regular Tier 4B emissions did.”
“It may not be a consistent theme (with all buyers),” said Paul.
“But it’s definitely in the top five (customer requests). Customers want to go faster with implements. That requires additional horsepower.”
At the rear, the new Genesis T8 models receive the same hydraulic remotes update that their Magnum cousins do, using the newer design introduced on the four-wheel drives.
“It’s a very similar set-up to what we introduced on the T9 maybe a year or so ago,” Paul said.
“We’re gong to bring that over to the T8. It really kind of increases the reliability and quality versus the old remotes system we had. This new coupler system has an assisted ejection lever. It just makes it easier to connect or disconnect from the remotes under pressure. It’s a lot easier than what we had before.”
When it comes to digital technology, the brand will continue with its existing tech platform for 2025.
“We haven’t done an update on the technology end of it now for a year or two,” he said.
“That was our last big change for integrated technology, precision capability, a new display, new armrest. Five-year telematics (subscription) is standard. Our Cygnus receiver is in standard, base equipment. As our customers look to be more efficient, it just makes sense to not have that technology as an add-on anymore.”
Orders for the new Genesis T8 with PLM Intelligence tractors will likely open in mid-year with production beginning in the last quarter of 2024.
Deere reaches for fully autonomous fleet by 2030
John Deere introduced its fully autonomous 8R tractor for tillage applications in 2022 and began offering it commercially on a limited basis in 2023. | John Deere photo
Company targets autonomous operations for every job required to grow a corn or soy crop, from tillage to harvest
As John Deere unveiled its 2025 model year product line in late February, it brought the company one year closer to a significant date: 2030. That is when the brand has promised to offer a complete fleet of autonomous equipment, able to handle a full farming season from seeding to harvest with self-driving machines.
“The fully autonomous capabilities that we have available today with our 8R in tillage applications will only continue to grow and develop as we see customers trying to address that labour availability and shortage that we see in many of their operations,” said Aaron Wetzel, vice-president of production systems for production and precision ag.
Tailoring autonomous equipment first to corn and soybean producers allows the brand to reach the largest farming segment in North America, adding small grains and specialty crops capabilities as machines evolve.
That is the approach Deere has taken with its See and Spray Premium spot spray technology.
The new autonomous-ready package will include rear implement ethernet, newvisibility features, a back-up alarm, a 330-amp alternator, a brake controller and valve,and all the necessary connectors, controllers and harnesses.
The only additional item a farmer will need in the future to make the machine capable of autonomous operation will be the perception system, which consists of cameras and vision processing units.
Making machines capable of driving around a field is one thing. Having them control the complex operations they’re out there to perform adds another level of complexity.
“What enables us to get there is the investments we’re making in job automation. Making machines smarter and easier to use will help our producers today and bring them along on the journey to full autonomous operation in the future.”
The move by Deere and other brands to move toward production of fully autonomous machines marks a major turning point in ag equipment evolution, one many wouldn’t have thought possible just a generation ago.
“It’s astonishing. I think the pace of change is quickening. The amount of technology and new productive solutions we’re bringing to customers is only going to increase.”
But even though brands are preparing for a high-tech future, many producers may not be ready for that yet – or ever. Wetzel said Deere understands that and will continue to produce machines with varying levels of sophistication.
“I think customers are all at a different point in their technology journey. What’s great is we offer the solutions from the very basic levels of technology all the way to full autonomy. So, wherever a customer is in their journey, John Deere has a solution for them.”
