“It’s for the farmer who actually needs a Puma and a Magnum series, but only has the budget for one tractor,” said Stephan Nel, managing director of Case IH. He was speaking at the launch of the tractor at Nampo Park in Bothaville in the Free State. “It is powerful, efficient, and useful for baling and planting.”
Boasting a 6,7ℓ, six-cylinder engine with a four-speed rear power take-off, the tractor packs an efficient punch.
Case IH’s theme for this year’s Nampo exhibition is ‘at home with technology”. Nel explained that it was imperative that farmers had access to the latest technology that would aid their sustainability. This meant technology needed to be affordable and easy to use.
The new Optum’s continuously variable transmission delivers the exact speed at the right time, which improves fuel efficiency, saving farmers on their input costs. Bertus Barkhuizen, product specialist at Case IH, noted the tractor’s excellent power to weight ratio. “Dual wheels mean that weight is more evenly spread and the tractor has better traction. Width between the wheels can be adjusted according to the farmer’s needs,” he said.
The Optum CVX 270/300 is manufactured in Case IH’s factory in Austria. Barkhuizen added that one of the tractor’s key features was that it contained the same digital infrastructure behind the Magnum series.
“The tractor can be monitored from anywhere in the world. For those in the cab, it is one of the quietest machines on the market due to its stage five engine. It’s made with driver comfort in mind, featuring a multicontrol armrest and reactive steering.”
