The package of detailed upgrades, which also includes a locking front differential, and a new factory-fitted precision guidance option, coincides with the introduction of Stage V emissions-compliant engines for the European market and measures that further reduce total cost of ownership.
NEW JCB FASTRAC 4000 SERIES TRACTORS WITH ADDED PRODUCTIVITY
A refreshed range of Fastrac 4000 Series tractors with uprated axles, new tyre options for increased traction in the field and the ability to work with swan-neck drawbar trailers and tankers have been launched by JCB Agriculture at Agritechnica.
Fastrac 4000 Series tractors continue to win over new owners and operators with their unique combination of speed, comfort, road safety, field traction and four-wheel steer manoeuvrability, all of which contribute to increased productivity. The detailed upgrades we have now introduced give these highly versatile tractors even greater productivity potential.
John Smith | Managing Director JCB Agriculture
The three new Fastrac 4000 Series tractors feature:
Engines
In the European Union, these new features and options are introduced on JCB Fastrac 4000 Series tractors with a new version of the current 6.6-litre, six-cylinder engine that has a diesel particulate filter (DPF) in addition to selective catalytic reduction (SCR) to further reduce potentially harmful air pollutants.
In other markets, such as the United States and Canada, Australia and New Zealand, Russia, the CIS states and Africa, the tractors will continue to be supplied with engines conforming to European Stage IV / US Tier 4 Final emissions rules.
In both cases, engine performance remains unchanged, with rated-speed outputs of 119kW (160hp) for the Fastrac 4160, 141kW (189hp) for the 4190 and 162kW (217hp) for the best-selling 4220.
As engine speed is pulled down under full load for optimum performance and fuel consumption, these figures rise to 175hp (130kW), 208hp (155kW) and 235hp (175kW), respectively, along with increased torque.
Operators of the new Fastrac 4000 Series tractors will enjoy a reduction in total cost of ownership thanks to engine service intervals for oil and filters that are extended from 500 hours to 600 hours, and the new Auto-Stop feature, which eliminates unnecessary fuel use by shutting down the engine after a period at idling speed – a feature that can be disengaged in situations when this is inappropriate.
Drivetrain
The JCB Fastrac 4000 Series tractors’ efficient powertrain is further enhanced with the introduction of new axles that deliver power to the ground from the CVT transmission with its unique choice of seamless or ‘powershift’ stepped speed adjustment.
The new heavy-duty JCB axles have 33% higher load ratings than before and increased durability thanks to larger hubs and bearings and larger kingpin bearings.
These upgrades will be especially beneficial for tractors engaged in high-draft load work or when fitted with new tyre options that help deliver even higher levels of traction in the field.
There are larger externally-mounted brake discs all round delivering increased braking performance, and at the front, the axle differential is a larger, hydraulically-engaged locking design rather than a limited slip unit to further enhance tractive effort when conditions are slippery underfoot.
All these improvements allow operators to make even greater use of the Fastrac’s multitude of implement and equipment mountings at the front, at the rear and in the space behind the Command Plus cab.
In addition, the deck area where some operators fit demountable sprayers and liquid fertiliser tanks can now be equipped with a new fifth-wheel coupling option to take advantage of the weight-transfer and load distribution characteristics of slurry tankers and other trailed equipment equipped with a swan-neck drawbar.
New tyre options
JCB Fastrac 4000 Series tractors have the unique advantage of 50:50 unladen weight distribution, and also active suspension systems front and rear that help maintain a consistent ride height and operating weight distribution when one or more implements is attached.
This results in higher levels of tractive effort being generated than the diameter of their equal-size wheels might suggest – and that performance can now be further improved with the introduction of ‘VF’ category, high-speed rated field traction tyres.
These advanced tyres can operate at a lower inflation pressure for a given load, resulting in a larger footprint that delivers increased traction and less compaction of the soil.
Conversely, these characteristics can be used to carry a heavier load than lesser tyres of the same size without resorting to higher tyre inflation pressures.
Either way, operators can exploit these characteristics and the increased carrying capacity of the new Fastrac 4000 Series tractors to achieve higher outputs and increased productivity, and without compromising their 60kph legal top road speed.
Available in addition to the ‘IF’ category tyres currently available, the new ‘VF’ options are the Mitas HC2000 in VF 540/65 R30, VF 540/65 R34 and VF 600/70 R30 sizes; the Trelleborg TM1000 High Power VF 600/70 R30; and Michelin’s Axiobib 2 in VF 540/65 R30 and VF 600/70 R30 sizes.
For Fastrac 4000 Series tractors that undertake a lot of road or hard surface work, two new block tread tyre options are available: the BKT 540/65 R30 Ridemax IT-697 TL and the Nokian TR12 540/65 R28.
To complement the new tyres, especially when used in dual formation, the hydraulic cylinder pressure for the Fastrac 4000’s multi-mode four-wheel steering system has been increased to maintain a comfortable level of effort required at the steering wheel.
Precision farming
To further enhance the ‘GPS complete’ technology available on JCB Fastrac tractors since 2017, the Trimble GFX-750 package can now be factory-installed ready for immediate operation in the field.
This package has proven popular as an after-market purchase for its simplicity, while delivering repeatable guidance with a choice of SBAS, RangePoint RTX, OmniStar, CentrePoint RTX, VRS and RTK signal correction services for pass-to-pass accuracy down to less than 25mm.
The GFX 750 display has a 10in (256mm) high-definition colour touch screen as a configurable interface to the Android operating system, and in addition to guidance can be used to display a camera feed or ISOBUS virtual terminal for implement operation.