A new version of the JCB 8000 Series high-speed field and haulage tractor equipped with hydraulic double-acting JCB Advanced Suspension front and rear for the first time has been launched at Agritechnica 2019.
Building on the long-established features of the flagship Fastrac, its unique fail-safe steering system and the Command Plus cab of the current models, the Fastrac 8290 and 8330 can now operate heavier equipment with greater stability, while offering the operator even greater ride comfort.
Power outputs remain unchanged at 209kW (280hp) and 250kW (335hp) at rated speed, rising to 228kW (306hp) and 260kW (348hp) under full load; but the six-cylinder engine for tractors supplied within Europe comply with Stage V emissions rules.
The new Fastrac 8000 Series tractors feature:
JCB Advanced Suspension for both axles with adjustable ride height and spring rate
A 13% increase in permitted operating weight (gross vehicle weight) of 18,000kg
Rear deck load capacity doubled to 5,000kg, making more useful for hoppers and tanks
New ‘VF’ category ultra-flexible tyre options for further increased traction and floatation
New VF 480/70 R38 plus VF 480/80 R46 tyre combination for row-crop applications
New engine idle Auto-Stop and extended 600 hour service intervals for lower running costs
John Smith | Managing Director JCB Agriculture
JCB Advanced Suspension
Back in 1991, JCB introduced the world’s first fully-suspended tractor, with steel coil and telescopic damper front suspension complementing hydraulic rear axle suspension with automatic ride height control to compensate for changes in weight.
This successful concept was further developed in 2014 with active hydraulic front axle suspension for the Fastrac 4000 Series tractors.
The combined effect of these axle suspension designs include unrivalled driver comfort that encourages faster, more productive working speeds in the field, and the stability and axle control required for high-speed road travel.
Those benefits are now brought to the Fastrac 8290 and 8330 in the form of a heavier-duty version of the JCB Advanced Suspension, which is fitted as standard to set new standards for ride comfort and stability.
JCB’s hydraulic Advanced Suspension responds to maintain a consistent ride height when front-mounted implements or ballast are attached, and provides increased stability when working with larger implements.
Operators can adjust the ride height individually front and rear to help balance the tractor and the hydraulic cylinder actuators can be set to maximum pressure to minimise axle movement when undertaking operations such as buck-raking on a silage clamp or clearing roads with a snow plough.
On the Fastrac 8290 and 8330, the front and rear suspension installation also allows a 13% increase in the permitted operating weight to 18,000kg, so larger implements and equipment can be operated and additional ballast used if necessary.
Also, the load-carrying capacity of the rear deck area behind the Command Plus cab has doubled from 2,500kg currently to 5,000kg, making it a more practical proposition to mount seed or fertiliser hoppers, liquid fertiliser tanks and other equipment in this space.
Powertrain
The new Fastrac 8290 and 8330 are powered by a revised version of the 8.4-litre six-cylinder engine used by their predecessors but with the addition of a diesel particulates filter (DPF) and enhanced selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system to further reduce pollutants in the exhaust gases and meet the latest European Stage V emissions rules.
Stage V, which targets soot emissions in particular, is unique to Europe, so engines to the existing Euro Stage IV / US Tier 4 Final requirements will continue to be installed in tractors shipped to markets in North America, CIS states and Russia, Africa and the Pacific region.
In both cases, running costs will be lower thanks to oil and filter service intervals extended to 600 hours and a new engine Auto-Stop feature that switches off the engine after a period at idling speed to prevent unnecessary fuel use. This feature can be disengaged for situations where this would be inappropriate.
As currently, power and torque are channelled through a robust and durable CVT transmission providing a selection of operating modes to suit different applications, and a unique-to-Fastrac choice of seamless or ‘powershift-like’ manual speed adjustment.
Tyre options
New tyre options bring the load-carrying, traction and flotation characteristics of the latest ‘VF’ category traction tyres to the two biggest and most powerful models in the Fastrac range.
All are designed to be capable of sustained travel at the Fastrac 8290 and 8330’s legal top road speed of 65kph, while enabling lower inflation pressures for a given load in the field or increased load at the typical pressures required for tyres of a lesser rating.
The new options are: BKT VF V-Flecto in 600/60 R38 and VF 540/65 R38 front sizes matched with VF 710/60 R42 rears; a Trelleborg TM1060 VF 600/60 R38 and VF 710/60 R42 pairing; and Mitas HC2000 VF 480/70 R38 fronts with VF 480/80 R46 rears, which can be used on adjustable rims to achieve track spacings for row crops and similar applications.
Precision farming
A precision guidance system is now available for Fastrac 8000 Series tractors from JCB Agriculture dealers to complement the after-market systems that can be purchased to make use of factory-installed ‘steering ready’ electronics infrastructure.
The Trimble GFX-750 package comprises a NAV-900 cab roof-mounted satellite signal antenna and the GFX-750 in-cab display, which has the Android operating system and a configurable layout for the 10in (256mm) high-definition colour touch screen.
In addition to satellite guidance, the GFX-750 can be used to display a camera feed or an ISOBUS virtual terminal for operating implements, and there is 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.