Case IH roadshow returns

Returning as the Red Excellence Tour, Case IH's roadshow will take the brand's latest product line-up around the country so customers can see, touch, and drive the machines.

Last year, Case IH brought a convoy of shiny red tractors on the back of three Iveco trucks to Perth (WA), Kadina (SA), Mildura (Vic), Dubbo (NSW) and Rockhampton (Qld), with over 250 people attending and testing the products.

This year, Case IH will drop by Horsham (Vic) and Toowoomba (Qld) in July. Some of the machines that will make an appearance at the tour include the Farmall, Maxxum, Puma, Magnum, Steiger Quadtrac and Steiger Rowtrac tractors; the Axial-Flow combines and the 2015 Tractor of the Year, Magnum Rowtrac.

A range of Case IH hay and tillage equipment as well as Advanced Farming Systems precision agriculture technology will also be on show.

Neville Kies, a mixed farmer from the Barossa Valley in South Australia, bought a new Farmall 105U tractor after attending the tour in Kadina (SA) last year.

He and his family run a vineyard enterprise producing grapes for the Shiraz, Mataro, Semillon and Chardonnay wine markets across two farms. The Kies also grow a broadacre crop rotation of cereals and pulses, while also running a small herd of Murray Grey beef cattle.

Kies says the family has always been Case IH orientated, having used International Harvester machinery over 60 years ago before following the transition to Case IH when the two brands united in 1985.

"That's not to say we don't look at other brands, but we're consistently happy with the Case IH products we've got and the service and support we receive from our local dealer at Lyndoch Motors," he says.

"They take a keen interest in what we do and how we do it and are a key factor in our decision to keep using Case IH products."

He was in the market for a utility tractor for his grape growing business when Lyndoch Motors Sales Representative Duncan McInerney brought up the Farmall 105U.

"We had a Case IH 4230 that we purchased in 1994 but after some 20 years of use we were ready to upgrade," Kies says.

"Duncan told us there was a new Case IH Farmall with a semi-powershift transmission coming onto the market. This sounded like it would fit in with our vineyard farming system, so we were about 80 per cent committed to the purchase before attending the Red Power Tour.

"So we went to the tour with a specific purpose. It was great to have a look at the other products, but the real benefit was being able to talk to the Case IH Product Managers.

"They really got into the 'nuts and bolts' of the Case IH product and spent a lot of time answering questions from farmers – they really knew their product inside and out," Kies says.

He adds the opportunity to test drive the Farmall 105U at the roadshow proved invaluable, as he got a feel for how the machine performed in field through a variety of speed ranges.

"I was particularly interested in the powershift transmission so we were able to set the tractor up both with and without the Eco PTO to see how it performs under particular speed ranges," he says.

"I had an idea of the speeds that we want to work with – when spraying for instance, we work between 6.8 to 8km/h – so it was enormously beneficial to be able to get a feel for this before making the purchase.

"It was also fantastic to have a close-up test of the ergonomics of the cab and controls. Case IH's cabin layouts have really evolved to enhance operator comfort and convenience.

"Even with higher horsepower than our previous tractor, the Farmall 105U is very quiet in the cab – it's a pleasure to operate and I've found it has really reduced my fatigue. As a result I'm able to spend more time in the Farmall 105U and get more done in a day."

The Case IH Red Excellence Tour will touch down in Horsham (Vic) on July 7 and Toowoomba (Qld) on July 28.

Interested customers are urged to contact local Case IH dealers to reserve their spots for the roadshow. For more information on the tour, visit www.caseih.com.