JCB STRENGTHENS WORLD-LEADING AGRI LOADER RANGE

Five new or improved Farm Master large wheeled loaders are being launched at Agritechnica to strengthen a world-leading range of purpose-built machines that bring industrial scale performance to agricultural handling and loading.

Among the highlights is a new cab bringing greater space and comfort, more informative instruments and a quieter working environment. JCB’s Ecomax T4i diesel engine enters service in three models, and evolutionary engine and driveline improvements are among a host of significant upgrades for the top two Agri ‘S’ machines.

The latest changes to the Farm Master range comprise:

• More spacious, quieter and better equipped cab introduced on all new and updated models
• Revised 411 Agri entry-level model gets JCB Ecomax engine with increased power and torque
• New 413S Agri replaces 412S with increased engine power and high-lift option
• New 417 Agri replaces 416 with performance and economy of the JCB Ecomax T4 engine
• New 418S Agri replaces 414S/416S with new chassis, more power and lock-up torque converter
• New 435S Agri takes over from 434S and uses up to 28% less fuel per hour in silage clamp operations

JCB Agriculture Managing Director Richard Fox-Marrs said: “JCB’s innovative wheeled loading shovels are uniquely equipped for agricultural applications with unbeatable power-to-weight ratios, specially-selected gearing and the tyres needed for grip and stability in typical on-farm conditions.

“Large farms, contractors and commercial store operators can rely on JCB Farm Master loaders to provide efficient repeated loading and handling cycles, whether working inside a large grain or fertiliser store, feeding a bio-energy plant, coping in the silage bunker with the output of a high capacity forage harvesting team, or working out in the field filling spreaders from a stockpile of compost, digestate or cattle yard manure.”

There are standard Agri versions ideal for work in buildings and yards and more powerful Agri ‘S’ versions with significantly more power – typically 17-18hp/tonne – and a six-speed transmission with closer ratios and a low first gear for exceptional pushing performance when tackling more demanding work on silage clamps and around field heaps of manure or compost. Limited slip differential axles and a wide core cooling pack to resist dust and dirt are also part of the standard package.

All the changes to the range come less than 18 months after the top bulk handling models in the Farm Master range – the 427 Agri, 437 Agri and 457 Agri – switched to Euro Stage 3B / US Tier 4 Interim engine specification and gained a number of improvements, including improved low speed engine response, engine shut-down for improved economy, a five-speed transmission option and auto front diff lock.

Richard Fox-Marrs said: “The investments we have made in these improvements show how dedicated we are about delivering the right product for different users and applications. With a range going from a 2 tonne compact to a heavy-weight loader of more than 22 tonnes, JCB can clearly justify its claim to be the leading wheeled loader supplier to agriculture and related industries worldwide.”

New cab and styling

The most striking change for all the new JCB Farm Master wheeled loaders is the new styling and cab, which bring practical improvements as well as giving the machines a sleeker, more modern appearance that will appeal to professional operators.

The 3m³ cab is significantly larger, quieter and more comfortable, with more stowage space and a new full colour instrument display set in front of the driver providing more useful information. Optional climate control air conditioning has been added to automatically maintain a comfortable temperature.

Visibility to the rear is better on the mid-size models thanks to the exhaust being tucked beneath a more compact, sloping engine cover. Also, the glazing should stay cleaner now that the mudguards are adjustable to fully cover all tyre sizes – with the rear mudguards no longer attached to the axle but bolted to the substantial chassis instead.

Improved operation comes from introducing electro-hydraulic proportional control for the auxiliary valves so that the third and fourth spools can be controlled at the same time, and added versatility is provided by the new constant flow option that equips the Farm Master loaders to power a sweeping brush, snow blower, feed or bedding dispenser and similar attachments.

Fuel-efficient JCB Ecomax T4

The highly fuel-efficient JCB Ecomax T4 engine makes its debut in the Farm Master 411, 413S and 417 Agri loaders, meeting emissions rules without any exhaust after-treatment technology requiring additional service attention.

The engine is set further back to accommodate the bigger cab and with the engine separated from the transmission by a shaft, less noise, heat and vibration finds its way into the cabin to disturb the operator’s comfort.

JCB Farm Master 411 Agri

The 8.7 tonne entry-level machine in the wheeled loading shovel range benefits from the 4.4-litre JCB Ecomax T4 engine. Peak power increases by 9% from 74.2kW (100hp) to 81kW (108hp), with maximum torque up by 17% to 516Nm.

The Farm Master 411 Agri becomes a livelier performer, with power and torque channelled through a four-speed torque converter transmission as before, but with loader arms extended to 3.57m for extra load-over clearance.

JCB Farm Master 413S Agri

Increased engine and hydraulic power are key advances on the new JCB Farm Master 413S Agri wheeled loader.

Weighing in at 8.7 tonne, the machine’s performance gets a shot in the arm with a 12% increase in peak power and 3% gain in peak torque by upgrading from the 4.4-litre JCB Dieselmax to the new 4.8-litre JCB Ecomax T4 engine with 108kW (145hp) and 560Nm torque.

In the hydraulics department, the twin gear pump installation of the outgoing 412S model has been replaced by a load-sensing variable output piston pump with 23% more output at 156-litres/min. It also brings fuel-saving potential and less wear and tear by delivering only as much oil as the machine needs.

A High Lift option giving 6% more load-over height than standard will be welcomed by operators filling high-sided trailers and bio-energy feedstock bunkers.

JCB Farm Master 417 Agri

Powered by the 4.4-litre Ecomax T4 engine, the replacement for the 10 tonne Farm Master 416 Agri has a little less peak power at 93kW (125hp). But as proven in the JCB Loadall Agri Plus and Super telehandlers, and in the TM320 telescopic loader, that is no handicap.

With more torque available lower down the engine speed range thanks to the variable geometry turbo, the 417 Agri will be more than a match for its predecessor – and with the prospect of substantially lower fuel consumption.

The newcomer shares its 156-litres/min hydraulics system with the Farm Master 413S and also the new High Lift arm option..

JCB Farm Master 418S Agri

The JCB Farm Master 418S is the most substantially overhauled model in the new range as it replaces the 414S and popular 416S. Apart from the new cab, where there is much improved noise and heat insulation, optional climate control air conditioning and modern LED lighting, the 418S also has an all-new rear chassis, a more sophisticated, higher-speed transmission, an optimised hydraulics installation and larger tyre option for greater grip and flotation.

The 10 tonne newcomer is powered by a six-cylinder diesel of 6.7-litres capacity as before but with output increased by 5% from 123kW (165hp) to a more than generous 129kW (173hp) to give this 10 tonne machine a real power-to-weight ratio lift. Torque is similarly up from 732Nm to 801Nm for a significant improvement in climbing ability – whether on a silage clamp or hilly country lanes.

The new model also benefits from now having direct-drive torque converter lock-up in all six gears, so it can push hard and draw on the engine’s generous torque reserves to keep shovelling grass into a clamp rather than losing effort through the torque converter. Nor will it have any difficulty keeping pace with the rest of the muck spreading or silage harvesting team as it moves between sites as the 418S Agri has 40kph or 48kph gearing – and the torque converter lock-up helps road travel fuel efficiency, too.

While using the same 100cc pump introduced in the 416S Agri, the newcomer does benefit from optimised hose and valve sizing to improve the efficiency of the working hydraulics, while a hydraulic-drive reversible fan ensures cooling capacity can easily be kept at its optimum for the more powerful engine.

An optional tow hitch with hydraulic fold-away is another improvement; so too is the option to fit larger – 750/50R26 – tyres, which provide more traction and flotation than the largest size (620/70R26) with the predecessor.

Finally, operators for whom the standard loader arms are not quite long enough but the Super High-Lift option is excessive, the new High Lift option provides an extra 210mm over load-over clearance – enough to make all the difference when filling a tub diet mixer-feeder or high-sided spreader without much loss of lift performance.

JCB Farm Master 435S Agri

The new JCB Farm Master 435S Agri makes its international debut at Agritechnica as the new ‘king of the clamp’. Building on the success of its predecessor – the 434S Agri – as the industry’s first heavy class wheeled loader built exclusively for agricultural applications, the newcomer has improved traction, faster travel speed and greater comfort and convenience for the operator – as well as significant reductions in fuel and other running costs.

The new 435S has made huge strides in productivity and is up to 34% faster in silage clamp operations when pushing and rolling and up to 17.6% faster on the road, reducing point to point times. Compared to the outgoing 434S, the new model uses up to 28% less fuel per hour in silage clamp operations. On the road, the 435S also uses more than 28% less fuel per kilometre.

A 6.7-litre Cummins QSB six-cylinder engine is used again but with catalyst and particle filtration exhaust after-treatment achieving Euro Stage 3B / US Tier 4i emissions compliance. Power output at 171kW (230hp) and 945Nm of torque are unchanged for an unrivalled power-to-weight ratio of 16.8hp/tonne, and with more power and torque available at lower engine speeds than before.

An 1800rpm ECO power setting for light duties is joined by a new ‘low idle’ feature that automatically cuts engine speed to just 700rpm after 30 seconds of inactivity. Together with a slower cooling fan to cut power loss, these features contribute to significant reductions in lifetime fuel usage.

The same goes for other running costs – axle service interval is now 1500 hours, for example, and a new brake design reduces wear. Further efficiency gains come from the new Powerinch feature for the six-speed powershift transmission – it disengages the clutch so that full engine speed can be used when stationary for optimum loader tear-out and lift.

A 48kph top speed option enables the 435S Agri to keep pace with other vehicles in a silage-making or muck spreading crew and operators get a quieter working environment in the refreshed cab, where maximum noise level is down to just 70 dB(A).

Together with other new features, these improvements highlight how the new JCB Farm Master 435S Agri is even more operator-focused than before.