In step with its earlier announcement to launch 27 new products before year's end, Case IH unveiled another dozen products for 2007 at farm shows this fall. The first launch took place in February, when the company introduced the MX Magnum and STX Steiger tractors in an effort to “close the gap on the competition.” (See “Case IH gears up,” March 2006, page 54.)

“What you are going to see on all of the new products for 2007 is, first off, a new logo,” says John Koetz, senior director of marketing for Case IH North America. The silver “I” in “Case IH” will be painted red to correspond to a logo once used by International Harvester. “If you go back 50 years, the black ‘H’ represented the tractor tires, the ‘I’ represented a red tractor, and the dot on the ‘i’ was the head of the driver,” Koetz explains. “So the red ‘i’ gets us back to our focus on the customer as the center of everything we do.

“Secondly, you will see the name of the family,” Koetz continues. These names include Axial-Flow for combines, Steiger for 4-wd tractors, Magnum for large row-crop tractors and Puma for row-crop tractors rated 180 PTO hp and under. Koetz says these names have more meaning to customers than the three-letter acronyms that were used before. Following the family name will be a number that denotes size or engine horsepower or where that machine falls within that family.

The color schemes are changing as well. “We are bringing back more red paint on our combines to emphasize the Case IH brand,” Koetz says. Specifically, the upper grain tank assembly and grain tank extensions on the 7010 and 8010 will be painted red to correspond with the 2500 series combines so that all four combine models will have a family resemblance.

Extra-large combines

The Case IH product attracting the most attention at farm shows this fall was the company's new Class 7 combine, Case IH's first entry in this size category. “Class 7 is currently the fastest-growing combine class in North America,” says Kelly Kravig, Case IH marketing specialist for combines and headers. “Many customers are looking for more productivity so they can harvest more acres per hour. The new 7010 is a good way for them to do that.”

The new combine has the same design as the company's Class 8 combine, the 8010, and is built on the same extra-large chassis. One major difference between the two combines is in horsepower. The 7010 is rated at 350 hp and uses a 9-liter engine, whereas the 8010 is rated at 400 hp and has a 10.3-liter engine.

“The other difference is in the cleaning system,” Kravig adds. The 7010 has a 52-in.-wide cleaning system and a total cleaning area of 8,300 sq. in., and the 8010 has a 62-in.-wide cleaning system and more than 10,000 sq. in. of cleaning area. Both cleaning systems are self-leveling, which means they stay level even on hillsides.

The 7010 has a 315-bu. grain tank. Case IH reconfigured the 8010 this year to give it a grain tank capacity of 350 bu. Both combines feature continuously variable drives that let the operator vary the speed on the feeders and rotor drives infinitely and on the go. The drives also have a reverse mode so that the operator can reverse the drives to unplug the machine.

Medium and large combines

The company also upgraded its Class 5 and 6 combines. “The biggest change on the 2500 series is that we added a larger grain tank,” Kravig says. “Plus, we went to an electronic engine that peaks out at 325 hp. So it has nice engine reserve and response.”

Model 2577 has an increase in power from last year of 15 hp and a grain tank increase of 40 bu. compared with the 2377 it replaces. Model 2588 has a 20-hp increase and a grain tank increase of 80 bu. compared with the 2388.

“We've also lengthened the unloading auger because we know guys are going to larger, 35- and 36-ft. draper heads,” Kravig says. Unloading rates average 2.4 bu./sec. “So there are a lot of nice enhancements we've done to these machines,” he says.

All four combine models manufactured for 2007 will have a 30th anniversary logo next to the model number to mark the date when engineers developed the first Axial-Flow combine.

Bigger headers

The company also introduced new headers to meet the higher-capacity combines. “You can't utilize the capacity of a 400-hp combine if you have a 20- or 30-ft. header,” Kravig says. “So we substantially increased header capacity as we looked to 2007 models.”

The new 2020 is a 35-ft. flexible header that provides 17% more cut width to match the higher feeding capacity of the new Axial-Flow 7010 combine. The new 2162 is a 40-ft. flex draper header to match the capacity of the 8010 combine.

Also new is the 2600 series chopping corn heads for one-pass harvesting and stalk chopping. “This header has been proven in Europe for over six years,” Kravig says. “So we decided to bring it to North America.” He says use of chopping heads is a growing trend in the northern Corn Belt and is working its way south as growers look for new options to handle tough Bt corn residue and no-till conditions.

The row-unit chopping mechanism is independent of the row-unit drives, allowing the operator to decide whether to chop or not chop, depending on crop and field conditions. The chopping corn head comes in four sizes: six rows, eight rows, eight rows folding and 12 rows.

Color monitor

The new AFS Pro 600 color monitor is designed to have more uses than the Universal Display Plus it replaces. When installed in the Case IH Axial-Flow combines, the new touch-screen monitor can be used not only for yield monitoring and mapping but also for auto guidance when used with the Case IH AccuGuide system.

The owner can move the monitor to Steiger series 4-wd tractors and Magnum large 2-wd tractors to provide auto guidance and variable-rate planting control on Case IH Early Riser 1200 series planters. “It allows for the portability and utility to do multiple functions,” explains Kirk Wesley, global marketing Advanced Farming Systems manager. “We've also provided a framework that lets the operator configure the screen the way he or she wants to.”

Row-crop tractors

Case IH also launched the Puma family of row-crop tractors. Koetz says the Puma name is a throwback to the Puma all-season tractors that Steiger introduced in the mid '80s. Steiger tractors became part of Case IH in 1986. “The Puma 1000 was one of the first row-crop 4-wd tractors,” Koetz says. “They were well-respected tractors known for their ease of use, power and reliability.”

The new Case IH Puma line replaces the upper end of what was the MXM Maxxum tractor line. The tractors are designed for growers who want a multipurpose machine that is simple to use and can go from row-crop to utility work with ease. The Puma line consists of four models ranging from 135 to 180 PTO hp, with an additional 25- to 35-hp boost available for PTO transport. Tractors are powered by a 6.7-liter Case IH engine with a full powershift transmission and 19th economy gear that reduces engine speed for better fuel economy at top road speeds.

New loaders

Finally, Case IH introduced the LX700 series loaders to give growers a wider variety of choices to match their operations' needs. The line consists of seven loaders designed to fit Case IH tractors ranging from 60 to 300 hp, including a high-capacity model that can work on its flagship Magnum tractor.

All of these new products will be available for the 2007 crop season. The new logo and look will be rolled out in waves. “In 2006 you will see it on the newest of the new introductions, which includes the 8010, 7010, 2588 and 2577 in the Axial-Flow line,” Koetz says. “The Steiger, Magnum and Puma lines will all carry the new look and feel as well. Additional products will receive the new logos starting with the 2008 model year.”

CASE EQUIPMENT FOR 2007

AXIAL-FLOW 7010 COMBINE
Class 7, 350 hp, 315-bu. grain tank
Suggested list price: $305,001
Circle 200.

AXIAL-FLOW 2588 COMBINE
Class 6, 305 hp, 290-bu. grain tank
Suggested list price: $284,001
Circle 201.

AXIAL-FLOW 2577 COMBINE
Class 5, 265 hp, 230-bu. grain tank
Suggested list price: $251,001
Circle 202.

2020 FLEXIBLE HEADER
35 ft. to match the Axial-Flow 7010
Suggested list price: $36,500
Circle 203.

2162 FLEX DRAPER HEADER
40 ft. to match capacity of 8010 combine
Suggested list price: $68,500
Circle 204.

2600 SERIES CHOPPING CORN HEADS
Six rows, eight rows, eight rows folding and 12 rows
Suggested list price: Not available
Circle 205.

AFS PRO 600 DISPLAY
Suggested list price: $4,700
Circle 206.

PUMA ROW-CROP TRACTORS
Four models ranging from 165 to 210 hp
Beginning suggested list price for Puma 165: $89,904
Circle 207.

LX700 SERIES LOADERS
Seven loaders for Case IH tractorsranging from 60 to 300 hp
Suggested list price: Not available
Circle 208.

Contact Case Corp., Dept. FIN, 700 State St., Racine WI 53404, 262/636-6011, or visit www.caseih.com or www.free productinfo.net/fin.