MX series fills a power niche.

Before the Maxxum Series went into production in March, Case IH customers offered design input and spent 20,000 hours of prototype driving time.

The new Case MX Series Maxxum tractors unveiled at Case Corp.'s spring product introductions in Phoenix in February struck a responsive note among the dealers and farmers attending and the Case IH staff hosting the company's third group of product introductions in 13-months.

The MX line of tractors is Case's first stage of a planned $850 million investment in product development of Case IH tractors 60 to 600 hp, harvesting equipment and crop production implements over the next three years, Jon Carlson, senior vice president and general manager, North American agricultural equipment business unit, told Implement & Tractor.

"We asked our customers what specifically they wanted in their tractors. They told us, and we responded," he said of Case's customer-driven design process. "The sleek new design and the superior performance of the MX is a result of our customer feedback process, with their ideas integrated into the final product."

The MX, with 85 to 115 PTO hp, is a large tractor for a small operation or a small tractor for a large operation. It will radically change what farmers expect from a tractor in this horsepower category from heavy-duty feedlot chores to high-acreage row-crop farming, Carlson said.

"We think the MX is a tractor is for every farm," he added.

Reaction from most dealers I&T spoke with seemed to confirm Carlson's statement. "The MX will address some concerns of our customers. I think it will be a good selling product in our area," said Marc J. Taylor, president of Northern Plains Equipment Co., Inc., of Mandan ND. Several other dealers who had just returned from test driving the tractors agreed with Taylor's assessment of the tractor.

Although enthusiasm seemed to run rampant among Case employees at the event, there was probably nobody in the company more enthusiastic about the MX than Tim Loucks, the new products manager of mid-sized tractors. He excitedly explained the criteria that came with the "clean sheet of paper" used in designing the tractor - the resulting tractor had to be for all farms; it had to be versatile for medium-to-heave tillage, seeding and planting applications; it had to provide additional options for a variety of operations; and it had to give a better return on the customer's investment.

Loucks said some 20,000 hours of MX prototype operation with customers in the drivers' seats was well spent to get continual feedback on the new design. Customers wanted some of the same features as the Magnum, so those features were incorporated into the tractor. Other features were technical improvements over other tractors in the MX's power range.

"We've leapfrogged the competition with the MX," Loucks said.

Power. With up to five more horsepower than the previous Maxxum tractors, the MX series is powered by a six-cylinder, EPA-certified engine with five-hole injector nozzles and an in-line fuel injection pump. A new flare-tipped viscous fan optimizes coolant-temperature control. The PTO-torque has increased up to 44 percent. Iso-mounting keeps the engines quiter and virtually vibration free, according to Loucks.

A newly-designed self-cleaning grille has 113 percent more screen area, and an in-line core radiator reduces plugging and improves air circulation. With 18 percent more surface area than previous models, the new air cleaner reduces service-cleaning intervals and is standard for all cab models.

Hydraulics. For loader tasks, hydraulic-pump capacity is 47 percent greater and hydraulic pressure is increased more than 7 percent. When fitted with Case's new L300 loader, the MX tractors have a lift capacity of 3,850 lbs. and a breakout force of 6,300 lbs.

The MX has a hitch-lift capacity of 7,895 lbs. The Cat II hitch can be converted to Cat IIIN. The hitch is controlled using the same electronic-style system, with diagnostics, found on the Magnum tractor.

Other features include optional slip control for setting slippage selection and end-of-row function that disengages the MFD and differential lock when the hitch is raised to within 30 percent of maximum-set height, then re-engages when the implement is lowered after the turn.

Drivetrain. The load-carrying capacity is increased on both 2WD models, which now feature the same 2WD front axle as Magnum tractors, and on MFD models, which have an all-new heavy-duty axle. A new 112[inches] bar rear axle provides for row settings 60 - 88[inches] and dual tire settings of 60 - 125[inches].

The synchronized transmission has 16 forward and 12 reverse speeds. Thumb-switch operated powershift speed transmission, standard on the MX 135, is optional on other models. Creeper and super creeper transmissions are available. The power-shuttle shift is standard on all MX models. This self-modulating feature puts forward and reverse shifting at the operator's fingertips and eliminates the need to actuate a foot-operated clutch.

Maintenance/Servicing. The MX has true ground-level servicing, and if the side panels have to be removed, they snap on and off in a one-person operation. The new 72-gallon tank has 60 percent more capacity. Engine-oil change intervals are extended by 20 percent to 300 hours, transmission oil intervals to 1,000 hours.

Engine driveshaft, MFD steering-axle joints and MFD driveline joints have permanent lubrication. Front weights are interchangeable with all other current Case IH tractors.

Operator Comfort. The cab has greater visibility and is quiter. The new design puts 56.6 square feet of glass in the cab, repositions the exhaust pipe and removes the middle post from the right-hand cab window. The cab is now rated at a quiet 72 dBA.

Some optional features are intermittent windshield wipers, tilt and telescoping steering wheel, deluxe air seat and breakaway side mirrors. All MX tractors are factory ready for Case's Advanced Farming Systems technology.

MX Series Maxxum Tractors

MX100 - 85 PTO hp MX110 - 95 PTO hp MX120 - 105 PTO hp MX135 - 115 PTO hp