JCB will showcase the new 335hp Fastrac 6300 at Cereals this month, with the tractor appearing alongside the company’s materials handling machines for grain, bulk fertiliser and bale handling.
The Cereals event moves to the Cotswolds this year, held at Diddly Squat Farm, Chaddlington, Oxfordshire on 10-11 June, with farmers from across the country attending to learn about the latest varieties, soil management and machinery for growing grain and oilseed crops.
JCB’s Fastrac concept is known for its combination of power, traction, speed and four-wheel steer agility, and for its axle suspension front and rear. This setup provides operator comfort over long working days and supports field work and road travel, legally at up to 66kph thanks to the suspended axles and a braking system to commercial vehicle standards featuring large outboard disc brakes.
The new Fastrac 6300 delivers more power in a relatively compact and manoeuvrable package suited to arable cultivation, drilling and transport operations. Features include a new engine and stepless transmission combination matched to deliver smooth speed transitions and power and torque delivery. In the cab, the configurable touch-screen iCON control centre offers ISOBUS implement operation and factory-installed precision farming features. These include a multi-mode guidance system with a choice of automated headland turn patterns and a twin satellite receiver installation that provides accuracy over rolling terrain.
In addition to the example available for inspection on JCB’s exhibit, a second Fastrac 6300 will take an Amazone trailed sprayer around the Sprays & Sprayers arena, while a pair of 235hp Fastrac 4220s will perform with Amazone and Landquip de-mount sprayers, illustrating the use of the Fastrac’s deck area, which complements the front and rear linkage as a third mounting point.
JCB’s materials handling range encompasses loading shovels, telescopic wheeled loaders and telehandlers, with features such as built-in weighing and automated functions. For high-lift operations, particularly stacking and retrieving bales, the new JCB Loadall 542-100 combines 4.2-tonne lift capacity and 9.8m lift height with the DualTech VT transmission, a JCB-engineered design that combines attributes of hydrostatic and powershift drive. Despite its greater lift capacity and lift height, and the field-to-yard speed advantage of the optional 50kph DualTech VT version, the machine is no bigger than the existing 536-95, giving it the same manoeuvrability for everyday work in and around farm buildings.
JCB’s Loadall 560-80 is the bulk loading and re-handling machine in the range, now available to AGRI Pro specification with a 40kph version of the DualTech VT part-hydrostatic, part-powershift transmission and an uprated driveline partnering the 173hp DieselMAX engine. Heavy-duty axles, 500mm-wide tyres and hydraulic power braking to both axles are part of the upgrade package, while a 14% increase in flow to 160-litre/min provides faster cycle times.
JCB’s range of loading shovels, represented by the 437 Agri at the Cereals event, covers a number of models and specifications to suit hard-surface and indoor operation or outdoor work on silage clamps and muck heaps. The JCB 437 Agri is a 15-tonne, 4.7-tonne payload machine suited to store work, with 195hp, a five-speed powershift transmission and hydraulic power for loading and re-handling cycles, whether materials are inbound or being out-loaded from storage.
Image: JCB
