Case IH Farmall C Upgrade: More power, weight & precision
The Case IH Farmall C, well known across New Zealand, has just seen an upgrade including a new look, increased weight and hydraulic power, and a cab overhaul.
Bay of Plenty dairy farmer Ross Barker was always keen on Case IH tractors, but needed the support of a local dealer before he bought his Maxxum 125 Silver two years ago.
Barker and his family farm 190ha at Reporoa, milking 530 cows. They ran Case IH tractors a decade ago. Then they heard Giltrap Agrizone was setting up locally.
“You need a good service outlet. I’ve always believed that it’s good having a tractor, but we need someone out here locally to service and maintain it. We decided to look at the Maxxum 125.”
Barker wanted a 125-140hp 6-cylinder tractor with a front-end loader, to tow a 13m3 feedout wagon.
“It had to be a decent size but I didn’t want a beast…. It’s an awesome tractor. It’s manoeuvrable getting into gateways, as it’s not a very long tractor. It seems to be a bit shorter for the same horsepower so it gets around easily. It’s also great for loading silage.”
Maxxum tractors are designed for livestock operations, rowcrop applications and roadside mowing. Features include cab visibility, thoughtfully designed controls and comfort, and good PTO, hydraulics and transport power boost.
Barker says the cab is well laid out, with everything located in a logical place. It is also simple to operate.
The Maxxum Multicontroller provides access to all tractor controls and moves with the seat, allowing better vision and control of the implement at work.
“These tractors are getting quite techno but with farm workers you need something that someone can just jump in and drive. The Maxxum is like that. We have two other workers operating it regularly and they have no trouble with it.”
The Case IH Maxxum 125 is also comfortable to operate. The cab suspension reduces shock loads by 25%.
A power boost of up to 25hp can be achieved with the 6-cylinder Maxxum models, allowing work in tough conditions and on steep inclines without losing speed or productivity.
The engines have a high-pressure common rail fuel system that offers more power, faster throttle response, better fuel economy, less noise and lower exhaust emissions due to more efficient and more complete fuel combustion.
Fonterra’s impending exit from the Australian dairy industry is a major event but the story doesn’t change too much for farmers.
Expect greater collaboration between Massey University’s school of Agriculture and Environment and Ireland’s leading agriculture university, the University College of Dublin (UCD), in the future.
A partnership between Torere Macadamias Ltd and the Riddet Institute aims to unlock value from macadamia nuts while growing the next generation of Māori agribusiness researchers.
A new partnership between Dairy Women’s Network (DWN) and NZAgbiz aims to make evidence-based calf rearing practices accessible to all farm teams.
Despite some trying circumstances recently, the cherry season looks set to emerge on top of things.
Changed logos on shirts otherwise it will be business as usual when Fonterra’s consumer and related businesses are expected to change hands next month.

OPINION: Here w go: the election date is set for November 7 and the politicians are out of the gate…
OPINION: ECan data was released a few days ago showing Canterbury farmers have made “giant strides on environmental performance”.