Magnum 340 a perfect match

When it came to expanding his fleet, WA farmer Brett Warr chose the Case IH Magnum 340 because of its capacity to grow with his business.

In February 2010 after five years of planning, Brett and his brother John officially took over the family farming business from their father, Avon.

The move meant a 50/50 split of the land and assets at Yuna, 70km north-east of Geraldton.

Recently, Brett took his half of the business to a new level, leasing an extra 1200 hectares on top of the 4800ha he acquired from his father.

"I was using my high horsepower Case IH Steiger 535 on relatively small tasks such as pulling the chaser bin," Brett said.

"It wasn't productive to use such a large tractor for such small tasks, so I decided to expand the fleet to include a smaller tractor that had the horsepower we needed for the immediate tasks and the capacity to take on extra tasks as the business grows."

Preliminary Nebraska Tractor Test Lab results showed the Magnum 340 to be 5.2 per cent more fuel efficient than the new 2012 John Deere 8335R at maximum drawbar pull. The Magnum 340 also tested 3.5 per cent more fuel efficient at 75 per cent drawbar pull maximum power, and 4.2 per cent more fuel efficient during standard speed PTO operation.

"The Magnum is being used to pull a 25-tonne chaser bin and a spreader at the moment," Brett said.

"I'd like to double the size of my business and, with the Magnum being such a powerful machine, it's got the ability to tackle future tasks from silage to pulling a seeding bar."

Brett said the Magnum 340 had a powerful 8.7 litre engine and was developed without emissions reduction technology bolted on.

"The Magnum 340 is powerful, fuel efficient and simple to maintain due to the fact that Case IH hasn't included selective catalytic reduction (SCR) or exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) components in the engine," he said. "It's just one less thing to worry about."

With the Magnum 340's front axle suspension, stability and traction are a given - even on rough terrain.

"As far as front wheel assist tractors go, it's the smoothest one I have ever ridden in," Brett said. "The cab suspension works in conjunction with deluxe air seating to ensure operator comfort."

Operator comfort is enhanced further with a quiet cab, rated at just 69dBa at field speeds.

When it comes to control, the MultiController arm rest puts key functions at the operator's fingertips.

"We also like the fact that it features the AFS Pro 700 screen, which is compatible with the technology we're using in our other equipment - a Case IH Axial-Flow 9120 header, a 4420 self-propelled sprayer and the Steiger 535," Brett said.

"Using compatible technology across our fleet means it's easy for our operators to move from one machine to the next.

"Given the difficulty of finding labour, ensuring your gear is easy to operate is really important."