Magnum. Thinking yummy, choccy ice cream? Sorry to disappoint. A good old American workhorse from Case IH? Now you’re talking. We take a look at the five top-end MX models.
The Case IH MX240 is in its element pulling a four-row Köckerling tine cultivator, purring like a kitten. “He feels comfortable in the field, but we prefer to use other tractors for roadwork,” is the view from Hendrik Gaus, the owner of the Magnum featured here, who clearly classifies the MX as a real arable tractor that finds it hard to hide its American origins.
Full powershift
One of the main reasons is the full powershift, 18 forward ratios that can only be shifted up or down one after the other, not really lending itself to a prompt getaway at a set of traffic lights. Shifting is done electro-hydraulically by pressing the rocker switch on the side of the ‘joystick’, which otherwise is only a hand throttle.
A big plus compared to its predecessor is the powershuttle. However, it doesn’t offer any automatic functions, and features such as cab or front axle suspension were never an option on this era of Magnum.
Nevertheless, an MX series Magnum can be an exciting machine for those who are on the lookout for a future classic. Their elongated, almost squat appearance was very different to the earlier 7000 series, which is achieving cult status.
Case IH introduced five models with a new look in 1999: from the ‘small’ MX180 with 133kW/181hp, to the range topper MX270 with 203kW/276hp. The MX180 and MX200 will be trickier to find, as the more powerful models had a better power-to-weight ratio. In terms of appearance, the new model range kept up with the smaller Doncaster-built MX100 to MX170 models.
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