The intelligent use of technology stands as one of the paramount challenges modern society is tasked with addressing. Technological innovations must not only be accessible to all, a prerequisite for them to truly become a social “revolution,” but they must also primarily serve to facilitate and simplify the lives of those who use them daily.
Innovations at the Service of Users
From this perspective, each innovation must be tailored to serve the specific purpose for which it was created, thereby assisting users in enhancing their quality of life or work through easily and immediately usable solutions. This is precisely the principle that guided the engineers at McCormick when designing and developing the “X5.120 P3-Drive” model, a medium utility vehicle positioned at the top of the “X5” series. Its aim is to streamline, facilitate, and expedite both on-site activities within the company, field applications, and road transportation.
McCormick “X5.120 P3-Drive”: versatility in Purpose
This ambitious mission profile has been met by the brand under Argo Tractors through an exclusive powertrain capable of ensuring the highest standards of functional efficiency and management simplicity across a wide range of operational areas. Practically, this allows the machine to effortlessly transition from surface land processing to seeding, from forage and livestock applications to trailer towing.
Such multifunctionality enables the “X5.120 P3-Drive” to operate for up to a thousand hours per year, compared to the roughly 500 hours of a pure agricultural tractor. This effectively halves the investment amortization period, particularly aided by the flexible power delivery provided by the four-cylinder Fpt Industrial “F36” engines, tuned to deliver a maximum power of 114 horsepower.
Enhanced Performance
These engines, with a displacement of three liters and 600 cubic centimeters, achieved through 102-millimeter bore and 110-millimeter stroke cylinders, are compliant with stage V emissions standards. They utilize a DOC catalyst combined with an SCR system integrated into the same housing that also accommodates the DPF particulate filter. This design eliminates EGR, favoring thermodynamic efficiencies, a consideration reflected in the common rail fuel injection systems operating at 1800 bar, the four-valve distribution per cylinder, and the turbo-aftercooler-assisted intakes controlled by wastegate valves.
Up to 15% More Performance with McCormick “X5.120 P3-Drive”
These combined solutions result in a torque density exceeding the category average by 15%, with torque delivery curves guaranteeing reserves oscillating between 28 and 32%, ensuring the machine can fully utilize the automation levels offered by the new “P3-Drive” transmission. Uniquely designed by Argo Tractors, this transmission closely simulates the performance of continuously variable transmissions (CVTs) without encountering the same mechanical efficiency limitations that affect CVTs installed on medium-power tractors.
Three-Stage Powershift
This is achieved through a base gearbox that combines a three-stage powershift with four robotized gears, along with a super reducer operating only in the low range, providing a total of 48 forward and 16 reverse speeds. The latter can be engaged under load via a modulated electro-hydraulic reverser.
McCormick “X5.120 P3-Drive”: two Functions for Two Uses
Within each range, operators have access to 12 automatically managed gears, selected by the “APS” system, short for “AutoPowerShift,” which engages the most suitable gear for the ongoing activity, whether it’s fieldwork or road transport, through the respective “AutoField” and “AutoRoad” functions. Moreover, these functions can be activated by the operator simply by pressing a button on the latest generation “SmartPilot” joystick, leaving the gear management to the software based on engine load, allowing the operator to focus on equipment control and trajectories.
Facilitated Steering Management
The “ADS+” system, short for “Advanced Driving System+,” further facilitates steering management by automatically realigning the wheels in “Road” mode, maintaining direction on uneven terrain without operator effort, and progressively increasing steering wheel stiffness with increasing speed, borrowing from automotive advancements.
Split Hydraulic System of 94 Liters/Minute
Configured in this manner, the “X5.120 P3-Drive” medium utility vehicles are capable of simplifying and expediting even the most demanding applications. This is significantly aided by a split hydraulic system that provides 94 liters of oil per minute, with 32 reserved for onboard services and the remaining 62 allocated to power up to six distributors, two of which are ventrally positioned and operated by a joystick. This joystick not only facilitates the control of a possible front loader but also enables the engagement and disengagement of the power take-off operating at 540 and 1000 revolutions per minute in standard and eco modes. If the machine frequently faces particularly demanding hydraulic absorption activities, the standard pump dedicated to work groups can be replaced with a similar system providing up to 82 liters per minute, a flow rate ideal for supporting combined applications alongside a rear lifter electronically controlled with a capacity of 4500 kilograms and an optional front group with a capacity of 2200 kilograms.
Total Visibility with McCormick “X5.120 P3-Drive”
Designed for continuous use, the McCormick “X5.120 P3-Drive” medium utility vehicle is equipped with four-pillar “Total View Slim” cabins that enhance visibility in every application thanks to the use of thermic panels for the side surfaces and a transparent roof, allowing constant monitoring of any front loader movements. Also standard are the digital dashboards serving as man-machine interfaces, mechanically or pneumatically suspended driver seats, height and tilt-adjustable steering wheels, and the option to have up to ten LED lights for safe operation even in low visibility conditions.
Capable of Handling Loads up to Nearly Four Meters
With a ground mass of around four thousand kilograms and a wheelbase of two thousand three hundred and fifty-five millimeters, the “X5.120 P3-Drive” is well-suited for company and forage handling operations. Hence, the machine can be equipped with dedicated front loaders from the McCormick “M20cm,” “M20im,” and “M20tm” series, offering load capacities ranging from 1200 to 1800 kilograms and reaching maximum heights of up to three meters and eighty centimeters.
Constructed with high-resistance steels and corrosion protection to ensure durability even under continuous use in the barn, they are also managed by the dedicated cabin joystick, which controls both the clutch and gears under load. Designed for factory installation, they are engineered to distribute the loader and load mass across all wheels, not just the front ones, to reduce tire wear and minimize stresses on pins and bearings. This objective is also pursued with the presence of two nitrogen accumulators that cushion the inevitable bumps caused by loading and unloading during work. The “Velotak” and “Flash System” systems facilitate the mounting and dismounting of the load-bearing structure, while the possibility of having a floating position supports activities requiring equipment to follow the terrain profile.
Tailored Technologies
As a technological brand under Argo Tractors, McCormick integrates all its tractors with the provision to accommodate the latest digital solutions developed by the Emilian Group to maximize machine operational efficiency. This is the aim of the “PSM” system, short for “Precision Steering Management,” responsible for satellite-based trajectory management, which prevents overlap during variable-rate treatments with a margin of error of just two centimeters.
Therefore, it is possible to reduce seed usage by up to ten percent on average, fertilizer usage by up to sixteen percent, and herbicide usage by up to sixty percent. Moreover, the interaction with the employed equipment is facilitated by the ISOBUS communication protocol, while remote control is managed by the “McCormick Fleet Management” and “Remote Diagnostic Management” systems. These systems enable real-time monitoring of fleets, analysis of all necessary data for optimizing work, storing data in the cloud or on company servers, and implementing predictive maintenance to minimize management costs and keep the machine consistently operating at its peak capacity.
Title: McCormick “X5.120 P3-Drive”: smart technology
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