Visitors to the main Case IH factory in Fargo, North Dakota, will conclude their tours with a look at a modern classic – after almost two years of touring Australia
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The fully-restored Case IH Steiger Quadtrac on show at the 2017 AgQuip field days at Gunnedah
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After being used for more than 20 years on a Victorian farm, a restored Case IH Steiger Quadtrac is today sitting in pride of place at company’s main US factory in Fargo, North Dakota.
The Quadtrac 9370 is the final exhibit visitors to the factory will see on a tour of the facility – with Case IH saying in a statement that the vehicle is “a classic example of a tractor model that has stood the test of time”.
It’s thought to be one of the first Quadtracs to roll off the Fargo line in 1996, before being shipped to Australia and sold to a farmer in Victoria. For the next 20 years it had just two owners, clocking up a total of 17,000 hours in the field.
During its working life, the 360hp (268kW) tractor performed a variety of tasks, including planting operations that involved pulling an 18.3m Flexicoil ST 820 direct drill and a 9,000L air cart.
Its last owner sold it to representatives of Case IH’s Australian office, who bought it in 2016 with the aim of restoring it to celebrate its 20th anniversary.
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Proudly displayed today at Case IH’s Fargo facility in the United States
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Case IH Australia/New Zealand general manager Pete McCann says that owner had described it as a reliable workhorse, able to be used across a variety of tasks.
“This tractor is a perfect illustration of why this model is still so popular after more than 20 years,” he says.
“The Steiger Quadtrac changed the face of Australian farming and greatly influenced the tractor ranges of nearly every other ag machinery manufacturer.”
Case IH’s restoration team took 135 hours to restore the tractor, displaying it at the 2017 AgQuip field days at Gunnedah, NSW, before taking it on a tour of the country.
But McCann says the plan had always been to eventually send it back to where it was manufactured.
“This project is something everyone within the Case IH ANZ team is very proud of because it’s a really meaningful tribute to what’s become an iconic piece of machinery,” he says.
“To see it fully restored, and on display at the Case IH museum at Fargo for visitors to enjoy, is really gratifying.”
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