JCB overhauls ageing cab controls for revitalised Fastrac range

Quick, smooth and versatile it might be, but for all the JCB Fastrac’s virtues it has been increasingly hobbled by one thing – its in-cab controls.

Owners and operators have watched on enviously as those running machines from rival brands enjoy the fruits of extensive cab overhauls.

And while they get the joys of guidance, Isobus and multimedia controls packaged neatly into one armrest, the Fastrac has soldiered on with an almost prehistoric touchscreen, a basic joystick and a painful lack of integration.

But the old interior has now been consigned to the JCB museum, replaced by an all-new workspace.

Trendily titled iCON, it will be standard fare on all five Fastrac models, from the base of the 4000 series to the summit of the 8000s – the 348hp 8330.

The update involves the armrest console, joystick and touchscreen, with Isobus and guidance now integrated into the display and the sight of multiple screens stacked up the B-pillar a thing of the past.

Fastrac 4000 iCON © MAG/Oli Mark

The rest of the tractors remain as before, so the 4220, which is far and away the biggest seller (accounting for almost 70% of all Fastracs sold), still has its 235hp Agco Power six-cylinder engine, Fendt-sourced CVT and the exclusive Fastrac perks of four-wheel steering, double-acting hydro-pneumatic suspension and powerful dual-caliper disc brakes with ABS – and thus the legal 63kph top speed that goes with it.

See also: Forward-control Fastrac ups spreading output by 30%

JCB Fastrac 4220 iCON © JCB

High-tech touchscreen

At the head of the freshly designed armrest is a new 12in colour touchscreen that can be positioned ahead of the buttons and joysticks for easy viewing or swivelled sideways to improve visibility through the front windscreen.

© MAG/Oli Mark

Gone are the vintage Gameboy-style graphics and clunky operating functions that had remained unchanged since the launch of the 4000 series in 2014, replaced by a pin-sharp display and a bundle of new features.

Clutter has been reduced too, most notably through the integration of precision farming and Isobus functions that will potentially allow operators to retire the extra pillar-mounted screens – allowing more light in and better views out.

JCB’S Guidance comes via a roof-mounted Novatel Smart-7 receiver, allowing section control and variable rate application to be run straight through the touchscreen with a £4,500 unlock.

Isobus comes on Field Pro models, which the company expects to be the most popular spec.

There’s also a “GPS ready” option that allows the tractor to be fitted with after-market guidance, such as Deere’s Greenstar – although it still requires a bridge from Solsteer or Agra GPS.

In terms of layout, operators can swipe, iPad-style, from the basic “run” display through five pages that cover spool settings, vehicle information, a remote camera view, the Isobus UT and guidance.

JCB says it has also increased the storage capacity for headland turn sequences, and there’s the ability to memorise up to 50 different control profiles for different implements and operators.

The other major display change is to the dash, with a swish 7in digital display now serving up engine rpm and speed read-outs behind the steering wheel.

Redesigned joystick

The second significant hardware upgrade is the joystick, which has a less off-the-shelf appearance and a far broader range of customisation options.

That includes the way it controls the Agco-sourced ML180 stepless transmission, which was always a bone of contention for those more familiar with the workings of a Fendt 724 – the 4220’s most obvious adversary.

Operators can now choose how it is set up. In “classic” mode, it is controlled as before, with ground speed altered by moving the joystick left and right, and directional changes on a forwards/backwards plane.

However, most are likely to favour the Fendt-style “pro” mode.

Nudging the stick left toggles between forward and reverse, while fore-aft movements determine ground speed.

Knocking it to the right maintains the forward speed, with a new thumb roller allowing for delicate on-the-move adjustments when drawing alongside a combine or forager.

JCB has also developed its own version of Fendt’s TMS system, where the tractor manages engine rpm and transmission ratio to suit the conditions.

And just like a Vario, driving mode is now automatically selected when the operator either puts their foot on the throttle or pushes the joystick.

Higher-spec models get a secondary joystick © JCB

Hydraulic controls can be allocated to any of the five customisable joystick buttons or assigned to the four-way auxiliary joystick that comes with higher-spec models.

LED colour backlights neatly indicate which spool is allocated to each of the four armrest paddles.

Creature comforts

There can be few complaints about the wide and spacious cab frame, which remains unchanged, but JCB claims to have taken comfort up a notch.

There’s a new automatic climate control air-conditioning, more storage space and, on higher-spec models, both heating and ventilation for the driver’s seat.

JCB Fastrac 4000 iCON cab © JCB

Pro Line variants include a front linkage, LED road and auxiliary headlights, a hydraulic top link and a “road performance” package comprising a hill hold function and two-wheel-drive traction control.

These Fastracs also come with Rapid Steer to reduce lock-to-lock wheel twizzling and, as an option, JCB’s novel Twin Steer system.

This allows the front and rear axles to be guided independently using separate GPS receivers, helping to pull implements into line for ultra-accurate work in high-value veg crops.

List price for a 4220 iCON starts at £164,453. The Field Pro pack, which includes Isobus, adds roughly £13,000 to that figure, and Pro Line another £6,000.

Production of the new models has just got under way, and dealers have all but emptied their stock of the old ones.

Specs

JCB Fastrac 4000 iCON © JCB

• Engine Six-cylinder, 6.6-litre Agco Power
• Max power 235hp@1,900rpm
• Max torque 700Nm@1,500rpm
• Transmission Agco ML180 two-range CVT
• Top speed 63kph
• Weight 7.99t
• Max permissible weight 14.5t
• Rear lift capacity 7t or option of 8t
• Hydraulics 195 litres/min
• Base list price Starting from £164,453

Other models available 4160 (175hp), 4190 (208hp), 8290 (306hp), 8330 (348hp)