2018 Scania P 450 XT: Operator Review

Scania's P 450 XT is built tough to tackle some of the harshest environments on the plant – a fact that isn't lost on Tim Murfett, manager of Launceston-based Altrac Spreading. After all, his trucks have it harder than most specialised machines destined for heavy-haul and other severe-service applications.

However, despite the rugged construction, Scania's new XT construction models typify the trend towards blending tough with cutting-edge tech. It's a model range that leverages all of Scania's latest technologies, such as advanced telematics, with an incredibly robust frame, high-horsepower diesel engines, and ground-gripping all-wheel drive axle options.

Related reading:
Scania launches new-generation construction range
Scania shows off XT
First Australian Scania XT heads to work

It is that intricate blend of brain and brawn in this truck that first attracted Tim to Scania.

"Today we need a truck that is smart," he said.

"The new generation of farmers who engage our services want accurate data on the amount of product we spread and where we spread it. At the other end of the scale, we also need trucks that are reliable and robust enough to endure the rugged chassis-twisting conditions we have in northern Tasmania.

"Today we've become a key partner in our client's precision agriculture process.

"When my father-in-law Dirk Van-Namen took over Altrac Spreading back in 2012, the technology in spreading equipment was considerably limited compared to the results we can deliver today," said Tim.

"I was new to the agriculture industry but came from a mechanical and transport background. For the first 12 months, I juggled truck scheduling as well as driving one of our spreading trucks before taking over the manager's position permanently. Mind you, Dirk and I both jump into a spreader when we get the chance.

"I did a lot of logging back in my early days," Dirk said.

"We even had a few Scanias on the logs back then and they were good trucks."

Today Altrac Spreading has diversified its services from spreading and transport to include crop and pasture sowing, as well as filling in centre-pivot irrigator ruts.

As the business grew, Dirk and Tim focused on chasing efficiencies wherever they could. It's a path that led them to their first 6x6 Scania, a G 440, and subsequently to the P 450 XT reviewed here.

"At the time, we were searching for a vehicle that could carry more product to give us efficiencies through economies of scale, along with far more reliability than we were getting out of some of the other marques in our fleet," said Dirk.

"Frankly some of them weren't man enough for the job. For instance, when we are on some of the larger farms there can be a five- or six-kilometre lead from the stock pile to the paddock, which means that there can be a 20-minute loss of production from the time the truck leaves the paddock, travels to the stock pile to load, and returns. That's one reason the 6x6 Scania appealed to us."

But the Scania's tech is another great drawcard, said Tim.

"The other reason is the Scania is a very intuitive truck with a host of technical features that can link in with our unique body, which enable us more accuracy when spreading," he said.

"Most of the new generation of farmers have a college education; they really know their production costs and monitor their soils to enhance crop growth to maximise their yields – it's what's known today as precision agriculture."

Simply put, precision agriculture is a farm management approach largely based on technology and data collection, where farmers use anything from drones, GPS, and sensors to soil sampling and variable rate applications to make agribusiness more accurate and efficient.

"Today we work closely with our clients and, based on their requirements, we can plot the path for spreading in the paddock and precisely measure and vary the amount of product we spread," said Tim.

"Then, at the completion of the spread, we can provide the farmer with an accurate record of the amount of product spread in that paddock.

"There is a significant cost saving for the customer straight away. Now we can guarantee to minimise overlap passes, which means no wasted fertiliser or seed and, importantly, no wasted fuel and time.

"With the variable rate application, the machine can dispense more product in areas of the paddock that require dense coverage and less where lighter coverage is required, providing the maximum benefit to the soil."

However, Tim concedes that when he first looked at the 6x6 Scania, it appeared to be a premium product on paper – a fact quickly confirmed when the quote for the vehicle came in $20,000 higher than his last spreader acquisition.

"There was a price jump from the G 440 to the new P 450 XT," he said.

"At first glance it might seem hard to quantify such a significant price gap from one vehicle to the other. However, we had to look at what we are getting in that package and not only consider how the new technology will benefit our operation, but also how the efficiencies of the new machine will reduce costs – all while weighing up the integrity of the product and its support to ensure we can provide the level of service we are promising our customers.

"Importantly, we had to ensure that with the additional price increase came a significant productivity gain. If our costs rose too high because of the investment in equipment and we're forced to pass this on, then farmers would start looking at purchasing tow-behind spreaders for their tractors to do their own spreading.

"It's that simple, because they are always looking at ways to reduce their costs too. Thankfully when we started looking into the Scania trucks in depth, it quickly became apparent they would deliver the efficiencies we were looking for."

Tim conceded that when he started crunching the numbers he couldn't afford not to have the Scania 6x6. The legal road-going payload increase from the firm's smaller MAN 4x4 to the Scania 6x6 went from 4.5 tonne to 7 tonne (a jump 55.56 per cent), and the gain in the paddocks was even higher.

The spread pattern of the new larger Southern Spreaders bin went from 34 meters to 50 meters (a 47 per cent increase). Because the Scania 6x6 carried far more product in the field, the number of trips is reduced by 37.5 per cent.

"When you weigh up the productivity and economic gains we were getting for a small 8.7 per cent increase in the purchase price, we just had to have the Scania," Tim said.

"In fact, when I first saw it in the afternoon, I went back to my motel room and did the sums, then rang Dirk and we both agreed that the Scania 6x6 was the way of the future. So, Dirk rang and ordered it that night."

Since the first G 440 6x6 went into service in mid-2018, it quickly became apparent that Dirk and Tim had made the right choice. The larger 440hp truck was carrying more fertiliser as well as towing a tag trailer with the loader and burning the same amount to a tad more fuel than the smaller 4x4.

"Like all transport operations, fuel burn is one of the biggest costs," Tim said.

"It did worry me how the Scania was going to go when it came to fuel considering it had the larger engine and more power. But once it started working, the extra power actually proved to be a greater asset because it can get more product to the job site quicker, because it can climb the hills a reasonable pace.

"One thing we've had on all our spreaders is the AIR-CTI central tyre inflation system, which enables us to raise and lower the tyre pressure from inside the cabin on fly. This combined with the Michelin 495/70 R24 XM47 floatation tyres is important when spreading in paddocks, as soil compaction is a big concern for the famers.

"By lowering the tyre pressure in the paddocks, it increases the surface area of the tyres' footprint over the ground and this reduces the pressure on the ground. The added advantage is the greater the tyre footprint, the more the traction is improved, much the same as when 4x4 enthusiasts lower their tyre pressures when they're on sand.

"During a particularly wet week back in spring, the Scania 6x6 was spreading in a large paddock down Fingal way – it had been going in and out of the paddock several times, barely making a mark in the grass where it had been," said Tim.

"One of our 4x4 trucks that was spreading nearby had some product left over and drove into that same paddock, went about five metres and sank down to the axles. We couldn't believe how easy the bigger 6x6 was working in such wet and boggy conditions, while barely leaving any evidence it was there."

Take one look at the steering wheel in these Scania trucks and it's quickly apparent they're a little more sophisticated than standard. They've been equipped with Topcon electric self-steering that enables the truck to steer itself in the paddock to pre-plotted courses, ensuring the product is spread to exactly where it's been programed to. The driver still can override the system at any time simply by turning the wheel to avoid an object in its path. "It's all part of our precision agriculture program," Tim said.

The trucks still retain all their original functions for on-highway work.

The latest Scania P 450 XT is powered by Scania's DC13 engine, coupled to the GRS905R 14-speed direct transmission with Scania's Opticruise transmission. The power is fed into the GT900 transfer case, where it can be directed to the forward and rear axles as conditions dictate. This vehicle also features Scania's R4100 retarder, which Tim said does an excellent job in Tasmania's hilly country.

When asked how happy he was with the two Scania 6x6 spreaders, Tim didn't hesitate in answering.

"We're that impressed with Scania and they're doing such a great job, we've actually ordered two more 4x4s, which will arrive in the next month or so, and scheduled another 6x6 in time for next season."

Enough said.

Scania G 440 6x6 specifications:
Engine: Scania DC13 440 13-litre in-line-six-cylinder turbo-diesel
Power: 440hp (328kW) at 1800rpm
Torque: 1696lb/ft (2300Nm) at 1000-1300rpm
Transmission: Scania GRS905R 14-speed direct Opticruise
Transfer case: GT900
Retarder: Scania R3500
Alternator: Scania 24V 100A
Compressor: Knorr 720CR, twin-cylinder, 800lt/min with air dryer
PTO: ED 120P
Air cleaner: High rear mount with pre-cleaner and safety filter
Propeller shaft: All-wheel drive P540
Propeller shaft: Front P460
Steering box: TAS 85, 18.6:1
Front axle: Scania AMD901
Front axle ratio: 3.95:1
Front suspension: 3 x 29 parabolic
Rear axles: Scania AD1303P axle housings with RBP 735 gears
Rear axle ratio: 3.93:1 with diff locks to both axles
Hub reduction ratio: 3.81:1
Rear suspension: Scania four-Leaf parabolic with roll bar
Brakes: Scania electronically controlled drum brakes with auto slacks
Tyres: Michelin 495/70 R24 XM47
Safety: EBS with integrated ABS and traction control
Wheelbase: 3850mm
Cab tilt: Mechanical
Interior: Vinyl and textile trim
Seats: Premium driver's seat with armrests
Bumper: Powder-coated double-tube steel
Battery box: 2 x 12V, 180A; chassis-mount L/H side
Fuel capacity: 1 x 300lt, R/H side
AdBlue tank: 1 x 50lt, R/H side

Scania P 450 XT 6x6 specifications:
Engine: Scania DC13 450 13-litre in-line six-cylinder turbo-diesel
Power: 450hp (335kW) at 1900rpm
Torque: 1733lb/ft (2350Nm) at 1000-1300rpm
Transmission: Scania GRS905R 14-speed direct Opticruise
Transfer case: GT900
Retarder: Scania R4100
Alternator: Scania 24V 100A
Compressor: Knorr 720CR, twin-cylinder, 800lt/min with air dryer
PTO: ED 120P
Air cleaner: High rear mount with pre-cleaner and safety filter
Propeller shaft: All-wheel drive P540
Propeller shaft: Front P460
Steering box: ZF 8098, 22.2-26.2:1
Front axles: Scania AMD901TZP
Front axle ratio: 4.04:1
Front suspension: 2 x 32 parabolic
Rear axles: Scania AD1303P axle housings with RBP 735 gears
Rear axle ratio: 4.041 with diff locks to both axles
Hub reduction ratio: 3.65:1
Rear suspension: Scania four-Leaf parabolic with roll bar
Brakes: Scania electronically controlled drum brakes with auto slacks
Tyres: Michelin 495/70 R24 XM47
Safety: EBS with integrated ABS and traction control
Wheelbase: 3850mm
Cab tilt: Electronic
Interior: Vinyl and textile trim
Seats: Premium driver's seat with armrests
Bumper: Powder-coated double-tube steel
Battery box: 2 x 12V 180A, chassis mount L/H side
Fuel capacity: 1 x 500lt, R/H side
AdBlue tank: 1 x 47lt, R/H side