New Holland has taken the opportunity at SIMA to present a wide range of new machines and revamps which has underlined its commitment to get on with serving agriculture.
SIMA is an international exhibition of technologies and solutions for efficient and sustainable agriculture and is underway in Paris, France this week (November 6-10).
Although there are no huge changes to the present line up, the additions do mark a significant confirmation of where they see the machinery sector heading over the coming years.
T8 automation
The announcements include tractor software which can now perform a limited number of operations autonomously, chiefly grain carting in the field.
This was originally developed by the company’s most recent subsidiary, Raven Industries, an expensive technological acquisition of 2021 which set the corporation back $2.1 billion.
It is now available on T8 tractors from the factory and may be retrofitted to more recent models from that range.
There are also whole new tractors at either end of the power range with the focus on the new T7.300, while the smaller T5 models were less remarked upon, possibly because they come as little surprise due to New Holland’s sister company, Case, introducing the same tractors in red earlier this month.
Flagship T7
The T7 .00 offers 280hp for tillage work, boosted to 300hp when the PTO is engaged. With only a 6.6% difference the question might be asked as to whether it makes any substantial difference to the tractor’s performance.
The engine has been reworked to fit 300hp in the 2.9m overall length, this has been achieved through electronics and a variable displacement turbocharger which provides greater torque at lower revs.
This new model T7 is the first at New Holland to receive ISO certification for Tractor Implement Management (TIM), with the company homing in on large square balers to provide a claimed 12% fuel saving in the baling cycle.
A new cab is said to be the quietest in class while the suspension has been redesigned to further enhance operator comfort.
T5 additions
News of the new T5 tractors escaped onto the internet a month or so ago and Case has introduced similar models since.
The models are of 90hp and 100hp and New Holland describes the machines as being “robust, powerful and easy-to-use” with a basic 12X12 transmission being offered on the standard model.
Various options are available to increase the overall functionality, but at heart these remain uncomplicated tractors aimed at the stock farm or other enterprise with less demanding requirements of an all rounder.
New Holland balers
A new big square baler, the 120x70cm-section BigBaler 1270, brings the number of models on offer up to five with the latest machine being built to produce bales of 10% greater density than previous models.
This has been achieved by a stronger ram that delivers 113% more force and reinforcing the compression doors on the exit from the bale chamber. It also carries the latest styling common to all the company’s new balers.
The company has also extended its variable chamber round baler offering with a new Pro-Belt Series. This premium round baler is said to be a versatile, high-performance and durable baler that delivers a consistent bale shape in all crops and conditions.
New Holland indicates that a baling capacity of up to 30t/hr and 140kg/m3 is possible in straw. The Bale Command software has also been upgraded.
Methane
New Holland has been enthusiastically endorsing methane as its alternative fuel of choice and while great mention of it was made at the SIMA press conference, there is little new other than the gas-powered T6.180 is now available with the Dynamic Command transmission.
Although there is a lot of enthusiasm for powering tractors by methane produced by livestock, little progress appears to have been made in collecting and processing the emissions from slurry.
Slurry gas is a hazardous product and so storage and handling systems tend to encourage its dispersal; by switching to methane that criterion is reversed, and in doing so, a great deal of expense is incurred.
As yet the company has not addressed this issue, but the uptake of methane is likely to be delayed until it is possible to efficiently harvest the emissions from slurry and efficiently extract the methane portion from them.