New Holland’s 2015 combine harvester options include a 600hp+ combine, the largest combine harvester on offer in Europe. The flagship CR10.90 is powered by a new Fiat Power Train (FTP) six-cylinder, 652hp engine that is leading a new lineup of Cursor engines from the company.

This extra engine power puts the CR10.90 into a new class 10 combine segment, the definition of which is determined by the combine’s engine power. There are now six CR combines in the New Holland range.

The company claims that the new CR range of twin-rotor combines will deliver up to 15% more productivity and output in cereal crops, while reducing the level of cracked grains to a low of 0.02%.

New Holland claims that the Dynamic Feed Roll on-the-go mechanical stone protection system further raises the CR’s capacity by feeding the rotors faster and more smoothly while removing stones with no stopping or hesitation. The serrated blades on the roll are gentle on the crop, delivering high-quality straw, it is claimed.

The company says this is achieved with no additional power consumption. It claims that the CR models deliver higher capacity as well as better grain and straw quality than the equivalent model of the same horsepower in the previous range.

New Holland is fitting the SmartTrax rubber tracks with a Terraglide suspension system, as standard on the CR10.90. The track system is available on the other models as an option.

The CR combines offer horsepower from 449hp for the CR7.90 to the 652hp of the CR10.90. Five models feature New Holland’s Tier 4A ECOBlue SCR technology, while the CR10.90 is equipped with the Cursor 16 with ECOBlue Hi-eSCR technology, making it compliant with Tier 4B regulations.

New Holland claims the ECOBlue engine technology will reduce running costs. The top two CR models are fitted with massive 1,300 litre capacity fuel tanks for lengthy runs without stopping.

The grain tank’s high capacity, ranges from 11,500 litres in the CR7.90 to 14,500 litres in the CR9.90 and CR10.90. New Holland maintains an unloading speed of up to 142 litres/second can be achieved – some 15% faster than models in the past.

The interior layout of the new Harvest Suite Ultra cab has been entirely redesigned, with changes to the visibility, controls layout and the seat. It has more glass than previous models. The large glazed area, together with the floor sloping down into the front windscreen, provides impressive visibility all round and a clear view of the edge of the header.

The CommandGrip multifunction handle has been changed to make it easier to fine tune harvesting speed. The colour touchscreen monitor puts all key parameters at the operator’s fingertips. It is fixed on rollers so that it can be moved to the most comfortable position. An optional second IntelliView display is available for operators requiring the maximum amount of information.

There is a choice of three types of seat from the standard wide cloth-trimmed seat to the cloth-trimmed seat with heating and active ventilation, right up to the top-of-the-range leather-trimmed seat with extended vertical travel and automatic weight adjustment.

The lighting package is improved. There is now an unloading auger light for night time unloading. HID and LED packages are available, with exceptional long-far- distance working lights offering up to 500m visibility.

Upgrades for CX and TC

New Holland has upgraded its best-selling mid-range CX combines, with claims of significant increases in their capacity and performance. The new-generation CX5000 and CX6000 Elevation combines for 2015 are offered in four basic models, two 5 strawwalker and two 6 strawwalker; two Laterale versions for sustained performance on steep slopes and the CX5090 Elevation Hillside for combining in severe hillside conditions.

There is a choice of Varifeed headers with adjustable knife position. With a maximum header width of up to 9m (30ft), the headers are big enough to match the combines’ higher capacity.

CX5000 and 6000 Elevation combines come with the AutoFloat II header system that is designed to automatically adjust the pressure of the header lift system. This claims to ensure that the pressure of the header on the ground remains constant whether the combine is moving on flat ground, uphill or downhill.

The New Holland OptiFan system for these combines claims to adapt fan speed when the slope changes. It has been designed to deliver a constant grain sample quality and cleaning capacity.

New Holland is offering a new Triple-Clean cleaning shoe with claims that it can increase the combine’s cleaning capacity by as much as 15%. This is achieved by means of an extra cascade in the centre of the grain pan, where an additional air blast claims to remove large volumes of chaff and short straw before final cleaning even starts on the main sieves.

New Holland claims that this means that the grain is almost completely cleaned in the first 50cm of the cleaning shoe. It is claimed that this triple cascade approach maintains the highest quality of cleaning when the machine is working at its highest capacity.

New Holland is fitting a new double flight cross auger that transfers grain to the elevator faster. They are claiming a 10% increase in output from the new bigger auger.

The fuel tank capacity on the CX5000 and CX6000 Elevation has been increased to 670 litres. The bigger grain tanks fitted have a capacity of 8300 litres for the 5 strawwalker and 9300 litres for the 6 strawwalker models.

The new CX combines for 2015 will be offered with the new generation IntelliView IV monitor with its 31cm wide colour touch screen

This new system enables operators to monitor all combine functions and control up to three cameras.

It includes some automated functions, such as cruise control, which resumes a set field speed at the simple tap of a button on the CommandGrip handle. It also incorporates a driver aid that shows the recommended combine settings on the screen, to make changes between crops easier.

Changes to the TC range

New Holland has added a new entry level TC 4.90 combine model to its range for 2015. This is a four strawwalker machine, with claims of better output and higher quality grain samples.

The new generation TC combines will be fitted with the new Harvest Suite Comfort suspended cab, with claims to 74dB sound, which is very quiet. The cab is claimed to have low vibrations and improved comfort with a new suspended seat. It comes with the new CommandGrip multi-function lever used in the bigger machines.

New Holland claims that the double cascade cleaning shoe increases cleaning capacity and quality. It features a 450mm sloping pre-sieve and the adjustable fan forces air through the grain to remove chaff and short straw ahead of the top and bottom sieves.

The SmartSieve system with OptiFan systems are both optional on these machines. So too is the moisture sensing system to provide real-time readings to the in-cab monitor so the operator can fine-tune the settings in changing crop conditions.

For 2015 season the New Holland TC range introduces the new naming system. It begins with the number of strawwalkers followed by a point and a two-figure number that indicates the sequence, with the biggest model in the range being 90.

Driving impressions

While the Irish harvest was just beginning, we had the opportunity to drive all of the new generation New Holland combine harvesters during the recent launch near Berlin. The machines were operating in a crop of winter wheat that was yielding in the region of 10t/ha at a moisture content less than 10%.

I will admit to not being a combine driving expert and the New Holland team easily brought us through the various operational modes of the machines. Within a short time, with wide open fields, it was easy to get comfortable behind the wheel.

The most obvious feature was the quietness of the cab, especially on the larger machines. With that level of cab comfort and isolation from the New Holland CR10.90’s engine, it was easy to forget that there was 652hp powering away behind me.

The engine was smooth in delivering power to the twin rotor and the 12.5m (41ft) wide header could sweep up the crop at speeds close to 6km/hr.

We worked the automatic steering system across the full width of the header and loaded the combine’s intake unit to maximise the machine’s performance.

The unloading performance of the machine is also impressive.

The smoothness of the auger has no impact on the harvesting power demands of the machine.

The IntelliView display unit is easy to set up, understand and use in the field. The screen is large enough to give good visibility, which can be located on a swivel rail to optimum position.

The SmartTrax rubber tracks with a Terraglide suspension system gave a very smooth ride, especially over some deep tramlines.

This system combined with the new suspension cab, gives the driver a comfortable and very visible working position.