Specs of New Holland Self-Propelled Forage Harvester

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Number of models: 23

History of New Holland forage harvesters

The history of New Holland self-propelled forage harvesters began remarkably early. As far back as 1961, the company introduced the SP818, created by adapting a popular trailed forage harvester into a machine with its own engine and running gear. The SP818 could be used with equipment including a single-row maize header and marked the beginning of more than six decades of New Holland self-propelled forage harvester development.

In 1968, the New Holland 1880 entered production. The new machine offered greater power and capacity than the SP818 and, as the design evolved, it was able to work with increasingly larger headers. The 1880 became one of the most distinctive American forage harvesters of the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Another major step came in 1975 with the launch of the 1890. It was the first New Holland forage harvester to produce around 200 hp. It also featured a more efficient crop discharge system, allowing trailers to be filled more quickly.

Just two years later, the New Holland 1895 arrived. It made history as the first New Holland forage harvester to be equipped with a factory-installed metal detector. The system was designed to stop the feed rolls when a metal object was detected, protecting both the expensive chopping mechanism and the forage destined for livestock.

In 1979, New Holland introduced the considerably larger 2100. Its inline engine delivered around 300 hp, while a new cab provided the operator with much better visibility. This marked the beginning of a period of rapid growth in both power and throughput for self-propelled forage harvesters.

Throughout the 1980s, New Holland continued to develop its range with models including the 1900, 1915, 2115 and 2200, followed later by the 1905, 2205, 2305 and 2405. The 1915, introduced in 1987, was particularly significant and featured innovations such as chopping-unit protection and an automatic knife-sharpening system.

This period also coincided with major changes in ownership. In 1986, New Holland was acquired by Ford, creating Ford-New Holland. Forage harvester development, however, continued primarily under the New Holland name. In 1991, Ford-New Holland was acquired by Fiat, leading to the gradual integration of the New Holland and Fiatagri product ranges.

A major design breakthrough came in 1995 with the introduction of the first-generation New Holland FX series. The new range included models such as the FX300, FX375 and FX450. The most powerful version produced around 450 hp, while one of the key innovations was a kernel processor that significantly improved the quality of maize silage.

In 1998, New Holland introduced the powerful FX58, producing around 571 hp. At the time, it was one of the most powerful forage harvesters in the company’s history. The FX range continued to evolve, and in 2003 a new generation arrived comprising the FX30, FX40, FX50 and FX60. These machines featured improvements including hydraulic feed-roll drive and the HydroLoc system for precise chop-length adjustment.

A new chapter began in 2007 with the launch of the FR9000 series. Initially consisting of five models, it replaced the long-serving FX family. The new machines featured an exceptionally wide crop-flow channel together with technologies such as HydroLoc, MetaLoc and Variflow. MetaLoc was responsible for detecting metal objects, while Variflow allowed the crop-flow path to be quickly adapted for grass or maize harvesting.

The FR9000 series was extremely well received and won the Machine of the Year award at Agritechnica in 2007. Over the following years, the range included the FR9040, FR9050, FR9060, FR9080 and FR9090, with the largest models producing more than 800 hp.

In 2011, New Holland celebrated 50 years of self-propelled forage harvester production with a special-edition FR9000. A year later, the company introduced an updated range known simply as the FR series. The model-naming system was also revised so that the model designation broadly reflected maximum engine output.

One of the most impressive machines of this generation became the New Holland FR920. The model is powered by an FPT Industrial V20 engine and delivers a maximum output of around 911 hp. The FR range also saw further development of technologies such as Power Cruise, which automatically adjusts ground speed to engine load, IntelliFill automatic trailer filling, IntelliSteer guidance and increasingly advanced precision-farming systems.

The current European range includes the FR480, FR550, FR650, FR780 and FR920. Their maximum outputs are approximately 476, 544, 653, 775 and 911 hp respectively. Depending on the model, power is provided by FPT Industrial Cursor 13 and Cursor 16 engines, while the flagship machine uses a V20 power unit.

From the compact SP818 of 1961 to the more than 900 hp FR920, the development of New Holland forage harvesters illustrates the enormous advances made in forage harvesting technology. Successive generations, including the 1880, 1890, 2100, FX and FR, have brought steadily increasing power, capacity and automation, helping New Holland remain one of the manufacturers with the longest continuous histories in the self-propelled forage harvester market.