Following the completion of the first two production model Fendt forage harvesters back in May 2011, after an extensive three year development program, and their successful European launch, with more than 100 Fendt Katana 65 foragers already supplied into France and Germany, the Fendt Katana 65 self propelled forage harvester has just made its official UK launch on a farm in Wiltshire.

The Fendt Katana 65 forage harvester with 653hp from a 16.0litre Mercedes V8 diesel, is aimed firmly at the large contractor sector of the forager market place (550hp-750hp), where the high tech Fendt Efficient Technology solutions will allow the contractors to save money through reduced fuel usage.

To achieve maximum efficiency the engine can operate in two modes, at 2,000rpm for maize or heavy crops of grass, or at 1,600rpm in lighter crops. Both engine speeds operating the feed roller, chopper and blower at the same speed. It is estimated that fuel savings of between 20-25% may be achievable using this Eco mode. The Fendt forage harvester uses AdBlue SCR technology that Fendt customers will be familiar with across the Fendt tractor ranges, and has an ample fuel tank at 1,100litres of diesel and 220litres of AdBlue.

The large Fendt Visio cab is an all new design to suit the forage harvester application, but as you would expect benefits from the same style of controls fitted in the top of the range Fendt tractors, with intuitive multi-control joystick and large 10.5 inch touch screen full colour control terminal.

At the business end of the Fendt Katana forage harvester, handling the crop flow are six 720mm wide hydraulically controlled feed rollers, that compress the crop and feed it into the chopper.

Step-less chop length adjustment is carried out in two ranges, 4-10mm and 10-21mm, with the option of removing half the knives in this mode, to give up to a 42mm chop length. A corn cracker is standard fitment on the Fendt Katana forager, and is engaged and disengaged at the touch of a button, hydraulically swivelling out of the way when you switch back to grass. The corn cracker is an all new Fendt design using interlocking 265mm diameter V-shaped rollers to process the crop.

Discharge into the trailers is handled by a chute giving a maximum loading height of 6m, with the possibility of swivelling through 210 degrees.