Bigger capacities to chop more crop

May 1, 1999 12:00 PM

The new FX58 and FX28 self-propelled forage harvesters from New Holland boast greater chopping capacities and more reliable performance than the FX25 and FX45 models they replace.

More cutting power. "The hottest feature of the FX58 is that it now runs a Caterpillar engine," says Phillip Wright, New Holland's FX specialist. This 525-hp, American-made engine has 75 more horsepower than its predecessor and has an electronic fuel system and electronic governor that, unlike mechanical systems, let you go from light to heavy crops without dropping in rpm.

The FX58 also features heavier drivelines and gearboxes and an improved sheer-bar-adjust system to stand up to the higher capacities.

The new FX28 carries all the same heavy-duty components as the FX58, but it has a smaller engine - a 13.8-liter, 346-hp New Holland diesel. Both models let you select from four lengths of cut.

The cutterhead on both models measures an extra-wide 30 in. to cut more crop. Knives are beveled and double-sided to provide a clean cut with less horsepower. Suggested list price: $250,000 for the FX58 and $200,000 for the FX28.

Matching windrow pickups. To match the capacity of these two new models, New Holland also has come out with three new windrow pickups: the 345W with a 10-ft. operating width, the 355W with a 12-ft. width and the 365W with a 15-ft. width.

"We made them wider and a lot more durable with more features like gauge wheels, skid shoes and rollers to take the beating of the higher horsepower of the new harvesters," Wright says. Suggested list price: $11,917 for the 345W, $16,177 for the 355W and $19,591 for the 365W. Contact New Holland, Dept. FIN, Box 1895, New Holland, PA 17557, 717/355-1371.