New Holland Introduces World’s Largest Combine
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New Holland has released the world’s largest combine, which comes with a hefty price tag to match: with all amenities, this behemoth can run you more than $600,000.
The CR9090 Elevation has twice as much horsepower as a Porsche 911 and comes with extras like a refrigerator and a high-tech stereo system. Sounds like it could double as a swinging bachelor pad! But the CR9090, which debuted in North America last month at the Agritrade Show in Red Deer, is all business.
Just under four metres tall, the CR9090 packs 600 horsepower and comes complete with GPS automatic steering and cruise control, as well as boasting a state-of-the-art computer system that can track and adjust grain flow. Heated seats make cold-weather harvesting toasty, while massive HID lights makes night-time harvesting a possibility. The combine’s 1,100-liter capacity fuel tank improves fuel efficiency by reducing refuelling trips.
The price tag may seem prohibitive, but New Holland says that for many farmers it’s completely reasonable. Farmers running large-scale operations will benefit from the combine’s increased efficiency, allowing a large numbers of acres to be harvested with a minimum of help. Furthermore, for buyers who upgrade their equipment every year, it makes sense to purchase top-of-the-line equipment. Plus, farming is increasingly becoming the business of large corporations, who can afford to invest in industrial-sized equipment.
For other farmers, it’s just too far out of their league at a time when commodity markets are dropping and spending has to be kept conservative.
For that reason alone, the most decadent thing about the CR9090 may be the timing of its release. Major equipment manufacturers John Deere and Co., Agco Corp., and even CNH Global NV – which owns New Holland – have reported big losses this year. Nonetheless, New Holland remains optimistic about the much-hyped CR9090, which has been in use in Europe for a while.
Combine harvesters have come a long way from the old-fashioned rotary blade models that first made the scene in 1975. Since then, harvesters have become increasingly fuel-efficient, and technologically-advanced features like touch-screen monitors and GPS features are virtually standard. Future models of the CR9090 are slated to include telemetry systems, like the popular OnStar technology used in cars.
