Rumours suggesting Fendt was pulling out of the forage harvester market gained traction when production of the Katana 85 ceased in 2019. It turns out Fendt were just taking a pause, the new Fendt Katana 850 taking over from where its predecessor left off. But is the newcomer just a Katana 85 with a new engine?
Fendt surprised many when it entered the forage harvester market with its Katana 65 in 2010, the Katana 85 that
followed in 2014 suggesting the brand was a serious player. Agritechnica 2019 subsequently saw the launch of the Katana 650, its revised crop flow system and new kernel cracker demonstrating continued investment in the market. The Katana 85, however, was discontinued due to its MTU V12 engine failing to meet Stage V emission regs. Despite the Katana 650 showcasing a host of new developments, rumours suggested Fendt branded foragers were set for the chop.
Back in the 850hp sector
A couple of years of rumours have now been proven to be just that, with the new Katana 850 available to order for 2023. In terms of power, the new 623kW/847hp Katana 850 has a similar power output to its predecessor but otherwise much has changed. As with the smaller Katana 650, the 850 has the newer crop flow system 2.0 with six pre-compression rollers.
Wider header choice
Of equal importance, the new model is now approved for use with a 12-row Kemper 490 Plus header. This new header unit has seen a raft of developments that, in brief, include the large intake drums previously offered on the Kemper 390 Plus and a third runner and a centrally positioned sensing skid to improve contour following. The feeder pivoting radius is increased from 11° to 14° to aid handling in the field. Other header choices include the Zürn ProfiCut and the Capello Spartan for chopping wholecrop with widths of 6.00m and 6.90m on offer.
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