MachineryLink

New Holland Agriculture is expanding its catalogue. Its dealers told management that a strong line of tillage tools would help make their lots more attractive to customers, and the company responded. The venerable farm machinery manufacturer added a unique catalogue of tillage equipment to the list of products for its dealers to carry.

The move, which was official Feb. 1, is a result of New Holland's parent company CNH Industrial's acquisition of the agricultural business of the Danish company Kongskilde Industries. Besides tillage equipment, New Holland dealers also will have easier access to Kongskilde's hay and forage equipment line including mowers, rakes and forage harvesters.

While New Holland already is famous for its hay and forage tools, tillage equipment has not been a strong suit. This deal "was a nice fit for us," said Bret Lieberman, New Holland Vice President of North America. The Kongskilde brand "has equity in the marketplace in tillage. We will continue the Kongskilde brand and color scheme."

Many New Holland dealers already carry Kongskilde tillage tools to supplement their other offerings. But now those products will be available through the New Holland distribution system. That will greatly simplify logistics and paperwork.

This is the second major acquisition and product line expansion for New Holland in the last three years. In September 2014 it bought sprayer manufacturer Miller-St. Nazianz, Inc.

The flagship of Kongskilde's tillage line is the 9200 vertical tillage tool. With a five-way adjustable gang angle, this system can cut through tough residue in one pass and then tackle spring soil prep. The unit performs primary and secondary tillage in all soils and residues.

The 8200 series field cultivator features Kongskilde's exclusive vibrating S-tines to power though the toughest trash and to work in all soil types to create an ideal seedbed. Both the 9200 and 8200 are designed and built in North America.

Some of Kongskilde's tillage tools have a European flavor. For instance, the Vibro Crop Intelli series row cultivators have a unique high tech twist. A camera mounted on the frame links to hydraulics to automatically shift sections to keep the sweeps centered between the rows. An optional seeding system turns the machine into an interseeding device to plant cover crops between rows of a standing crop.

Two strip-till systems -- the F6200 and F7200 -- are multi-taskers. They break up soil, incorporate organic matter, build a berm seedbed and place fertilizer, all in one pass.

The F6200 Strip-till Applicator is a patented mid-mount, dual-placement applicator that can apply two products (dry or liquid fertilizer along with anhydrous ammonia) at the same time. It carries a fertilizer tank right on the toolbar instead of using a pull-between cart. That makes the F6200 extremely maneuverable. It comes in 30- and 40-foot widths on 30-inch row spacings.

The F7200 offers three fertilizer options: anhydrous, liquid or dry. It comes standard with an extendable rear hitch for pulling an anhydrous nurse tank. Working widths range from 30- to 60-feet with the choice a 12-, 16- or 24-row applicator.

Jim Patrico can be reached at jim.patrico@dtn.com

(ES/TN)

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