MachineryLink

New Holland's venerable Genesis line of tractors is 20 years old and just added a new member. The Genesis T8 Series tractors will carry the family name and share its look.

The tractors are "more futuristic looking" than most, says Gary Wojcik, New Holland cash crop marketing segment leader. Indeed, the T8s have the same aggressive slanted eyes (headlights) of their siblings along with the forward-leaning look that defines the family.

Part of their appearance comes from the unique way Genesis tractors are sculpted to allow the front wheels to go around the cooling group when turning rather than behind it, as do most tractors' front wheels. The design gives Genesis T8 the longest wheelbase in its class, Wojcik says. It also means a stable ride and sharp turning radius.

The Genesis T8 family ranges in horsepower rating from 235 to 367. The largest model -- T8.420 -- can hit 419 h.p. if needed.

These are Tier 4 Final engines, designed in collaboration with Fiat Powertrain Technologies (FPT) to meet EPA emission standards, which take effect in January 2014. New Holland describes the engines as ECOBLUE, Hi-eSCR. The "Hi-e" part of the name refers to what New Holland calls "High Efficiency." The "SCR" means Selective Catalytic Reduction, a process that allows the engine to breathe freely running at optimum power and includes after-treatment to meet Tier 4 Final standards. It relies on diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) to remove nitrogen oxide and particles from the exhaust gas before it hits the atmosphere.

A unique engine control unit manages both the engine and the DEF system along with a closed loop fluid monitoring system so that the proper "dosage" of the liquid is added as needed. As a result, New Holland says, the new engines will give the same or better fluid efficiency (diesel plus DEF) as Interim Tier 4A engines on equivalent machines.

New Holland's Tier 4 Final solution relies entirely on SCR technology to meet EPA emissions standards. Most other farm equipment manufacturers (Case IH being the exception) combine SCR with cooled exhaust gas recirculation technology (EGR) to meet Tier 4 Final standards.

The FPT technology has been used in Europe for years by over the road trucks. This year an Iveco truck with this type of engine was named European Truck of the Year.

New on the Genesis T8s will be an optional CVT with four modes of operation: Auto, Cruise, PTO and Manual. The CVT has four points of "pure mechanical drive" (gear-on-gear) compared to two such points for many competitors, Wojcik says. This improves efficiency.

Engine speed is controlled along with the Auto Command CVT, using only the needed amount of engine speed to match the job at hand, thus reducing fuel consumption.

To complement the new engine and transmission, Genesis T8 tractors have a new front suspension axle. The Terraglide axle has a saddle-style design to increase the load it can suspend and maximize traction while at the same time reducing cab bounce to improve the ride.

For further comfort, the operator can adjust location of controls on the new Sidewinder II armrest for a custom fit. A new IntelliView IV monitor with a 10.5-inch color touch screen is a factory-installed option.

Pricing is not yet available for the tractors, which will be at dealers' lots in 2014.

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