Fendt has returned to the 800hp+ forage harvester sector with the launch of the Katana 850.

The new machine marks 10 years since the first Katanas were rolled out, and sports an 18-litre, six-cylinder Liebherr engine with a 847hp output.

Fuel saving

For times when the forager’s full power is not required, operators can select an “eco” mode to save on fuel. This maintains the usual running speed of the chopping cylinder, but at a reduced engine speed.

The chopping cylinder has a diameter of 720mm, and can be equipped with either 20, 28 or 40 knives, which cover chop lengths of between 2.6 and 41mm.

See also: New engine and more power for revamped Fendt 700-series

Loading height and chute control

Fendt says that revisions to the chute have improved control and centring, avoiding losses when the crop is blown into the trailer.

The chute has a loading height of up to 6.2m, and the new 850 variant is also available with Fendt’s filling assistant as an optional extra.

This controls the chute in the event of any swivelling, so that the operator can focus on feeding crop into the machine.

The forager is available with Kemper’s 12-row 490 header, which has been improved with the addition of a third skid to better follow ground contours.

The header sits on the pendulum frame, and has variations of up to 14deg.

Other optional extras for the Katana include an interface for NIR sensors to measure the dry matter of crops, and an intelligent all-wheel-drive system.

The new Katana 850 is available to order now, ready for delivery in the 2023 season.