New Holland’s next generation CR twin rotor combines are making their Australian debut, with a CR10 at Dalby the first to begin harvesting for the 2025 season
GDR Farming is the first in Australia to put the next generation New Holland CR10 combine harvester to work at their family farm near Dalby on Queensland’s Darling Downs.
The CR10 with a MacDon D241 41-foot (12.5m) front began harvesting wheat in late October at the 1,600 hectare cropping operation run by father and son team Greg and Ryan Rockliff.
Greg says he jumped at the chance to get the first CR10 in Australia, impressed by the combine’s high capacity and minimal grain losses.
“We had a CR8.90 that we bought in March last year which we were happy with and began talking with McIntosh & Son about the new CR that was coming out,” he said.
“I just thought, ‘bigger is better’. I don’t like grain loss out the back, you grow it to keep it, not to throw it.
“We did the numbers on the CR10 and it was a no brainer. Number one, increased capacity. Number two, increased productivity, and number three, more money in the bank because you’re harvesting more hectares in a day.”
McIntosh & Son Dalby dealer principal Cameron Jordan describes the CR10 as “a monster in the paddock”.
“The capacity of this machine, to see what it’s capable of, what it delivers in the paddock is just incredible,” he says.
“We’ve gained a 30 speed increase and a 32 per cent productivity increase compared to the CR8.90, but only required 85 per cent engine load to do so.
“We’re also using 8 per cent less fuel, and our losses have effectively halved, even while taking the whole body of the crop and windrowing the straw.
“Losses were usually so low they wouldn’t even register on the scales, just a few grains per square metre.”
Cameron said the Rockliffs were so impressed with their CR8.90 that when they learned the next-gen CRs were being released “they wanted to be the first to take one and reap the rewards of it.”
“GDR Farming has been so enthusiastic to have the first CR10, the first of the new generation of New Holland combines, operating on their farm,” Cameron says.
“It’s just incredible for McIntosh & Son to be a part of the journey.
“Looking after the Rockliffs, and seeing the machine perform for GDR Farming the way that it has, is a proud moment for us.”
New Holland is delivering a limited number of next generation CR twin rotor combines, the CR10 and CR11, across Australia in time for the 2025 harvest.
The CR10, with 634 horsepower and a 454-bushel (16,000L) grain tank, and the flagship CR11, delivering 775 horsepower and a massive 567-bushel (20,000L) tank, both incorporate New Holland’s pioneering twin rotor technology to deliver more power, increased capacity, and larger grain tank volumes than ever before.
New Holland’s ANZ crop harvesting product and portfolio manager Marc Smith says productivity, grain saving, residue management, and uptime are at the heart of the new CR combines.
“We’ve reduced the number of drive components by 25 per cent and all drive chains have been eliminated to further reduce downtime and maximise efficiency,” he says.
“We expect the new CR combines to be a game changer for Australian grain farmers, driving down their total cost of harvesting and increasing their bottom-line profitability.
This year also marks 50 years since New Holland introduced the first combine featuring the brand’s twin rotor threshing and separation technology.
New Holland dealers are now holding CR10 and CR11 demonstrations across Australia, and farmers can contact their local dealer for a harvest demonstration.
