Contractor Bruno Näf from Buckten is open for new technology. He bought a Fendt Katana 65 in the autumn of last year – the first Fendt forage harvester in Switzerland. And he has already visited the “birthplace” of his Fendt forage harvester.

“We were not satisfied with our old forage harvester and wanted to replace it,” remembers Bruno Näf. “We tested different brands. In the summer of 2014 we tried the Katana 65 for chopping grass.” After two days of test operation, it was clear to him and his son Lukas that the Fendt Katana 65 offers more than they had expected. In the autumn of 2014, the Swiss contractor used the new machine for the first time in maize. Then the grass harvest in spring 2015 was added. The first conversion of the header from maize to grass was done together with the GVS Fried AG, which also provides Bruno Näf with service. “Most of all, I like its power, good chop quality, handling when driving and the drive system with the ECO-Power mode,” says the 53-year-old, summarising his experience. “This helps us save fuel. Furthermore, the cab offers a good overview and the operating elements are very well arranged.”

In the late summer, contractor Bruno Näf and his three permanent employees as well as eight seasonal workers had their hands full of work. “My customers quickly recognised that the Katana does not damage the grass sward in the meadows, due to ASR, which is very important in hilly terrains. The chop quality is also convincing. The uniform chopleng ths in grass makes it easier to fill high silos with the forage blower. There was also positive feedback from customers regarding maize. The V-Cracker produces convincing fodder quality for maize. We are convinced that the Katana 65 can be used in different kinds of terrain and, in size and performance, is asuitable machine for Swiss contractors.”