Overview & History
The New Holland 8970 was built in Canada from 1993 until it was discontinued in 2000. It was engineered to suit both wheeled and tracked applications.

The 8970 featured a 7.5-liter 240-hp Genesis engine, which was originally built in order to power New Holland’s mid-sized tractors. It had six cylinders and required turbocharged diesel. The engine was originally liquid-cooled, but beginning 1997 all 70 Genesis Series tractors came out with intercooled engines to help reduce operating temperatures. It had a bore and stroke 112 x 127 mm long, a compression ratio of 17.5:1, and rated RPM of 2100. It’s no wonder that this component came to be considered as the best engine of its time.
As for the transmission, the New Holland 8970 was fitted with a 16-speed full power shift, which had 16 forward and 8 reverse gears. It also had a creeper range, which had 32 forward and 18 reverse gears. The operator can enter/exit this range using the toggle button while the tractor in neutral and the inching pedal pressed. It also had an automatic transport feature that brought auto-up/down shifts according to speed and throttle position.
New Holland’s SuperSteer system was optional for this model, and even though it revolutionised in-field maneuverability with its 65-degree turn-angle, it was not well-received for on-road operations. This system also required greasing on a regular basis as neglecting to do so could cause the tractor to wander on the road.
The 8970’s cabin contained a lot of space and glass. The sloping bonnet design causing shorter sight-lines improved the operator’s view over the front of the tractor. The right-hand side window could be opened.
This tractor’s rear-end was improved compared to the previous series, with a standard PTO of 1,000 rpm. The standard hydraulics brought around 117 lpm flow for the closed-centre, load-sensing hydraulics system, while the optional Mega-Flow brought 208 lpm.
Despite some minor issues, the New Holland 8970 remains to be one of the most reliable tractors that New Holland has ever made.
New Holland Replacement Parts
G.W. Tractors specialises in sourcing replacement parts for all New Holland models. Call us on 1800 062 790 to find tractor parts for your New Holland 8970. We may also have New Holland 8970 tractors in our yards for wrecking, and if we do they will appear below. Check out all the tractors we are wrecking.
Who should buy a New Holland 8970
The New Holland 8970 is a reliable tractor that works best pulling and pushing heavy load around flat areas.
Buy a used New Holland 8970
G.W. Tractors is the best place to buy a used New Holland 8970 in Australia. If we don’t have any in stock at the moment, give us a call on 1800 062 790 and we have a better chance than anyone else of finding you one. Below are the used New Holland tractors we have in our yards now. Check out all of our used tractors for sale.
New Holland 8970 Specs
Series | 70 Genesis Series | Last One Sold For | US$127,000 (2000) |
Years Made | 1993 – 2000 | Type | Row-Crop Tractor |
Factory | Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada | Previous Model | New Holland 8870 |
Engine Overview | Ford 7.5L 6-cyl diesel | Cylinders | 6 |
Cooling | Liquid-cooled | Fuel | Turbocharged diesel |
Bore/Stroke | 112 x 127 mm [4.4×5.0 inches] | Compression | 17.5:1 |
Rated RPM | 2100 | Firing Order | 1-5-3-6-2-4 |
Starter Volts | 12 | Starter Power | 6 hp [4.5kW] |
Oil Capacity | 20.8 L [22 qts] | Fuel Capacity | 416.4 L [110 gal] |
3-Point Hitch – Rear Type | III | Rear Lift | 6,804 kg [15,000 lbs] |
Engine Power | 240 hp [179 kW] | Drawbar (tested) | 189.5 hp [141.3 kW] |
PTO (claimed) | 210 hp [156.6 kW] | Transmission Types | Full power shift Creeper |
Transmission Gears | 16 forward and 8 reverse 32 forward and 8 reverse | Rear PTO | Independent |
Rear RPM | 1000 | Standard Front Tyres | 14L-16.1 (2WD) 16.9R28 (4WD) |
Standard Rear Tyres | 18.4R42 | Front Tread | 157 to 220 cm [62 to 87 inches] |
Rear Tread | 153 to 273 cm [60.3 to 107.8 inches] (96″ axle) 153 to 314 cm [60.3 to 123.8 inches] (112″ axle) 153 to 325 cm [60.3 to 128 inches] (120″ axle) | Operating Weight | 7,688 kg [16,950 lbs] (2WD) 8,346 kg [18,400 lbs] (4WD) 8,777 kg [19,350 lbs] (SuperSteer) |
Length | 499 cm [196.7 inches] | Width | 245 cm [96.7 inches] |
Height (cab) | 308 cm [121.3 inches] | Height (exhaust) | 315 cm [124.4 inches] |
Clearance (front axle) | 50 cm [19.9 inches] | Clearance (drawbar) | 47 cm [18.6 inches] |
Chassis | 4×2 2WD 4×4 MFWD 4WD (optional) | Steering | Hydrostatic power |
Brakes | Wet disc | Cab | Cab standard |
Hydraulics Type | Closed centre load sensing | Hydraulics Capacity | 139.7 L [36.9 gal] |
Pressure | 189.6 bar [2750 psi] | Pump Flow | 90.8 lpm [24 gpm] |
Total Flow | 117.3 lpm [31 gpm] 208.2 lpm [55 gpm] (MegaFlow optional) | Electrical Ground | Negative |
Charging System | Alternator | Charging Amps | 130 |
Number of Batteries | 2 | Battery Volts | 12 |
Accessories, consumables and more
G.W. Tractors also has a huge range of accessories and consumables for all makes and models of tractors. We have everything you need to keep your tractor working.