HarvesTimes spring 2016

HarvesTimes The Journal for Agricultural Professionals

Spring 2016

ARION 400 award

iPad control

New DISCO mowers

New CARGOS

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www.claas.co.uk

Welcome Welcome to our Green harvest edition of HarvesTimes.

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Global News CLAAS report stable earnings.............................................4 New Russia plant opens .....................................................4 First JAGUAR sold in India..................................................6

General News LAMMA Show .....................................................................5 Combine promotion winners ...............................................5 Design award for ARION 400 ..............................................6 Farm Manager of the Year profile........................................9 Dealer events ......................................................................23

Product News New iPad control app..........................................................7 Agrovista support CROP SENSOR .....................................8 New additions to DISCO range ..........................................15 CARGOS new forage wagon concept ................................18

Pre-series User Reports New DISCO 3150 ideal .......................................................16

General Features Contactor’s rapid 10 year growth........................................14 Improved cut from DISCO 3200..........................................17 High strength CARGOS.......................................................19 Corn Cracker expertise .......................................................20 SHREDLAGE variety choice options...................................21 Potential SHREDLAGE benefit ............................................22

Ireland Focus Tedding to reduce DM in Galway ........................................10 Ideal swath from LINER 3600..............................................11 Cost saving JAGUAR 840 ...................................................12 Compact SCORPION 6030 .................................................13

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Whatever the final result, the Brexit decision will cause wide debate for years to come, and as speculation grows the nearer to decision time we come, the more uncertainty there is within the Ag industry. We are particularly vunerable and there will undoubtedly be repercussions for all of us within the industry, whichever way the vote goes.

Jeremy Wiggins Sales and Marketing Manager, CLAAS UK

We have seen machinery markets decline over the past, and this will continue as we ride the storm of the European market debate. With this decline we see a shift of focus more and more towards margins, and how best to achieve greater efficiencies within our businesses. Margins are being squeezed from every side and we are all looking at ways to increase productivity and efficiency to maximise returns. This is the greatest challenge our industry faces today and one that CLAAS has built its reputation on.

Within CLAAS we spend over €200 million per annum on R & D, researching and developing innovative machinery that will improve and increase output whilst minimising operating costs.

And our results are there to see today. Our latest DISCO mowers now have the new MAX CUT – which not only ensures greater output, but in lighter crops allows the engine to run at a reduced engine, so becoming more fuel efficient. (see pages1617 for more details).

Another exciting development for CLAAS is SHREDLAGE, and the potential to achieve increased milk yield by changing the actual structure of the animal feed. Results in America have been very impressive and although our own maize varieties differ from the US, we are hopeful of seeing similar improved results this season with our pre-series machines. (See pages 21-22 for more information).

Another innovative product is the new heavy duty CARGOS forage wagon, which is ideally suited to our high yielding conditions. and will be launched officially at Scotgrass (read all about it on pages18-19).

For those attending Scotgrass, we look forward to seeing you on the CLAAS stand (weather permitting, as conditions are looking quite poor as we speak), where we will be demonstrating the full range of Green Harvest kit.

Kind regards

Jeremy Wiggins Sales and Marketing Manager, CLAAS UK Ltd

Follow CLAAS on our official Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/yourclaas

All the latest images and videos of CLAAS machinery can be found on the official CLAAS YouTube channel at YourCLAAS

Scan the QR code with your smart phone to connect to the CLAAS UK website

www.claas.co.uk

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Global News

CLAAS reports stable sales and earnings structure and wide product range. Our double-digit sales growth outside Europe was a positive factor in our results", said Lothar Kriszun, Speaker of the CLAAS Executive Board.

CLAAS expect that the worldwide market for professional agricultural machinery will shrink by around 20 percent this year, but thanks to its well-positioned range of products and services, is expecting to maintain its level of sales and achieve stable earnings before tax.

Members of the CLAAS Executive Board at the 2015 Results Conference in Düsseldorf (from left): Jan-Hendrik Mohr (Sales and Marketing), Hans Lampert (Finance and Controlling) and Lothar Kriszun (Speaker of the Executive Board and responsible for the Tractors Division).

Despite a significant downturn in the overall market, the CLAAS Group was able to increase its sales revenue to a new all-time high of 3.838 billion euros (£2.83 billion) in the 2015 financial year (previous year: 3.823 billion euros), with earnings before tax of 158 million euros (£116 million) compared to 155 million euros in 2014.

"We are delighted that we have been able to overcome the current weakness in the market thanks to our international

Investment is also continuing in both in R&D and in its manufacturing plants around the world. In Krasnodar in Russia, combine production recently started at the most modern agricultural machinery factory in Europe. Two new large-scale test benches have also gone into operation at the testing centre in Trangé, France. These test benches allow an entire tractor service life to be simulated in four weeks.

Warehouse technology has also been further modernised at the Global Parts Centre in Hamm, Germany.

During the period, the number of employees worldwide increased to 11,535 as of 30 September 2015 (previous year: 11,407), mainly a result of employee growth in China and the development of worldwide sales activities. In Germany, CLAAS employs 5,250 staff and the ratio of trainees remained high at 7.8 percent (previous year: 7.3 percent).

Made in Russia By any standards, the new CLAAS production plant in Krasnodar in Russia, which is Europe’s most modern agricultural machinery plant which started production in October, is extremely impressive.

Costing over 120 million Euros, the Krasnodar plant is the CLAAS Group’s largest single investment in a production facility outside of Harsewinkel and covers a massive 45,000m2. Employees have travelled from up to 2,000 km away to come and work at the plant which will manufacture both combines and tractors mainly for sale in Russia. Bringing these future employees, some of whom speak different languages, together and training them to the high quality standards CLAAS set, both on-site and at Harsewinkel, has been a major operation in itself.

The plant took just 825 days to construct and involved over 250 companies. Some of the technology used inside the factory has never been seen before in Russia. As a result, CLAAS is already being approached by other companies outside of agriculture about placing orders for the manufacture of parts and even the construction of complete machines at the plant.

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CLAAS is already the leading importer of tractors into Russia, and in an additional important step towards the further increase in sales in the region, CLAAS is now in the final stages of being classified as a ‘Russian manufacturer’, which will enable farmers to benefit from national and regional subsidies when buying a tractor or combine.

General News

Busy LAMMA With over 40,000 visitorsattending this year’s show and enjoying the bright, sunny weather, LAMMA again proved its place as the UK’s leading machinery show and the largest of any annual trade show in the UK. LAMMA is the only major show that CLAAS UK attends, and our stand right in the middle of the show ground was as usual very busy with customers not only from the UK, but also Ireland and further afield, interested to find out more about the latest additions to the CLAAS product range.

Another new addition to the CLAAS range which was on display for the first time was the latest LEXION 700 range combine. This features the latest TIER 4f compliant engines, DYNAMIC COOLING on smaller LEXION 750/740 models, a new mechanically driven straw chopper that is controlled from the cab and the option of the latest 4D cleaning system and automatic CROP FLOW.

Making its show debut was the new AXION 870, which was attracting considerable interest due to its high 295hp power output, combined with its low unladen weight, making it ideal for a wide range of operations.

A major topic of conversation with contractors was the new MCC SHREDLAGE processor and the benefits that maize silage processed this way could bring to customers. More information on the MCC SHREDLAGE and the complete range of CLAAS MCC crop processors can be found on page 20.

Go-Pro winners Five CLAAS customers are now the proud owners of GoPro action cameras as a result of simply filling out and returning the enquiry form in last year’s Early Action combine promotion.

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Paul Peachment from MANNS presents Derek Caley (top) of W & P Caley Ltd., Kings Lynn, Norfolk with his GoPro Duncan Janaway (centre left) of Whitewater potatoes, Hook in Hampshire received his prize from Andy Atherton of CLAAS Western James Burton (centre right) from Ashbourne, Derbyshire receiving his prize from Will Clark of MARSH Drew Watson (bottom), D Watson & Co in Dumfries was presented with his prize by Kenny Fraser of GORDONS The final GoPro winner was Alan Grant of A D Grant, Fraserborough, Aberdeenshire, who is a SELLARS customer

Congratulations to them all and hopefully they will use their new cameras to take some action videos of their CLAAS machines at work for us to share!

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General News ARION 400 Product page ARION 400 product video

First JAGUAR in India In most major agricultural countries around the world, the JAGUAR is the byword for forage harvesting efficiency. One exception until now has been India. However, the first JAGUAR forager has recently been sold to Dr Bhatti, manager of a large dairy farming group.

India is the world’s second most populated country and milk is one of its most important raw materials, with large numbers of people in rural areas making their living from dairy production. However, food shortages and poor feed quality has been a limiting factor on dairy production. During the summer and the monsoon season, farmers have no way of obtaining green forage and are reliant on preserved feed, such as grass silage.

Farming is changing and an increasing number of larger farming groups are being formed to produce milk, one of which is the Progressive Dairy Farmers Association of Punjab, which is managed by Dr J S Bhatti.

Design award for ARION 400 PANORAMIC

Until now, silage making has been a time consuming and laborious process in which only three to four hectares of silage is made a day. So it is hardly surprising that Dr Bhatti has turned to modern technology and bought the first JAGUAR to be sold in India, which will enable him to easily harvest up to 25ha a day.

Following on from winning a Gold SIMA Innovation award in 2015 for the PANORAMIC cab on the ARION 400, CLAAS has now been awarded a prestigious iF Design Award in 2016 for the unique one-piece windscreen and glass roof.

CLAAS has always focused not only on quality, reliability and efficiency, but also on developing a modern and functional design. The PANORAMIC cab was designed by industry designer Paul Budde from Münster, who has worked with CLAAS for over 30 years, and it was he that put the ARION 400 with PANORAMIC cab forward for the iF Design Award.

The PANORAMIC cab features a one-piece windscreen which is joined to the roof pane without a crossbeam, giving a total area of 2.41 m² and an unrestricted 90 degree field of vision over a front loader.

In winning the iF Design Award, the ARION 400 PANORAMIC competed against more than 5000 submissions from 53 countries. The products were assessed based upon clear criteria in terms of design quality, processing and functionality.

The jury's assessment criteria also included environmental compatibility, safety, innovation and much more.

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Dr. J.S. Bhatti

Product News

EASY Product page

Implement Control via iPad There is no doubting that the iPad has revolutionised the way that we communicate with each other and how we do business. And now CLAAS has extended that to the way in which we can set-up and operate machinery following the launch of the new ‘EASY on-board app’.

Downloading the free app to their iPad from the App Store opens up completely new operating functionality for the user, allowing them to set-up and operate implements with an iPad over the ISOBUS network using a wireless link between the tractor and implement, instead of via a conventional terminal.

Using an existing iPad as a control terminal, not only gives flexibility but means that the terminal is not just for the machine, but also for the driver. In addition to managing key machine settings and data, using the iPad to go on-line from the field enables the operator to also have access to important farm-specific data, applications and information such as customer data, in addition to land management, navigation, email and weather forecasts.

The CLAAS ‘EASY on-board App’ uses the integrated ISO Universal Terminal application (ISO UT) to map the ISOBUS

system of the implement on the tablet, allowing it to be operated via the iPad’s touchscreen.

Being ISOBUS compatible, the ‘EASY on-board app’ means that the user can not only use their iPad to control CLAAS machinery, but any ISOBUS machine from other manufacturers. For convenient operation, the tablet can also be used to assign implement functions to the F-keys on the tractor operating lever.

To use the ‘EASY on-Board App’, both the implement and tractor must be ISOBUS-capable and connected by a standard ISOBUS cable. Communication between the implement and the iPad takes place over a WLAN wireless connection, using an adapter connected to the in-cab ISOBUS socket of the tractor.

The CLAAS ‘EASY on-board App’ package includes the WLAN adapter and a universal bracket for the tablet. Users can also carry out software updates themselves just as quickly and easily. Currently, the ‘EASY on-board App’ is only available for Apple iPad's running iOS8 or later.

The ‘EASY on-board App’ can be used to operate the ROLLANT 455 UNIWRAP baler, the CARGOS 8000 dual-purpose wagon, the LINER 3600 and 4000 rakes, plus the DISCO 1100 C BUSINESS, 9400 C DUO, 9200 C BUSINESS and 9200 C AS disc mowers.

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Product News

Agrovista to provide CROP SENSOR agronomic support The use of crop sensing technology to provide a real-time, area-specific calculation of a crop’s optimum nitrogen requirement, provides growers with an opportunity to easily and accurately ensure optimum nitrogen application rates across the field, potentially boosting crop performance and reducing fertiliser use.

Recognising that agronomic support for this cutting edge technology is just as important as mechanical support, CLAAS UK has teamed up with agronomy specialists Agrovista UK to ensure that users of the ISARIA CROP SENSOR receive an unprecedented level of support, that is unmatched by any other system.

Under the agreement, users of the ISARIA CROP SENSOR will have access to Agrovista’s full range of agronomic specialist knowledge and software including the latest MapIT Pro data management system, which is part of the cloud based real-time AXIS data hub. Full mechanical support continues to be provided by CLAAS EASY precision farming specialists.

The ISARIA CROP SENSOR is ISOBUS compatible, so enables both the sensor and the spreader to be used with the same ISO-compatible control terminal. It is the first sensor to be awarded an AEF certificate for ISOBUS compatibility, which confirms its compatibility with current ISOBUS terminals, and will be listed on the AEF database so that users can check its compatibility with current or new technology.

By mounting the ISARIA CROP SENSOR on the front of the tractor, being further from the spreader this makes it more accurate. Also by measuring vertically at 80cm above the crop instead of at an angle, this again aids accuracy.

The two sensor heads incorporate four high-performance sensor LEDs that enable the CROP SENSOR to be used by day or night, together with an optical sensor and a distance sensor. These take a real-time measurement of the crop’s nitrogen requirement, which is then used to automatically alter

the fertiliser spreading rate accordingly. Unlike other sensors, the ISARIA CROP SENSOR does not need to be manually calibrated on a regular basis or require any agronomic input, making it far easier to use.

Using biomass reflection as the measure for crop analysis, working over a 50cm diameter area, up to 800 measurements of the light reflected by the crop are taken every second. These measurements are then used to calculate the IRMI vegetation index, which reflects the current nitrogen supply to the crop.

The ISARIA CROP SENSOR measures the quantity of nitrogen which has already been absorbed by the crop up to that point in time, compares this measurement with the target value of the current growth stage and then calculates the missing nutrient difference which must be balanced. In addition, crop density is measured using the IBI biomass index. If the IBI falls below a particular threshold value, for example due to drought or frost damage, the spread rate in these subplots reverts to the value defined by the farmer.

With the ISARIA CROP SENSOR the best results come when making a ‘yield potential’ map for the field, this allows you to essentially create a map that tells the ISARIA CROP SENSOR whether it is operating in a high, medium, or low yield potential area so that it doesn’t just look at the crop in isolation. In real terms this means that a thinner crop in a low yield potential area of the field will not receive as high a nitrogen rate as the same patch in a high yield area, which is a feature unique to the ISARIA CROP SENSOR. The data produced by the sensor will automatically record all the input and biomass data from the crop which, using Agrovista’s MapIT Pro Advanced data manager, will help build-up an overall ‘picture’ of the crop. In addition to allowing easy access to view both field and input data, the data can also be easily utilised to create both yield potential and also variable seed rate maps.

The Agrovista MapIT Pro software will allow the user to set up their own yield potential maps, either from field knowledge or by using other data layers such as soil conductivity data or yield maps. The collaboration between the two companies will ensure that CLAAS yield data can be seamlessly imported into the cloud based software to be easily accessed anywhere using a number of platforms.

EASY Product page EASY Product video

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General Features

Farm Manager of the Year 2015 There is a misconception today that farmers are not good at marketing their produce, but this is not the case with Tim Hassell, this year’s winner of the Farmers Weekly ‘Farm Manager of the Year’ award, sponsored by CLAAS UK.

“Winning the Award is a recognition for what the whole team has achieved in seven years. I’m just the guy at the front; I couldn’t do what I do without the team of 27 behind me and the enthusiasm that they have for what they do. It’s all about the team at the end of the day. Internally it is massive recognition for the farm and Lord March has been absolutely thrilled that the farm has got this recognition.”

For the last seven years, Tim has been General Manager of the Home Farm on the Goodwood Estate in West Sussex, home to both horse racing and motor sport events such as the Festival of Speed and the Goodwood Revival meeting.

“The judging process is tough and it really makes you question your business decisions. But I enjoyed putting together the presentations and looking at where we have come in seven years as we have come a long way and it’s still growing – sales increased by 18% last year alone. The whole experience was great, and CLAAS really looked after us well, both when we all went to Saxham but also on the night of the awards.”

Unlike many farms where produce leaves the farm gate for someone else to profit from creating an end product, hardly anything leaves the 1,375ha farm that is not ready for the table under the Goodwood brand.

The farm is the largest lowland organic farm in the UK, and is home to a 200-cow dairy shorthorn herd. Averaging 6,000 litres and 90% of the milk is either bottled or used for award-winning cheese. In addition, all the beef produced from the farm’s 50cow Sussex sucklers and dairy/Sussex crosses is taken through to finishing in 32 months to optimise flavour and marbling. This is processed in the farm’s own butchery prior to being sold direct to end users, including the Ritz in London, or as some of the 50,000 burgers made each year. All the pork from the 45 breeding sows goes out under the Goodwood label, as does 50% of the lamb from the 1,400 ewes, while the malting spring barley is used for the Estate’s own beers and lager.

“For the business there will be a positive benefit and I am really looking forward to being a judge next year and seeing the type of business that enters. The three finalists this year were very different – I really admired what Robin (Asquith, The Hayshed Experience) is doing with people and it shows the diversity within farming.”

Congratulations also to the runners-up Mark Wood, who is manager of Fawley Court in Herefordshire and Robin Asquith, operations manager of the Hayshed Experience in Yorkshire.

To enter or nominate someone for the 2016 awards, visit the award’s website at www.farmersweeklyawards.co.uk

While the Estate’s own sporting events, hotel and golf clubs provide a ready market, this only accounts for 40% of sales.

The rest comes from some 200 customers, ranging from someone locally buying just a few litres of milk to top London hotels and stores, most of whom have been initially gained by Tim going out and personally meeting and explaining about the Estate’s products, and who he regularly visits every six weeks.

“The driver behind this has been Lord March who was keen to be able to offer guests at the hotel or visitors to events home produced product. Goodwood is a different model and an amazing place to work. When I first came here I was a bit overawed by everything, but have gradually worked away at getting what we do right and the farm now has recognition for what it brings to the Estate and is on an equal footing to all the other parts of Goodwood.”

Vervate

“Where many farmers miss a trick is by not going out, sitting down eye to eye with the end user and showing the passion that they have for what they produce. That is what the end customer likes to see and what a salesman can’t do,” says Tim. “Yes, the Goodwood name does help open doors, but it also makes the job harder because people have an expectation of excellence that comes with the name, which we have to meet.”

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S

Focus on ireland in recent years, CLAAS has seen a considerable upturn in a number of markets around the world, not least in ireland where sales of CLAAS machinery have grown significantly since CLAAS UK took over distribution in 2009.

Farming is big business in ireland; there are around 138,000 farms in southern ireland and 24,000 in the north. With grassland accounting for about 81% of the agricultural area, the CLAAS range of grass harvesting machinery has proved particularly popular, due to its strong build and ability to handle the typically large, heavy grass crops.

However, it is with tractors where CLAAS dealers have seen particular growth. To support this increase in business, each of the four main dealers (ERWiN, LEiNSTER FARM MACHiNES, KELLyS and MCCARTHy), who sell the full CLAAS product range, have all opened new additional branches in the last two years. Many of the smaller CLAAS tractor specific dealers have also expanded.

The general expansion of CLAAS in ireland has also encouraged an increased number of service apprentices to join the CLAAS Apprenticeship course based at the SRUC Barony campus in Scotland.

Tedding for higher DM Adding a new VOLTO 800 tedder to the silage team to help increase dry matter has paid dividends for contractor’s Bobby Hynes & Sons, and has been met with universal praise from customers due to the improved quality of their silage.

VOLTO Product page

The west of Ireland is not short of grass and due to the wet, mild climate, combined with plenty of slurry, silage crops of up to 15 tonnes an acre are not exceptional according to Pairic Hynes who, with his brothers Colm and Donal, runs the contracting business which was established by their father nearly 50 years ago.

One of the key features for Pairic of the 6-rotor VOLTO 800, which has a working width of 7.7m, is the MAX SPREAD tine system. In their heavy crops, the angled tine holds onto the crop longer to help create an even spread pattern without any lumping.

Based at Gurteen near Ballinasloe in Co. Galway, farms in this part of Ireland are not large. Of the 1200ha of silage they harvest using a 2014 JAGUAR 860, about 30% of this will be for dairy farms. Herd sizes are not much larger than 50 cows, with suckler herds generally only 30 cows, and to harvest around 10ha on a farm is not uncommon, meaning that the Hynes’ will often do three jobs in a day. “There are very few farms that would keep us for a day,” comments Pairic.

“Because of the quantity of grass you do have to drive slowly, but the tines hold the grass well and throw it out in a wide, even swath, with no lumps which is very important to the system and this has certainly helped the forager.”

The Hynes bought their first self-propelled forager 20 years ago and have been running JAGUAR’s, bought through KELLyS at Borris for 10 years, while their new VOLTO 800 tedder and LINER 2900 rake have been supplied by local dealer QUiGLEyS. Until last season, after mowing using 3.0m wide mower conditioners, the crop was then simply rowed up ahead of the forager. “Dry matter, however, tended to be lower because first cut silage can be very lush and heavy. Then after late June the crops change to being soft and green and need a lot of sun to dry down,” explains Pairic. “By tedding the grass, we thought this would enable us to condition the farmer’s crops better, speed up wilting especially in second cuts and help increase the dry matter content of their silage.”

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VOLTO product video

“The results have been fantastic. I have met a lot of customers over the winter and they have all said how much better their silage has been, which in turn has helped reduce their concentrate usage. We do charge more for tedding, but they realise that this is a benefit.”

In ideal conditions, the crop will be left to wilt for up to 48 hours before rowing up using the LINER 2900 to put 9.0m of grass into one swath. Due to the bulk of grass, forager forward speed is only around 4-5 miles/hour and the preference is for chop lengths to be as long as possible, so the JAGUAR is fitted with half Colm (left), Pairic and Donal Hynes??? blades. To ensure good compaction in the clamp, a 15 tonne loading shovel is used for buckraking and the team will then help the farmer sheet up when they have finished.

“The job has to be done right and we are lucky that we have a very good team and this is reflected in the results we achieve for our customers,” states Pairic. “We have had great feedback about tedding and the number of customers who want us to

Focus on ireland

Ideal rake for lump free, even swath Over the years, contractor David Porter has run a number of different CLAAS four rotor rakes, but finds his latest LINER 3600s are ideally suited to his foraging system.

The LINER 3600 was added to the CLAAS green harvest range last spring. Replacing the LINER 3500, the working width of the LINER 3600 is adjustable from 9.90m up to 12.50m and it’s designed to be compact on the road.

“Over the years we have run LINER 3000 and more recently LINER 4000 rakes, but with the grass yields we get here the 4000 put too big a swath in front of the forager,” explains David, whose contracting business is based near Lisburn in Northern Ireland. “The LINER 3600 is the ideal size for us. It’s easy to pull and quick over the ground but leaves a good clean finish with a well shaped swath for the foragers. Also it’s very driver friendly and by using the ISOBUS connection to the tractor is simple to operate.”

David runs two JAGUAR 970 foragers which together clear up to 4,250ha of silage, most of which is grass, and they also cut some whole crop and maize. Each forager is supported by a set of 8.3m wide DISCO 8600C CONTOUR triple mowers and new LINER 3600, while an additional set of 8.1m wide DISCO 8400 triple mowers and a LINER 2900 are shared between each team.

“The smaller rotors on the LINER 3600 leave a fantastic, even swath which is important, because if there are no lumps the

LINER Product page

grass will flow through the forager better, so is easier on the machine and it will use less fuel. Also the LINER 3600 is very manoeuvrable, so there’s nowhere we can’t get in and being fairly light it’s good in wet conditions. And, being slightly smaller, they should appeal to more people so hold their value well when we come to replace them.”

“Most of our customers are dairy farmers who would be looking to take at least three cuts. Our main problem is the short weather windows, so we need to be able to cover the ground as quickly as possible and ideally we look to try and clear at least 80ha a day in the right conditions.”

David first started running CLAAS forage machinery in 2002 and now all of his grassland machinery is CLAAS, and he also runs a LEXION combine bought in 2011.

“The service and dealer support we get from ERWiN is excellent. Back-up is the most important thing for me and if they don’t have a part on the shelf, then they will certainly have it the following morning or rob it off another machine to keep us going. Overall the JAGUARs have been very reliable and this has allowed us to get more out of the foragers. In the past we would generally aim to replace a forager after about 3 or 4 years, but the oldest of the 970’s is now five years old and has done about 6,000 hours which is the longest we have ever kept one.”

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Focus on ireland JAGUAR Product page JAGUAR product video

Home made silage reduces costs At around £220 a tonne, concentrates are one of the highest costs for dairy farms. By making high quality silage to maximise milk yield and reduce concentrate use, costs can be reduced and a key reason why Beattie Lilburn and Sons run their own JAGUAR 840 forager.

Up until 2010 the Lilburn’s had relied on a local contractor for harvesting grass silage on their farm at Dromore near Lisburn, Northern Ireland. Here they run 500 head of cattle, of which 200 are in milk. When their local contractor decided to cease silage work, because they were already running their own mower, tedder and rake, the Lilburn’s therefore decided to also buy and run their own forager.

“We initially bought a used ’99 plate JAGUAR 840 from ERWiN, which we kept until last year when we replaced it with the new JAGUAR 840,” says David Lilburn. “Supporting this we also now have a front and rear DISCO 3100C combination, a VOLTO 800 tedder and LINER 2800 rake.”

“The weather windows here can be tight and getting it wrong could potentially cost us up to £15,000,” he states. “Having our own forager gives us control. We can choose when we go and

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Reggie and David Lilburn

do it the way we want, rather than having to fit in with a contractor’s schedule. This has certainly paid off in the last couple of years when first cut has been very difficult.”

The cows are fed a ration made up of grass and some whole crop with their own home-mixed concentrates. With last year’s silage having a D Value of 74, dry matter of 23% and proteins of 12.4%, milk yields are running at 9,000 litres overall with 4,100 litres coming from forage.

“Our system is based on harvesting young grass as much as possible and we like to aim for an ME of at least 12. We rotate the ground every 6 to 7 years and will annually reseed up to 40ha a year. We aim to take three cuts, starting May 10th and after mowing will spread the grass once or twice before rowing up and harvesting 24 hours later,” explains David.

“We harvest about 323ha a year and the forager will do about 150 hours, so the new JAGUAR 840 will last us a long time.

Because it will have low hours for its age when we do eventually replace it, hopefully this should add to its value.”

“The old JAGUAR 840, which has been sold locally, did us very well and had 5,500 hours on it. We did look at buying another used JAGUAR but ERWiN’s offered us a good deal on a new machine and coming off a good year we could also make the most of capital allowances, so it was all down to the deal.”

“The operator comfort and the ease of control on the new JAGUAR 840 is so much better. The engine has far more torque and the grass flow through the forager is very good, but it is also very fuel efficient. The service we receive from ERWiN is also very important and while we did look at other makes, we definitely bought the right machine,” concludes David.

Compact manoeuvrability Limavady farmer Richard Smyth has been the first to buy a new CLAAS SCORPION telescopic handler from ERWiN’s new branch at Limavady near Londonderry.

Richard manages a large mixed farm with both crops and broiler chickens. Due to the yard layout he was looking for a versatile machine capable of manoeuvring in the tight spaces in the broiler houses, but just as importantly it needed to perform comfortably when handling grain and straw.

Richard bought the new compact SCORPION 6030VP in early 2015, but only after he had looked at all the similar sized machines on the market and had a demonstration from ERWiN. A year on, it’s not a decision Richard has regretted and he is thoroughly impressed with how the SCORPION has performed.

One of the main strong points for Richard is the SCORPION’s VARIPOWER 40kph transmission. “The transmission is excellent when loading lorries. It’s smooth when travelling over bumps in the yard so no grain is spilt and remarkably easy to control when approaching a lorry, as there is no requirement to hold the machine with the brakes”.

A regular job for the SCORPION is road work, carting bales between different yards, so the power and torque from the SCORPION’s 122hp Deutz TIER 4i engine ensures that it easily handles heavy loads.

SCORPION Product page SCORPION product video

two features that are especially important and have particularly impressed Richard.

“The view out of the cab is excellent and you can clearly see the bucket without having to move in your seat. There is also great visibility over the raised boom when loading straw or grain. The SCORPION’s tight turning circle and good all round visibility is excellent when working in tight spaces”.

Another important part of the ordering process for Richard was the ability to have the SCORPION fitted with a specific headstock so that it can use his current attachments, which it shares with another handler on the farm. He commended the design of the rear hitch mechanism on the SCORPION, which makes it easier to hitch into trailers compared to the rigid conventional type hitch found on most telehandlers.

However, it is when operating in the tight spaces of the broiler houses that the SCORPION comes into its own, with its excellent manoeuvrability and visibility from the operator’s seat,

Richard Smyth

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General Features

10 years of phenomenal growth Starting any business from scratch is never easy, especially when you are in your early 20’s and the economy is amidst a financial recession, which makes what Garry Russell and his wife Tanya have achieved in the last 10 years especially impressive.

From a young age, Garry has always been determined to work for himself and became self-employed at 18, doing everything from working on farms to driving a grader for the Forestry Commission. But it was in 2006 aged 25 and having just returned from honeymoon, that Garry announced that he was going to set-up his own company.

Starting out with a hired grader, tractor and roller, 10 years later GTR Contracts Ltd now employs 75 people and has a fleet of 100-plus machines. Based on the outskirts of Dumfries the business provides plant and construction services to national energy and forestry companies throughout the UK, in addition to agricultural contract work for local farmers - which accounts for 30% of the company's turnover.

“I was brought up on a farm and always wanted to be in the farming industry while having the ambition to work for myself,” says Garry, who looks after the day to day running of the company. Tanya, who has a business degree, manages the office including the financial management, human resources and health and safety for the company.

A core part of GTR’s work is building forestry roads and access roads for wind farms but with Garry's background in agriculture this has always played a part in the business, with services such as fertiliser, muck or slurry spreading, drainage, spraying, hedgecutting or even just labour to feed stock or provide holiday cover.

Last year the agricultural side of the business was expanded considerably with the addition of a new forage harvesting team, based around a JAGUAR 850. This is supported by a set of DISCO 8400 triple and DISCO 3200 front and rear mowers, VOLTO 1100 and 800 tedders and LINER 2900 rake. Everything was bought through local CLAAS dealer GORDONS, who have also supplied the business with three ARION tractors (two 620s and a 650) and most recently an AXION 920.

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Garry and Tanya Russell

“I was approached by an existing customer who had around 1,000ha to harvest and was looking for a new silage contractor.

I was initially reluctant, but we already had the front and rear mowers and trailers, so I eventually agreed. It was an excellent opportunity for GTR to expand,” says Garry. “Having bought the JAGUAR, a couple of other customers who had run their own forager then asked us to do theirs and by the end of the season we eventually cleared about just over 2,000ha. Last year was not an easy season due to the weather, but we proved ourselves to our customers by providing a reliable and quality service.”

The latest addition to the fleet is a new 320hp AXION 920, which will mainly be used to power a Kirpy stone crusher, which is another example of Garry making the most of an opportunity. “We were on a wind farm site last year where the stone was too big for grading, so I suggested we crush it.

However, at the time I didn’t have a crusher and nobody in the UK had one in stock. I eventually sourced and bought one in France. With 3km of road needing crushing, Tanya was not convinced that it could be justified, but I was sure it could be. It has proved to be a good investment having since secured over 12km of roads for crushing.”

“Although we are mainly involved in plant and construction, agriculture fits in very well. The benefit for the farmer is that a lot of our drivers have come from farms, so are experienced but they all go through CPCS (Construction Plant Competence Scheme) training, are well trained in all the machinery they use, are fully insured and we provide all our customers with a full safety document including risk assessment and method statements for their insurance.”

“Service is important to us and that is the reason I use GORDONS. Their branches cover our area well and I know that if we have a problem it will be sorted. Good back-up is essential and GORDONS will always stand by you, work with you and tell you as it is.”

New Product

DISCO MAX CUT mower range extended Following the introduction of the new MAX CUT mower bar last year, CLAAS has now six new DISCO mower models in three working widths.

At the top end of the DISCO model range, the new DISCO 1100C BUSINESS has a maximum working width of 10.3m, making it the largest mounted mower combination on the market.

The two rear mower units on the DISCO 1100 are mounted on telescopic arms that enable the working width to be reduced to 9.4m if required. For transport, it can be folded down to below 4.0m in height and 3.0m in width. Both mower units incorporate a non-stop hydraulic breakback protection system as standard and the adjustable ACTIVE FLOAT mower bar suspension system.

For transport, the mower units are hydraulically locked and unlocked and the DISCO 1100 is designed so that it can be stored folded-up. The standard specification also includes hydraulically folded protective covers and if required the DISCO can be operated at either 1000rpm or at 850rpm, and incorporates full disc speed monitoring.

DISCO Product page DISCO product video

The DISCO 3150/2750 can be fitted with either either wear skids or high-cut skids for topping which are 30mm high and a simple spring suspension system ensures that the mower accurately follows the ground contours.

The drive train in the MAX CUT mower bar is designed so that in less dense crops it can be run at a reduced PTO speed to help save fuel. On 1000rpm versions, this can be reduced to 850rpm and on 540 rpm versions to 460rpm.

On models fitted with the metal tine conditioner, the tines are mounted on rubber blocks so that they deflect out of the way of any objects passing through the mower. The tines can also be reversed in order to alter conditioning intensity.

For transport, the mounted versions of the DISCO 3150/2750 are folded up using a single acting ram and they are secured in place by a latch operated via a rope from the cab. Using an optionally available frame, the mower can also be stored folded up to save space.

The new DISCO 1100C BUSINESS is fully ISOBUS-compliant, which allows all the main functions to be assigned to function buttons on the tractor and for it to be controlled using any ISOBUS terminal, such as the CLAAS COMMUNICATOR or S10, and now also via an iPad using the new ‘EASY on board’ app.

At the other end of the CLAAS mower range, the new DISCO 3150 and DISCO 2750 models with the MAX CUT mower bar are ideal for smaller farmers who are looking for a straight-forward mower that is easy to operate and can be used on smaller tractors.

Both models, which have a working width of 3.0m and 2.6m respectively, are fully mounted and available either as a straight mower or with a metal-tined conditioner. In addition, a trailed mower/conditioner version of the DISCO 3150 is also available.

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Pre-series User Report

Easy to run mowers One of the first customers to use the new DISCO 3150C mower has been contractor Ian Slavin, who bought a preseries version together with one of the last DISCO 3050C Plus mower’s last Spring.

Ian runs four mowers within his contracting business based near Stranraer, which he uses to provide a mowing service for farmers and other contactors in the area.

Over the years he has used a number of different makes, but has been running CLAAS DISCO mowers since 2007 (and still has that original mower), together with a 2010 machine and the two new DISCO 3150 and 3050 mowers bought last year.

“Most of our mowing work is either for farmers, who will then go in and round bale it, or sub-contracting for contractors running self-propelled foragers,” explains Ian, who runs the business with help from his son Mark and grandsons Jason and Niall. “With last year’s mild but wet conditions, when the conditions came good everyone wanted their grass mown at once, so having the four mowers gives us flexibility.”

“Every farm and field is different,” adds Mark, “and we work in all conditions from lighter, higher quality grass for dairy farms to hill farms where they just take one big heavy cut from far tougher grass. We are also doing more topping with the mowers for farmers who want a clean cut so that grass regrowth is quicker.”

Comparing the two new mowers, Mark certainly found that the new DISCO 3150 with its MAX CUT disc bar left a good, even finish, even on those farms where they wanted the crop mown as low as possible.

“In general the DISCO is a very easy mower to drive compared to others we have had in the past which were far harder and used more fuel,” he says. “I also like the fact that on the new DISCO you can run it at a reduced engine speed, which will help save fuel.”

“One of the best things about the DISCO mowers is the blade strength,” comments Ian. “We have had others that would just bend as soon as they saw a stone, but the DISCO blade is extremely hard wearing and we never seem to lose any blades.

The quick change system also makes it very easy to turn or replace them even in the field.”

“The DISCO has proved to be a very reliable mower, which is easy to maintain, and the support we get from GORDONS at Castle Kennedy is excellent and they always have spares when we need them,” concludes Ian. DISCO Product page DISCO product video

Three generations. Ian Slavin (right) with his son Mark and grandson Niall.

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General Features

CLEAN cutting DISCO 3200 One of the biggest benefits ian and Steve Pridham have found since changing to the latest DiSCO 3200C MAX CUT front and rear mowers, is the improvement in the quality of cut and the mowers ability to leave a good, clean finish.

The DiSCO 3200 C and 3200FC CONTOUR combination were bought through HAMBLyS last spring to replace a pair of DiSCO 3100 C and FC mowers, which have been kept as back-ups for peak periods.

“The great thing about the DiSCO is that they are a good, reliable mower. Once you start mowing they just keep going,” says ian. “We have tried other makes in the past but they have just not lasted so well.”

As a contractor, one of the features on the DiSCO that they particularly appreciate is the ease with which the blades can be changed, but also the SAFETyLiNK protection module for each disc, where the drive to the disc will, if necessary, shear at a predetermined breaking point to protect the drive train.

“Because you don’t know the field, you are always at the mercy of picking something up with the mowers. Before now we have picked up wire with the mowers, which has resulted in the drive to the disc shearing, but to undo six bolts to replace the SAFETYLINK module is a very simple fix and away you go again.”

The Pridhams’ new DISCO mowers have proven themselves over a wide range of conditions. Based near Launceston, customers range from dairy farmers, some of whom are taking cuts of young high quality grass every five weeks, to beef and sheep farmers on Bodmin Moor who just take a single heavy cut usually for baling, often from older, tougher pasture as late as September or even October.

Clamp silage accounts for around 1,620ha, which is harvested using a JAGUAR 900, while a QUADRANT 3200 baler produces about 6,000 silage, hay, haylage and straw bales and a further 14,000 bales are round baled.

DISCO Product page DISCO product video

“The lighter dairy crops where they are going for quality rather than quantity are easy going and we can comfortably cut 8 to 12 ha an hour,” states Ian. “It’s the heavier single moorland crops which are far harder on the DISCOs. Not only is the grass tougher, but the farmers generally want the field to be virtually scalped so as to get every last bit of grass. As a result output is only about 4ha an hour and there is a corresponding increase in blade wear, and the risk of hitting stones is higher, but it’s very simple and quick to change the blades.”

“When we used to have DISCO 3000s these got through a lot of wear skids, but due to the centre pivot system the newer DISCOs follow the ground really well. Because the discs are mounted further forward on the new MAX CUT disc bed, this results in a far cleaner cut. The biggest difference is on the front mower as you now don’t need to push the top link out so far to get under the crop. We have also found the DISCO 3200 is easier to drive and being able to run them at 850rpm in lighter crops helps save fuel. Also on the road the over-centre folding means that they are stable and travel very well.”

Steve (left and ian Pridham.

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New Product

CARGOS - a new concept in forage wagon In 2016, CLAAS will be celebrating 50 years of loader wagon development and production, and one of a number of new products attracting considerable interest on the CLAAS stand at last year’s Grassland event was the latest development - the new CARGOS 8000 forage wagon. The CARGOS is a completely new concept in loader wagons because, when not required for harvesting grass, it can be simply converted into a trailer by quickly and easily removing the pick-up and rotor unit, therefore reducing the machine weight by around 2500kg.

CLAAS has sold the larger CARGOS 9000 range for a number of years in Europe, but the new smaller CARGOS 8000 features a new, heavy-duty design that makes it ideally suited to maintain high outputs in the UK and Ireland’s heavier crop conditions.

Three CARGOS 8000 models are available - the 8500, 8400 and 8300 with loading volumes of 41, 35.5 and 30m3 respectively. The new design features a heavy duty drive system, with a hydraulically driven pick-up and the option of a hydro-pneumatic suspension system.

pattern, which are bolted on for ease of maintenance and replacement if necessary.

The chopping chamber contains a bank of 40 double blades that are twin edged so that they can be easily turned to reduce downtime blade sharpening. The blades have adjustable pre-tensioning so ensuring that a precise chop quality is maintained. So that high outputs can be constantly maintained, a hydraulically-lowered drop-floor in the chopping cylinder can be lowered automatically if the unit is overloaded and the driver can remove any possible blockages by simply reducing the PTO speed from the driver's seat.

The CARGOS 8000 also features a new lowered floor conveyor, that can be hydraulically pivoted 90 degrees downwards so that the blades can be easily accessed for changing, or it can be pivoted upwards for improved unloading.

When not required for use as a forage wagon, the loading system can be quickly and easily removed in around 25 minutes using a carrier frame, and a filler plate inserted so that the CARGOS 8000 can be used as a high capacity trailer.

The crop is fed into the cutting and loading system via a 860mm diameter rotor fitted with nine rows of tines in a helical

CARGOS 8000 Product page CARGOS making of video

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General Features

CARGOS 8000 Product page

High strength CARGOS One of the first CARGOS 8000’s to be used in the UK was put through its paces last year by contractor George Douglas, who used a CARGOS 8300 to pick-up around 1,200ha of silage.

George has been running forage wagons since 2008 but says that the main thing that stands out for him on the new CARGOS is its strength, especially in the pick-up.

“I did originally look at a CARGOS 9000 back in 2012 that was over for assessment, but it was far too big for my needs, but the one thing that stood out was its build and strength,” says George, who is based just outside Carlisle. “Then in 2014 I suddenly got a text message from Martyn Henderson at RiCKERBy saying; ‘Just looking at your new forage wagon’!

And after a few meetings with him and Dean (Cottey) at CLAAS the deal was done.”

“My previous machine was a similar size, but the big difference is in the strength of the CARGOS, especially in the pick-up.

The front end is so robust. With my old wagon I was forever having problems with tines, but the CARGOS has not lost a single tine,” states George. “Also I was not sure about having a hydraulic drive to the pick-up, but it is so smooth and quiet, with none of the rattles that my old machine had. Even after 1,100 loads nothing has gone slack and it’s as good as when it arrived.”

“The flow into the chopping system is also extremely good and the double edged blades are not only strong, but I have been quite amazed at how well they keep their edge. Being able to lower the conveyor so that you can easily get in and stand up, makes changing the blades so simple. Someone has put a lot of thought into that and just having to unhook the blade is far better than on other machines, where in some cases you have to hold the sharp edge of the blade, which is a complete ‘no-no’ for me, even with gloves.”

George Douglas

“Also, being able to just lower the drop floor in the chopping chamber and push out any lumps makes it extremely easy to clear any blockages, and means you get back into work far quicker compared to having to crawl underneath and getting sore fingers pulling the grass out.”

Ahead of the CARGOS, George mows using a set of DISCO 3100C front and rear mower conditioners. Depending on the crop and the farmer’s requirements, he will sometimes spread the crop, and rows it in using a LINER 2900 with the aim of creating a wide, flat swath that will just fit between the tractor’s wheels so as to ensure a consistent, even load across the full width of the CARGOS. Last year the CARGOS was run behind a 165hp tractor and controlled using the new OPERATOR terminal, but for this year it will be linked via ISOBUS to a 235hp used AXION 830 CEBIS that he has just bought from RiCKERBy. “I have no regrets about changing to the CARGOS. It is so much stronger than anything I have run before, and the back-up from both RiCKERBy and CLAAS has been excellent as always. And the ability to drop out the chopping cylinder is interesting and opens other options for the future.”

Being able to lower the conveyor so that you can stand-up makes blade changing far simpler.

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General Features

Corn Cracker expertise Having been the first to develop an on-board Corn Cracker for use in a forager when harvesting maize, as the requirements for livestock and industrial use have changed and developed, so CLAAS has developed new crop processing systems to meet these differing needs.

Today, CLAAS now offers three differing crop processing rollers for the latest JAGUAR forager range, all of which can be used in the latest universal Multi Crop Cracker (MCC) concept, in which the cracker components can be quickly and easily changed.

SHREDLAGE (26-30mm) SHREDLAGE takes long chop maize a stage further and covers the range of chop lengths from 26mm to 30mm and a crucial part of the process is the subsequent conditioning using the SHREDLAGE cracker technology.

The MCC SHREDLAGE uses two LorenCut rollers with a counter-rotating spiral groove which fully breaks down the cob pieces and crushes the kernels to break them open completely and rotate at a speed differential of 50%. As a result, the stalk material is shredded very effectively in the longitudinal and horizontal direction and the bark is peeled off by the special roller structure.

Today, depending on use, it is not uncommon for the chop length of maize to be anything from 3.5mm up to 30mm which, broadly speaking, can be split into three groups.

Short chop (3.5-12mm) Used for both biogas as well as animal feed, when maize silage is chopped to this length it is important that it remains homogenous and retains a fine plant structure, with a high standard of kernel processing.

At this length, the traditional saw-tooth MCC CLASSIC cracker roller, which is available in two different roller diameters and either 80, 100,125 or 150 teeth depending on forager model, ensures that a high degree of cracking is achieved and has been well proven over many years.

Long chop (12-22mm) This covers the range of chop lengths that most farms and contractors will use as this meets not only the physical benefits that a longer chop length provides in the rumination process, but also ensures that the silage achieves a high packing density in the clamp.

To provide a higher level of kernel processing, CLAAS has developed the new MCC MAX roller, which instead of a saw-tooth profile uses 32 smaller and 32 larger angular rings, equipped with 120 and 130 sawtooth profile teeth respectively and turn at a relative speed difference of 30%.

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The total surface area is 10% greater than on the conventional saw-tooth rollers, but their design also means that in addition to cracking the kernel, the stalk is also far more intensively processed, resulting in maize which has a higher feed value.

The intensive shredding of the material significantly increases the surface area of the chopped crop, which results in much improved bacterial fermentation in the clamp and subsequently during digestion in the rumen of the cow. By increasing the structural suitability of maize silage for the rumen, this improves the availability of starch from all parts of the plant, which in trials has resulted in an increase in daily milk production of up to 2.0 litres per cow. Furthermore, the rumen-friendly structure of the silage also improved the health of the herds.

SHREDLAGE also offers further benefits to dairy producers.

For example, the optimised starch digestibility allows the farmer to reduce the amount of concentrated feed provided to the animals while maintaining higher milk production overall.

It is also possible to limit or even completely eliminate the need for structural feed supplements such as straw, creating the potential for further savings.

SHREDLAGE info and animation

SHREDLAGE

SHREDLAGE DOES NOT REQUIRE CHANGE IN VARIETY Tim Richmond, Maize Manager for Limagrain UK, considers if the decision to harvest maize as SHREDLAGE will have implications for variety choice.

With SHREDLAGE production, the crop is harvested earlier and the process involves a combination of a longer chop length, rolling of the grain to crush the kernel and lengthwise shredding of the stalk. Typical chop length will be 26-30mm compared to 20-25mm without shredding using a traditional forager.

Although SHREDLAGE involves a different processing stage at harvest and may have implications for harvesting dates, it does not fundamentally change the principles of variety selection. The decision to take a crop for SHREDLAGE is more about harvesting stage and management than variety.

While SHREDLAGE processing will have an impact on digestibility of fibre, we would not advise farmers to be tempted to chase higher yields by growing a lower quality variety. Any improvement will be incremental from the quality of the original plant and the aim should be to grow the best quality crop possible, especially if it is not certain whether the crop will be taken as SHREDLAGE or traditionally harvested.

The first priority should always be to select a variety from the BSPB/NIAB Descriptive List, which is agronomically suited to the farm. It is crucial that varieties grown are suited to the site to increase the prospects of a high yielding quality crop.

Once a short list of varieties has been produced, select the ones which will produce the highest yield of quality forage, irrespective of how it is harvested. This will mean focusing on dry matter yield, starch content and cell wall digestibility (CWD). Half the total energy is in the leaf and stover, so it is the combination of starch content and CWD that drives total ME.

Although the processing in SHREDLAGE production can be seen as a mechanical way to improve fibre digestibility, selecting a variety with high CWD is the best starting point as the benefits will be seen in traditional silage as well as in SHREDLAGE. To help growers through the decision making process, Limagrain introduced the Limagrain Animal Nutrition (LGAN) Accreditation scheme, the first scheme which identifies varieties with the combination of attributes that will deliver superior milk production.

LGAN accreditation is a farmer’s assurance that the variety selected will deliver higher yields of digestible energy from both starch and the cell wall, leading to increased feed intakes and better production. To achieve LGAN status the variety’s performance must be outstanding compared with average varieties that have been on the BSPB/NIAB List at least four years.

In the US, SHREDLAGE will typically be taken earlier than a normal silage crop, being harvested at the half milk line stage, when half the kernel is milky white. Typically maize will be harvested in the UK when more mature, with less than 25% of the kernel still white.

This ability to harvest sooner may provide more flexibility and widen the harvest window. A proportion of the crop could be taken earlier to allow a successor crop to be established more promptly. Cutting sooner could also allow maize to be introduced into the diet more quickly. However, bear in mind that cutting early may result in a lower starch percentage in the finished feed as starch deposition largely occurs in the last few weeks before harvest.

Farmers tempted to try SHREDLAGE need to establish the foundations by selecting varieties that will deliver high quality forage, irrespective of how it is harvested and so keep their options open.

Tim Richmond

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SHREDLAGE

Offering customers more Because of its potential to increase milk yields from silage by up to 2 litres/cow, the new SHREDLAGE maize processor has attracted a lot of interest from UK farmers and contractors since it was first launched at Agritechnica in 2015.

One of the first to use the new SHREDLAGE maize processor next autumn will be Devon contractors Peter and John Windemer, who have specified the processor for their new JAGUAR 970 forager.

Based at Townlake near Tavistock, the vast majority of their customers are dairy farmers with herds ranging from 120 up to 500 cows. Typically these will take at least two cuts of silage, but some as many as four, giving the Windemers a total workload of around 1,800ha of grass, in addition to about 60ha of whole crop and 320ha of maize.

“Having read about the new SHREDLAGE processor, what appealed to me was that it would enable us to do something to help our customers increase their milk yields from their forage,” explains Peter. “We have always used a corn cracker and customers always want their maize to be cracked as much as possible. Chop lengths have also increased over the years from about 4mm to start with to where we are now chopping at 20mm.

Peter Windemer

The new JAGUAR 970, which replaces another 970, will be the latest in a long line of over 20 JAGUARS dating back to a 680 bought in 1987. Originally the Windemers replaced machines on an annual basis, but more recently have changed every two years. “We have always liked to keep the forager young and you get into a pattern,” explains Peter. “The latest JAGUARs are so easy to use and maintain. Thanks to its modern engine and DYNAMIC POWER, fuel economy is extremely good and probably the most economic we have ever run. I also appreciate the fact that you don’t have to re-set the blades or re-bevel them - I have done that more than enough in my life!”

“We have tried other makes over the years, but the reliability has always been good and the service and support from HAMBLyS is fantastic. And if you changed to another make, you would also have to change all the headers, which would be expensive. We know the machine and there will always be demand for good used machines.”

JAGUAR Product page JAGUAR product video

“If they want their maize chopped longer and cracked as much as possible, it made sense to change from the standard CLASSIC processor to the new SHREDLAGE processor. We spoke to a few customers to gauge their opinion. None said they didn’t want it done, they all seemed positive and could see the potential benefit.”

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In addition to the new SHREDLAGE maize processor, the Windemers new JAGUAR 970 will also be fitted with TELEMATICS and yield monitoring, which they say will enable them to provide customers with more crop information.

With field sizes typically only averaging around 7.5ha, the Windemers have always had a policy of running high capacity machinery in order to maximise field time.

Supporting the JAGUAR 970 is a set of 9.1m wide DISCO 9400 MAX CUT triple mower conditioners run on a reverse drive tractor, a VOLTO 1320 tedder which is mainly used for spreading out first cut silage and a LINER 3600 rake, all controlled using the tractor’s in-built implement management systems via ISOBUS.

Dealer Events

90 RiCKERBy customers recently paid a three day visit to the CLAAS factory, the Global Parts Centre at Hamm and Lemken.

It was full house for the official opening of the new CLAAS WESTERN branch at Cirencester, attended by over 700 customers keen to see the new state-of-the-art branch. The new purpose-built branch is right alongside the main A419 dual-carriageway, which means that no CLAAS WESTERN customer is more than 30 minutes away from one of the dealership’s five branches.

A major date in the diary for farmers in the north of England is the RiCKERBy Show, which is held each year at their Carlisle branch. This year’s show, their 15th, was attended by 4,500plus people over the two days.

REES AGRi held a very well attended Open Day in early March at the Royal Welsh Showground, where the new ARION 400 attracted considerable interest from visitors.

Republic of Ireland dealer KELLy were flying the flag at their local St Patrick’s Day celebrations.

The CLAAS stand at this year’s FCI (Association of Farm Contractors in Ireland) Conference held in Kilkenny in March.

HAMBLyS recently held a well attended contractors evening at their Honiton branch in Devon.

Customers from throughout the eastern counties flocked to MANNS and KiRBy’s first ‘Green Thursday’ at the Used Machinery Centre at Saxham, keen to make the most of the special ‘one day only’ deals available on a wide range of used machinery, parts and service.

Trade was brisk at the SEWARD and MARSH Used Machinery Event held at the end of March at Wilberfoss near York.

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HarvesTimes is published for CLAAS UK by Four Seasons Publicity Ltd.