Colorado Custom Cutter
Smashes World Record with CLAAS When it comes to cutting alfalfa, Tate Mesbergen doesn’t mess around. He likes to move at world record pace, and he does it in a CLAAS. Mesbergen Farms is a custom cutting business, which was started by Tate’s father Harvey more than 20 years ago, running CLAAS JAGUAR forage harvesters. Today, the Mesbergens’ Greeley, Colorado, business is more productive than ever. They’re known for their speed and efficiency, cutting alfalfa for farmers and local dairies. Harvey uses JAGUAR forage harvesters, while his son Tate runs a CLAAS DISCO 1100 RC triple mower attached to his AXION 880 tractor.
How the Dream of a World Record Began Last November, Tate and his family visited the CLAAS manufacturing facilities in Germany and France. As part of that trip, the tour group made a stop in Hannover, Germany, to visit Agritechnica, the world’s largest farm show. That’s when it happened. “We were walking around the farm show and saw a banner claiming that another manufacturer held the world record for the most hectares harvested with a triple mower in an eight-hour period,” explained Tate. “I was with my dealer at the time and told him I thought I could break the record.” He got a vote of confidence right from the top at CLAAS. Tate says, “At a reception that night, I had the opportunity to meet Cathrina Claas-Mühlhäuser, the Chairwoman of the CLAAS Supervisory Board. When I mentioned the record, she told me to go for it! So we did.”
Overcoming Challenges Tate was confident he could beat the record with his CLAAS triple mower and tractor, and he was right. The circumstances were more difficult for Tate than the previous world record holder, as he spent eight hours mowing 348.7 acres (141.1 hectares), cutting 2.34 dry tons/ac (5.24t/ha) of alfalfa in four separate fields. That means he spent about 30 minutes of his time just getting from field to field. The previous record holder mowed grass with a mower that didn't have a conditioner, and according to Andreas Saile, CLAAS Product Manager for Balers and Hay Tools, it was a much easier task than that of the Mesbergens. “The DISCO 1100 RC has a full-width rubber roller conditioner that puts a crimp on the alfalfa crop for faster dry down and maximum leaf retention,” Saile explains. “The conditioner makes the mower a little heavier and it requires more horsepower, but it didn’t slow Tate down.” Tate says field conditions weren’t ideal, either. “We had a thunderstorm come through the day before the attempt that dropped a half inch (12.7 mm) of rain and made the fields wetter than usual. It delayed our start by a few hours and made for a wet first field.” He also made two unscheduled stops during his endeavor. The first being between the first and second fields.
