“Each of these machines are designed to provide maximum performance, easy maintenance, and the reliability you expect from CLAAS,” says Product Manager Matt Jaynes. “By listening to the needs of our customers and bringing our brightest thinking into research and development, CLAAS is providing customers with a truly innovative portfolio of tools in the baler and hay market.”

The product updates include:

• The VARIANT 500 series round baler will initially include six models in both ROTO CUT and ROTO FEED formats. Each of these models have received improvements that provide growers with reliable, easy to maintain machines with optimized baling density and improved net wrapping.
• The CLAAS QUADRANT square baler is used around the world and is well known for its high stability, reliability and low operating costs. The QUADRANT 5300 series has been given comprehensive technical upgrades, such as a hydraulic drive pick up and an optimized bale chamber. In addition, the QUADRANT has now received the designation to be part of the EVOLUTION series.
• The DISCO 9300 TREND mower is designed to be a powerful, high-output mower without a conditioner, delivering the highest cutting quality and maximum operational efficiency. The large working width of 29 ft 2 in or 29 ft 10 in, the low power requirement of only 150 PTO hp, and the simple operation without a monitor make mowing very easy and efficient.

For more information on each product, see below or visit the company website at www.claas.com.

VARIANT 500 Series Round Baler:

The VARIANT 500 series includes six models featuring both ROTO FEED and ROTO CUT formats. Each model provides growers high reliability, easy maintenance, optimized baling density and improved net wrapping.

More knives for VARIANT 565 RC and 585 RC

The product range includes the VARIANT 565 RC and 585 ROTO CUT (RC) with heavy duty components such as reinforced drive chains, a strong cutting rotor with 8 mm double-tine stars and special knife protection for professional farms with high utilization and primary use of silage. In contrast to the two other VARIANT RC models VARIANT 560 RC and VARIANT 580 RC with the tried-and-tested 14-knife cutting mechanism, these two balers are now equipped with a 17-knife cutting mechanism with a theoretical cutting length of 2.3”. The standard PRO rotor drop floor can be lowered hydraulically to clear blockages at the push of a button from the tractor cab, while the knives are automatically depressurized. To prevent blockages in advance, the PRO rotor drop floor compensates for uneven swaths by being able to lower itself by up to 1.2” and automatically return to its original position. An acoustic signal warns the driver before the rotor is blocked, so there is enough time to reduce the driving speed.

Optimized SMART DENSITY Pressure Control System with Soft Core

A key focus for CLAAS engineers has been the new baling pressure control. This includes a new hydraulic control block with two independent lines for both belt tensioning arms. This means that the position of the tensioning arms and thus the baling pressure can be measured and set independently. In the outer portion of the bale a higher density leads to better protection from the weather. The new density management system also allows you to control the density of the of the bale core. This is a nice feature for those who want to produce soft-core bales, for example when baling hay. The dimensions and baling pressure of the soft core can easily be adjusted for all operating conditions. The newly developed control software optimizes the baling process, so that perfectly formed bales leave the chamber, even under difficult operating conditions or in uneven windrows.

Standard Binding with Edge Covering 

Looking at the new tying system, the first thing that catches the eye is the ideal position of the net roll, which is 10” lower than in the previous generation and enables easy and safe roll changes. The net roll always remains clean since it’s sitting on a roller so that dirt or crop residue directly fall out. A rubber roller underneath the roll of net wrap enables an adjustable stretch depending on the net wrap used. Thanks to the new net brake, which is independent of the roll diameter, an improved feed plate and the new knife release guarantee a reliable and trouble-free completion of the tying process under all operating conditions.

The tried-and-tested comfort net wrap for the fully automatic binding process has been carried over from the previous series in the VARIANT 500. The same applies to the extra-wide COVERED XW net wrap, which is 51” wide to cover the edge of the bale. Thanks to the comfort wrapping, the high belt rotation speed of up to 10 ft/s and the rapid ejection process downtimes are minimized.

Learn More

QUADRANT EVOLUTION Series Square Baler

The CLAAS QUADRANT square baler is used around the world and is well known for its high stability, reliability and low operating costs. The QUADRANT 5300 series has been given comprehensive technical upgrades along with the new designation of EVOLUTION.

20 Years of FINE CUT Technology

In 2002, exactly 20 years ago, CLAAS introduced FINE CUT technology to the QUADRANT series. With 51 knives instead of the usual 25 on the ROTO CUT, an unrivaled cutting length of just 2 cm was achieved. The result was a higher bale density and easier bale breakup when used for bedding. With its shorter chop length, FINE CUT silage stimulates the rumen action and minimizes feed residue in feeding stations. FINE CUT straw is also significantly more absorbent than conventionally chopped straw.

New Pick-Up with Two Cam Tracks

The highlight of the QUADRANT EVOLUTION is the heavy duty (HD) pick-up with two cam tracks for maximum torsional resistance and exceptional strength. The pick-up runs particularly smoothly thanks to highly resilient components borrowed from the CLAAS JAGUAR pick-up. These also enable reduced noise levels and minimal wear costs.

The pick-up includes five rows of tines and 18 double tines per row, which ensure high throughput and excellent raking quality. The fifth row of tines allows the pick-up to rotate more slowly, while the speed of the PFS roller has been increased. The feed roller has also been given extra paddles which can be removed when harvesting long-stalked crops. The spring mounted PFS feed roller compensates for uneven swaths. All these innovations enhance raking performance and throughput while ensuring gentle, loss-free crop pick-up.

Hydraulic Drive for Pickup and PFS Roller Crop Press

For optimal crop pick-up, the QUADRANT 5300 balers have a hydraulic drive for the pickup and POWER FEEDING SYSTEM (PFS). The separate protection of the pick-up and PFS additionally boosts performance. The speeds of the pick-up, the PFS and the rotor are matched to each other. The advantage for QUADRANT customers: Evenly compacted, rock-hard bales with hard edges no matter what kind of swath.

Optimized bale chamber with additional HD components

The bale chamber has also undergone performance-enhancing modifications. The optimized top bale chamber plate ensures rock-hard bales right to the edges. Continuous straight bale chamber side plates compact the bales more evenly. 
Factory-fitted side knives and deflectors reduce material build-up in the ram guide area when baling straw, corn or sugarcane – further increasing operational safety and reducing the cleaning effort. The closed bale chamber design guarantees particularly square bales, right through to the edges.

Additional Hardox HD components such as HD bearings for the ram guide, with up to four times the service life, further reduce wear in the bale chamber and the knotter area. These extremely robust and durable components combined with the massive pick-up with double cam track minimize wear. In an internal test involving 40,000 bales per machine under extreme conditions, the new design combined with the more wear-resistant components was found to reduce wear by up to 40 percent.

Learn More

DISCO 9300 TREND Mower

The DISCO 9300 is designed to be a powerful, high output mower without a conditioner, delivering the highest cutting quality and maximum operational efficiency. The large working width of 29 ft 2 in or 29 ft 10 in, and the low power requirement of only 150 PTO hp along with the simple operation without a monitor make mowing very easy and efficient.

MAX CUT with Color-Coded Blades

The robust, permanently lubricated MAX CUT cutter bar with its bolted, torsion-resistant design has been proven in the market since 2014. It is maintenance-free and the special wave shape enables the large satellite wheels to be placed well to the front, engaging at two points.

On the DISCO 9300, each cutter bar has eight contra-rotating mower discs. Uniform disc spacing ensures an even cutting pattern. The wave-shaped one-piece base plate is made of a 5 mm thick steel profile and creates a dirt-removing tunnel effect in connection with the skids. The specially hardened intermediate pieces are shaped differently for converging and diverging mower discs in order to enable both an effective cut as a counter blade and a maximum overlap and thus an optimal crop flow without streaking. The MAX CUT mower bar is equipped with the quick knife change system. Red marking on the left-turning blades makes the tool-free quick knife change even easier.

Exemplary Accessibility and Easy Maintenance

Due to the protective curtains that fold out wide, there is excellent access to the cutter bar for all maintenance needs. The caps and mower blades of the counter-clockwise rotating mower discs on the new DISCO mowers are painted red. As a result, replacement blades can be immediately assigned to the appropriate mower discs. The practical blade box is divided into three compartments for red and black replacement blades as well as used blades.

High-quality washers made of brass or plastic and stainless steel screws on the protective curtains and holders prevent the turning and attachment points from rusting and thus guarantee a long product life and excellent value retention. All greasing points are clearly and permanently marked with the appropriate intervals.

Learn More

About CLAAS of America Inc.:

CLAAS of America Inc. offers a wide variety of technologically innovative tractor, combine, forage harvester, baler and hay tool products to provide growers optimum performance in the field. These premium equipment lines are designed by a dedicated engineering staff located at numerous factories worldwide and focused on the production and design of harvesting equipment. The design, performance and reliability of this equipment have made CLAAS an international market leader. For more information, visit www.claas.com.

Bad Saulgau is the CLAAS Group’s “Center of Excellence” for the forage harvesting process chain; producing disc mowers, rakes, tedders and heads for the industry-leading JAGUAR forage harvester. The facility has expanded considerably over recent years and continued to increase its turnover even through the Covid-19 pandemic. As part of an ongoing investment program, the site’s infrastructure is currently being expanded and upgraded, while an existing 16,000 sq ft building is being redesigned to create additional assembly space. In addition, the entire energy infrastructure is being adapted and upgraded over several stages to meet future production capacity. This will be followed by investments in production logistics and assembly optimization.

“In North America, CLAAS has led the forage harvesting market, continuing to deliver high-performance machines that deliver outstanding forage quality,” says Eric Raby, CLAAS Senior Vice President, Americas. “This expansion will allow us to continue providing farmers with equipment that meets their harvesting needs.”

Focus on growth segments

The success of CLAAS forage harvesting equipment and, most importantly, the positive sales forecasts for the new ORBIS header line, spurred the changes in the Bad Saulgau plant.

"We continue to observe an unbroken trend toward professional harvesting technology and enjoy an excellent positioning here with many product lines," explained Uli Nickol, Head of the CLAAS Forage Harvesting Division and Managing Director at CLAAS Saulgau GmbH and CLAAS Material Handling GmbH. "An example of this is the enormous demand for our new ORBIS row-crop headers, especially the new ORBIS 900, which has significantly exceeded our expectations. In addition to technology for the harvesting chain based around the forage harvester, CLAAS will also be expanding, modernizing, and professionalizing its range of mowers, tedders, rakes, and balers with many new products over the next few years. New innovations are currently being developed and tested to achieve this."

CLAAS will further consolidate its position as the world market leader when it comes to forage harvesters and one of the world's leading manufacturers and suppliers of mowers, tedders, rakes and balers. Just recently, a brand-new generation of LINER 4-rotor rakes with a patented cardanic system and unique frame design was introduced. It was met with enormous interest from farmers and contractors worldwide. Another new, ground-breaking achievement in the mower segment is the unique DISCO 4400 vector folding system, which was also recently unveiled.

"CLAAS has once again shown itself to be the leading pace-setter in professional forage harvesting," Nickol adds. "The investments in the Bad Saulgau site aim to ensure that our expectations for growth are supported by high-performance production at the highest level of quality. Furthermore, new requirements in terms of documentation and the high-impact harvesting of renewable raw materials for energy production are resulting in an increasing demand for harvesting chains featuring yield and content detection via NIRS technology, something we are ideally suited to meet with the JAGUAR forage harvester."

• The TRION 740 is an all-new Class 7 combine, bringing new life to the segment.
• The AXION 900 TT is the first half-track tractor with full suspension in the market.

“Innovative, efficient, reliable and bold are a few words I would use to describe the TRION 740 and AXION 900 TT,” says Eric Raby, Senior Vice President, Americas, for CLAAS. “By listening to the needs of our customers and bringing our brightest thinking into research and development, CLAAS is providing customers with two truly innovative products that will take their farming operation to new levels of productivity.”

These products are the result of years of relentless development focused on improving efficiency, increasing productivity, and exceeding farmer expectations. The TRION is designed for corn and soybean farmers who are looking for a reliable machine in the right-sized and right-priced package that still offers high performance. The AXION 900 TT maintains the great qualities of the standard-wheeled AXION tractor, but delivers the added benefits tracks provide, such as better flotation, less compaction, added traction and superior comfort.

TRION 740 Combine Delivers Power and Reliability in an Affordable Package

For nearly 25 years, CLAAS combines have set the standard for throughput and efficiency on farms across North America. That legacy continues with the addition of the TRION 740 to the CLAAS product portfolio. The TRION is newly designed to provide small to mid-sized operators a competitive edge.

The TRION is a combination of proven components that one would expect from CLAAS, along with new innovations to maximize today’s harvesting conditions. 

“The Class 7 combine market segment has long been in need of new innovation,” says Greg Frenzel, CLAAS Product Manager – Combines. The CLAAS TRION 740 was designed from the ground up to address the needs of 1000- to 3000-acre farms, a segment of farms making up over 30% of all combines sold in North America. The company’s latest combine design re-energizes this segment by delivering CLAAS innovation in an unparalleled crop flow design on an affordable and reliable chassis.

Machine reliability is a high priority. The CLAAS TRION offers long greasing intervals and extended wear parts across 60% of the crop flow to minimize downtime. It has been proven in five years of field tests across three different continents. With affordability in mind, the CLAAS TRION also offers active slope compensation and minimal fuel consumption to keep more dollars in farmers’ pockets.

In a combine, threshing and separation are key. With the CLAAS TRION, threshing adjustments are made in-line with the changing harvest conditions throughout the day. A tri-cylinder APS threshing unit gently guides a 56-inch-wide crop mat across concave grates into a single rotor, ensuring that more grain makes it to the tank. Only CLAAS brings individually controlled cylinder threshing and rotor separation together in one machine.

With the CLAAS TRION, farmers are equipped with a 402 horsepower Cummins engine, providing high torque at low RPM’s. This power level easily handles 12-row chopping corn heads or draper headers up to 40 feet wide. Pairing the 341-bushel grain tank and 3.8 bushel per second unloading rate simplifies grain handling in the field. A top road speed of 19 miles per hour means the CLAAS TRION is prompt between fields. Changing to harvest soybeans rather than corn takes less than five minutes, keeping idle time in the middle of the day to a minimum.

AXION 900 TT Further Enhances Productivity and Efficiency

Better flotation, traction, operator comfort and soil protection are just a few of the advantages farmers get with the CLAAS AXION 900 TT – the world’s first fully-suspended half-track tractor. With its debut, the machine makes farming more efficient and productive in wet, dry or heavy soils.

“We look to our customers to continuously evolve our approach to the design and innovation of new products,” says Drew Fletcher, CLAAS Product Manager – Tractors. “Through extensive testing and discovering numerous advantages with this product compared to other manufacturers, this is technology we’re thrilled to bring to market.”

The TERRA TRAC design is based on the technology currently used in other CLAAS machines. Using a front-wheel, rear-track design with independent suspension, the CLAAS AXION 900 TT provides advantages such as 25% less ground pressure, 15% greater traction and reduced soil disturbance. Between the standard four-point cab suspension and fully-suspended tracks, the ride of this tractor is also exceptional. 

Like all CLAAS AXION models, the AXION 900 TT is equipped with an 8.7 L FPT engine and maintains a low-speed, high-torque concept at 1,400 RPM for significant engine efficiency. The machine also has a continuously variable CMATIC transmission that offers industry-leading fuel savings in a variety of agricultural applications. From the operator’s perspective, brake-assisted steering for seamless turns and drawbar height adjustment for easy implement hook-ups make for even more added convenience.  

The CLAAS AXION 960 and 930 models, with 440 and 350 horsepower respectively, are available to order with the TERRA TRAC options. They are currently available with 25-, 29- or 35-inch belts. 18-inch belts on 88- and 120-inch centers will be available in 2023.

"All those who knew Reinhold Claas appreciated him for his friendly and modest manner. People and the well-being of the family business always came first for him. Through his actions in important phases of the company's history, he made a significant contribution to our success today," said Thomas Böck, CEO of CLAAS.

Reinhold Claas graduated in 1958 from Darmstadt Technical University as an industrial engineer. He was one of the first graduates of this new interdisciplinary course of study, consisting of mechanical engineering and business administration. Reinhold Claas officially joined the company with his brother Helmut in July 1957. His main focus was on the development of balers and forage harvesters. Among other things, he was responsible for setting up baler production at the newly built factory in Metz, France. Until the 1970s, he expanded the production site and developed it to its current size.

Reinhold Claas was also the driving force behind the takeover of the renowned specialist for forage harvesting machines, the former Josef Bautz GmbH in Bad Saulgau, which joined CLAAS in 1969. As its managing director for many years, he developed the affiliate in Southern Germany into what would later become a successful and innovative product division. Reinhold Claas was also active as an entrepreneur outside the family business. In 1958, he took over two ball-bearing companies - one in Fribourg, Switzerland, with 250 employees, and another in Munderkingen, Swabia, with 550 employees. He managed both companies until the 1990s. During this time, he also applied for more than 40 patents.

In the region around his hometown of Harsewinkel, Reinhold Claas was socially involved in many clubs and organizations, especially in football and handball, which earned him high recognition. His great passion in his private life was hunting.

Reinhold Claas was married to his wife Doris for many years, before her passing in December 2005. The marriage produced sons Volker and Rüdiger Claas. The early death of his son Volker Claas, who died in January 2022 at the age of 57, hit him particularly hard. Most recently, Reinhold Claas held a seat on the Supervisory Board and two advisory boards. In the CLAAS Group, his son Rüdiger Claas is now the third generation to succeed his father.

The death of Reinhold Claas deeply saddens his family, the shareholders, the Executive Board and the employees of CLAAS Group.