increase font size
The new Claas Variant 400 series passed its test with flying colours.
Tractor makers routinely submit tractors for testing and review, but its much less common for machinery.
So it’s interesting to see that harvest specialist Claas recently handed its new Variant 485 RC-PRO to the German Agricultural Society (DLG) for a series of practical tests.
These included application checks, practical harvesting of grass silage and straw and hands-on operation by farmers.
The testers were impressed by the overall performance of the baler -- travel speed of 3.6km/h, seven knives engaged and maximum bale density in grass silage of 449.4kg/m3 at 38.3% dry matter.
The DLG test team also noted uniform bale density, from a firm core to the outer layers.
The new Claas Variant 400 series embody several detailed design changes to improve crop flow, bale shape and bale wrapping functions. Field testing showed the machine was baling about 40.4 tonnes of grass silage per hour at a travel speed of 5.1km/h and 14 knives engaged including idling and headland turns. Spot flow rates of 165t per hour were noted.
Interestingly, the machine was also operated at 800 PTO speed instead of the normal 1000 rpm speed, markedly reducing power requirement and cutting fuel use, while maintaining the same output and bale density.
On the practical front, six farmers rated the baler for practical aspects such as hitching, un-hitching, setting and operation, bale quality and maintenance. Those tested particularly noted the ease of use of the settings menus and the trouble-free operation of the ISOBYS terminal.
The overall test rating was ‘good’.
Well known for its dominance in the harvesting arena, Claas has channelled its engineering excellence and a deep knowledge of the ag industry with the Fieldays release of the 2025 facelift Claas Arion 600C Evolution and Claas Night Edition Arion 660 tractors.
Silage making is both a science and an art, but Claas says it offers onboard technology featured in its Claas Perfect Partners to help farmers make silage more efficiently and effectively.
Claas has recently celebrated the 250,000th CLAAS mower – a Disco 3200 FC – rolling off the production line in Bad Saulgau, south-west Germany.
Christchurch-headquartered Landpower and its Claas Harvest Centre dealerships has taken out the Global After Sales Excellence award in Germany, during the annual Claas after sales meeting at the end of January.
January to March is the heart of New Zealand’s ‘golden’ harvest, but also the time of the year when Landpower and Claas Harvest Centre welcomes two optimisation specialists from Germany to support Claas combine customers in the cab of their machine.
Reuters reports that giant food company Wilmar Group has announced it had handed over 11.8 trillion rupiah (US$725 million) to Indonesia's Attorney General's Office as a "security deposit" in relation to a case in court about alleged misconduct in obtaining palm oil export permits.
DairyNZ is celebrating 60 years of the Economic Survey, reflecting on the evolution of New Zealand's dairy sector over time.
As electricity prices soar, farmers appear to be looking for alternative energy sources.
There is an appeal to New Zealanders to buy local citrus fruit.
Avocado growers are reporting a successful season, but some are struggling to keep their operations afloat following years of bad weather.
It's time to start talking up science again, especially as a career for young people. That's one of the key messages from the Prime Minister's new chief science advisor, Dr John Roche.
