Unstoppable | 50 Years of JAGUAR by CLAAS UK

Celebrating

50 YEARS OF THE CLAAS JAGUAR

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50 years of JAGUAR The JAGUAR through the years B Dawe Contracting Ltd, Hampshire E R Goodwin and Sons, Cheshire G L Strong, Cumbria H Smith and Sons, Dumfries and Galloway D&C Holder, Gloucestershire Brennan Bros, County Carlow Steve Yeandle Contracting, Devon Greaney Agri, County Kerry Greenwood’s Contracting Service, Yorkshire McConaghy Contracts, County Antrim

www.claas.co.uk/products/forage-harvesters

50 years of CLAAS JAGUAR CLAAS laid the foundation for an unprecedented success story in the production of self-propelled forage harvesters, when it launched the JAGUAR 60 SF in 1973. Featuring many innovations the JAGUAR very soon attained not only a worldwide reputation, but also world market leadership. Today, the JAGUAR remains the number 1 choice for farmers and contractors around the world thanks to its outstanding performance and efficiency. Like a tractor and a combine harvester, the selfpropelled forage harvester is a key machine for many farmers and contractors. It guarantees consistent chop quality and grain processing, as well as top performance and versatility. CLAAS, the world market leader, can now look back on half a century of JAGUAR self-propelled forage harvesters with more than 45,000 machines manufactured. “For 50 years, the JAGUAR has stood for innovation, efficiency, productivity and reliability, and is surely second to none in terms of the mark it has made on the forage harvester segment throughout these five decades”, says Dominik Grothe, Senior Vice President Self-Propelled Harvesters. “But CLAAS does not just owe its position as world market leader to technological advances and, by extension, to the developers and the feedback from our customers. Much of the credit must also go to our global sales companies and dealers because the forage harvester is a key machine, especially for contractors, and short downtime aided not only by reliable technology but also by a highly efficient parts supply system and fast, professional service is a decisive factor.” This special publication would not have been possible without the contributions from some of our long-term JAGUAR users. CLAAS would like to thank both them and all our customers for their continued loyalty.

The JAGUAR through the years. All-new JAGUAR 600 generation sets new standards for self-propelled forage harvesters.

1983 The JAGUAR 80 SF takes forage harvesting into a new dimension with 213 hp and V10 diesel engine.

JAGUAR 800 offers up to 481 hp and an 8-row maize header for the first time & 10,000th JAGUAR built.

1975

1994

1973

1989

Launch of the JAGUAR 60 SF.

JAGUAR 600 S/SL/MEGA with new cab, up to 354 hp and even higher overall performance.

1977 CLAAS launches the JAGUAR 70 SF as the successor for the 60 SF.

The JAGUAR FIELD SHUTTLE combines the forage harvester with a discharge container.

1997

Update of the JAGUAR 800 series with greater comfort, greater efficiency and greater performance.

CLAAS builds the 15,000th JAGUAR featuring a sensational airbrush artwork.

2014

1998 Launch of the JAGUAR 900 GREEN EYE with up to 623 hp.

2006 JAGUAR SPEEDSTAR approved for 40 km/h road travel.

All-new JAGUAR 900 generation features a continuously variable front attachment drive concept.

2017 New ORBIS maize header offers a working width of > 9m, transport width of just 3m and integrated transport protection.

A JAGUAR 980 with twin engine and 830 hp marks the 25,000th JAGUAR produced.

2003

2009

2020

2011 2001

CLAAS builds 30,000th JAGUAR with a special black paint finish.

Model change and a new flagship in the form of the JAGUAR 900 with 605 hp.

2019 Introduction of the JAGUAR 900 TERRA TRAC and CEMOS AUTO PERFORMANCE.

2004 Production of the 20,000th JAGUAR forage harvester made.

+ 40,000th JAGUAR produced.

2008 JAGUAR 900 model series launched with DYNAMIC POWER and many new automatic functions.

2022 Launch of the new GPS PILOT CEMIS 1200 for automated steering and precision farming.

BUSINESS FACTS B Dawe Contracting Ltd, near Southampton, Hampshire WORK UNDERTAKEN Silage: grass 1010ha (2500acres/year), maize 607ha (1500acres/year) Baling: 10,000 4-stringers/year, 5000 6-stringers/year FARMED AREA 80ha (200acres) grass LIVESTOCK 35 suckler cows plus 80 store cattle STAFF Brian Dawe plus two others full-time

1986 JAGUAR 690

1996 JAGUAR 820 2001 JAGUAR 830

1998 JAGUAR 820

2006 JAGUAR 830 2011 JAGUAR 830 SPEEDSTAR

2019 JAGUAR 840

2015 JAGUAR 840 SPEEDSTAR

2023 JAGUAR 840

B DAWE CONTRACTING

“

We’ve tried other makes over the years CLAAS. but nothing matches a CLAAS.

It was 28 years ago that Hampshire farmer’s son Brian Dawe took the plunge into silage making. Starting out with a nine-year-old JAGUAR 690SL, in his first season he chopped over 200ha (500acres) of grass and a further 200ha (500acres) of maize. While it might sound like a modest amount by today’s standards, at the time it was considered quite an achievement with a second-hand 300hp machine. “The workload grew steadily but the old forager seemed to take it in its stride. However with three seasons under our belt I felt we had proved that the business was sound and we could justify a change of machine,” explains Mr Dawe. “I looked around at other colours but it was pretty clear the JAGUAR was still the machine to have so I put my name down for a brandspanking new 820. Happily that coincided with another local contractor retiring and suddenly we were looking at chopping 690ha (1700acres) of maize. It felt like a long season but we proved it was possible – it just meant some long nights in the seat.” -

Why a JAGUAR 820? “At the time, being a young business I didn’t want to over-commit with huge debts and so it seemed sensible to go with a basic-spec version of the smallest machine in the range. It’s a principle that we’ve stuck with. By opting for models at the lower end of the power range we’re putting less strain on the various drivelines – we just plod on steadily without pushing it too hard. I’m convinced that’s why we’ve had such a decent run of reliability with our nine foragers.”

What changed? “The biggest difference with the switch from the 690 to the 820 was the move from a longitudinally mounted V8 to a tranverse V6. This change did away with the 90 degree gearbox which had a huge impact on efficiency. We immediately saw a 20% increase in output even though the engine had only an extra 20hp – the simpler driveline was just sucking less power. Of course from an operator’s point of view it was the cab that really made the difference. It was so much quieter. Your ears weren’t constantly taking a pounding, so by the end of the day you came off the machine feeling less tired. Simple things like the positioning and action of the hydrostat lever meant you weren’t leant over all day. Having all the functions grouped on the joystick rather than a series of levers and pedals meant you were able to respond that much quicker.” With four years’ work under its belt that first 820 was replaced by another of the same which did a similar stint. It was at this point that an opportunity arose that would see the forager’s working window stretched by some margin. “In the early 2000s I was approached by United Oilseeds to see if I would have the capacity to pick up their morphine poppies. With poppy harvest generally taking place through August - typically a quieter time for grass harvesting in Hampshire – I could see an opportunity to extend our acreage without piling up more work at busy times. While initially it was all very manageable, the demand for the crop grew massively and pretty quickly we were looking at clearing 10101215ha (2500-3000acres) – all within a couple of weeks. Having a bigger machine was never really an option as invariably we’d need to be in two places at once, so we went all out and bought a second 830.”

Why a JAGUAR 830? “Being dry and brittle the poppies took very little power so we didn’t need anything any bigger. It could easily take over half an hour to load a 12-tonne trailer so we resorted to hitching them on behind the forager. Some of our steeply rolling ground would see the Jags scrabbling and so our next machines were ordered with 4wd. We’d never go back now. With increasingly challenging weather throughout the season becoming the norm – whether in grass or maize – it’s cheap insurance knowing we won’t get stuck. It also means we’re not wearing out tyres unnecessarily on some of the flinty ground that Hampshire is famous for. The extra expense of ticking the 4wd box on the options list has always been recovered when we’ve come to trade the machine in four years down the line.” One of the most significant changes to the transmission came with Mr Dawe’s first SPEEDSTAR. “Going to 40kph was a complete revelation to us. Because the poppies were spread out over such a huge area we could waste hours on the road travelling at 20kph – it was a fantastic extra that transformed the efficiency of our operation overnight.”

Why a JAGUAR 840? A move in poppy growing and processing to other parts of the world saw the United Oilseeds workload diminish to the point that by 2016 only a single forager was required. “By then an 840 was the smallest model in the range. Being just over 400hp it was capable of comfortably managing our grass and maize single-handedly. It was one of the first with curvy, fold-out panels which massively speeded up dealing with the corn-cracker. We were then able to slip it in and out with our mini-digger – just half an hour and it’s in. It also had a trick hidden up its sleeve. If the metal detector kicked in it would stop the transmission

dead. It’s a brilliant feature but that first season striking out in maize, one of our trailer drivers got a bit close to the back of the new machine. The forager stopped all of a sudden and he carried on… It cost us the rear corner panel but has repeatedly saved us swallowing anything nasty – I wouldn’t be without it now. That first 840 was followed by a second four years later. With its new joystick, armrest controls and touchscreen the 2019 machine was another step on again. It was so much more driverfriendly with electronicallyselected gears and the ability to sharpen up and adjust the shear-bar from the cab.” The latest machine to join the line-up is a 2023-plate 840. It’s equipped with GPS auto-steering and QUANTIMETER yield recording. “Going to GPS steering has made life that little bit easier, especially when we’re chopping maize that has been sown with a cereal drill. I don’t have to concentrate so hard so I’m less tired coming off the forager particularly when we’re doing 20 hour days. It also links well with yield mapping. I can email customers maps to show them how their crops have performed and which areas could do with a bit of help. It’s easy to access from the farm computer. There’s no complicated set-up process, you just start work and it starts recording. I can see it becoming a really useful tool in moving to a charging system that’s fairer on both the farmer and contractor. By recording exactly what tonnage of crop had gone through the machine we can give growers a precise picture of what’s in the clamp and bill accordingly. That way they only pay for what they’re getting and if they choose to prioritise high quality multicut grass they’re not getting penalised. Likewise we are getting paid fairly for every tonne we’ve processed.”

Which forager has been your favourite?

“

To be honest each time we’ve had a new machine it’s been my favourite – they’ve just got better and better with each generation.

“

Why CLAAS? We’ve always been well looked after by our local dealer should anything go wrong. They’ve generally got the parts on the shelf and a back-up machine in the yard if the problem can’t be sorted straightaway. They’re happy to let us do our own servicing – having owned CLAAS foragers for nearly 30 years we know our way around them pretty well and they’re easy to work on. As a driver I know every little rattle and shake and can generally tell when something’s up before it becomes a problem. We’ve tried other makes over the years but nothing matches a CLAAS. We typically change the forager every four years – around the 2500-hour point – and we know we’ll always get a good trade-in price. It seems even the smallest JAGUARs hold their money well – ours are generally tidy, well-maintained machines and that seems to pay dividends in keeping depreciation to a minimum.

“

Even though the very first JAGUAR I bought was nine years old, it was a solid, reliable machine. And every one we’ve had since then – nine in total – has proved to be the same.

“

BUSINESS FACTS E R Goodwin and Sons Whitegate Farm, Bickerton, Cheshire BUSINESS TYPE Agricultural Contracting Beef Farming Cereal Crops Farming CONTRACTING SERVICES Round baling, square baling, combine harvesting, forage harvesting, hedge cutting, ploughing, drilling, umbilical slurry application and muck spreading STAFF Clive, brother John and eldest son Lee plus six full time staff and up to six more temporary staff during summer periods

E R GOODWIN

“

Much of our loyalty is down to the excellent dealership service. service.

Ever since his father, Roy Goodwin, started using CLAAS combines in the 1950s, it has been CLAAS harvest machinery all the way for Clive Goodwin, who now runs E R Goodwin and Sons, along with his brother John and eldest son Lee. This includes 11 JAGUAR self-propelled foragers, which they have ran consecutively since 1989. -

Based in Bickerton, North West Cheshire, the contracting business sees its way chop through an average of 5,500 acres of grass per year, plus about 500 acres of whole crop and 450 acres of maize. Clive explains: “Like many contractors, we’ve just grown and grown over the years, now providing a mix of contracting services to customers all within 20 miles of our base. We also farm, growing 400 acres of cereal crops and rearing 200-head of beef cattle.”

What was the first JAGUAR model you bought and why?

1989 JAGUAR 695 SL 1993 JAGUAR 695 MEGA 1995 JAGUAR 860 1999 JAGUAR 880

1994 JAGUAR 690 1997 JAGUAR 840

2003 JAGUAR 890 2007 JAGUAR 900 2011 JAGUAR 900 2015 JAGUAR 870

“Our first self-propelled was bought back in 1989 - a JAGUAR 695 SL,” says Clive. “Much of the purchasing decision for this was down to my father’s good experiences operating CLAAS machinery, which gave us the confidence to invest in a CLAAS selfpropelled forager. We’ve now been running JAGUAR for 34 years with our latest model being an 880. We also have an older 890 model as a support machine to help during the busy periods.”

Why have you stayed with CLAAS JAGUAR? “Much of our loyalty is down to the excellent dealership service from MORRIS CORFIELD” says Clive. “We’ve been looked after tremendously well by them - day or night, they’ll always come out to get things going again.” “The product itself always delivers - it’s been a long road and a lot of acres chopped with the JAGUAR and they have performed superbly well. Also, the good residual value of the JAGUAR is an important factor to us the product is desired all over the world and is always the first off the shelf.”

2019 JAGUAR 880

What are the best features or parts of the machine that are important to you? “Ever since the 695, CLAAS got the core principals of the JAGUAR right, which made maintenance, in particular, much easier,” says Clive. “Setup also improved massively on the 800 series, with the introduction of a corn cracker on rails, which could easily roll in and out of work. Ease of operation, particularly on the newer models, also stands out. Features like DYNAMIC POWER are very useful in varying crops later on in the season.”

What are your standout memories of running JAGUAR foragers? “Some of my most memorable moments are visits to the CLAAS forager factory in Germany - an incredible experience watching them being manufactured and built,” says Clive. “I’ve also been on three design consultation courses over the years with CLAAS, helping to come up with ideas and improvements for the

new 800 series, which followed the 695 MEGA - such as the improved corn cracker installation process. “My youngest son, Richard, who was a Harper Adams student, also had the pleasure of having dinner with Helmut Claas and his daughter, Cathrina, during an awards ceremony. Richard was very interested in what Helmut had to say about some of his early machine developments, like the HERCULES combine that my father ran in the 1950s.”

Which forager has been your favourite?

“

My favourite model has to be my first one, the 695, because it was revolutionary from the trailed foragers that proceeded it. The 900 was also a very complete, versatile machine and we are getting on really well with our latest model, the 880. It has turned out to be very reliable, fuel efficient and comfortable to use.

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BUSINESS FACTS G L Strong Low Brow Farm, Tirrill, Cumbria BUSINESS TYPE Agricultural Contracting Beef Farming STAFF Around six full time staff, including son Alan and Joseph’s cousin Mark, with casual help (often local farmers) taken on as required.

G L STRONG

“

The best feature is quite simply, the reliability..

Low Brow Farm at Tirrill near Penrith, Cumbria, has been farmed by the Strong family for several generations, trading as G L Strong, with agricultural contracting having long been an important addition to the business. Joseph Strong currently heads the business and employs around six full time staff, including son Alan and Joseph’s cousin Mark. Joseph explains: “We now harvest about 5,000 to 6,000 acres of grass silage per year, along with a small acreage of maize. On the farm, we rear boughtin beef stirks and grow 80 acres of combinable cereals. In addition, we have sheep on tack over winter.”

What was the first JAGUAR model you bought and why? “Back in the 1980s my father George was keen to boost our forage harvesting capacity over and above the three trailed machines being run at the time,” says Joseph. “I remember the dealership we were trading with then for our tractors being less than enthusiastic about selling a self-propelled forager, even though that was what father wanted. It was then we approached CLAAS dealer RICKERBY at Penrith, who were more than happy to introduce us to the JAGUAR 680 and took us to see an existing owner who was running one so we could discuss the machine with him. That pretty much decided it for us. Our first machine was a 680 which did us nine years, but while we had that one, we subsequently bought another 680 and then a 682 as demand for our services grew.”

1984 JAGUAR 680 1987 JAGUAR 680

1991 JAGUAR 682

1996 JAGUAR 800 2000 JAGUAR 840 2003 JAGUAR 890 2006 JAGUAR 890 SPEEDSTAR 2009 JAGUAR 890 SPEEDSTAR 2012 JAGUAR 870 SPEEDSTAR 2015 JAGUAR 860 2018 JAGUAR 860

2022 JAGUAR 860

Why have you stayed with CLAAS JAGUAR? Basically, because we know the JAGUAR inside and out and it does the job perfectly well,” says Joseph. “I have seen other makes, but I don’t think they would necessarily do the job any better, and of course a lot of it is down to the dealership. We have a good relationship with them and they do stand by the machines, irrespective of the warranty. For example, we did have a few problems with the drum blades on our 682. But to be fair, RICKERBY soon sorted us out with a hired one while ours was in the workshop and when it came back it was like a new machine.”

What is your favourite model of JAGUAR you have owned? “That would undoubtedly be the 840. It was a step forward at that time and it ran really well,” says Joseph. “This model replaced our second 680 and the 682, and ran alongside an 800 model that replaced our first 680. Most of the work was then done with the 840 and we used the 800 to handle the surplus work. Since then we have run a succession of 800 series machines, with our latest being an 860 model that has sufficient capacity to handle all of our workload. One machine also reduces the pressure of finding reliable drivers.”

What are the best features or parts of the machine that are important to you?

“

Quite simply, reliability.

What are your standout memories of running JAGUAR foragers? “These have to be the trips having been invited to the factory half a dozen times, enjoyed the company’s hospitality, and also met the late Helmut Claas. I really do like the factory visits and seeing the machines being built.”

BUSINESS FACTS H Smith and Sons Low Arkland Farm, Castle Douglas, Dumfries and Galloway BUSINESS TYPE Agricultural Contracting Beef and Sheep Farming CONTRACTING SERVICES Full silage operation, umbilical and tanker slurry application, muck spreading, lime spreading, hedge cutting and grass re-seeding MACHINERY Six tractors, one set of triple mowers, one set of front/rear mowers, one tedder and a four-rotor rake

“

H SMITH & SONS

Once we got into the manoeuvrability and capacity of a self-propelled, we knew it was the way forward..

As the longest standing CLAAS JAGUAR user and customer in the UK, there’s not many that can boast the length and breadth of knowledge and experience of running JAGUARS as farming and contracting business Hugh Smith and Sons. Having purchased the first CLAAS JAGUAR self-propelled in the UK in 1979, the family firm has since gone on to own 12 further JAGUAR foragers, with the most recent being a 950 model, bought this year for the 2024 season. Based at Kelton, Castle Douglas, the business is run by Alan Smith, wife Kate and son Martin. Alan explains; “On the farming side, we rear 350 breeding cows and 650 breeding sheep, while the contracting side now sees us chop about 6,500 acres of grass silage per year, all within a 20 mile radius.”

1979 JAGUAR 70SF 1984 JAGUAR 680

1992 JAGUAR 682

1998 JAGUAR 820

1988 JAGUAR 682

1996 JAGUAR 682 2002 JAGUAR 830

2006 JAGUAR 830 2010 JAGUAR 850 2014 JAGUAR 850 2020 JAGUAR 850

2017 JAGUAR 840

2023 JAGUAR 950

What was the first JAGUAR model you bought and why? “Our first self-propelled model was a JAGUAR 70SF. Before this we ran a trailed JAGUAR 60E with an onboard engine,” says Alan. “However, after two seasons of running the trailed, it was clear it could not handle our growing workload. In the summer of 1979 we were offered a demonstration of a 70SF self-propelled by our local CLAAS dealer, GORDONS. It was a completely different experience to driving a trailed machine, but once we got into the manoeuvrability and capacity of a self-propelled, we knew it was the way forward. And the rest is history. Ever since we have just grown and grown.”

Why have you stayed with CLAAS?

“

The main reason is the great service from GORDONS. 24 hours a day, seven days a week, they’re always on hand to help you out. There’s never a problem getting spares and they will work through the night to get you going again if needs be. CLAAS is the other reason. When we have had issues with the foragers - which there have been a few over 44 years - CLAAS has never walked away from a problem and is always keen to resolve any issues. They are also very good at listening to customers and willing to look at ideas and feedback.

“

What is your favourite model of JAGUAR you have owned? “CLAAS never stops developing its machines and the foragers are always improving,” says Alan. “My favourite machine so far is our current 850 model. It goes tremendously well and is a pleasure to drive. But I think our newly-ordered 950 will be a step up again - providing greater performance, automation and ease of use. Hopefully, it won’t be unlucky number 13 or 12B as Martin calls it!”

What are the best features or parts of the machine that are important to you? “Looking at the evolution of the foragers, there has been a lot of improvements over the years making them more driver friendly and reliable,” says Alan. “Auto-lubrication was a great addition - something we’ve had on the last six foragers. Daily maintenance is a lot easier, too, especially with automated shearbar adjustment and knife sharpening. I’m also looking forward to some of the 900 series features, such as hydraulic feed roller compression, the ability to swing out the feed rollers, and row-finding auto-steer.”

What are your standout memories of running JAGUAR foragers? “Going back 20 years, one of my standout memories is when we picked up a large stone and we had a major blow up at about 4 o’clock one afternoon,” says Alan. “We took the forager into GORDONS, I drove to a depot near Edinburgh to pick up the parts, got back to GORDONS for midnight and the forager was back in the field by 9 o’clock the next morning! That just showed to me how parts were easily available and how much GORDONS were prepared to work on the forager to get it going again.”

BUSINESS FACTS D&C Holder near Stroud, Gloucestershire WORK UNDERTAKEN Silage: grass (2000-2500acres/year) wholecrop (140-150acres/year) maize (500-600acres/year) baling (25,000-30,000 four-and six-stringers/year) combining (500-600acres/year) As well as muck-spreading, cultivations and drilling FARMED AREA 250ha (618acres) LIVESTOCK 300-head Holstein x Angus and Blue beef cattle from calves through to finishing STAFF David and Claire Holder plus two others full-time and up to eight others at peak times

“

D & C HOLDER

When those first 800s came on the scene they re-wrote the rulebook.

1987 JAGUAR 690

1986 JAGUAR 690 1991 JAGUAR 695 MEGA

1997 JAGUAR 860

2011 JAGUAR 850

Knowing you’ve got solid, reliable machinery that you can depend on is critical for any contracting operation, particularly if you intend keeping kit for a decent length of time. Having been running CLAAS JAGUARs since the mid-1980s the Holder family are well aware of the importance of build quality and dealer back-up in keeping the wheels of their silage operation well oiled. -

“When we took delivery of our first JAGUAR 690 in 1986 we were immediately impressed with the way the machine was put together compared to the trailed and self-propelled machines we’d had previously,” says David. “CLAAS had only really just come into the market and the way they approached things was very different to other manufacturers, particularly when it came to dealer back-up. At the time MILL ENGINEERS were viewed as the country’s leading forager specialists and we were lucky enough to have them right on our doorstep – going to CLAAS made total sense for us.”

JAGUAR 690 “That first 690 was a real step up from what we’d had before – not only was it a better chopper, it was so much more operator friendly. Within a year word had got round and our acreage rapidly grew. MILL were keen to get machines out there and offered us a deal to change that we couldn’t refuse, so after just one season we had another brand new machine. It had hardly cost us a penny in that single year and that gave us the confidence in the residual value of the JAGUAR – we knew we wouldn’t be hit hard by depreciation. The introduction of the corn cracker was a big development. Before that we were messing about with combine-style rasp bars on the back of the blade carriers, but all they really did was split the cobs and increase power consumption. Looking back it was a mad idea really.”

JAGUAR 695 MEGA “Having run that second 690 for four seasons we swapped it for a 695 MEGA. It was a step on again both in terms of comfort and output and we needed it. By then we were chopping over 485ha (1200acres) of maize and a similar amount of grass. The extra 50 horsepower was very welcome and meant we could then run with a six-row torpedo header which made a big difference. Inevitably that workload meant some long hours in the seat and the quieter cab made it that much more pleasurable.”

JAGUAR 860 “When those first 800s came on the scene they re-wrote the rule-book. By swinging the engine round the right way and doing away with the 90 degree gearbox we suddenly gained a whole load more output. It seemed CLAAS’ engineers got it right from the start – nothing much ever went wrong with our 860. Much of that was thanks to the simplified driveline, but it also had to be down to the cooling. The rotary screen did a brilliant job in keeping the 860’s V8 cool in even the heaviest crops of grass and maize.

The quality of chop massively improved too – the chevron cylinder was just so much more consistent and being able to slip the cracker in through the side of the machine, rather than having to take the drum out from the front, made a huge difference in changeover times.

BRENNAN BROS

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Every new model always had some improvements and a little bit more power. power.

“The first harvester we bought was a CLAAS and we never went away from them,” says Nicholas Brennan. The contracting business has nearly 30 years experience of CLAAS self-propelled forage harvesters with their current JAGUAR 850 now their ninth self-propelled.

Brennan Bros, Nicholas and John have been cutting silage for their County Carlow customers since 1987 with trailed machines, but bad weather in 1993 was the prompt to look for more output to get through the workload quicker.

At the time Gus Fitzgerald was working for CLAAS and convinced the brothers a JAGUAR 695 was the machine for them. Supplied by TP Walters, it was one of the very first JAGUAR harvesters in the area. As promised, the self-propelled harvester brought the boost in performance they wanted.

1994 JAGUAR 695SL 1997 JAGUAR 840

“The idea was to cut more in a day and get home for six in the evening,” grins John, “but it never really worked that way, we just ended up doing more work.”

2000 JAGUAR 840 2003 JAGUAR 840 2006 JAGUAR 840 2009 JAGUAR 850 2012 JAGUAR 850

2017 JAGUAR 850 2022 JAGUAR 850

BUSINESS FACTS Brennan Bros Leighlinbridge, Co Carlow BUSINESS TYPE Agricultural Contracting CONTRACTING SERVICES Full silage operation, tanker slurry with trailing show application, muck spreading, ploughing, cultivations, drilling, spraying, combining, baling and wrapping. MACHINERY 2 combines (LEXION 650 and TRION 660) and a two-rotor LINER 2900 rake STAFF John and Nicholas Brennan, nephew Martin Delaney plus two full time operators, with extra help during silage and grain harvest

Willie Brennan

“It was a great harvester, but one day it would not take in grass. The mechanic from TP Walters was not able to fix the problem, but we learned that there was a man over from CLAAS Germany, there was no mobile phone to contact him back then, but we found out where he was staying,” recalls Nicholas. “Our brother Willie who was the founder of the business and who sadly died in 2003, drove to the hotel in Enniscorthy, met the man from CLAAS and explained the problem. When he arrived in the field with his left-hand drive car, he had a quick look, lifted the side panel and swapped a solenoid. He had us going in five minutes.” The following year, KELLY’S of Borris took on the CLAAS franchise and the Brennans have not looked back. “When Maurice took over he went full whack, he had the service and was backed up by Harvest Machinery, which was effectively CLAAS Ireland,” points out John. “A machine is only as good as the man behind it, and KELLY’S are excellent.” After three years of loyal service, Brennan Bros changed the JAGUAR 695 for the first in a series of 850s. “It had better output, was easier to operate and easier to look after too,” points out John, who is the main operator of the harvester. “Every new model always had some improvements and a little bit more power, but the biggest improvement for us has to be the STOP ROCK as it detects any stone before it causes a problem. The new pick-up on our latest 850, not only is it better to take in grass, but we have hardly fitted any new tines in two seasons.”

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It had better output, was easier to operate and easier to look after too.

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STEVE YEANDLE

In the early ‘80s those first 690s revolutionised the way we did our job and that’s true of today’s machines too.

BUSINESS FACTS Steve Yeandle Contracting near Crediton, Devon WORK UNDERTAKEN Grass, wholecrop and maize silage, baling, umbilical and tanker slurry work + all arable work except spraying FARMED AREA 485ha (1200acres)

MACHINERY Combines (LEXION 750 MONTANA & LEXION 570TT) Balers (2 x QUADRANT 5300s, QUADRANT 5200 & QUADRANT 3200) Rakes (LINER 2900, LINER 3600 & LINER 4800) Tedders (VOLTO 1100 & VOLTO 1320) Mowers (DISCO 1100, DISCO 9400 & 2 x DISCO 3200) Loader (SCORPION 7055VP) Foragers (JAGUAR 970 & JAGUAR 990)

In 1983 a young Devon contractor bought his first self-propelled forager, a CLAAS JAGUAR 690. -

Having been running the German company’s trailed harvesters for a number of years Steve Yeandle knew what the lime-green machines were capable of and could see that moving to a standalone chopper was the only way to sensibly increase output.

Steve's Grandfather (left blue arrow) with Gerald Dennis (right blue arrow), local dealer owner at the time, on their way to the combine factory circa 1960.

“Back in the early ‘80s our workload was getting a bit out of hand and we were struggling to keep up with demand,” he explains. “Maize was becoming a big thing and we needed to be able to do the job properly. Although CLAAS had only just launched its 600-series foragers I took the plunge and bought a brand-spanking 690. It revolutionised the job for us and made us so much more efficient. Its only weakness was that being two-wheel-drive it could find our Devon hills a bit challenging – it occasionally got a bit hairy!”

1983 JAGUAR 690 1988 JAGUAR 695SL 1992 JAGUAR 695SL 1996 JAGUAR 860

2004 JAGUAR 890 2009 JAGUAR 960

2018 JAGUAR 980 2022 JAGUAR 990

1980 JAGUAR 40 1985 JAGUAR 690S 1989 JAGUAR 695SL 1994 JAGUAR 860 2001 JAGUAR 890 2007 JAGUAR 890 2014 JAGUAR 970 2020 JAGUAR 990

While the move to a self-propelled machine initially got Steve back on top of the job, pretty quickly the workload began to overtake the one chopper and it wasn’t long before the 690 was joined first by a 690S and then a 695SL. “It got a bit ridiculous - we had so much work the only thing we could do was throw men and machines at it. By the early 1990s we were running three 695s side-by-side. In the spring and summer one was kitted out with a set of mowers to knock down grass ahead of the other two. Come autumn it would have a torpedo hitched on and we’d run three gangs all the way through maize.” While the obvious boost came in the form of more horsepower – the 695SL gaining an additional 54hp over the 690’s 300hp – it was other more subtle differences that added up to improve the new generation’s overall performance. “The move to V-pattern blades made crop flow much smoother through the machines, it made them so much better able to handle lumpy swaths. The updated cab felt like a massive improvement – it wasn’t just a greenhouse plonked on top. And we then got fourwheel-drive which meant we weren’t ever struggling on our steep ground.”

Why a CLAAS 800-series?

Why a CLAAS 900 Series?

At the end of the summer of 1992, under the cover of darkness something altogether different arrived in the Yeandle yard.

Having had a succession of 860s and later 890s, by the time CLAAS launched its new 900-series JAGUARs in 2008, Mr Yeandle was ready to step up again.

“We were fortunate enough to be given the chance to run pre-production versions of the next generation JAGUAR through maize that year. In fact we had two – an 860 and 880 – which cleared over 1600 acres that autumn. They were a real step on. Of course the wider belly and more horsepower had a big effect but things like access to the corn cracker made a big difference when changing crops. The Vista cab was the crowning glory. You had so much more space - a big bonus, especially for the larger of the species! There was even a passenger seat for entertaining…” Having had that prototype experience, it didn’t take much persuasion to get Mr Yeandle to purchase one of the new machines and by the mid-1990s he was running two 860s. “The extra output we got from the 800s was phenomenal and meant we could go down from three to two machines, despite the fact that we were chopping yet more acres by that point. Greater comfort for the drivers meant we could push on and do longer hours without feeling so tired by the end of the day.” He was also one of the first people to have one of CLAAS’s now legendary RU maize headers. “Initially we started out with a six-row RU450 but we quickly stepped up to an eight-row version – it created a massive increase in output. “ That was really important because at that time we were starting to see our harvest window for maize narrow dramatically. Whether it was down to a move towards earlier maturing varieties or the beginning of a change in weather patterns, in the space of a decade we went from a five to six week maize harvest to two to three weeks today. And that’s what’s really driven our never-ending chase for output.”

“We took delivery of a 960 for the 2009 season and suddenly realised we had promoted ourselves into another league. The bigger chassis meant it could accommodate bigger chopping gear and of course there was extra horsepower to help the job along. New V-Max cylinders improved crop flow and chop quality. But once again it was the less obvious things that really made the difference. With swing-back panels, access to the corn cracker and accelerator was improved - making changeovers even easier. Daily, weekly and monthly servicing became even more straightforward and the swing-out feed rollers meant access to the blades and shear-bar was that much better, It was all time and labour saving - if there’s one reason to buy a 900-series it’s that.” Today the business runs two – a 2014-plate JAGUAR 970 and a one-year-old 990. While the latter deals with the lion’s share of the grass work with the older machine being put to work at peak times, once maize harvest kicks off, the pair go out in different directions to clear as many acres as possible and as quickly as possible. “Fitted out with 10 and 12- row headers and with plenty of horse-power to throw at the job we can comfortably cover the ground in the ever-shortening harvest window. It’s always too wet or too dry, too hot or too cold so we know we’re covered whatever the season throws at us. We’ve got a huge amount of output but we really do use it.” As regards the latest generation of JAGUAR, there are certain key features that Mr Yeandle believes contribute to the 990’s unprecedented output and operator friendliness. “With its ability to match feed-roller speeds and how quickly you’re travelling up the row, the variable speed header drive is brilliant in keeping an even loading on the drum and maintaining consistent chop-lengths. The grass pick-up’s new pendulum mounting means contour following is so much better than before. You just preset the pressure you want on the ground and it follows the terrain perfectly. High capacity hydraulics and the beefed up spout swivel with its own proper brake make it a much more robust machine than before that should last the test of time.”

Under Pressure -

“Our last four machines have been fitted with central tyre inflation so we can vary pressures between the road and the field,” explains Mr Yeandle. “On our steep Devon ground the larger footprint it generates has a big impact on the choppers’ hill-climbing ability. It’s also a much smoother ride on rough ground. More important than any of that is the reduced damage we’re doing to our customers’ ground. We run all our trailers on big flotation tyres and a number of our tractors have tyre inflation systems on them. Being in a damp corner of the country we know all too well the impact heavy kit can have on the soil and the performance of the subsequent crops. We need to leave the field as we found it.”

Operator’s View -

Spending the lion’s share of time in the seat in the 990, operator Dan Chanin appreciates the effort that has gone into making current JAGUAR as driver-friendly as possible. “The new screen and armrest make setting changes so straightforward and the ability to swap the role of the various joystick buttons to suit the job you’re doing is brilliant. It’s so much quieter too – in fact when I answer the phone on Bluetooth I’m often asked if I’m actually at work! But at the end of the day what it’s all about with a forager is what you can get out of it – the 990 is unbeatable for output. The new engine just hangs on in there so much better than anything we’ve have before – you barely ever feel the revs start to drop.”

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Why JAGUAR? Over the last 40 years I have seen huge developments in the CLAAS forager range and I’m proud to have been involved in some of that development work. In the early ‘80s those first 690s revolutionised the way we did our job and that’s true of today’s machines too – every step of the way we’ve seen the efficiency of our operation improve.

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When you look at the evolution of the JAGUAR over the last four decades, it’s been quite something. I might not be here to see what comes in the next 40 years but you never know!

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Why CLAAS? We’ve always stuck with CLAAS choppers because they’ve always done the job we’ve needed them to do. They’ve always been the highest output machines on the market and the chop quality is good, especially in maize. They’re easy to work on and all our guys are familiar with them and can get them set up to get the most out of them.

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The JAGUAR we had have always been super reliable but should anything go wrong the backup we get from the dealer network is superb – hence why we have the faith to run them to a good age.

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GREANEY

The CLAAS was a much simpler, more streamlined machine.

BUSINESS FACTS Greaney Agri Brandon, County Kerry BUSINESS TYPE Agricultural Contracting CONTRACTING SERVICES Full silage operation, tanker and umbilical slurry application, ploughing and reseeding-grassland, round baling and land reclamation STAFF Michael, son Thomas, plus four full time operators, with up to 10 extra during the summer months

In fact the family business which he runs with his son Thomas is now operating its seventh JAGUAR, an 880.

“It was all hay when I started out, but the amount of rain we have here in the South West always made it hard to do right,” explains Michael. “Silage made it much easier to work with the conditions, although today’s farmer is aiming for a much drier forage that we have almost come full circle.” Having operated several trailed machines, Greaney Agri bought their first self-propelled in 1988, but it had its problems and the newer model was physically a much bigger machine that Michael felt was not suited to the yards of his dairy and suckler cow customers. A conversation with a friend prompted him to look at the CLAAS JAGUAR 695SL for the 1993 season. Although there was rumblings of the new JAGUAR 800 on the way, Michael decided to take the plunge with the tried and tested 600 series and it is a relationship with CLAAS which continues to this day.

“The CLAAS was a much simpler, more streamlined machine,” recalls the contractor. “It had four bolts holding each knife in the chevron pattern, so when we did hit a stone it was much less of an issue. The stone detector on today’s harvesters has been a game changer for us, especially when we switched from grouping grass with the mower to using the LINER rakes, where there is always a chance of collecting a stone.”

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We need a machine which is reliable, things do happen, but it is rare that we need them to come out to us,” points out Thomas. “But when we do need them, the back-up from McCarthys has been very good. We are over 100 miles away from them, so if something as simple as a sensor lets us down, we could be down for a day, that is why we prefer the JAGUAR 880, we have grown up with these machines.

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For over 60 years Michael Greaney has been contracting on the Dingle peninsula in County Kerry, and for half that time he has been using CLAAS JAGUAR self-propelled forage harvesters.

It is all grass silage for the Greaney’s so the working window is relatively condensed compared to other parts of the country. The increase in power to the current 650hp JAGUAR 880 has helped the family firm manage its workload, even in a catchy season. Most of Greaney Agri’s customers will be ensiling 60 to 80 acres, with the dairy farms having doubled in size since the days of the JAGUAR 695SL.

“Our next machine was an 860 in 1997, one of the best machines we have ever owned, it was such a jump in performance going from 350hp to 450hp,” says Michael who still does all the forager work to this day. “That machine was the template for the 2022 JAGUAR 880 we have now, the guts of the machine hasn’t really changed and that means we know how it works.” While the first machines, the 695SL, 860 and the first of two successive 890s were supplied by Kavanaghs of Fermoy and then Castlehide Farm Machinery. Since 2006, McCARTHY’s in County Cork has been the local CLAAS dealer.

1993 JAGUAR 695SL 1997 JAGUAR 860 2001 JAGUAR 890 2006 JAGUAR 890

2016 JAGUAR 860 2019 JAGUAR 870 2022 JAGUAR 880

37 44

GREENWOOD’S

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The 960 has the power robust. and it’s very robust.

BUSINESS FACTS Greenwood’s Contracting Service Downholme, North Yorkshire BUSINESS TYPE Agricultural Contracting Beef and Sheep Farming STAFF Bruce, sons Dan and Jake and three others full time plus seasonal staff - who include long-standing forage harvester driver Alan Jefferson MACHINERY Triple Mower, Rakes, Tedder and two large Square Balers

Greenwood’s Contracting Service, which has been in existence for 47 years and is now based at Downholme, near Richmond, in North Yorkshire, was created at a time of depressed beef prices in the mid 1970s, the Greenwoods being beef and sheep farmers. However, that coincided with a period when forage conservation technology was advancing and David Greenwood saw an opportunity to expand by offering other farmers the service and equipment they needed, so he and business partner at that time, Peter Nash, invested in modern kit. David’s son Bruce, who now runs the business says contracting began with just one customer but within the first decade, had just under 50. Bruce says: “There are now 25 regulars on their books – fewer customers but with bigger acreages. We also farm, rearing 130-head of pure-bred Limousin suckler cows and 970 Swaledale ewes, of which 120 are used to breed North of England Mules.”

1991 JAGUAR 690 1993 JAGUAR 695 1996 JAGUAR 820 1999 JAGUAR 860

1995 JAGUAR 860 1997 JAGUAR 860

2003 JAGUAR 870 2006 JAGUAR 890

2011 JAGUAR 960

2020 JAGUAR 960

What was the first JAGUAR model you bought and why? “By 1991, demand was increasing for maize harvesting equipment and a demonstrator JAGUAR 690 was obtained to compare with what we were running,” says Bruce. “It had more power and was suitable to operate with a Kemper header which we could use for maize and wholecrop, and that was the start of our relationship with CLAAS. We then bought a JAGUAR 695 which had a header and processor capable of dealing with both maize and wholecrop and from then on, customer demand for harvesting all three silages increased. A succession of JAGUAR followed with upgrades roughly every two or three years. The current 960 came in 2020 and remains our sole forage harvester, proven to have the capacity for our workload.”

What is your favourite model of JAGUAR you have owned? “I have to say the 960, but the 860 was also a very good machine,” says Bruce. “The 960 has the power and it’s very robust, and has several worthwhile improvements over previous models. The cabs have also improved as well.”

What are the best features or parts of the machine that are important to you? “We think the header, drum and corn cracker – the vital components apart from the engine,” says Bruce. “We like the quick-change header and it’s all very accessible and user-friendly. When they introduced the 800 series with easier switching between maize and grass harvesting we got a four wheel drive 860 and kept the 695 and then bought a two wheel drive 820 but retained the 860, later changing the 820 for a second 860. However, we then wanted to use a CLAAS foragermounted mowing outfit so replaced one of the 860s with an 870 which had more power, although we did use the mower on both an 860 and the 870.”

Why have you stayed with CLAAS JAGUARs? “Obviously we like the machines, but it is also very much down to their reliability and the dealer’s back-up service. CLAAS EASTERN at Sinderby have always been very good and have always got us going promptly, should the need arise.”

What are your standout memories of running JAGUAR foragers? “The trips to Germany always stand out,” says Bruce. “They have taken us to Agritechnica and the factory, but I also remember Helmut used to come over to these moors in the grouse season. On one occasion he had been staying in a hotel not far away, and was on his way to one of the grouse moors when he spotted our CLAAS machinery in the yard and just called in. He introduced himself to dad and said he was pleased to see CLAAS equipment had made it into this area and of course dad was pleased to have welcomed him onto our farm, albeit for a fleeting visit.”

BUSINESS FACTS McConaghy Contracts Bushmills, County Antrim BUSINESS TYPE Agricultural Contracting CONTRACTING SERVICES Full silage operation, slurry application, ploughing, cultivations and crop establishment, grass re-seeding, hedge cutting, fertiliser spreading, excavation and ground works STAFF Bob, Robert and Hilary their son Andrew McConaghy plus six full time operators, with up to 10 extra during the busier months

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McCONAGHY

My father came in and said he didn’t care how much it was, we were going to buy one.

Based on the footsteps of the Giant’s Causeway, McConaghy Contracts operates a pair of CLAAS JAGUAR 970s that clear nearly 5,000 hectares of grass silage and wholecrop. Just like the JAGUAR forager range, the family business has grown and evolved to what it is today.

1990 JAGUAR 690 1994 JAGUAR 860 1997 JAGUAR 860 2001 JAGUAR 900 SPEEDSTAR

1989 JAGUAR 690 1992 JAGUAR MEGA 695 1996 JAGUAR 860 1999 JAGUAR 860

“Myself and my twin brother Silas, convinced our father to buy our first tractor in 1949,” recalls Robert ‘Bob’ McConaghy. “Back then you had to prove to the Department of Agriculture that you needed a tractor, and if your land was spread out enough you could have it on rubber rather than steel wheels. Then of course we needed the implements to go behind it which included a square baler which we bought in 1956. At the time bales were a standard length, but we fitted a modification that allowed us to make half length bales. We were able to bale green grass and make our first silage bales for us and our neighbours.” The successful family contracting business has continued to grow, moving from bales to a series of trailed single-, doubleand precision chop machines and their first self-propelled in 1978. But in 1989 the McConaghys went to a demonstration of the CLAAS JAGUAR 690 and were impressed by its appetite for big rows of grass. “My mother asked what did we think, and I told her how it was able to pick up twice as much grass as our current machine,” says Robert Junior. “She commented if that was the case it must be a wild pile of money, but my father came in and said he didn’t care how much it was, we were going to buy one.” And with that, the demonstration machine was promptly purchased from nearby dealer McElderrys who held the CLAAS franchise.

2004 JAGUAR 890

2008 JAGUAR 960 2012 JAGUAR 970 2017 JAGUAR 970 2021 JAGUAR 970

2019 JAGUAR 970

“Our next 690 had big improvements, the driveshafts had less angles and it had the newer cab,” explains Bob. “A MEGA 695 arrived in 1992 with the 24 knife system, it didn’t really have enough horsepower and it was inclined to heat if pushed. Trevor Campbell who now works for CLAAS brought out a demo 840 and we went side by side with our 695, but it wasn’t any quicker, that is why we went for the JAGUAR 860, we wanted more horsepower.” That first JAGUAR 860 made a massive impression on the McConaghys and stands out as one of the milestone machines that allowed them to clear more acres per day, “It was a completely different animal,” notes Robert. Likewise the first 40km/hr transmission in the JAGUAR 900 SPEEDSTAR meant it could keep pace with the tractors and arrive together at the next job, reducing waiting times and upping daily outputs. There was only one obvious choice when it came to adding a second forager to the business to run alongside their JAGUAR 960, another CLAAS machine, a JAGUAR 890. For over five years now two foragers have tackled the sizeable area with often catchy seasons. They need reliability and the JAGUAR have proved to be just that, as has the service from local dealer ERWIN. Today two JAGUAR 970s are tasked with getting the job done, but which is better, the V8 or the newer straight six? “The six-cylinder, without a doubt. Earlier this year AR Imagery did a video of both machines working sideby-side,” says Robert. “There was a camera in the cab of both machines, and you can hear Andrew Browne in the V8, tell Snowy (David McAllister) to slow down as he just couldn’t keep up. The sixcylinder has a good edge on the V8.” The three generations of McConaghys now involved in the business, Bob, Robert and Andrew, agree that the latest pickup is superior to the previous version, the bigger auger taking in any lumps without a flutter and it also floats over the land. While they have previously harvested maize, wholecrop has proved to be a more reliable crop on the north coast of Antrim. The combine style header used on the early 600 series couldn’t meet the appetite of the first generation JAGUAR 800s and the business moved to the DIRECT DISC 600 when it came to the market, but both Bob and Robert nod in agreement that the newest generation header is even better again, and is used to directly cut an increasing area of rye as well as wholecrop for the mainly dairy farmer customers.

UNSTOPPABLE.