50 years of Jaguar self-propelled forage harvesters from Claas

With the launch of the Jaguar 60 SF in 1973, Claas laid the foundation for a success story in the self-propelled forage harvester segment. With its many innovations and sustainable, efficient technology, Jaguar quickly not only gained worldwide recognition, but also became the world market leader. Today, Jaguar continues to be important to farmers and contractors around the world thanks to its grain handling technology, soil protection operating systems and its cost-effective profile.

Like the tractor and combine harvester, the self-propelled forage harvester is today an essential piece of machinery for many farmers and contractors, and for the agricultural industry in general. It ensures optimal cutting height and grain handling, high performance and versatility – whether harvesting quality forage for dairy production and finishing bulls or harvesting straw.

Claas can now look back on half a century of Jaguar self-propelled forage harvesters with more than 45,000 units produced. “Jaguar has stood for innovation, efficiency, productivity and reliability for 50 years and is truly unmatched in terms of the mark it has placed on the forage harvester segment over these five decades,” said Dominik Grothe, Senior Vice President of Self-propelled Harvesters. .

Low cost profile overall

Technological progress and efficiency are not the only factors that allow Jaguar to defend its top position to this day. High quality parts and low wear costs, Claas distributor service and quick availability of parts also play an important role. These are things customers can count on, whether they are buying new or used machines. Within Claas’ global sales network, Jaguar machines used to cross national borders – and even oceans – to cut elephant grass or sugar cane leaves in Thailand and lavender in the south of France.

Get started – with help combining technology

From the 1970s onwards, the rise of maize farming and the trend towards self-propelled machinery led to a shift away from self-propelled forage harvesters. Developments that took place almost simultaneously in North America, Europe and also in the Eastern Bloc of the time. Claas entered this promising growth segment in 1973 with the Jaguar 60 SF after the two suppliers had previously produced the first prototypes on their own. Sales of the 120hp model, whose development was based on key components from the Jaguar 60 drum mower that followed and the harvester models of the time, rose to 33 units in the first year and grew to 500 machines when production ended in 1976.

It soon became clear that the contractors wanted a more powerful machine. The answer came in 1975 in the form of the JAGUAR 80 SF. The new machine was manufactured at the Claas plant in Bad Saulgau and had a power of 213 hp, three to five corn heads, a blower and a new automatic steering system. Also new was the ability to separate the feed house from the cutting cylinder house, which made maintenance tasks very easy. At the same time, Claas was already developing a successor to the Jaguar 60 SF. The Jaguar 70 SF had a larger cylinder head and a choice of 150 or 175 hp engines. Launched for the 1976/1977 season, it was able to harvest maize with a continuous capacity of 75 tonnes per hour.

Trendsetter becomes the world market leader

Ten years after the launch of the Jaguar 60 SF, 1983 saw a major advance in technology with the new Jaguar 600 Series, which set new standards in performance, cut quality and design. The most important innovations were a metal detector, a grain conditioner and a crop accelerator. Modern Mercedes-Benz engines promised high torque and low fuel consumption. The new attractive cabinet, taken from the Dominator combines and placed on silent barriers, provided excellent ergonomics and sound insulation. The new control lever allowed many functions to be controlled without the driver having to move his right hand. Engine power of up to 300 hp now made it possible to use six-row wide corn headers, a development that led to an even greater increase in machine efficiency.

A new multi-blade cutting cylinder in a V design was available for harvesting silage or corn. In 1988 the model range was further expanded with a new cabin. The Jaguar 695 Mega with a power of 354 hp also made its debut as a new flagship of the successful series.

Jaguar 800-series

The introduction of the all-new Jaguar 800 models in 1994 was a development that took Claas in a new direction of performance and emphasized its claim to technological leadership – the brand that was the leader of the European market and the Jaguar 600 was now the world market. a guide to self-propelled foragers. Additionally, the Jaguar 880, with 481 hp, was also the most powerful forage harvester in the world at the time. This means that, for the first time, eight rows of corn can be harvested with one forage harvester. A year later, the RU 450 joined the product portfolio as Claas’ first independent maize header with a working width of 4.5 metres.

By mounting the engine backwards behind the rear axle, it can transmit power directly to the cutting cylinder using a power belt. It also acted as an antidote to many attachments. When switching from corn to grass, the kernel processor can be quickly and easily removed from the stand – and vice versa, if necessary. The crop accelerator provided low and accurate clearance for trucks and trailers – and even on top of the vehicle to which the trailer is attached. The new cabin with windshield and passenger seat set a new standard, especially in terms of space and all-round visibility. From 1977 onwards, some units were built as Field Shuttle models in a limited series – most with a side or rear tilting container, but some units had a tow dolly on which a semi-trailer could be placed.

In 2001, the Jaguar 900 became the first model to break the “sound barrier” of 600 hp. In addition, from 2003 Jaguar Speedstar not only had a new maximum power of 623 hp, but was also the first harvester to be adopted for driving at 40 km / h on the road.

Success through intelligence

2008 brought the next quantum leap: the new Jaguar 900 model range that pushed the limits of performance further and in the 980 model even featured a twin-engine system capable of producing up to 830 hp. The new V-MAX cutting cylinder with paddle blades highlighted its cutting quality, efficiency and obvious maintenance benefits. The house of the new generation provided more comfort and convenience for the driver – such as a camera and an optional control system for Autofill. In addition to these benefits, the 900 Series received high marks for its Dynamic Power engine control system, which adapts the engine’s power flow to the task at hand and ensures fuel savings of up to ten percent when working part-time. load

From 2012, the availability of an optional NIR sensor enabled the continuous measurement of dry matter content and other components, as well as accurate documentation of the yield of a specific area – for example for nutrient flow balance. A differential tire pressure monitoring system was also available from the factory, not only for the drive axle, but also for the steering axle, which was a unique feature in the forage harvester, enhancing ground protection and improving driving comfort. In 2014, many of these features can also be found in the new Jaguar 800 series.

Maize processing technology

In 2015, Claas adopted the US-made Shredlage® corn processing technology and has released the MCC (Multi Crop Cracker) Shredlage® as an extension of the Jaguar grain processing system. Further improvements to the Jaguar 900’s crop flow and chassis in 2017 were followed by a new generation of Orbis corn headers in 2019. Two years later, Cemos operations began in the Jaguar 900. Two tracked forage harvesters were also added to the Claas. variety has been added in the form of the Jaguar 960 and 990 Terra Trac, which can be used for harvesting maize and grass thanks to their upland protection system. This system not only protects the land, but also sets new standards for the management of attachments.

A special example at Agritechnica

At Agritechnica 2023, Claas is celebrating Jaguar’s 50th anniversary with the launch of a special model with a commemorative logo and an “operator package”. The highlight of the celebration is the launch at the Claas stand at Agritechnica (Hall 13) of a special Jaguar 990 Terra Trac with a unique anniversary color scheme. The machine will be on display during the 2024 vintage and at Jaguar anniversary events organized by selected distributors.

Source: Wild campaigns