Of particular interest was the advanced CONVIO series of draper headers for the company’s flagship LEXION combine, an advanced SILAGE TECH™ package to complement their industry-leading JAGUAR 900 Series foragers and substantial new baler and hay tool introductions, including the QUADRANT 5300, ROLLANT 540 balers and DISCO MOVE front mower.

“We’re pleased to introduce new innovations and products across our full line of grain, hay and forage harvesting products,” said Eric Raby, CLAAS of America President and GM – Sales. “Our advanced engineering and strong connection with customers are helping CLAAS deliver thoughtful solutions designed to increase productivity by providing higher throughput, enhanced ease of operation and increased harvest efficiency.”

Topping the list of CLAAS news at the show is the launch of the new CONVIO series of draper headers. The series includes a rigid CONVIO head for small grains and the CONVIO FLEX head for both small grains and beans. The headers feature better visibility from the cab, easier adjustments on the fly, efficient in-cab adjustments and the greatest flex range in the industry. Read more about the CONVIO FLEX here (link to CONVIO FLEX news release).

CLAAS also announced updates to its corn heads which minimize corn ear loss while harvesting and reduce operator downtime. The improvements include the addition of more durable snouts with improved height adjustment and end divider augers that can be adjusted from the cab (active) or set automatically (passive). In-cab, dual-sided deck plate adjustments help keep the stalk centered on the row to maintain quality feeding and minimize shatter.

The LEXION flagship CEMOS AUTOMATIC technology, a system that automatically senses changing harvest conditions and automatically adjusts the machine to maximize throughput and grain quality, also received an upgrade with the addition of CEMOS AUTO THRESHING. The technology optimizes threshing cylinder speed and concave position settings automatically to ensure optimal threshing performance while harvesting.

A new on-board technology package from CLAAS will help further solidify the company as the leader in forage harvesting and silage quality. The SILAGE TECH™ package from CLAAS bundles several on-board components for JAGUAR forage harvesters which react to changing harvest conditions to produce the greatest quality forage.

SILAGE TECH is a combination of components to help make better silage and also save money, all connected to the operator’s preferred system for GPS mapping and steering. It includes a QUANTIMETER yield sensor to generate yield maps and control inoculant used, automatic chop length to adjust the length of the silage based on moisture, and a highly accurate near-infrared (NIR) moisture sensor.

CLAAS extended its range of large square balers with the introduction of the QUADRANT 5300 square baler. The QUADRANT 5300 is a 3 x 4 baler that provides greater throughput, higher bale density and more user-friendly operation. All-new features include Automatic Pressure Control, a longer bale chamber, new HD II single knotters and a knotter monitoring system option.

The hydraulically controlled feeding chambers can be operated from the cab or directly on the machine. QUADRANT 5300 also has the option of three different rotors — ROTO FEED, ROTO CUT or FINE CUT system — to suit a variety of silage needs. The automatic baler pressure control system ensures total bale tying reliability, with sensors to monitor twine tension and bending forces. This allows the system to adjust baling pressure automatically, according to the load.

CLAAS also introduced the ROLLANT 540, a fixed-chamber round baler that is a heavier-duty replacement for the ROLLANT 375. It features an updated design, a stronger chassis and 15 newly designed heavy-duty rollers. The rollers feature a 4 mm wall thickness with shafts bolted to 15 mm thick flanges for improved strength and durability when baling tough crops. The ROLLANT 540 is specifically designed for wetter crops and larger applications such as commercial silage baling.

The new DISCO 3600 F/FC/FRC MOVE front mower showcased at the show offers improved linkage, better ground contour following, better visibility and compatibility with larger tractors. The mower gives the operator more flexibility from a front mower than ever before and is ideal for professional-grade mowing operations.

The efficient DISCO 3600 C CONTOUR rear mower from CLAAS gets an added tine conditioner, which completes the 3600 series offer with a tine, roller or no conditioner. Central hitching ensures perfect ground-contour following, and the 120-degree road transport position makes the machine compact and safe on the road.

CLAAS of America featured these new products and updates at the 2018 Farm Progress Show. For more information on any of the above new products and/or updates, please visit the website at www.claas.com or ask your local dealer.

CLAAS of America Inc. offers a long line 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 claas.com.