Claas

Claas KGaA mbH

Type	GmbH & Co. KGaA
Industry	Agricultural machinery, Agriculture
Founded	1913
Headquarters	Harsewinkel, Germany
Key people	Dr. Theo Freye, Speaker of the Executive Board
Revenue	€ million 2,900.1 EUR (2009) ^[1]
Employees	9,467 (2009)
Website	www.claas.com

Claas combine harvester

Claas hay rake

Claas tractor, Claas forage harvester

Claas Jaguar 850

Claas is an agricultural machinery manufacturer founded in 1913, now based in Harsewinkel, Germany, in the state of North Rhine Westphalia. The product range includes combine harvesters, forage harvesters, balers, mowers, rakes, tedders and other harvesting machines. Claas is believed to be the top combine harvester manufacturer in the world, producing its 400,000th machine in 2003. Claas is the world leader in rubber tracked wheel technology for combine harvesters. Over 45% of all new combines are equipped with rubber tracks. Claas also has the largest selling self-propelled forage harvester in the world and manufactures a full line of tractors.

1 History
- 1.1 Modern era 1970s
- 1.2 The New Millennium
2 Products
3 Claas Museum
4 References
5 External links

History [edit]

The start of the Claas group took place in 1913, when August Claas developed the company in Clarholz, Germany. In 1919, the business was transferred to Harsewinkel, Germany, where the company focused on the production of reapers. Two years later the company obtained their first patent – for a knotter to efficiently bind straw. In 1930, the first Harvester was developed with the European market in mind with the first Pick-up Baler following in 1934. In 1936 Claas starts to market the first combine harvester built in Europe, as opposed to imported machines previously available. They then go on to off trailed combine harvester (reaper-binder) to the European market.

In 1946, following the war, Claas introduce self-propelled combine harvesters. By the mid 50s they open a new factory in Paderborn, Germany, and their first outside Germany – in Metz, France in 1962. Claas took over Josef Bautz, (agricultural machinery factory) in 1969 and expanded the product range to include green harvest machinery.

Modern era 1970s [edit]

This article is in a list format that may be better presented using prose. You can help by converting this article to prose, if appropriate. Editing help is available. (February 2008)

1971 Development of a pick-up sugar cane harvester.
1973 Presentation of the first self- propelled forage harvester.
1976 Introduction of the first Claas round baler Rollant.
1983 Introduction of Jaguar self-propelled forage harvesters.
1988 Claas presents Quadrant, the first Claas large-square baler.
1994 Start of development of Agrocom a computer based, satellite-assisted, agricultural information system.
1995 Claas introduces the Lexion combine, the most powerful combine in the world (up to 40 tonnes of grain per hour).

The New Millennium [edit]

2001 Claas Omaha/COL opened in 2001 and starts to produce the Lexion combine series. North American Lexion combines are distributed by Caterpillar dealers.
2003 Claas acquires Renault Agriculture and expands its product range with tractors.
2003 Claas manufactures its 400,000th combine harvester.
2005 Claas open a new factory in Krasnodar in South Russia. Launch of Lexion 600 Combine.
2006 Claas manufactures the 80,000th Rollant baler, and launch of the Axion tractor.
2007 Claas launches Tucano combine, larger Jaguar from 630 hp - 830 hp, Arion Tractor 112 hp- 175 hp and larger Xerion 379 hp.

Products [edit]

Tractors [edit]

Nectis: 54 - 99 hp
Celtis: 72 - 100 hp
Axos: 100 - 120 hp
Ares 500: 100 - 120 hp
Ares 600: 110 - 140 hp
Ares 800: 158 - 193 hp
Arion: 112 hp - 175 hp
Axion: 163 hp - 225 hp
Altes: 226 - 275 hp
Xerion Saddle Trac: 305 hp
Xerion Trac: 304 hp - 500 hp

Combines [edit]

Claas Dominator (An older Dominator was used for a Top Gear challenge in the Series 16, Episode 5 of the TV show Top Gear.)
Claas Matador
Claas Medion
Claas Mega
Claas Tucano
Claas Lexion 560-510
Claas Lexion 580-570
Claas Lexion 600
Lexion 595R/590
Lexion 585R/580R
Lexion 575R/570R
Lexion 560R
Lexion 570
Lexion 560
Lexion 600
Lexion 730
Lexion 740
Lexion 750
Lexion 760
Lexion 770
Lexion 780
Crop Tiger

Forage Harvesting Machinery [edit]

Forage Harvester: Jaguar
Mowers: Disco, Corto, Unifarm, Cougar
Tedding: Volto
Swathing: Liner
Loading: Cargos, Quantum, Sprint
Balers: Quadrant, Rollant/Uniwrap, Variant, Markant
Telehandler: Scorpion, Targo, Ranger

Claas Museum [edit]

The Claas Museum is located in the Claas Technoparc in Harsewinkel, Germany, and features a display of history harvesting machines and agriculture equipment. Visitation is during working days only.