For next season, Claas is offering a new chopping cylinder in its Jaguar 900 foragers. The V-Flex boasts a number of design changes, including an increased V-angle.

KEEPING IT BRIEF

  • Claas has introduced the new V-Flex drum on the updated Jaguar 900 forager.
  • The blades can now be fastened to the six drums from above, using conical plates.
  • There is the option to run with a half set of knives.
A new centrepiece for the Claas Jaguar; the V-Flex drum.

Back in 2009, Claas introduced the V-Max drum fitted with distinctive curved knives. This drum design has proved its worth over the years, to the extent that the firm is now adding a new variation called the V-Flex. This new drum and knife layout is in response to a global customer demand, with initial development kicking off in 2014 and a main design focus on power input, wear and returns. 

As the heart of the forager, the drum not only has to cut the crop but also accelerate and throw the chopped material. Provided the knives are sharp, around 50% of power is used for cutting, whereas the other 50% accelerates the harvested material. 

Moreover, wear and tear doesn’t just impact the chopping capability; it also affects the material flow, causing it to be thrown back into the drum. 

The new knives are fastened to the star-shaped mounts with a conical clamping plate. You can now reach the bolts directly from above with an impact gun. The bolts can be reused as long as you torque them to 320Nm. Note that these new knives’ edges benefit from a 4mm thicker coating.

These and other details were incorporated into the V-Flex design, which is said to have the following differences: 

  • The blades are mounted on six rather than four star-shaped rings. This gives the knives more stability, even when hit by foreign objects. 
  • The blades’ conical clamping plates are now bolted top down to the stars, which makes fitting them much easier. 
  • The 18mm thick bolts are tightened to 320Nm, and you no longer have to check and retighten them after 10 hours. The new bolt configuration reduces the strain on the bolts. 
Compared with those from the V-Max, the new knives aren’t curved. The integrated throwing vanes are riveted to the new blade.

Modified design

The knives are positioned at the same angle to the shear bar as before. However, Claas has increased the V-angle, which is reckoned to improve the pulling cut.

The knives are said to improve the throw and service life in grass, with operators adding that the machine runs significantly quieter, too. Photos: Hülsman, Bensing, Manufacturer.

The new knives have integrated throwing vanes that are riveted in place. This is said to improve the crop throwing performance, especially in grass, compared to the curved design. What’s more, the cutting edges have a 4mm thicker coating, which increases the service life of the V-Flex drum by about 21%. Users will be pleased to hear that it is easier to fit the blades, too — they are bolted on top rather than from below. 

Thanks to the six stars on the drum, you can run with a half set of knives in grass crops. A clamping plate is used as a blank on the third star (shown on the left of the above picture).

Half the number of knives

A V-Flex drum with a half set of knives also runs much more smoothly. Claas now also offers half knives that can be offset from one another — an advantage of having six rather than four stars. On the 28-knife drum with a half set, a crop chop length of 8mm to 37mm is possible. When all 28 knives are in place, the chop length range is from 4mm to 18.5mm. The attachment points not used are blinded by special plates to protect the thread and also maintain the flow.

Although you can still turn the stars on the V-Flex drum, it is not something you have to do as often when running with only half the knives. 

As usual, buyers can still choose between universal and maize knives. They both have their purposes and installation positions embossed, again making fitment easier.

Size has not changed 

The Claas V-Flex drum can be installed or retrofitted to any 900 Jaguar. The drum is still 750mm wide and 630mm in diameter. It comes in four variants: V20, V24, V28 and V36. 

Unlike on the 800 Jaguar, the blades can’t be adjusted to the shear bar (as is the case with the V-Max drum). Upside of not needing to be adjusted to the shear bar, is that they are much easier to install, which is nice. The flipside, however, is that if a blade breaks, the operator is faced with a problem: grind down a new blade so it matches the others; or fit a used blade if one is available. 

Other details

  • The Jaguar 900 range now gains a heavier rear axle, which is recognisable by its big  planetary gears. 
  • Silage additive kit has been updated. As well as a choice of tank sizes, there is the possibility of blow-clear water behind the drum. 
  • The pick-up benefits from some changes, too, such as the net above the auger. 

Summary

The V-Flex drum has been introduced with new knives and modified knife attachment. It provides a smoother flow and a better throw, particularly in grass. In addition, the machine runs quieter than the Jaguar with the V-Max drum when using only a half set of knives, which was one of the comments from the contractor operating the machine we looked at here. 

Compared with the V-Max, the V-Flex drum comes with a price premium: for the best selling Jaguar 970 the option of V-Flex costs an additional £5,650 when compared to the standard V-Max. 

Tobias Bensing 

For more up-to-date farming news click here and subscribe now to profi and save.