• A Claas Jaguar 1200 was harvesting corn with a 16-row header. However, the machine, with power exceeding 1100 hp, had to stop work after a dangerous incident.
  • A garden shovel got into the forage harvester’s system. It has not been established how it ended up in the field, leading to questions about whether it was accidental or deliberate.
  • The harvest was underway at a farm in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. At the same time, the farm was also harvesting potatoes intensively.

A gigantic Claas Jaguar 1200 has started harvesting maize

This year's maize harvest in north-eastern Germany is being carried out with equipment that makes a huge impression even on people accustomed to modern agricultural technology. At Agrargenossenschaft Wesenberg eG, located in the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte district of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, a Claas Jaguar 1200 equipped with a 16-row Orbis 1200 header has started work. The machine, with power exceeding 1100 hp, is expected to deliver enormous productivity during maize harvesting. The potato campaign is also underway at the same farm, making work organization, transport logistics and harvesting pace crucial.

The forage harvester suddenly had to stop. A shovel got inside

An unusual and potentially very dangerous incident occurred right at the start of the work. A garden shovel got into the operating forage harvester. A metal object in the working system of a machine of this class can mean not only a costly breakdown, but also a real danger to the operator and people nearby. The incident immediately raised questions about how the shovel ended up in the maize field. Material published by the JP Agrar channel even raises the question of whether this was an ordinary accident or possible deliberate action. However, no evidence was presented to establish that the object had been placed there intentionally.

Metal in a forage harvester can mean enormous costs

In the case of a self-propelled forage harvester, any metal object entering the feed and chopping unit poses a serious risk. Modern machines are equipped with metal detection systems and solutions to protect the working mechanisms, but at high operating speeds, the consequences of contact with a foreign object can be very serious. Components of the feed system, knives, the cutter drum, or other parts may be damaged. For the most powerful forage harvesters, any downtime also entails logistical losses, as it halts the entire forage harvesting and transport chain.

Source: Agrarheute