From the idea to the world record

There was not much time to realise the idea. On 2 June 2025 - in the centre of the tornado season and before the official launch of the new JAGUAR 1000 series - the starting signal was given on a spraying wheat field near the small Texan town of Dalhart. Rich yields for thick swaths, tough wheat stalks as a demanding feed for PICK UP and crop flow, and endless circular tracks - and a logistical challenge. In order to have sufficient removal capacity on site, no fewer than 30 articulated lorries and a team of 39 people were available. Also present: a Guinness referee who closely followed and documented the world record attempt.

It was also clear that the most powerful biomass mower on the market had to be used to ensure that the JAGUAR 1200 did not run out of forage. The DISCO 9700 RC AUTO SWATHER with roller conditioner and double roller drive with steel rollers went into action with an AXION 960, which was optimally motorised with 450 hp maximum output. A XERION 12.590 TRAC with an 18-foot / 5.5 metre wide Grouser silo blade stood ready on the silo to optimally distribute and compact the incoming crop.

The first tracks were tackled at 8 o'clock in the morning. At the wheel of the JAGUAR 1200: Product Manager Matt Jaynes himself - after all, he already knew the new big cat inside out and there is hardly anyone at CLAAS of America who has more JAGUAR DNA in their blood than him. The chop length was set to 17 mm, the CEMOS AUTO PERFORMANCE and AUTO FILL assistance systems were activated and the GPS PILOT CEMIS 1200 steering system was set to "Centre Pivot Mode". Then we were ready to go.

12 hours of top performance

The first hectares fell at an impressive pace, and with an average filling time of 2:42 minutes per combination, Matt Jaynes and his JAGUAR 1200 kept the departing trucks on their toes. In the end, 266 lorry loads left the field and were received, distributed and compacted by the XERION 12.590 TRAC at the silo.

In the meantime, everyone's nerves were put to the test as dark clouds loomed on the horizon, heralding storms and rain. But luck was on the side of the world record team: although it became windy to stormy, it remained dry. And so, after 12 hours - interrupted only by a few knife sharpening cycles and a short refuelling stop - the flag was waved off at exactly 8 p.m. local time.

The announcement of the result was emotional: at 4,096 tonnes, the world record set by the JAGUAR 900 in 2001 had actually been more than doubled. The low fuel consumption of just 0.49 litres per tonne was also record-breaking. However, "only" the harvesting performance was entered in the Guinness Book of Records. " "The world record illustrates that it's not just horsepower that counts in a forage harvester, but an optimally coordinated overall concept from the front attachment to the pre-compression and chopping cylinder to the drive management and driver assistance systems," says Dominik Grothe, CLAAS Senior Vice President Self Propelled Forage Harvesters.

Permanent monitoring via CLAAS connect; precise measurement with the NUTRIMETER

The performance and process data were continuously monitored and documented in CLAAS connect during the 12-hour operation. The new NUTRIMETER, which impressed with its high measurement accuracy, provided valuable support: With 59.4 per cent measured moisture, the ISOBUS-enabled NIR sensor was almost exactly on a par with the 60.006 per cent moisture measurements taken on the scales by P.M.S. Harvesting. In addition to the moisture and dry matter content and the crude fibre content, the NUTRIMETER is also able to determine the crude ash content and ingredients such as crude protein, starch (maize crop) and sugar.

4,096 tonnes in 12 hours: JAGUAR 1200 forage harvester from CLAAS sets new world record