World Record for the JAGUAR 1200.
World record holder: the largest amount of whole plant silage in 12 hours.
The sky over North Texas looks harmless on this June morning, but dark clouds are gathering on the horizon – it’s tornado season. While others might be cautious, 39 people and more than 30 trucks are embarking on a harvest showdown unlike anything seen before. For twelve hours the CLAAS harvesting chain, comprising of an AXION 960 with a DISCO 9700 RC AS followed by the new JAGUAR 1200, ran like clockwork. The result: 4,515 total tons of wheatlage, a World Record, and proof that this forage harvester knows no limits.
The idea came from Matt Jaynes at CLAAS, together with dealer Ty Rankin and contractor Todd Poling.
With his company P.M.S. Harvesting, Todd Poling managed the area and the necessary logistics. Matt, of course, drove the forage harvester himself, while Ty took care of coordination.
In 2001, Bob Armstrong was part of a team that set a record with a JAGUAR 900. He harvested 2,058 tons in 12 hours. Twenty-four years later, the question was: how much more could be possible today?
The answer came in the form of the brand-new JAGUAR 1200 – a completely redesigned forage harvester with 1,110 hp and 20% more throughput compared to the JAGUAR 990 under similar operating conditions.
A perfect location was found: the field and transport logistics of contractor Todd Poling in Dalhart, Texas. “The field, the pit and the truck logistics were large enough to handle this event,” says Ty Rankin, CLAAS dealer and one of the main organizers.
Of course, it was about harvesting an impressive amount of crop. But the overall goal was broader.
It would prove maximum performance, uncompromising quality, exceptional driver comfort, and the best possible efficiency throughout the process from mowing to packing at the pit.
That's why the choice was deliberately made to use wheat silage – much more demanding than corn and perfectly suited to showcasing the entire CLAAS harvesting chain, from the AXION 960 with DISCO 9700 RC AS mower, to the JAGUAR 1200 with PICK UP 4500, to the XERION 12.590 - on the silage pit made for a high capacity combination.
„Setting a world record is not just about numbers – it’s about proving what is possible with our new JAGUAR 1200. We wanted to show that maximum performance and efficiency can go hand in hand.“
Matt Jaynes
Product manager
The JAGUAR 1200 is more than just extra power. It’s a completely redesigned forage harvester, from the head to the discharge.
Added to this are innovations such as joystick steering, providing another level of comfort by keeping your shoulders relaxed while harvesting for long hours. It has a new larger, quieter cab, and CEMOS AUTO PERFORMANCE for increased capacity and fuel efficiency throughout the day. AUTO FILL enables millimeter-precise automatic loading of trailers, and NUTRIMETER sensor offers not only real-time, precise crop analysis of moisture and ingredients, but also accurate field averages.
CLAAS connect also played a key role in the record harvest: all operating data was monitored live, stored, and documented for the official adjudicator in parallel with manual measurements. This also allowed Bob, who set the world record 25 years ago, to follow the progress of this attempt remotely on his tablet.
„With CLAAS connect the harvest data can be checked fully automatically no matter where you are – in the field, on the road or at the farm.“
Jennifer Kotula
Digital business expert
The official adjudicator on site officially confirmed the world record: 4,515 total tons of wheatlage. For Matt, Todd, Ty and everyone involved, it was proof that modern CLAAS technology is pushing boundaries. “The JAGUAR has shown what it was built for – a truly incredible machine,” says Ty Rankin.
And will this record ever be broken? Well, in Texas, they say: “Never say never!”
