Claas announced it has built half a million combine harvesters since the company’s founding in Harsewinkel, Germany, in 1936. To commemorate the milestone, the company is producing “anniversary editions” at three production facilities on three different continents, which it will display at events throughout the year.
With around 100,000 and 75,000 units, respectively, the Dominator and Lexion brands account for the largest share of the Claas combine harvesters built to date. Other brands contributing to the half million models built include the Super and Super Automatic (approx. 65,000 units); Europa and Columbus (together approx. 60,000 units); and Tucano (approx. 35,000 units). Series built in smaller numbers, such as the Commandor Terra Trac, also had an impact.
Originally manufactured exclusively at the Harsewinkel headquarters in Germany, the combine harvesters are now produced in India, as well as in Omaha, Neb., for the North American market. In addition, Törökszentmiklós in the south of Hungary has been producing cutters and corn pickers for Claas combine harvesters since 1997. In October 2021, the 100,000th cutting unit for Claas was celebrated at the facility.
Anniversary machines have been and are being built featuring a special look designed to pay homage to Claas’ combine harvester product history. (Photo: Claas)
To highlight its global combine harvester production network and allow all locations to participate equally, several anniversary machines have been and are being built at each of the company’s global facilities, sporting a special look designed to pay homage to the company’s combine harvester product history. The silver metallic color represents the start of combine harvester production up to 1968, the seed green metallic represents the color scheme introduced in 1978 with the Dominator, and the knotting pattern in the Claas letters on both sides references the old shape logo with the knotter hook – the first Claas patent from 1913.
The Lexion, Trion, Evion and Dominator anniversary edition combine harvesters will be on display at various national and international trade shows as well as at field days and in demo use in the coming weeks and months. They include two models of Lexion combines scheduled to roll off the production line in Omaha bound for farms in the U.S. and Canada.