Originally from Germany, Juergen Marl and his wife Claudia milk 360 goats near Collinstown, Co Westmeath. The Marls have been farming the 560-acre Barbavilla Farm in the midlands for over 30 years, while milking goats there for the past 19 years.

Juergen looks after all forestry and machinery operations on the farm, while Claudia looks after the milking goats. The duo have plans to increase the milking herd to 400 or 450 head in the near future.

Why Claas?

“We mow and shake out our own silage. I was intending on moving to a front- and rear-mounted mower combination, but didn’t have front linkage and PTO on either of the existing tractors,” explained Juergen.

“The last new tractor we bought was a Massey Ferguson 5713. I really liked the tractor, but when I was looking to buy again, our local dealer had exited the machinery game.

Juergen Marl.

“Our next-closest dealer was Alan Douglas, a Claas dealer who we had dealt with before for implements. After telling him about my requirements, we configured a tractor to suit and a deal was struck,” added Juergen.

System

Previous to purchasing the Claas, Juergen was feeding the goats with a diet feeder and bedding them with a straw blower. This was very time-consuming, involved switching implements daily and meant there were two machines to be serviced and maintained.

The Arion 400 series is powered by a 4.5l FPT (Fiat Powertrain Technologies) four-cylinder engine.

As the majority of the diet was silage, the decision was made to streamline the process. Juergen traded the JF diet feeder and the aging Teagle straw blower for a new McHale C460 silage feeder and straw blower a year and a half ago. He has been very happy with the performance of the C460 to date.

As the Department of Agriculture (DAFM) TB plan for the farm states the goats must be housed all year, the bedding and feeding of silage is a year-round task on the midlands farm.

The Arion 430 is now used to carry out both tasks daily. In addition, it’s used to drive the front- and rear-mounted non-conditioner mowers come silage time.

Engine and transmission

The Arion 400 series comprises of five models from the 85hp 410 up to the 135hp 460. The entire Arion 400 series is powered by the same 4.5l Fiat Powertrain Technologies (FPT) four-cylinder engine. The Arion 430 featured has a rated 115hp, with a maximum output of 120hp.

This tractor is compliant with Stage IV emission regulations. It uses selective catalytic reduction (SCR) and diesel oxidation catalytic (DOC) converter, whereby nitrogen oxides are converted into water and pure nitrogen. This is achieved by using AdBlue.

Juergen said that initially the tractor was quite heavy on AdBlue usage, but it did taper off a little once the hours clocked up. When mowing with the front- and rear-mounted non-conditioner mowers or using the McHale C460, Juergen noted that power is never an issue.

The Arion 400 series can be equipped with either the Quadrishift (16/16) or the Hexashift (24/24) transmission. Juergen’s tractor is equipped with the first.

It has four power-shift speeds and four hydraulically shifted ranges, meaning it has a total of 16 forward and reverse gears, all which can be shifted without clutching.

Fully automatic shifting is also possible. When the auto-shift function is engaged, the transmission automatically selects the most appropriate gear depending on engine load, vehicle speed and the driver’s preference. These transmissions are built by GIMA in France, which also manufactures transmissions for Massey Ferguson.

Cab

The Arion 400 series features a new generation of cabs in the medium and upper four-cylinder class. The six-pillar cab comes with four cab options (panoramic, low-profile, high-profile or a five-pillar version).

Juergen’s tractor is equipped with the panoramic cab. This features a continuous windscreen which goes right through to the glass roof. Meanwhile, the interior has three spec options: standard, CIS or CIS+. The armrest with the multifunction control lever can be specified in any cab.

The multifunction control lever looks after control of the transmission speeds and ranges, front loader (if fitted), rear linkage, engine speed memory and spool valves. The four-way control function of the multifunction control lever also allows two spool valves to be operated simultaneously.

Juergen explained: “I like the control layout and usability of the cab. Despite the Claas not having a sloped bonnet like my MF 5713, the Claas also has good visibility, especially to the roof. The controls are simple, just as I want. I like the option of the range change on the shuttle on the Massey Ferguson. It would be a nice addition to the Claas. My tractor has cab suspension, but no front axle suspension. However, it is still very comfortable.”

Exterior controls at the rear can be used to alter the light height and engage/disengage the PTO.

Hydraulics

The Arion 400 series comes with the option of three different hydraulic circuits, depending on requirements. These include 60l/min with open centre, 100l/min with open centre and electronic pump aggregation or 110l/min with load sensing. Juergen opted for the 100l/min and it has proved ample for his operations. The fully integrated front linkage has a maximum lifting capacity of 3.3t.

Meanwhile, at the rear, the tractor is equipped with three spool valves. This tractor doesn’t have a telescopic hitch, something Juergen regrets. The 400 series can accommodate tyres up to 38”, with a diameter of 1.85m. Juergen’s 430 is shod on 540/65R38 on the rear and 420/70R24 on the front.

Verdict

Since taking delivery in the autumn of 2018, Juergen has been pleased with the tractor’s performance. In this time, he has clocked up over 1,000 operational hours without a glitch.

Juergen explained: “I’ve been very happy with how the tractor has gone to date.

“For the jobs I use it for, shortage of power or hydraulic flow hasn’t been an issue. Cab layout and comfort is very good. It’s simple and easy to use which is what I wanted. Visibility is good.

“The only thing I really have against it is it feels like a wide tractor when you’re sitting in the cab, more so even than my MF 5713. I think this is down to the fenders on the mudguards.

“The five-year or 2,500-hour warranty, whichever comes first, was a big attraction when buying. It’s one of the factors that made me buy new over a clean secondhand tractor”.

Milking goats

Currently milking 360 goats through a 40-unit swing-over rapid-exit parlour, the couple are hoping to increase the milking herd to 400 or 450 head very soon. Claudia explained: “After years of renting out the farm, we decided to actively farm ourselves. We wanted to milk cows, but at the time I was too old to get quota, so we ended up milking goats instead.”

“We kid the goats in two periods, around July and August and in February. Goats kid themselves and always do so during the day. Our average goat is doing 2.5 to 2.8l/day, while the top goat would do up to 6l/day. The target is 800l/goat per year.

“The majority of the milk is sold to Glenisk for liquid milk and yogurts, while two smaller cheese makers buy small quantities. The milk is sold at a standard flat price of 70c/l, the same as what it has been over the last 15 years. It’s not enough. The only animals I buy in are the billy goats, all of which are sourced in Ireland.

“Management and nutrition is very similar to that with cows. At present, the goats are housed all year.

The tractor is equipped with three spool vales.

“This is a requirement in the DAFM’s TB plan for the farm. In the near future, we are looking at diversifying the farm into areas such as tourism.”

Likes

  • Very comfortable.
  • Strong and well built.
  • Good visibility.
  • Dislikes

  • Fenders make it feel very wide.
  • A little heavy on AdBlue.
  • Would like range change on shuttle.
  • Tractor spec:

  • Model: Arion 430.
  • Engine: Four-cylinder 4.5l FPT.
  • Horsepower: 115hp rated (120hp max power).
  • Transmission: 16/16 power-shift with max forward speed of 40km/h.
  • Weight: 5,100kg.
  • Power-weight ratio: 42.5kg/hp.
  • Fuel tank: 190 litres.
  • AdBlue tank: 22 litres.
  • Hydraulics: 60, 100 or 110l/min options.
  • List price: €94,555 (£84,425) plus VAT.