Claas describes its Cargos 8000 as a new concept in silage wagons. The series has been designed as a dual-purpose machine. When it is not being used as a silage wagon, the pick-up and chopping unit can be quickly and easily removed, according to the manufacturer. A blanking plate is fitted where the pickup was so that it can be used as a trailer, thereby maximising its use.

There are three models in the Cargos 8000 range, the 8500, 8400 and 8300. These have DIN loading volumes of 41m3, 35.5m3 and 30m3 respectively. For the Irish Farmers Journal group test, Claas supplied its mid-range model, the Claas Cargos 8400.

Features and functions

The new wagon design features a heavy-duty drive system, with a hydraulically driven pick-up and the option of a hydro-pneumatic suspension system. From the pick-up, the crop is fed into the cutting and loading system via an 860mm diameter rotor.

The rotor is fitted with nine rows of tines arranged in a helical pattern. Claas has cleverly designed these so that they are bolted into place instead of welded. If any get damaged, they can be unbolted and replaced rather than cut out and welded back into position.

Similarly, wear-resistant Hardox scrapers are mounted in sets of four on the adjustable scraper unit. Units can easily be replaced if damaged by a foreign object.

The chopping unit features a bank of 40 knives. These are new from Claas and each one is double-sided and reversible to double the amount of time before sharpening is required. Each blade features its own spring protection with adjustable tension.

A 22mm wide flat face on each of the rotor fins pushes the crop through the knife bank. A spacing of 38mm between each knife gives a theoretical chop length of the same.

Under the chopping unit is a hydraulically lowered drop floor. Claas says the drop floor is lowered automatically if the chopping unit is overloaded. The driver can remove any possible blockages by reducing the PTO speed.

Up front, Claas has opted for a cam-type pickup which many would argue is less aggressive than a cam-less unit while being more precise in crop movement. Claas uses a five-tine bar pickup with a cam unit on both sides to minimise pickup stresses.

The pickup drive has been simplified by using a hydraulic rather than a mechanical drive for its pickup. When raised, the pickup stops, reducing wear and increasing fuel efficiency.

Fuel efficiency is again the theme around the design of the elevator behind the chopping unit. Instead of a feed channel or sloped floor, a conveyor takes the chopped grass away upwards from the rear of the chopping rotor. Claas claims this reduces the power required for wagon loading by 20%. This should also have a considerable effect on fuel consumption. This floor conveyor can be hydraulically pivoted 90° downwards so that the blades can be easily accessed for changing. When unloading the wagon at the clamp, the floor is automatically raised to the horizontal position. It also gives a few rattles to ensure no grass is left behind the rotor.

To increase efficiency, the Cargos can be fitted with an automatic loading system. That works either via the deflection of the front cover or a torque sensor on the rotor.

Claas has designed this machine not just for grass and maize silage operations. It can also be used to move woodchip and other such products. Consequently its floor is constructed from 3-mm thick galvanised steel. The unloading chains and slats are all heavy duty and feature corrosion-resistant scraper floor chains. Bolted scraper floor slats can be simply replaced.

Floor-drive gearboxes are among the most vulnerable elements of silage wagons. These are generally perched on the rearmost, outside corner of the wagon where tail swing and gate posts meet.

Claas has countered this problem by bringing its gearboxes into the side chassis, which means they are protected from its tail whacking off gatepost or ditches.

Operation and control

The Cargos can be operated with Claas Operator, Claas Communicator II or any other Isobus terminal. Where a tractor is equipped with Isobus, the operator can programme separate machine functions on the auxiliary function keys. On a Claas tractor, for example, these functions keys are on the Cmotion multi-function control lever and on the arm rest.

An optional in-cab printer is available to print out job details if required. Job-related details such as the number of loads, times and net tonnage (in combination with the load weight display) can be printed out via the terminal. This, according to Class, enables the user to issue the customer a delivery note at any time.

The Cargos can be set to operate in three different modes at the press of a button. The modes are field, road and unload. For example, before picking up grass and with the PTO running, pressing of field mode lowers the drawbar, pickup plus starts the pickup operation ready to load and chop grass. Basically, one button activates all the necessary hydraulic functions to ready the machine for that particular mode.

The wagon can fill in manual or auto modes. In auto, the wagon fills without the operator having to move the floor along. The Cargos is equipped with either a rigid front plate or a filling flap that can be folded forwards hydraulically by 90°.

The filling flap can be equipped with an integrated, adaptive automatic loading function. An angle sensor identifies the deflection of the filling flap and activates the scraper floor accordingly. A load-sensing unit on the rotor drive of the test machine measures the torque in the driveline (optional). The combination of these two sensors, Claas says, guarantees optimum filling of the wagon and the full use of the loading volume.

When using the wagon as a trailer in conventional harvesting operations, the top flap can be pivoted forward to allow the harvester to front-load. The loading system can be quickly and easily removed in around 15 minutes, says Claas.

Once the wagon is full, a trip to the clamp sees again single button unloading to open the tailgate and operate the floor (two speeds).

Setup and serviceability

Claas has very obviously put a lot of thought into setup and serviceability of its Cargos. From the ground, the operator can operate the knife bank and movable floor elevator sections. This provides enormous access to the knife bank without it having to be swung out away from the machine. Knives themselves are reversible. Locking and unlocking of the knives is simple. If a knife is stuck in place with grass, then it can be levered out of place using the Claas spanner. This long-handled device has a leverage spud which fits into a hole in the blade, allowing it to be levered out.

Converting the Cargos from a pickup wagon to silage trailer has also been well thought out. Removing four large bolts and unplugging three hydraulic pipes sees the whole chopping unit extracted.

Boltable rotor finger and bootable scrapers get a major thumbs up. It is inevitable that at some stage in its life the wagon will pick up something it cannot digest. Being able to repair it without having to fire up the gas bottles and welder should be a big plus when it comes to reducing down-time.