The Liner range of forage harvesters developed by Claas is still impressing, 20 years after its introduction
First launched in 1999, the Liner range of four-rotor swathers helped lift productivity by 30 per cent when farmers started using them, Claas Harvest Centre product manager Luke Wheeler says.
Wheeler says Claas developed the range to eliminate a bottleneck in pasture forage harvesting – building a high-performance rake that could match the capacity of its Jaguar harvesters.
With a working width of up to 12.5m, the Liner 3000 doubled the productivity of two-rotor swathers in the years following its introduction 20 years ago, he says.
“Since then, it is no exaggeration to say that the four-rotor Liner series has become synonymous with productivity, forage quality, user convenience and reliability,” he says.
Today’s Liner 4000 and 3600 models have maximum working widths from 9.9 to 15.5m and swathing widths from 1.2 to 2.6m, designed to easily adapt to different forage materials and all commonly used pick-ups.
The silage tines specially developed by Claas ensure clean and complete crop pick-up at all times, while the Profix tine arm attachment system allows them to be replaced in the field with minimal effort.
All Liner models feature hermetically-sealed, maintenance-free rotor domes that continuously lubricate cam rollers in an oil bath.
“The pre-defined bending points are located outside the rotor dome, thereby protecting the internal components and minimising maintenance,” Wheeler says.
“The large diameter and gradual rise of the cast iron cam track ensures smooth-running tine arms and clean raking.
“The smooth movement of the cam rollers also significantly boosts the components’ service life.”
Despite their impressive operating widths, both models fold down to compact dimensions for safe road transport at speeds of up to 50km/h without the operator having to leave the cab or remove any tine arms.
The Liner 4000 and 3600 are controlled using the Operator, Communicator II, S10 or any ISOBUS-compatible terminal – as well as the tablet-based Claas Easy On Board app.
Wheeler says the app allows the operator to match machine settings to ground and working conditions – with these settings able to be stored in the machine’s memory, and even automated.
“The working width, swathing width and rotor height are all infinitely variable,” he says.
“Likewise, the headland clearance height can be adjusted to allow the machine to pass over even the highest forage crop volumes without affecting the swath shape.”