Claas Arion 520
- Thread starter trewern
- Start date
Had two 510s and onto my second 530 have done somewhere between 17 and 18 thousand hours with them. Have to say they are probably the most underrated tractor on the market today. The main weak point is head gaskets but Claas very good at looking after customers. The newer type Arion is much improved better vision better ventilation better shift between the ranges with such a good gearshift I have to ask why people would need a power hungry variable gearbox.
If Claas could get FPT engines into the 500 series Arions they would be unstoppable. Chuffed with them all from 2008.
If Claas could get FPT engines into the 500 series Arions they would be unstoppable. Chuffed with them all from 2008.
Well that's a bit more of a positive than what I'm hearing off locals it's currently getting all the love it needs with a full service with the local dealer... I'm just looking to buy a few implements and at the moment it a toss up between a mower or mower conditioner what's the pros and cons ?
Bought first mower conditioner in 98 three years ago went to a 3.2mtr plain mower thought the conditioner would be too heavy on the braes, never had so much water in bales so traded in for one with conditioner. Huge difference when trying to get bales as dry as possible to reduce plastic haulage and ultimately bedding. Conditioner in my opinion is worth at least one turn with tedder
Cowabunga
Member
- Location
- Ceredigion,Wales
Modern conditioners spread/tedd the crop as it is mown, which is worth 2 tedd in my opinion.
I was mowing all day Sunday and yesterday morning, one extra tedd and its almost all in the clamp just now. Heavy crop and ideal dry matter with about 36 hours of wilting.
3.2m JD/Kuhn mowco bought used. Now in its 11th year and 3rd with me. Only issue is that the raising ram pivot cracks around the boss and I had to weld it up yesterday morning on the side that was OK last year. The frame the other side of the ram cracked and split and had to be re-enforced two years ago. It is a big heavy thing for linkage mounting.
I suspect a 2.4 or 2.8m mounted mower would best suit a Claas 520. Riverlea sell Lely and Claas mower-conditioners. The Lely is particularly light. Don't buy a clapped out one though.
I was mowing all day Sunday and yesterday morning, one extra tedd and its almost all in the clamp just now. Heavy crop and ideal dry matter with about 36 hours of wilting.
3.2m JD/Kuhn mowco bought used. Now in its 11th year and 3rd with me. Only issue is that the raising ram pivot cracks around the boss and I had to weld it up yesterday morning on the side that was OK last year. The frame the other side of the ram cracked and split and had to be re-enforced two years ago. It is a big heavy thing for linkage mounting.
I suspect a 2.4 or 2.8m mounted mower would best suit a Claas 520. Riverlea sell Lely and Claas mower-conditioners. The Lely is particularly light. Don't buy a clapped out one though.
That's a good bit of info. funnyenough I was in Riverlea and I been looking at the lely mowers think I've decided to go for a straight mower and tedd it once or twice more what ever the case may be. On the other hand now it's a toss up between a lely 240 classic and the 280m the difference not only being size but a flotation sprung head... Do I need this? bearing in mind the grounds all over the place or is the classic the one to go for id rather the floatations head but seams a lot extra for a spring... What's about he Claas mowers in comparison what's the on to go for?
Cowabunga
Member
- Location
- Ceredigion,Wales
Depends on the acreage and the time and labour you can devote to the job as to whether a straight mower of mowco is best for you.
Not sure what the difference between the versions is, but beware that some cheaper versions of some brands may have an inner shoe that can catch and bunch up the cut grass on narrow runs. More professional [expensive] models don't have this and can cope with narrow or tapered end runs far better.
Personally I'm not a fan of the Lely mowers with their hexagonal drive to crown wheel and pinions, but a lot of people do like them.
Well I'm pretty new to farming and cutting hay haylage so in looking to buy a mower on recomendations don't really know what I want or what is needed just know I need one sharpish before I have to pay someone else do cut and turn again fed up year on year paying to cut and turn so decided I'm gunna do it outer self and then having third kit hopefully do a bit more as well . So any recomendations may help .... Like I said I was looking more toward to 280m lely but if that's not what to buy then what is ?
The Son
Member
- Location
- Herefordshire
Don't discount the lely, I run a 3m front and 3.2 back with conditioneers, granted they are not a contractors machine, but for on farm use with a sensible operator they are fine.
You will get good backup from riverlea.
You will get good backup from riverlea.
- Location
- South wales
This was my tractor in my old job she bossed that mower and it was a cracking mower hardly hit blades off and cut real neat followed the ground well too
the tractor went well when I was there aside from the head gasket and a stupid issue with the bolt snapping in the rear linkage cross shaft, believe since I've left it's had another gasket go and the bolt issue hasn't been resolved other than that a nice comfy place to spend the day
This is a bit unfair to the Claas tractor especially in south/west wales.
I would ask you neighbours just how many Claas tractors they have owned and exactly how many of them fell to pieces or suddenly exploded in the middle of a field.
As for mower the lely is cheaper than the Claas and will do everything you want and would suit the size of tractor you bought.
If your going to buy a mower conditioner then the extra £1000 to buy the Claas mower is worth the extra money just to have the steel conditioner tines
Nice machine did that come from river lea ? I looked at the same mower in river lea yesterday think it a bit big really.... Starting to hear a few bad stories on head gaskets... Heard having the egr cooler removed can help them run cooler ? What up with the linkage cross shaft bolt ????
Head gasket on the 4 cylinder tractors is not as common as the 6 cylinders.
Don't go to meet your troubles. Buy a big mower and enjoy your new tractor .they all break down at some point and its not worth worrying about what might go wrong.
The best advice I can give you is to use quality clean fuel and treat here to a bit of additive now and then.
Don't go to meet your troubles. Buy a big mower and enjoy your new tractor .they all break down at some point and its not worth worrying about what might go wrong.
The best advice I can give you is to use quality clean fuel and treat here to a bit of additive now and then.
I know it a little unfair it just what I'm hearing of people who don't own one I can't say I've heard much of someone who owns one curse them out out her than the ones that have blown to peices think I'm gunna end up goin for a straight mower tho
Guess your right can't worry and on that note I've got to sort out fuel filters on the diesel tank
- Location
- South wales
Yes both from llandow, not really sure what was causing the bolt to snap used to pull a 5 fur plough over 5/600 acres a season and it would never pull right one way no matter what I did so something wasn't right so I'm guessing there was more pressure one side and it would snap the bolt which then played hell with the load sensing so the arms would have a mind of there own, other than that as I said it was a nice tractor to spend the day in
- Location
- South wales
Cis. Although it's big it was surprisingly light, as far as I know they've not changed it so may not be the same one