Claas Meteor Combine

[Devil's advocate]

What sort of age would a Claas Meteor be? Think plate was a G but it looked donkeys years older than a Clayson M133 that we used to have which was a 1964 on a D plate.

Had one into finish a field when my NH 1530 broke down last year. Looked a real scary piece of kit. Steel seat up in the air, unguarded belts & chains inches from driver. It broke down & barley was full of straw so a waste of time. Still kind of owner to try & have a go.

 

[Lincsman]

Claas were light years behind Clayson and Massey in that era, they actually looked home made.

 

[oakleaf]

Claas were light years behind Clayson and Massey in that era, they actually looked home made.

Agreed. Things only changed with the arrival of the Dominators.

 

[mad contractor 3]

Agreed. Things only changed with the arrival of the Dominators.

there were a lot of good models before the dominators- senator and Mercator to mention 2

 

[mad contractor 3]

Agreed. Things only changed with the arrival of the Dominators.

there were a lot of good models before the dominators- senator and Mercator to mention 2

 

[Exfarmer]

Never heard of a meteor perhaps mercury dating back to late 60's
Or merctator mid 70'

 

[Niels]

Indeed I haven't! You must mean the Mercator (which was quickly renamed Senator in the UK after one very very troublesom season) or the Mercury?

Claas had some good machines, particularly because of a very good dealer network I think? I doubt you can say the SF was any better or worse than the Clayson MZ. If you look at the Senator that still uses the SF drum etc.. they used that concept for a very long time! Claas have a name for technology and backup usually is good. What makes them winner on the block! The whole Claas-UK story is quite interesting. Nice bit about it in last months Classic Tractor. Basically the British army walked into Harsewinkel, took the machines and design and brought it to the UK!

 

[Exfarmer]

Indeed I haven't! You must mean the Mercator (which was quickly renamed Senator in the UK after one very very troublesom season) or the Mercury?

Claas had some good machines, particularly because of a very good dealer network I think? I doubt you can say the SF was any better or worse than the Clayson MZ. If you look at the Senator that still uses the SF drum etc.. they used that concept for a very long time! Claas have a name for technology and backup usually is good. What makes them winner on the block! The whole Claas-UK story is quite interesting. Nice bit about it in last months Classic Tractor. Basically the British army walked into Harsewinkel, took the machines and design and brought it to the UK!

Sadly they did not bring the factory
If you look at the history of West Germany after the war
The british sector , think I am right had Claas Volkswagen And BMW in their domain
The Brits got the factories going and imported the products
In the US sector they had Lanz, And Opel in its wisdom the US government asked
John Deere and GM to take them over to get going again
Wonder who did best?

 

[Qman]

In 1965 we had a Claas Mercury 10' cut and a pal of my dad's had a MF 400. The Claas was about 10 times better!!!
I had a Senator 60 for many years, it was a great combine much better than any red or yellow ones!!!
Are Claas combines becoming the new John Deere and VW, everyone tries to knock them out of some sort of envy???

 

[grumpy]

i had a jf trailed combine well werent trailed the tractor kind of drove in to the side of it and powered it any you guys seen one of them ?traded id for a claas mercury

 

[Devil's advocate]

Could be Meteor perhaps.

G reg should be about 1966/67. Very primative indeed only 8 foot cut perhaps less. Worst thing was the seat just a steel one on a pole similar to horse drawn rakes.

i had a jf trailed combine well werent trailed the tractor kind of drove in to the side of it and powered it any you guys seen one of them ?traded id for a claas mercury

Yes remember them at shows as late as 1978 usually shown with David Brown 996 fitted in the middle. Harry Ferguson designed the prototype to fit around a grey fergie in the mid 1950's. We had a trailled IH bagger combine 6 foot cut until 1974, machine made late 50's to actually not that old then just out dated.

 

[Niels]

i had a jf trailed combine well werent trailed the tractor kind of drove in to the side of it and powered it any you guys seen one of them ?traded id for a claas mercury

60.000 of these 'wrap around' JF combines were build. Certainly a popular machine for small farms. Plus a lot of people will remember the DB model and JF combine toy models from Corgi I reckon! Here's a photo: http://otc-k.net/jf.jpg

 

[grumpy]

60.000 of these 'wrap around' JF combines were build. Certainly a popular machine for small farms. Plus a lot of people will remember the DB model and JF combine toy models from Corgi I reckon! Here's a photo: http://otc-k.net/jf.jpg

thats it,worked surprisingly well if you just had 50 acre to cut

 

[Selectamatic]

thats it,worked surprisingly well if you just had 50 acre to cut

What if it was 50 acres of laid stuff? I bet that was a pain, not being able to see the table?

 

[Devil's advocate]

What if it was 50 acres of laid stuff? I bet that was a pain, not being able to see the table?

lifters

 

[Selectamatic]

lifters

Could you see the lifters then? Not trying to be a clever dick, genuinely interested.

 

[Devil's advocate]

This is very similar to my neighbour's machine, sure it was badged Mercury though, how old?

 

[grumpy]

some dividers on it^

 

[Devil's advocate]

some dividers on it^

Yes he did mine without said they were too heavy. Can understand why now.

 

[blackbob]

'100 years of Claas' feature at New Deer show today/tomorrow, sorry i didn't look to see what models these were, but I'm hoping to go tomorrow too: