Contractor Jakobsen

Martin and Ulrik Jakobsen, proprietors and operators of the Vogn Maskinstation contracting business are delighted with their CLAAS COUGAR 1400, which they bought in 2006 before the start of the harvesting season. "Some customers were a bit sceptical at first. Now though, they are glad to see the COUGAR at work in their fields, because it means their forage crops are going to be mowed quickly and in time, which ultimately ensures high-quality results," reports Ulrik.

For Martin and Ulrik Jakobsen, what matter most are, firstly, high mowing capacity, this being necessary to maintain the grass harvesting process flow, and, secondly, a high level of flexibility. This flexibility is achieved by COUGAR operator Ulrik Jakobsen, for whom a normal working means not only carrying out mowing work but also having time for other tasks, such as transporting liquid manure and compacting silage stacks.  "The workload can vary considerably, and if we had two butterfly sets instead of the COUGAR, we'd need an extra man and an extra tractor, who we'd have to keep occupied when there is no mowing work to do."

During the first two years, Martin and Ulrik Jakobsens' COUGAR harvested 6,500ha, and halfway through the third season the meter surpassed 8,700ha and approx. 1,000 hours. "At first, we thought that we'd have to use our butterfly sets for smaller customers, but the COUGAR can handle anything. The big machine gets round without any difficulty, and in fact is even easier to manoeuvre into corners. We still have an old butterfly set, but it now serves as a backup only."

When we visited Martin and Ulrik Jakobsen, they were working on a customer's farm, where they had been contracted to chop some 90ha, including 75ha of mowed grass and alfalfa, the remainder being directly harvested GPS. "On a normal day, we would mow an area of about 100ha with the COUGAR," reports Ulrik. "Although the machine is expensive to run, we could not do without its enormous power. So there is no way back - we can't go back down in performance."

Martin and Ulrik Jakobsen are now considering replacing their COUGAR after this or next season with a new one. In addition to the COUGAR, their silage process chain includes: a LINER 3000 rotary swather, a JAGUAR 850 (primarily for grass), a JAGUAR 900 (primarily for corn), two loaders for compacting silage stacks and up to 4 dump wagons.