Based in Clane, Co Kildare, Bart Maertens runs a tillage enterprise alongside B&B’ing cattle for a beef farmer. He also does some hire work for local farmers. Last autumn, he took delivery of a fully loaded ex-demo Claas Arion 660, equipped with a Cmatic transmission and autosteer. With over 800 hours now on the tractor’s clock, we visited Bart to see how it has performed.
The Arion 660 is a relatively new tractor to the market. It was first showcased at Agritechnica two years ago, with the first units appearing in Ireland last year. The 660 was introduced by Claas in an attempt to bridge the gap between the 600 series and the 800 series. The 660 offers users more horsepower in a smaller frame.
Why Claas?
Although the Maertens family has a strong connection with Deutz tractors, they always keep one different brand in the fleet. Bart jokingly explained: “We always liked to keep one stray around the yard. It keeps the dealers on their toes.”
The first brand outside of SDF (Same Deutz Fahr) they purchased was a new John Deere 6920 in 2002. After giving head gasket issues, they decided to trade it in and try out a Claas. They went on to buy a new Ares 826 in late 2007, apparently the last 826 ever built. Claas machines were beginning to get popular in the area at the time thanks to a local dealer, and the reports from farmers were positive, with value for money being quoted by many. Although they purchased three new Deutz tractors since, Bart opted to go back to a Claas. Originally, he decided to trade in the 826 and buy a fresh used Claas, but he ended up keeping the 826. After looking at an 800 series, he felt they were too big and awkward for his operation. He later tried out a demonstration 660, and a deal was done before it ever left his yard.
Bart is a huge fan of the cab layout, noting that all controls are very close and easy to navigate through.
Engine
The Arion 660 is powered by a 6.8l six-cylinder DPS (Deere Power Systems) engine with a rated power of 185hp and maximum output of 205hp. This additional 20hp boost comes from Claas Power Management (CPM).
Bart said: “All the other tractors I’ve had up to now have a rated raw power, with no boost. In fairness, all 205hp is under the hood on the 660, but I prefer raw direct power over systems that use a boost.”
On a 3m one-pass system, Bart is burning eight litres of diesel an acre. He said AdBlue consumption varies depending on what work he’s doing with the tractor, but typically one tank of AdBlue will last two-and-a-half tanks of diesel. Another feature he liked was the 370l diesel tank.
Transmission
The Arion range up to the 650 comes with two transmission options, six-speed power-shift Hexashift or Cmatic. However, only the Cmatic transmission is currently available in the 660 model. Cmatic is a continually variable transmission (CVT).
This is the first CVT tractor in Bart’s fleet. He said: “I was very sceptical and apprehensive making the move to a Vario transmission. There were very few Cmatic transmissions around here at the time. The first day I had it on demo I was ploughing with the tractor. I didn’t like it at all at first.
“Between all the technology on the tractor and the transmission I felt I didn’t have as much control. I stuck with it and as the days went on I began to like it. Once I got a bit more courage, I began to play around with the features and how to get the most from the tractor. To date, I’m very happy with it. But I am keeping it under a very strict service routine.”
The Cmatic transmission has three operating modes – accelerator pedal, drive lever and manual. In the first two modes the forward speed of the tractor can be altered by either the accelerator pedal or the drive lever. The engine speed and transmission ratio will then automatically adjust itself for maximum performance. In manual mode the operator selects engine speed and the transmission ratio. The Cmatic transmission is built in-house by Claas.
Cab
Bart is a huge fan of the cab layout, noting that all controls are very close together and easy to navigate through. He would, however, like a little more room behind the seat. This is Bart’s first fully loaded tractor with all the bells and whistles. He said: “When I run the tractor on the one-pass, I use auto steer, headland management and cruise control. When seeding and I come to the headland, by pressing one button I can knock off the PTO, drop the engine RPM, lift the front and rear linkages and turn the tractor. I could never go back to my previous system.”
He noted that the autosteer did act up a few times but a software update sorted it. He now plans to keep one very high-spec tractor in his yard, but said it will have to be driven by himself as it’s not a contractor’s tractor that anyone can hop into.
Only the Cmatic transmission is currently available in the 660 model.
Front axle
In their day, Renault tractors were known for being comfortable. When Claas later took them over, this trend continued. This was helped by the Carraro front axle that has been used on so many tractors over the years. However, as many are well aware, if it’s not maintained correctly, it can prove very costly.
As a result, the latest Arion 600 series tractors have moved away from this axle to a much more straightforward system. The new axle is manufactured by Dana Spicer. It’s suspended via two rams, reducing the amount of moving parts.
Bart feels comfort isn’t compromised with the new axle: “I was much happier buying the tractor with the new axle. My other Claas has 20 grease nipples on the front axle. This new axle is far simpler with less moving parts.”
The spec
Engine: 6.8l six cylinder DPS (Deere Power Systems) engine
Horsepower: 185hp boosting to 205hp
Transmission: Cmatic- continuous variable transmission (CVT)
Hydraulics: Load-sensing circuit 110l/min standard or 150l/min optional
Weight: 7860-8335kg
Lift capacity: 8,000kg
Fuel tank capacity: 370 litres
List price: €195,000 plus VAT
Based in Clane, Co Kildare, Bart Maertens runs a tillage enterprise alongside B&B’ing cattle for a beef farmer. He also does some hire work for local farmers. Last autumn, he took delivery of a fully loaded ex-demo Claas Arion 660, equipped with a Cmatic transmission and autosteer. With over 800 hours now on the tractor’s clock, we visited Bart to see how it has performed.
The Arion 660 is a relatively new tractor to the market. It was first showcased at Agritechnica two years ago, with the first units appearing in Ireland last year. The 660 was introduced by Claas in an attempt to bridge the gap between the 600 series and the 800 series. The 660 offers users more horsepower in a smaller frame.
Why Claas?
Although the Maertens family has a strong connection with Deutz tractors, they always keep one different brand in the fleet. Bart jokingly explained: “We always liked to keep one stray around the yard. It keeps the dealers on their toes.”
The first brand outside of SDF (Same Deutz Fahr) they purchased was a new John Deere 6920 in 2002. After giving head gasket issues, they decided to trade it in and try out a Claas. They went on to buy a new Ares 826 in late 2007, apparently the last 826 ever built. Claas machines were beginning to get popular in the area at the time thanks to a local dealer, and the reports from farmers were positive, with value for money being quoted by many. Although they purchased three new Deutz tractors since, Bart opted to go back to a Claas. Originally, he decided to trade in the 826 and buy a fresh used Claas, but he ended up keeping the 826. After looking at an 800 series, he felt they were too big and awkward for his operation. He later tried out a demonstration 660, and a deal was done before it ever left his yard.
Bart is a huge fan of the cab layout, noting that all controls are very close and easy to navigate through.
Engine
The Arion 660 is powered by a 6.8l six-cylinder DPS (Deere Power Systems) engine with a rated power of 185hp and maximum output of 205hp. This additional 20hp boost comes from Claas Power Management (CPM).
Bart said: “All the other tractors I’ve had up to now have a rated raw power, with no boost. In fairness, all 205hp is under the hood on the 660, but I prefer raw direct power over systems that use a boost.”
On a 3m one-pass system, Bart is burning eight litres of diesel an acre. He said AdBlue consumption varies depending on what work he’s doing with the tractor, but typically one tank of AdBlue will last two-and-a-half tanks of diesel. Another feature he liked was the 370l diesel tank.
Transmission
The Arion range up to the 650 comes with two transmission options, six-speed power-shift Hexashift or Cmatic. However, only the Cmatic transmission is currently available in the 660 model. Cmatic is a continually variable transmission (CVT).
This is the first CVT tractor in Bart’s fleet. He said: “I was very sceptical and apprehensive making the move to a Vario transmission. There were very few Cmatic transmissions around here at the time. The first day I had it on demo I was ploughing with the tractor. I didn’t like it at all at first.
“Between all the technology on the tractor and the transmission I felt I didn’t have as much control. I stuck with it and as the days went on I began to like it. Once I got a bit more courage, I began to play around with the features and how to get the most from the tractor. To date, I’m very happy with it. But I am keeping it under a very strict service routine.”
The Cmatic transmission has three operating modes – accelerator pedal, drive lever and manual. In the first two modes the forward speed of the tractor can be altered by either the accelerator pedal or the drive lever. The engine speed and transmission ratio will then automatically adjust itself for maximum performance. In manual mode the operator selects engine speed and the transmission ratio. The Cmatic transmission is built in-house by Claas.
Cab
Bart is a huge fan of the cab layout, noting that all controls are very close together and easy to navigate through. He would, however, like a little more room behind the seat. This is Bart’s first fully loaded tractor with all the bells and whistles. He said: “When I run the tractor on the one-pass, I use auto steer, headland management and cruise control. When seeding and I come to the headland, by pressing one button I can knock off the PTO, drop the engine RPM, lift the front and rear linkages and turn the tractor. I could never go back to my previous system.”
He noted that the autosteer did act up a few times but a software update sorted it. He now plans to keep one very high-spec tractor in his yard, but said it will have to be driven by himself as it’s not a contractor’s tractor that anyone can hop into.
Only the Cmatic transmission is currently available in the 660 model.
Front axle
In their day, Renault tractors were known for being comfortable. When Claas later took them over, this trend continued. This was helped by the Carraro front axle that has been used on so many tractors over the years. However, as many are well aware, if it’s not maintained correctly, it can prove very costly.
As a result, the latest Arion 600 series tractors have moved away from this axle to a much more straightforward system. The new axle is manufactured by Dana Spicer. It’s suspended via two rams, reducing the amount of moving parts.
Bart feels comfort isn’t compromised with the new axle: “I was much happier buying the tractor with the new axle. My other Claas has 20 grease nipples on the front axle. This new axle is far simpler with less moving parts.”
The spec
Engine: 6.8l six cylinder DPS (Deere Power Systems) engine
Horsepower: 185hp boosting to 205hp
Transmission: Cmatic- continuous variable transmission (CVT)
Hydraulics: Load-sensing circuit 110l/min standard or 150l/min optional
Weight: 7860-8335kg
Lift capacity: 8,000kg
Fuel tank capacity: 370 litres
List price: €195,000 plus VAT
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