Tractor trio makes an outstanding impression at Shropshire mixed farm

Comfort, reliability, and operator friendliness are three standout features that Kel Jones and his team at Avenue Farm on the outskirts of Telford rate with their fleet of CLAAS tractors.

Having tried out demonstrators from four competitive tractor brands in 2022, the team at SKW Jones Ltd opted to upgrade their machines to CLAAS for use on their mixed farm which overlooks the Wrekin in Shropshire.

Kel Jones’ relatives have farmed at Avenue Farm for a remarkable 100 years, and together with his family and two full time members of staff; James and Alan, they undertake 350 acres of potatoes, 1,200 ‘bed and breakfast’ pigs, 300 acres of wheat, alongside growing fodder beet, oil seed rape and maize. They also run a small herd of beef cattle and sheep which winter graze the hay meadows.

In May 2022 the farm purchased a new 184hp CLAAS ARION 650 from Morris Corfield in Broseley; and after only a month of putting it work on the potato planter, trailers and fertiliser spreader, another ARION 650 landed on farm.

The original 650 HEXASHIFT was upgraded for a new ARION 660 CMATIC in September 2023 as the team wanted to move to a CVT gearbox, to use on the potato harvester. At the same time, a deal was done on an additional used CLAAS ARION 640 with 4,000 hours on the clock. Kel describes them as “fantastic tractors.”

The brand new 660 which is predominantly used on the potato harvester,  for cultivation work and spraying was spec’d as a CEBIS model (which includes a 10 inch touchscreen and integrated armrest and joystick). The model is 185hp as standard with a boost to 205hp mainly for transport applications. Kel opted for a 4 ton front linkage and 150L/M hydraulic pump, and 4 point cab suspension for extra comfort which comes as standard with the 660.  The tractor was also GPS ready which meant it could be easily integrated with his existing Trimble GPS system.

On asking why he opted for the CLAAS line up Mr Jones said “a combination of competitive pricing, and the fact that both operators straight away preferred the tractors to any of the other demo machines they had tried made our decision easy.” He continued “it’s paramount to us that the whole team is happy in their work. Both James and Alan are extremely pleased and proud of their machines and keep them in immaculate condition.”

Kel was also impressed with the speed that Morris Corfield salesman Martin Wood got back to him after his initial enquiry about a price, and was equally impressed when he received a visit from CLAAS tractor product managers. Based from the CLAAS factory in Le Mans, France, the specialists visited Avenue Farm after the purchase of the 660 to gain customer feedback for future projects they are working on.