The CLAAS DISCO 9700 combines high throughput with operator comfort and maximum versatility

High flexibility in terms of operation and equipment

The new DISCO 9700 series from CLAAS is geared mainly towards farmers and contractors operating in irregularly shaped fields and on slopes where a high degree of flexibility is required for overlapping. In addition, the large-scale mowers are particularly well-suited for handling high crop volumes. There are five different models to choose from:

• DISCO 9700 COMFORT without conditioner
• DISCO 9700 C BUSINESS with tine conditioner
• DISCO 9700 RC BUSINESS with roller conditioner
• DISCO 9700 C AUTO SWATHER with tine conditioner and swath grouping
• DISCO 9700 RC AUTO SWATHER with roller conditioner and swath grouping

The new large-scale mowers combine tried and tested features such as MAX CUT mower beds with quick knife change and ACTIVE FLOAT suspension with innovative new developments. This all adds up to clean forage, maximum sward protection and high capacity paired with high cutting frequency at a PTO speed of only 850rpm for optimum efficiency. The new, flow-optimised wear skids first introduced on the DISCO 8500, DISCO 9300 and DISCO 1010 in 2022 that extend the cut height by 15 mm are also available for all DISCO 9700 as well as all front mowers. They not only reduce crude ash contamination and speed up regrowth – they also reduce tractive power requirement and diesel consumption by providing enhanced grass sward protection.

The blades and covers of the anticlockwise-rotating discs are painted red to ensure that replacement blades can be immediately assigned to the appropriate mower discs. The removable, portable blade box is divided into three compartments for red and black replacement blades and used blades.

The innovative hitch frame with angled arms ensures optimum centre of gravity at the headland and on the road – for added soil protection and road safety. The two models with AUTO SWATHER swath grouping feature a reinforced headstock. Hydraulic hoses (fitted with Kennfixx couplers as standard) and electric cables are safely stowed in a new parking bracket when the mower is unhitched. A central lubrication system which supplies all lubrication points except the drive shafts is optionally available in some countries for both AUTO SWATHER models.

Variable working width with optional slope control

On all DISCO 9700 models, the new swinging arms can be hydraulically pivoted outwards by 300mm and inwards by 50mm (maximum travel 700 mm) to adjust the overlap when turning corners and working across slopes. This helps to avoid unmown strips. The swing arm travel can be infinitely adjusted from the cab between 8.80 and 9.50 m. When opening the field and mowing on slopes, the overlap can be variably increased giving up to 50 cm on each side to ensure stripe-free mowing, even with these applications. When folded into transport position, the arms automatically retract to a height of less than 4.00 m.

Ground-contour following is not affected by the swing arm travel because of the broad central mounting position and special twin guidance of the mower units via the arms. Furthermore, the comfort version of the ACTIVE FLOAT regularly and automatically compares the actual pressure with the target pressure and continually adjusts the ground pressure in response. Optional slope control is available which uses a tilt sensor to individually adjust the telescopic travel and the ACTIVE FLOAT ground pressure control of the left and right arm. This function counteracts drift – protecting the grass sward and reducing the driver's workload. In the AUTO SWATHER models, the belt speed is automatically adjusted at the same time.

The arms are equipped with individual non-stop collision protection each with an inclined rotational axis: when the mower encounters an obstacle, the arm swings back and over it – moving the mower unit as far from the danger zone as possible.

Robust, low-maintenance drive

The mower units are driven by new Walterscheid P-Line triple telescopic drive shafts with specially toughened large-diameter steel profiles. The new higher capacity K-90 friction clutch is bolted directly to the universal joint shaft, making it quick and easy to service.

A double roller drive with a specially developed scissor gearbox which guarantees maximum throughput even with the highest of yields is available for RC models. The new drive is a standard feature of the DISCO 9700 RC AUTO SWATHER and optionally available for RC front mowers and the DISCO 9700 RC BUSINESS.

The technical features include new Walterscheid P-Line triple PTO shafts, adjustable swing arms for a working width of up to 9.50 m and ACTIVE FLOAT as well as non-stop collision protection as standard. A new scissor gearbox has been developed for the double roller drive of the RC roller conditioner.

AUTO SWATHER for maximum throughput during swath grouping

CLAAS has launched the two most powerful belt grouper mowers on the market for tractors up to 500 hp – the DISCO 9700 C AUTO SWATHER and DISCO 9700 RC AUTO SWATHER. These mowers have been specifically developed for harvesting lucerne, whole-crop silage and winter forage alongside traditional grass crops, with the focus on maximum yields and forage volumes. The harvested crop is gently and effectively crushed without loss by two counter-rotating polyurethane rollers. Furthermore, the conditioner extends across the entire width of the mower bed to avoid any forage jams.

The DISCO 9700 RC AUTO SWATHER features new design concepts for exceptionally high-yielding crops, such as a modified, innovative crop transfer to the 1100 mm wide Kevlar-reinforced conveyor belt and subsequent discharge to the swath. The two angled positions not only ensure that the belt is uniformly filled; in addition, a large volume of material can be consolidated into a single swath, producing a perfectly shaped swath for the harvester following behind.

One or both of the belt units can be folded up hydraulically when working without swath grouping or using the "19 to 12" method where a working width of 19 m is consolidated to 12 m for the next pass with a 12.7 m wide standard four-rotor swather. This function is also useful when there is little regrowth or less wilting is required. Simple mirroring at the press of a button enables convenient toggling between the right and left active AUTO SWATHER belt unit.

Standard ISOBUS operation

COMFORT and BUSINESS versions of the DISCO 9700 come with full ISOBUS-compatibility as standard. On the DISCO 9700 COMFORT, the arms are lifted and lowered by preselection and subsequent activation of the hydraulic spool valve or alternatively via the tractor's headland management. Functions such as telescopic travel, protective cover folding and ACTIVE FLOAT are controlled via the load-sensing hydraulics. In the BUSINESS models with comprehensive load-sensing hydraulics, these functions are operated by the soft and hard keys on the tractor or ISOBUS Universal Terminal (e.g. CEBIS, CEMIS 700 or CEMIS 1200). F key assignment via AUX-O or AUX-N, for example on the CMOTION multifunction control lever, is also possible.

Key features of the five new DISCO 9700 models at a glance:

• Four BUSINESS models with tine or roller conditioners – two with AUTO SWATHER swath grouping – and one COMFORT model
• DISCO 9700 RC AUTO SWATHER with new crop flow, extremely robust scissor gearbox and 1100 mm wide belt conveyor with two angled positions as the new specialist for maximum crop volumes
• Swinging arms for continuously adjustable working width from 8.80 to 9.50 m
• Non-stop collision protection for DISCO 9700 BUSINESS (hydraulic) and DISCO 9700 COMFORT (mechanical)
• ACTIVE FLOAT Comfort ground pressure control for all DISCO 9700
• § MAX CUT mower bed with red blades and caps for easy blade changes
• § Wear skids for increasing cut height by 15 mm: less crude ash contamination, faster regrowth
• § New Walterscheid P-Line triple telescopic drive shaft with specially toughened profile tubes and new K-90 friction clutch
• § Double roller drive with scissor gearbox for RC models enables optimum throughput with maximum stability
• § Optional slope control for lateral traversing, ground pressure and belt speed
• § COMFORT and BUSINESS with full ISOBUS-compatibility
• § COMFORT: load sensing for ACTIVE FLOAT ground pressure control, swing arm travel and protective cover folding; preselection for lifting and lowering the arms or connection to tractor headland management
• § BUSINESS: continuous load-sensing hydraulic system with direct operation via ISOBUS terminal or connection to tractor headland management
• § Optional central lubrication and oil cooler for selected markets