PRACTICAL TEST: After putting the Cargos 8300 through a season long practical test we found ‘just short’ was the best way of summing up our experience with the Claas forage wagon; the overall size of the wagon is short, the chop length is short as is the list of shortcomings
When the Cargos 8300 was dropped off last spring there was a lot of sniggering in the village and not because it was a Claas forage wagon. Comments such as ‘has it shrunk in the wash’ or ‘where is the rest of it’ were among the most common. But once we tucked the Cargos into work the mocking soon stopped thanks to its chopping capability, considerable appetite and the obvious agility of this stumpy machine.
Claas introduced the three model Cargos 8000 in 2015 to complement the heavier 9000 and since then a handful of the 8300 and 8400 have been sold in the UK and Ireland with an 8500 yet to find a home over here. DIN capacities of the trio are 30.0m3, 35.5m3 and 41.5m3 without discharge beaters. Our test machine had the latter so its load capacity was curtailed to 27.0m3.
The Cargos is hitched on using a ring or K80 ball hitch. The drawbar is nice and slim and can even take a 4,000kg load. When folded up the parking stand disappears into the drawbar allowing you to make the most of the turning angle when the wagon is fitted with the optional electric forced steering system. We were equally impressed with the hose routing and holder although it may turn into a back window killer on a smaller tractor.
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