Combines and cuddles: How CLAAS is every man’s best friend

At the intersection of innovation and family tradition, you’ll find the Knotts.

The Knott family has been farming for three generations. With five brothers, two nephews, and their founding father, the farm manages several chicken houses and grows corn and soybeans.

What makes the Knott operation even more unique is their 17-year partnership with CLAAS.

“We ran a competitor combine for four years and then it started falling apart. That’s when we went to a LEXION and we’ve been happy with them ever since,” said Ron Knott, the self-proclaimed biggest CLAAS fan.

Since switching to CLAAS, not only has Ron noticed fewer breakdowns, but he has also seen consistent performance, reliability, and minimal downtime waiting for parts or repairs.

“I never go without parts,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s Sunday or whatever, I can get ahold of who I need to. I don’t have anything but good things to say about CLAAS.”

Another cog in the well-oiled machine of the Knott’s farm is the tracks on their LEXION combine. For a farm with rolling hills, river bottoms and narrow roads, the tracks help provide smoother travel and reduce wear and tear on the equipment.

“If anybody ever got into a LEXION and ran it with those tracks, they’d see there’s no comparison. It’s unbelievable on rougher terrain and it’s so smooth going up and down the road,” Ron said. The tracks are not only smoother but more transport-friendly, perfect for navigating tight spaces.

The addition of features like the 4D sieve and rotor flaps on their newest combines ensures that they can maintain minimal sieve loss, even on challenging hillsides. “One of the biggest things for us is that you can run faster and you won’t see the loss on corn. That grain loss can add up.”

“I’ve been around the machines long enough to know them like the back of my hand at this point,” said Ron. “It will outperform just about anything.”

Ron has had such a great experience with CLAAS, he even named one of his dogs after the brand.

“His name is CLAAS Cuddles Knott. That’s a really good name for him, too. I run a CLAAS combine all day and cuddle with a CLAAS at night,” Ron said.

CLAAS is a two-year-old Great Pyrenees who enjoys riding along in the combine, playing with his LEXION toy and roughhousing with his other puppy sibling, Charlie Nibbles Knott.

“You aren’t going to find a bigger CLAAS fan than me,” Ron said.