The Claas Dominator is a range of self-propelled combine harvesters that Claas has sold since 1970. The name stayed on the company’s straw-walker combines through several generations and only finally left the price lists in 2014.
Claas Dominator at a glance
| Maker | Claas, Harsewinkel, Germany |
|---|---|
| First model | Dominator 80, presented in 1970, with five straw walkers |
| Second model | Dominator 100 of 1971, with six straw walkers |
| Type | self-propelled combine with straw walkers |
| Exception | Dominator 116 CS with separation cylinders, renamed Commandor from 1986 |
| Last of the classic line | Dominator 68 S, built until 2004 |
| Later models | Dominator 130 and 150 from 2004 to 2011, Dominator 140 until 2014 |
| Dominator 80 header | 4,800 mm, hydraulically adjustable cutting height |
| Dominator 80 threshing drum | 450 mm diameter, 1,320 mm wide, 460 to 1,500 rpm |
| Dominator 80 grain tank | 3.4 cubic metres, emptied in about 90 seconds |
| Dominator 80 engines | 105 PS at first, later a 120 PS Perkins, or a 140 PS Mercedes-Benz |
| Dominator 58 engine | Perkins A4.248, 63 kW, with a 27 hectolitre grain tank |
There is no English Wikipedia article on the Dominator; this page is based on the German article and its sources, Claas sales brochures from 1973 to 2014.
History of the Claas Dominator
From the Dominator 80 to the Commandor
The Dominator range was introduced in 1970 with the Dominator 80, a five-walker combine, followed in 1971 by the six-walker Dominator 100. These were conceived as machines for large farms, although by the end of their production period they were mostly bought by small and medium-sized farms. They were the first Claas combines to offer a hydrostatic drive and a driver’s cab as options. In 1981 came the Dominator 116 CS with the Cylinder System: it had no straw walkers but rollers that carried the straw backwards. To set it apart from the original Dominator this range was renamed Commandor in 1986 and built until 1995.
The numbered series
The Dominator 80 and 100 were replaced from 1974 by the five-series, whose models were called 85 and 105. From 1978 came the six-series with the Dominator 86 and 106, and for the first time the range was extended downwards with the Dominator 56, 66 and 76, which had a smaller four-walker body and smaller engines. The Dominator 96 was placed between the 86 and the 106 and, like the 106, had a turbocharged 150 PS (110 kW) engine and five straw walkers.
In 1981 followed the eight-series. The small Dominator 38 and 48 came first, replaced in 1982 by the 58 and 68; all four were built until 1987. The larger models from the Dominator 78 S to the 108 SL replaced the six-series from 1985 and were themselves replaced by a second generation of the eight-series. Production of the 78 S ended in 1992, the others were built until 1998. From 1998 came the VX models, sold until 2000 and 2002. The small eight-series models were replaced from 1987 by the small S models; apart from the 38 S, whose production ended in 1994, they stayed in the catalogue until 2003, and the 68 S until 2004. From 1993 some models of the new Mega range also carried the Dominator name.
After 2004
Claas sold the Dominator 130 and 150 from 2004 to 2011. They sat below the original Dominator 80 in the range but had much more modern technology, and the Dominator 140 remained on sale until 2014. For the Indian market Claas offers the Dominator 40 Terra Trac, which is based on the Crop Tiger but has a conventional tangential threshing system with four straw walkers.
Design and features
- Straw-walker separation: the classic Dominators shook the grain out of the straw on four, five or six walkers rather than with rotors.
- Adjustable threshing: on the Dominator 80 the drum ran from 460 to 1,500 rpm and the concave could be set from the driver’s seat.
- Quick header changes: the Dominator 80 had a quick coupling for its 4,800 mm header, with 3,900 and 5,100 mm versions and maize pickers available.
- Driver comfort as an option: a cab and a hydrostatic transmission were offered on the first Dominators, when both were still unusual.
Claas Dominator versions
- Dominator 80 and 100 (1970–1971): the first two models, with five and six straw walkers.
- Five-series and six-series (1974–1978): Dominator 85, 105, 86, 106 and the smaller 56, 66, 76 and 96.
- Eight-series (1981): from the Dominator 38 and 48 to the 58, 68 and the larger 78 S to 108 SL.
- S models: the small eight-series models built until 2003 and 2004.
- VX models (1998–2002): the last of the classic Dominator line.
- Dominator 130, 140 and 150: modern machines sold from 2004, the 140 until 2014.
- Dominator 40 Terra Trac: an Indian model based on the Crop Tiger.
The Lexion took over from the Dominator at the top of the Claas range, and the Cougar is the company’s self-propelled mower. More machines are in our Claas collection.
Video: Harvesting winter barley with a Claas Dominator 68
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Claas Dominator, German Wikipedia: series history, models, technical description of the Dominator 80 and 58
