Claydon

Claydon is a British agricultural machinery brand based in Suffolk, England, developed by the Claydon family, who have farmed the heavy clay lands of Suffolk since the early 1900s. The commercial entity, Claydon Yield-o-Meter Limited, was formed in 1981 after Jeff Claydon invented the Claydon Yield-o-Meter, the first grain monitoring device that could be fitted to a combine harvester. This innovation won a Royal Agricultural Society of England Silver Medal in 1995 and was widely adopted on combines across the UK and Europe. In 2003, Jeff Claydon launched the first Claydon direct drill, the V Drill, marking the brand's entry into seed drilling machinery. The company has since developed the Opti-Till® system, a direct seeding technology designed to reduce establishment costs, improve soil structure and health, and increase yields. Claydon's product range includes seed drills, stubble management equipment, and weed control machines. The brand positions itself as offering affordable, modern farm machinery for sustainable crop establishment, with the tagline 'Farm Smarter' and the 'THINK CHANGE' campaign. Claydon machines are used by farmers worldwide, and the company emphasizes its farmer-led approach: 'Developed by farmers for farmers.' The brand remains privately owned by the Claydon family under the E.T. Claydon & Sons partnership, with Jeff Claydon serving as CEO. The company continues to innovate in agricultural machinery, focusing on soil health and sustainable farming practices.

The Claydon family have farmed the heavy clay lands of Suffolk, in the east of England, since the early 1900s. Jeff and Frank Claydon have been farming since 1970 and are the third generation to do so under the E.T. Claydon & Sons partnership. The first Claydon product was the Claydon Yield-o-Meter, invented by Jeff in 1980. The company Claydon Yield-o-Meter Limited was subsequently formed in 1981. Jeff's vision was to create a grain monitoring device that could be fitted to almost any combine and would give accurate readings of how tonnes were being harvested by the combine, as opposed to using the traditional method of a weighbridge. This was to become the first ever grain monitoring device to be fitted to a combine. The yield monitor enabled the farmer to analyse data they previously had to guess. It helped them determine high yielding crops and varieties much more easily. It gave the farmer an accurate reading of how much grain he had harvested that minute, hour, day, month and year. Such was its success, the Yield-o-Meter won a Royal Agricultural Society of England Silver Medal in 1995. The Yield-o-Meter was fitted to many combines (mainly CLAAS) in the UK and Europe. In 1995 Claydon Yield-o-Meter Ltd brought the Furrow Cracker to the UK market. This is a device that has been fitted to hundreds of ploughs throughout the UK. It slices through the freshly turned clods at up to 6 inches deep in 2 inch rows, allowing the weather into the soil to decompose the clod naturally. In 2003, Jeff launched to market the first Claydon direct drill – the V Drill. The drill... [continues with development of Opti-Till and other products]

• 2003

  First Claydon direct drill, the V Drill, launched.

• 1995

  Yield-o-Meter wins Royal Agricultural Society of England Silver Medal; Furrow Cracker introduced to UK market.

• 1981

  Claydon Yield-o-Meter Limited is formed.

• 1980

  Jeff Claydon invents the Claydon Yield-o-Meter, the first grain monitoring device for combines.

Affordable, modern farm machinery for sustainable crop establishment; farmer-led innovation.

• Claydon Yield-o-Meter

  First grain monitoring device for combines, invented in 1980.

• Furrow Cracker

  Device fitted to ploughs to break up clods, introduced in 1995.

• V Drill

  First Claydon direct drill, launched in 2003.

• Opti-Till®

  Direct seeding technology for reduced establishment costs and improved soil health.

• THINK CHANGE

1. 1Farm Machinery | High-Performance Seed Drills – Claydon Drillclaydondrill.com
2. 2Claydon Drill – A Legacy of Farming Excellence Since the 1900sclaydondrill.com