Hear from our farmers
Claydon: Farm Machinery Solutions for Every Grower
At Claydon we design and build agricultural machinery that makes crop establishment simple, reliable and cost-effective. For more than 20 years, we have developed seed drilling equipment and farm machinery solutions that deliver results across a wide range of soils and conditions.
Every machine is built to save time, reduce costs and improve soil health. From Direct Drills to Straw Harrows and the TerraBlade inter-row hoe, our equipment is straightforward to set up, dependable in the field and proven to perform season after season.
Today, thousands of growers across the UK and overseas trust Claydon machinery to establish crops efficiently while caring for their soils. It is engineering shaped by farming experience, designed to give your crops the best possible start.
Used by thousands of farms worldwide.
20+ years of innovation
Family-owned & British-built
Click here to request a quote
Our Products
From seed drilling to conservation farming, Claydon machines are designed to save time,
reduce costs and improve soil health. Below are some of our most trusted solutions:
Direct Seed Drills
The Claydon range of direct seed drills is built to give farmers reliable establishment across a wide range of conditions. Drawing on more than 20 years of experience, our drills reduce passes, protect soil health and save valuable time and costs in the field.
Straw Harrow
The Claydon Straw Harrow creates a fine, shallow tilth in the top 30mm of soil. It encourages quick weed germination and creates a mulch which conserves moisture. The Straw Harrow plays a key role in conservation farming systems. It is a simple and effective way to manage stubble and prepare the ground for the next crop.
TerraBlade Inter-Row Hoe
The TerraBlade is a low-cost, mechanical solution for inter-row weed control. By keeping unseeded rows clean, it reduces pressure on crops and supports sustainable conservation farming. Farmers value the TerraBlade for its simplicity and effectiveness in band-sown systems.
Get in touch
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CLAYDON OPTI‐TILL® SYSTEM
HOW IT WORKS
Opti-Till® works by loosening soil where needed, placing seed into a perfect growing zone and leaving firm soil in between to protect structure. By drilling direct, establishment costs and time are saved.
THE DESIGN CONCEPT IN PRACTICE
The leading tine lifts and aerates the soil while the seeding tine places seed into a clean, aerated band.
BENEFITS TO SOIL OF ZONAL CULTIVATION
Strong roots grow in loosened bands, moisture is conserved and firm banks carry machinery without damaging soil structure.
Case Studies
See how Claydon Drills have helped farmers across the world achieve real-life results — saving fuel, reducing unnecessary field passes and protecting soil structure while improving operational efficiency, soil health and overall crop performance.
Norfolk – Astley Farms
[vc_row full_width="stretch_row_content" css=".vc_custom_1755521688081{background-image: url(https://claydondr... Read More
Suffolk – T G Harris & Son
“What we needed was a drill which was well priced, simple, practical and reliable, yet could cope with a wide ... Read More
Cumbria – George Douglas
“Since changing to Claydon Opti-Till® we have seen a dramatic change in the health and structure of our soils,... Read More
Devon – Church Town Farm
“I had not realised just how large the time and fuel savings would be . . the Claydon Hybrid is easier on the ... Read More
Midlothian – Penicuik Estate
“I needed a drill which was very versatile and would operate reliably in any situation. Although others worke... Read More
North Yorkshire – W Rooke & Sons
“Timeliness is key to everything that we do here. We have only 10 days to combine winter barley, bale the str... Read More
Wiltshire – Peter Wilson
"I questioned why on earth we were still spending every waking hour for weeks on end working with a plough and... Read More
Lincolnshire – Will Gilman
“We have seen a massive reduction in the hours which our three tractors clock up since switching to direct see... Read More
Lincolnshire – Paul Sheardown
“Since switching from conventional direct drilling to direct seeding with the Claydon Opti-Till® System the pe... Read More
Yorkshire – Wayne Turnbull
“Traditional no-till direct drilling proved too risky, so I went back to Claydon Opti-Till® direct seeding as ... Read More
East Yorkshire – Sam Middleton
"Our largest field is 50 hectares and had a legacy of light blackgrass from years of conventional cultivations... Read More
Oxfordshire – Clattercote Priory
“We had tried disc-type direct drills in the past, but crop establishment was not good enough to risk going do... Read More
About Us
A farming family with a passion for better machinery.
The Claydon family has been farming the heavy clay land of Suffolk since the early 1900s. Jeffrey and Frank Claydon are the third generation to work the same fields under the E.T. Claydon and Sons name, and they still farm that land today. In 1981, the family began manufacturing with the launch of the Claydon Yield-o-Meter, a pioneering yield monitoring system. That spirit of innovation led to the development of the Opti-Till seed drilling system. Today, multiple farms across the UK and beyond rely on our machinery to save time, cut costs and protect soil health.
The Claydon Hybrid is very versatile and has created a much improved, more open soil structure which is much better able to support the weight of following machinery. The land walks so much better now and has become almost self-healing.
In the first year the Claydon drill saved us 30,000 litres of fuel compared with our previous system. At 70 pence per litre that alone represented a saving of £21,000, but there were numerous other immediate benefits in terms of timeliness, time saving, better crops and much lower costs.
The Claydon System buys us time on our difficult ground and the main advantage for us is the speed and efficiency of the system. We can comfortably drill 32-40ha in a day. Given our steep banks, stones and some fiddly fields that’s a decent rate, and far more than we could achieve with the plough.
Get In Touch
We love to listen and we are eagerly waiting to talk to you regarding your project. Get in touch with us if you have any queries and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Contact Information
info@claydondrill.com
Phone
+44 (0)1440 820327
Visitors and deliveries
Claydon Drills/ Claydon Yield-o-Meter Ltd
Bunters Road
Wickhambrook
Newmarket
Suffolk, CB8 8XY
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FAQs
Everything you need to know about Claydon agricultural machinery and conservation farming.
Claydon agricultural machinery is designed and tested on our own farm, so every drill, harrow and hoe is proven in real conditions before it reaches yours. Our farm machinery solutions focus on keeping establishment simple, reducing unnecessary passes and helping farmers save time, fuel and money.
Our seed drilling system, including the Evolution M-Mounted Drills and Hybrid T-Trailed Seed Drills, places seed in an aerated growing zone while leaving firm soil between the rows. This protects soil structure, conserves moisture and encourages worm activity.
Each machine plays a role in crop establishment. The Straw Harrow manages stubble and encourages weed germination, the TerraStar creates a shallow tilth to improve drainage and break up capping, while the TerraBlade inter-row hoe provides low-cost mechanical weed control in band-sown crops. Together, they give farmers flexible farm machinery solutions for different conditions.
The Evolution M-Mounted Drills are tractor-mounted machines that combine Claydon’s proven tine technology with new features to enhance direct seed drilling performance. The Hybrid T-Trailed Seed Drills are larger, versatile machines that allow drilling directly into stubble, min-tilled or ploughed land, with the option to apply fertiliser at the same time. Both are built for reliable establishment and long service life.
By combining operations into fewer passes, Claydon farm machinery uses less fuel, less labour and less time than conventional systems. For example, Opti-Till typically establishes crops at about half the cost of min-till and a third of ploughing. That means stronger margins for farmers while still improving soil health.