AgriLand paid a visit to France to see the new-generation Claas Lexion – up close and personal.
The new line-up will eventually be comprised of the 5000 series (five-walker), 6000 series (six-walker), 7000 series (narrow-body hybrid rotary) and 8000 series (wide-body hybrid rotary).
However, it will be next year before the 5000 and 6000 series are introduced.
There are seven models within the imminent 7000 and 8000 line-ups (otherwise known as the Lexion ‘Synflow Hybrid’ machines). Their key specifications are outlined in this table (below):
The new flagship machine – the Lexion 8900 (pictured below) – has a whopping 790hp on tap. Its grain tank holds up to 18,000L; it takes 100 seconds to empty.
The 8900, along with the 7700 and 7600, is powered by a MAN engine. The 7400, 7500, 8700 and 8800 are fitted with Mercedes motors.
Whilst in France, we spoke to product specialist Adam Hayward to find out more. Our camera-man Kevin Farrell produced this video (below).
Adam explained: “Behind me here, we’ve got the 8000 series, [including] the new 8900 – the flagship of the range. Then, we’ve also got a narrow-body machine – the 7700 – behind us as well.
We’ve increased the range of combines, with a flagship all the way up to 790hp with an 18,000L grain tank…with a 180L/minute unloading speed.
“We’ve got some great new features; we’re here in the field to have a bit of a look.
“Also, we’ve increased the range of narrow-body machines – the 7000 series. We have the 7700, which is an additional model above the Lexion 760 that we previously had, so that would be a really important machine for us.
“There’s a wider range of headers as well. We have up to 45ft…or 13.8m. We’re also launching a new range of cutter-bars as well – the Convio [draper-type] available from 45ft down to 25ft.”
‘New threshing system’
Adam explained that the latest Lexions have a “completely new threshing system”. He said: “We’re going to call it the ‘APS Synflow Hybrid’.
That [brings] an increase in the diameter of the threshing drum – from 600mm previously all the way up to 755mm. So we’ve got a massive threshing drum in the machine.
“And, also, we’ve increased the diameter of the feed drum…or the impeller. It used to be 375mm…and we’ve increased it up to 600mm. In turn, we’ve also increased the area of the concave massively.
“The narrow-body [machines] – the 7000 series – have a larger concave area than the current wide-body machines, so there’s a huge increase in area inside the machines as well.”
