TOOWOOMBA harvest contractor Dean Sawley says he is “harvesting more crops, faster, with less staff and less hassles” since purchasing a CLAAS Lexion 580R combine harvester fitted with a rubber-tracked undercarriage in 2009.
“Put simply, our Lexion is doing what it used to take two of our older machines to do,” Dean said.
Central to this performance is CLAAS’ ‘hybrid’ separation technology, which combines the company’s accelerated pre-separator threshing system with dual rotary separators.
Teamed with the Terra Trac assembly, the Lexion is winning plaudits for being a stable, high performance and high speed machine.
“There’s been a lot of interest in how the tracks reduce soil compaction and improve access in the wet but, like most farmers, I’m hoping that I spend more time harvesting when it’s dry,” Dean Sawley said.
“The hybrid technology means the Lexion can handle five tonne/ha crops with ease but the reality is we’re usually harvesting two or three tonne/ha crops.
“The tracks allow us to race through these sorts of crops at 10kph or 12kph, even with a 42ft draper front.”
Other vital statistics include a Caterpillar C13 engine that delivers a maximum output of 343kW (466hp) and a 10,500L grain bin with 100L/second discharge rate.
Dean says the machine has redefined his productivity, an impressive claim given he and wife, Susan, have more than 20 years contract harvesting experience.
*www.claasharvestce ntre.com.au
Email a friend