“The impressive harvesting record, which remained unbeaten until now, is a testament to the massive throughput of the LEXION combine and the skillful hand of an operator who knows how to push these machines to the limit,” says Blake McOllough, Product Manager – Combines, CLAAS of America. “Tabulations by the local grain elevator have confirmed the results.”

The three world records the Ormistons set include harvesting 46,511 bushels of corn in 8 hours, 58,979 bushels in 10 hours and 71,077 bushels in 12 hours. To get the job done, the LEXION 8700 TERRA TRAC combine was fitted with a 16-row non-chopping head and supported by two grain carts and six trucks.

Even more impressive was the fact that the world record was set in “real world” conditions. The official results included time needed to knock off the ends of the field and some time to adjust the unloading auger and fix a snout that was bent while turning around at the end of the field.

“The CLAAS LEXION is the only combine that can give us the capacity we’re looking for. Designed to harvest all types of crops in all types of conditions, we’re able to cover more acres per hour and achieve better grain quality with the CLAAS LEXION,” says Rocky Ormiston, co-owner of Ormiston Farms.

“Our CLAAS dealer, Taylor Implement, has been excellent to work with,” explained Rocky. “Their salesman, Andy Leavitt, was a great help – not just during the world record, but throughout harvest.”

Established in 1906, the Ormistons’ family farm produces corn, soybeans, alfalfa and grain sorghum across their 7,000-acre operation. The Ormistons pride themselves on using the most up-to-date technology available to farmers. Two years ago, they made the switch to CLAAS combines and are now reaping the benefits.

The LEXION 8000-7000 Series combine is more powerful and features the highest capacity in the industry, designed with a host of features to outperform in and between fields, streamlining harvest and saving the operator time and money.

The APS SYNFLOW HYBRID system, an upgrade of the well-known APS HYBRID SYSTEM, is the industry's highest-capacity combine processor, delivering 10 percent more capacity than the previous series. Grain handling is also improved, with a high-capacity clean grain elevator that can handle up to 8,000 bu/hr, unloading speeds as fast as 5.1 bushels per second, and the industry's largest grain tank that features a whopping 510-bushel capacity.

“We’re extremely pleased to introduce these new innovations to our full line of hay and forage harvesting products,” says Matt Jaynes, Product Manager at CLAAS of America. “Our customers who run hay and forage-based operations need more than just robust machinery; they deserve harvesting systems that work together seamlessly. These six models we’ve added to our line of ORBIS headers and DISCO mowers will support day-to-day operations and help customers achieve optimal results when harvesting, so they can make the most out of each hour in the field.”

The newly designed ORBIS 450 and 900 feature a frame stamped from a flat piece of metal, with no welded joints for the strongest possible header. The knives, crop flow guides and feed drums on the new ORBIS 900 are all PREMIUM LINE, making the header more durable and providing more consistent cutting and feeding. The ORBIS 450 features a working width of 15 feet, while the ORBIS 900 has a working width of 30 feet, the smallest and largest headers within the ORBIS range.

Despite its large working width, the ORBIS 900 is able to follow ground contours for optimal performance. This is made possible by a new tilting frame that enables a +/- 5° correction in combination with an exclusive AUTO CONTOUR hydraulic swing movement compensation. In addition to the two standard sensor bands at the outer edges, a third, centrally fitted sensor band is available as an option. This provides an enhanced ability to follow ground contours, especially on uneven ground. The ORBIS 900 also features a folding design that allows the operator to fold and unfold it in 30 seconds for easy transport between fields to get the job done faster.

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The new 10 Series DISCO 24, 28 and 32 rear-mounted mowers are designed to work flawlessly year after year. The smaller working width (7 feet 2 inches to 9 feet 10 inches) disc mowers include the same professional-grade MAX CUT cutter bar featured on larger, more expensive mowers and a double gearbox. The new range of mowers are quickly attached to the tractor using a category 2 or 3 quick-hitch. A new feature for all side-mounted DISCO disc mowers is a center-of-gravity hitching system, which ensures that the mower bed has a uniform contact pressure over the entire working width. It quickly responds to changes in ground contour, resulting in clean hay and even stubble.

Optimized for heavy duty usage, CLAAS has released the all-new 100 Series DISCO 360 rear mower. The DISCO 360 features the same high-end MAX CUT cutter bar with quick knife change for perfect cutting quality and ground following. It also features a double gearbox, integrated breakback device and quick blade change. Thanks to the working width of 11 feet 2 inches, there is no job too big for the DISCO 360 rear mower.

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An annual inspection is one of the best ways to keep your machine in peak condition. Your CLAAS Dealer has trained, certified service technicians that can provide you with a comprehensive annual inspection to prevent against unwanted downtime.

Talk to your CLAAS dealer for more information or click the button below.

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*Rebate maximum of $5,000 on CLAAS combines and self-propelled forage harvesters and $1,000 on headers. See dealer for complete details.

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The 2020 award is sponsored by the Nebraska State Chamber of Commerce and RSM, the fifth largest accounting firm in the United States. Bryan Slone, President of the Nebraska State Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Partner Michelle Luett, of RSM, presented the 2020 award alongside the Governor of Nebraska, Pete Ricketts. Matthias Ristow, President & Managing Director, and Matthew Koch, Director of Manufacturing, gratefully received the award on behalf of CLAAS Omaha.

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Upon acceptance of the award, Mr. Ristow and Mr. Koch expressed their appreciation to the employees of CLAAS Omaha for their steadfast contributions and strong commitment to this season’s company targets. Ristow stated that despite the impact of the global pandemic upon production itself and on the company’s suppliers, CLAAS still successfully delivered all combines on time to our customers.  

The first of October also marked the beginning of Manufacturing Month in the U.S. Governor Ricketts kicked off the national event in Nebraska with a press conference, hosted in the CLAAS North America showroom. During the press conference, Governor Ricketts stressed the importance of jobs in manufacturing as the second largest economy in Nebraska and discussed various steps that companies such as CLAAS have taken to continually develop its workforce. The Governor specifically highlighted the recent creation of the ICATT Apprenticeship Program and thanked CLAAS for bringing this new program to Nebraska.

Bryan Slone of the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce also noted that Nebraska’s highly productive work force, affordable real estate and utility cost, the general low cost of doing business, and the high-quality transportation networks make Nebraska a natural fit for manufacturing growth.

Always looking forward, CLAAS Omaha will continue to focus toward the modernization of the local manufacturing industry for Nebraska and the U.S. as a whole.

(Photo (L-R) Bryan Sloan, President of Nebraska State Chamber of Commerence and Industry; Michelle Luett, Partner RSM; Pete Ricketts,Governor of the State of Nebraska; Matthias Ristow, President & MD Business Administration COL; Matt Koch Director Manufacturing COL; and Tony Urban, National Tax Consulting Leader for the U.S., RSM.)