Cameras were mounted on the various demo machines and set to run in real-world conditions. In central Iowa, that meant harvesting corn that was down or badly damaged by this summer's derecho winds. The CLAAS LEXION 8700 and its massive 16-row chopping corn head made an excellent showing in the challenging corn conditions. The harvest was evenly and finely chopped with minimal grain loss.

Along with the chopping head, operators were impressed with the autonomous capabilities of CEMOS AUTOMATIC.

Jeff Gray, CLAAS Product Manager for Field Support, says CEMOS autonomously and continuously optimizes the operations, so the operator can concentrate on other things. He was able to speak on camera with Willie Vogt, Executive Director, Content and User Engagement, at Farm Progress about CEMOS AUTOMATIC during a Ride and Drive in Boone, Iowa. Catch the conversation here.

“As the combine travels through the field, CEMOS evaluates the conditions of the field it’s in, and makes the most educated adjustments possible in real time,” he says. “It goes into learning modes as it travels through the fields. It continuously reacts to the changing conditions it senses and adjusts the machine for optimal performance.

A Head-To-Head Comparison

One of the machines the CLAAS LEXION 8700 took on was the John Deere X9 1100 – a new class-11 combine. Even though CLAAS only brought their class-9 combine to the demos, the data confirmed that the performance in acres per hour was neck and neck with the two machines. However, CLAAS won the day in several areas:

• LEXION 8700 had lower losses per acre.
  
• LEXION 8700 provided gentler grain handling.
  
• LEXION 8700 had a lower capital cost than the X9 1100 - $2.05 less per acre.
  

In fact, the CLAAS LEXION 8700 losses were less than half that of John Deere. The extra-large (15% more upper sieve area than the John Deere X9 1100 chaffer) top sieve paired with the cascade pre-cleaner evenly distributed the crop across the entire cleaning shoe to reduce loss.

Another significant area where the CLAAS excelled was in grain handling. The amount of gran damage (broken kernels) was significantly lower in the LEXION 8700. The CLAAS APS SYNFLOW HYBRID system separates up to 30% of the crop before it reaches the threshing area, reducing the workload on the mechanical contact with the rotors. This is a major advantage over the John Deere X9 Series that threshes and separates 100% of the crop within the rotor area.

Get the Details!

See the LEXION demo run from the Farm Progress Virtual Experience here, and you’ll quickly understand why the small panel of farmers that witnessed the demos in person was so excited about the LEXION 8700 Series combine.

MAXI CARE Maintenance

Allows precise planning of maintenance and inspection costs with an authorized CLAAS dealer in a professionally equipped workshop.

MAXI CARE Protect

Extends beyond the Basic Limited Warranty on harvesters and tractors from one to four years with a maximum of 5,000 operating hours. It covers any required CLAAS ORIGINAL spare parts and consumables, as well as all repair work completed by your CLAAS dealer.

MAXI CARE Plus

Provides all the benefits of MAXI CARE Maintenance and MAXI CARE Protect at a reduced price. You can rest assured that your machines will run at optimum level, and even keep a higher resale value.

“MAXI CARE Plus provides all the benefits of MAXI CARE Maintenance and MAXI CARE Protect,” says Michael Stahl, CLAAS Field Support and Warranty Manager. “By combining benefits, we can offer the MAXI CARE Plus package at a reduced price, so it’s a real value to our operators. We recommend talking to your dealer about purchasing MAXI CARE Plus coverage with any new CLAAS tractor or harvesting machine.”To find out more about the new MAXI CARE Plus coverage or any of the MAXI CARE services, contact your CLAAS dealer today!

Our two-week-long trivia contest begins on September 29 and ends on October 9. Questions are tee’d up so you can test your knowledge on the impressive machine numbers that put CLAAS a cut above the rest! From combine harvesters and tractors, to forage harvesters, balers and hay tools, we’ll test your knowledge on capacity, efficiency and more!

How well will you do? Find out! Click here to test your knowledge because CLAAS is in Session!

Kirk Skaggs and Todd Meyer, both current employees of CLAAS Omaha, were selected to participate in the CLAAS Mechatronics Apprenticeship Program, a three-year program that provides college-based training and practical experience.

Current CLAAS Omaha team member Jordan McKewon and new CLAAS employee, Nick Vail, are in the 18-month CLAAS Assembly Apprenticeship Program that focuses on advanced technological development.

“These gentlemen are our trailblazers for these specialized programs, and we wish them success in their apprenticeships,” says Deb Franklin, Vice President Human Resources, CLAAS North America. “We hope that with their support and commitment, CLAAS will be able to continue to grow and build our development programs for years to come.”

An inauguration ceremony on September 30th will honor the incoming apprentices. Click here to learn more about the program.