Claas debuts Lexion 8900 combine

Ag in Motion hosts second major product launch for Claas in two years as the company makes headway into the Canadian market

LANGHAM, Sask. — For the second time in two years, Claas has used the Ag in Motion Farm show near Langham to hold a major product launch.

Last year it pulled the wraps off the new 12 Series Xerion tractors, making their first public appearance anywhere. This year, an all-new flagship combine, the Lexion 8900 Terra Trac, made its North American debut at the show.

The model on display also had a unique graphic on its flanks with the number 500,000. It is one of just a few limited edition versions of the new 8900 created to celebrate a milestone in Claas combine production. The company has now built more than half a million machines since it began building them in 1936 at its plant in Harsewinkel, Germany.

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“The 8900 is being released in North America,” said Rick Hubrich, product supervisor for Canada for Claas of America.

“There’s only a handful of these with the special paint scheme on. We’re celebrating the 500,000th combine coming off the line. This is one of just a few in North America.”

The new Lexion model uses the same power plant as Agco’s Fendt Ideal 10T combine, a six-cylinder, 16.2-litre MAN diesel engine. The rated maximum horsepower hits 779.

“We run the MAN in several other ones as well,” said Hubrich.

“It’s been a very good engine.”

The big MAN engine gives the 8900 an 89 horsepower increase over the previous flagship model, the 8800.

The company’s Dynamic Cooling System keeps the MAN at operating temperature by pulling cleaner air from above the combine. The automated system senses the workload of the combine and directs more power to the cooling fan when the load is high and less when it isn’t required.

Power is routed from the MAN through Claas’s own in-house CVT transmission.

The 8900 will only be available in the tracked Terra Trac version, rather than with regular tires on all four corners.

“It’s narrower,” Hubrich said.

“We get a way better ride out of it and more stability for the header as well because it does have a full suspension underneath.”

The combine sports a large 510 bushel hopper, and it can unload it through a 35-foot auger that can move grain at up to 5.1 bu. per second.

All of these features push the new Lexion into Class 10-plus territory, the largest for combines at the moment.

Threshing and separation are handled through Claas’s APS Synflow hybrid system, which uses an accelerated pre-separation system, threshing up to 30 per cent of the grain before the crop mat reaches the twin rotors. Threshing and separation speeds are controlled independently.

To make things easy for the operator, the Cemos Automatic threshing system can adjust machine settings in real time, based on crop flow and changing field conditions.

“We have features like automatic cleaning, automatic separation and auto threshing,” said Hubrich.

“We have cruise pilot, so we’re speeding up and slowing down, keeping the machine at peak performance. We have automatic crop flow, so we’re not plugging.”

Up front, headers are available in widths up to 50 feet, including the Convio Flex 1530 draper.

“It’s a flex draper … fully automatic from the cab,” Hubrich said.

“No calibrating or anything to do. With a push of a button for lower crop, you’ll be in flex mode. There’s an acre counter on it as well. So we know how many hours and acres the header has done.”

The Convio flex draper also offers features that include Auto Belt Speed as well as Active Float operator assistance.

At the rear, the Pro Chop chopper can spread residue up to 50 feet to match the largest header, and it includes a wind compensation feature to maintain an even spread in most conditions.

The 8900 Terra Trac models will be available in time for the 2025 growing season.

“Early order starts right away, so we’re ready to go for spring,” said Hubrich.