It’s a case of 'more power to your elbow' for operators of the latest Claas Lexion combines – at the top end of the performance spectrum at least – as part of a series of upgrades that include a new cab and more automation.

While the flagship Lexion 8900 Terra Trac continues with its 700hp MAN engine output, its 8800 Terra Trac sibling now has the same 12.4-litre unit but tuned to 700hp – which is up from a 653hp MTU Mercedes-Benz on the older model – to lift its performance potential.

The 8700 – now available in Terra Trac form only, with no wheeled option in the UK – also gets a muscle boost, gaining 40hp, or almost 7% more to peak at 625hp from its existing MTU M-B motor.

And a third strand to the upper end realignment is the introduction of the Lexion 8600 which has 549hp from a MAN engine following reassessment of this machine’s capabilities after it was launched in North America, but initially had been withheld from the European line-up.

The 8600 is available in both wheeled and tracked variants, and shares its threshing, separation and cleaning system with all other 8000 Series models in both scale and specification.

Separation begins ahead of the threshing cylinder with the Claas signature APS drum that encourages easily loosened grain from the ears to reduce the threshing workload of the main unit.

Both elements are of larger diameter than the previous generation Lexions, of course, and also in comparison with the Trion successors to the Tucano range.

For increased throughput, the APS centrifugal separation unit measures 600mm versus 450mm, and the threshing cylinder is 755mm versus 600mm.

The top Lexions also share the 445mm diameter, 4.2m long rotors that take care of secondary separation, one change being that in addition to its power upgrade, the 8700 Terra Trac now has six rotor grates as on the 8800 and 8900 for more separation capacity.

Larger grain tank options for the 8700 and 8800 also become available, and a pivoting spout on 330mm and 420mm diameter augers offers greater control over where grain is discharged into a trailer when unloading.

Elsewhere in the range, growers on less than gently sloping ground will welcome the return of a range of Montana self-levelling models to the Lexion line-up.

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These were held back in development by the extensive changes that brought about the Lexion 7000 and 8000 series, but for harvest 2023, versions of the 549hp 7700 rotary separation and 408hp 5500 straw walker separation combines are available with this effective active slope compensation system.

Principally, it comprises a front axle with rotating final drive units that automatically lower or lift the front of the combine when climbing or descending an up to 6° incline and counter-rotate to keep the combine level when working across an up to 18° slope, with four-wheel drive and a diff lock part of the traction package for the Montana range of machines.

Operators getting behind the wheel of all the latest Lexions will find themselves sitting in a roomier cab that has additional leg room and a bigger gap to the rear panel, while enjoying dual-zone air-conditioning that can deliver different levels of cooling to upper and lower zones for greater comfort.

Another comfort upgrade comes in the form of an optional leather seat that can be turned by up to 30° to left or right which, together with footrests, gives the operator some variation in sitting position during long hours at the wheel – weather permitting of course!.

New storage compartments in the right rear of the cab hold small essentials, there is an upgraded sound system and with slimmer pillars, and top-suspended external mirrors, the view out is reckoned to be better.

Lexion combines are already available with several automated systems, not least Cemos Automatic, which comes in various feature levels to automatically adjust settings as harvesting progresses in line with operator-set targets for output, grain quality, over-the-back losses and so on.

With the new Cemos Auto Header option for Vario headers with an adjustable knife position, operators can now hand responsibility for front-end adjustments to the computer to reduce their workload.

It requires Field Scanner, the cab roof-mounted scanning device otherwise used for non-GPS guidance, to monitor variations in crop height ahead of the combine.

This data is used to alter the reel height if necessary, while vibration detected by a sensor measuring the crop layer height in the elevator is used to regulate table length and reel fore-aft position.

The aim is to ensure the best settings to keep crop flowing on to the table and on into the elevator and threshing system securely and consistently, while leaving the operator to focus on internal settings or unloading on the move.

The Vario tables themselves have come in for attention, with the smaller sizes getting the new rapeseed knives – featuring more powerful and more compact mechanical drive – and reels with gearbox- instead of chain-drive already introduced for the three widest models.

Claas headers of all types now automatically identify themselves when coupled to the combine to minimise operator settings input for various systems and functions.