More grunt, less guzzle - Scott, Jacqui and Amery Drage's review on the CLAAS XERION 12 Series

Mid-West farmers, Scott, Jacqui and Amery Drage, are among the very first Australian farmers to take delivery of an all-new CLAAS XERION 12 high horsepower tractor.

Available with a maximum power output of 653, 585 or 544 horsepower, the new series is the most powerful yet built by CLAAS and is billed as the largest 4WD tractor fitted with a continuously variable transmission as standard.

The series also incorporates category-leading hydraulics and the largest cab on the market. The Drage family grows about 2800 ha of wheat, canola and lupins each year across several properties based around ‘Hillcrest’ outside Northampton. The Drages clocked up more than 1800 hours on their existing XERION 5000 (530 hp) tractor before they took up an offer to trial the new XERION 12.590 this season. “We absolutely loved our 5000,” Amery Drage says. “It allowed us to do everything – seeding, spreading and chaser bin work – with just the one machine. It didn’t have a downside other than we wanted a few extra horsepower for pulling our 18 metre airseeder up and down the hills.”

The Drages opted to trial the 12.590 model, which has a maximum power output of 585 hp and produces a maximum torque of 2850 Nm at just 1300 rpm. Amery, who does much of the driving, is super-impressed with its performance. “We did about two-thirds of our seeding program with it and we swapped the tractors over a couple of times so that we could make a good comparison,” he says. "We’re getting about 10% extra horsepower and torque without any increase in fuel consumption, which we weren’t expecting. We averaged about 45 L/hr, which was pretty much the same as our existing XERION 5000 and about 20 L/hr less than our previous powershift tractor.”

All three XERION 12 models are powered by the same 15.6 L six-cylinder Mercedes-Benz OM473 engine found in CLAAS LEXION combine harvesters and JAGUAR forage harvesters. CLAAS’ ‘high torque, low rpm’ powertrain management system means fuel consumption is significantly lower than similar-sized tractors. This is teamed up with a ZF continuously variable transmission and selectable differentials for optimal power transfer to the axles or PTO, even at low speeds or under heavy operating conditions. “This CVT is so smooth,” Amery says. “The engine speed goes up or down according to the load without changing forward speed and without any steps or surges. The engine barely gets above 1200 rpm for most jobs. With our old powershift tractor, we were constantly shifting gears or even stalling as we went up hills and then speeding up as we went down the other side. Our soil type ranges from hilly red loams near the coast to undulating sandy gravels further inland, meaning power demand can vary greatly.”

The new series follows the same proven design concept as all XERION models: four equal-sized wheels, permanent four-wheel-drive, all-wheel steering and equal weight distribution over both axles. It is also available with the new-developed TERRA TRAC tracked assemblies. The XERION 12 incorporates a modular ballast system that enables up to six tonnes to be quickly added to the front or rear axles in 400 kg increments. “We really like this ballast system because we can load the tractor up for seeding or strip it down for spreading in just a few minutes using our telehandler,” Amery says.

XERION 12 has a 1400-litre, centrally-mounted fuel tank, meaning weight distribution remains the same throughout the day.

“The 5000 had a 700-litre tank, which was enough to get through one day but not two, which meant we had to fill up every day,” he says. This new tank means we can keep going for three days without refuelling and that’s one less job you have to do.”

The Drages’ XERION has two hydraulic pumps that deliver a maximum flow rate of 447 L/min across six circuits, more than ample to power the fans on their 18 metre Horsch Sprinter 18NT airseeder.

XERION 12 incorporates a new deluxe cab.

“The sheer size and comfort of this cabin is really impressive,” Amery says. “This is easily the best cab I’ve worked in. The cab is completely isolated from the chassis and mounted on four point-suspension so there’s no vibrations or rocking. There’s no exhaust stack blocking your view and the pillars are very narrow. It’s so quiet – it’s almost silent in the cab.”

The driver’s seat can be rotated by 40 degrees and there are footpegs to the front and side. There’s also a full-size passenger seat and integrated cool box.

XERION 12 incorporates a suite of operator assistance systems, including CEBIS operating system, which features an integrated armrest, multi-function control lever and 12” touchscreen.

Find out more about the XERION 12 here.