At the age of just 24, Dylan Parkhouse has been thrown the keys to a state-of-the-art CLAAS LEXION 8800 combine harvester that has taken the harvesting efficiency of his family’s large-scale cropping operation to even greater heights. The Parkhouse family grows about 4200 ha of wheat, canola, barley and lupins under a min-till, 13.5 m controlled traffic system at ‘Parklands’, in the Kellerberrin district about 140 east of Northam. The family had no hesitation in ordering a new LEXION 8800 TERRA TRAC and VARIO 1380 13.8 metre variable cutterbar last year based on the performance of their existing 770.

“Dad and grandad been following LEXION ever since they were introduced in the 1990s,” Dylan says. “They had a demonstration of a LEXION 470 and 480R back in the early 2000s. “They were really impressed but thought that LEXION was only for the humid conditions down on the coast.” LEXION combine harvesters feature a patented accelerated pre-separation system and twin longitudinal rotors for residual grain separation. Up to 70 percent of separation occurs before the crop even reaches the rotors, allowing the LEXION to operate more efficiently in all crop types and harvesting conditions.

Curiosity finally got the better of the Parkhouses in 2017 when it came time to replace their single rotor combine harvester. “We were looking for a change and the cost of all machinery had gone up considerably, so we thought
there was no harm getting a quote on a LEXION,” Dylan says. “As it turned out, the quote was more than competitive so we asked for a demo. “We went down to Kojonup to see two LEXION 770 TERRA TRAC harvesters fitted with VARIO variable cutterbars. “We couldn’t believe what a job they were doing in a crop of oats that was lodged, frosted and haildamaged. “The VARIO was as much an eyeopener as the LEXION. “When we found out that CLAAS
Harvest Centre was about to open a branch in Northam, that was it – we bought one of the demo machines virtually on the spot.”

The LEXION 770, which had just 150 rotor hours on the clock, performed with equal gusto back at ‘Parklands’. “We were peaking at 55 t/hour in barley with next to no grain loss,” Dylan says. “When we got to the canola, the LEXION was so far ahead it was almost unbelievable. With our old single rotor harvester and draper front, we were averaging 2 to 3 km/h and 6 to 10 t/hour. The LEXION and VARIO combination meant we were going at 8–10 km/h and harvesting 25 t/h plus without any problems. In our first year, we finished harvest 120 hours earlier than with our old machine. That’s a couple of weeks we could be doing other jobs on the farm or going on a holiday. We wondered why we hadn’t done this years earlier.”

Dylan says harvesting efficiency has tangible benefits far and beyond getting the crop off earlier. “For a start, we can grow more canola,” he says. “Five years ago, it took us two weeks to harvest 500 to 600 ha of canola. This year, we were able to harvest 1300 ha in 10 days.”

The 8000 series boasts 10 percent more capacity than the previous 700 series thanks to the enlarged APS SYNFLOW HYBRID threshing and separation system. Grain holding and unloading capacity have also been significantly increased to 18,000 litres and 180 L/second, respectively. “We’re picking up an extra 10 to 15 t/h in the cereals easily without any negative impact on grain loss,” Dylan says. “We’re fairly intense about grain loss – we’re always out in the paddock following the harvester checking for losses. A lot of farmers say grain loss of one percent is acceptable but our goal is 0.5 percent or less. Even half a percent adds up over several thousand tonnes.”

The LEXION 8800 was equipped with a 15.6 litre, six-cylinder, Stage 5 Mercedes-Benz OM 473 LA engine that delivers 653 hp. The engine is equipped with advanced power management and cooling systems that have been proven to reduce fuel consumption by up to 10 per cent. “We deliberately chose the 8800 because it has the Mercedes-Benz engine,” Dylan says. “We are super-impressed with the fuel efficiency of this engine. Our 770 was averaging 55 L/hr compared to 90 L/hr for our previous harvester. That’s a saving of at least $150,000 over five years without thinking too much about it.”

The AUS PRO 11 pack includes a radial spreader, 12 metre CTF compatible unloading auger, air compressor, automatic lubrication, grain quality camera, rear view camera and leather seats. In addition, Australian-delivery machines are fitted with a segmented feed drum to optimise the flow of material from the threshing unit to the rotors under extreme operating conditions. The Parkhouses’ machine is fitted with extra wide 890 mm wide tracks for improved flotation and load-bearing on the sandy soils and reduced scuffing when turning. It is also fitted with Emar Chaff Decks, which deposit chaff directly onto the tram lines.

Dylan is the primary operator after spending five years mastering the intricacies of the family’s LEXION 770. “There so many little things that I love about this machine that I doubt that we’ll ever change,” he says. “The design of the cooling system means I don’t have to climb up and clean the air filter every day. The automatic lubrication system means everything is getting greased when it should and when it’s moving. It’s the best $10,000 you can spend in maintenance. The high-flow auger saves me a couple of minutes every hour. A couple of minutes here and there adds up to a couple of hours every week.”

The Parkhouses aren’t fazed by their local dealership being more than 90 minutes away. “Our goal is not to have our machine break down in the first place and CLAAS is very good in that regard,” Dylan says. “We try to do as much maintenance as we can before harvest to avoid breakdowns. The boys in Northam do a postharvest report for us and then supply whatever parts are required. We do the simple maintenance like bearings and belts but we get them to do anything that involves the engine or a computer. Sure, we save a bit of money but it’s as much about us learning how this machine works.”