CLAAS combine built for performance, reliability, affordability

BOONE, Iowa — The CLAAS TRION 740 combine is designed to provide farmers performance and reliability in an affordable machine.

“This Class 7 combine has a single rotor that allows for crop flow efficiency,” said Greg Frenzel, CLAAS product manager, during the Farm Progress Show. “We’ve seen the innovation and new features all go to the Class 9 and 10 combines, so there was a gap in the market for guys with less than 3,000 acres.”

CLAAS surveyed farmers in this segment for ideas on what they needed in their combine.

“The top three things were performance, reliability and affordability, so we built a combine around those three requirements,” Frenzel said.

“We used proven components that have been updated with improvements which reduces our development dollars,” he said.

“The integrated new hydraulic tensioners on the feeder house and threshing means there is less maintenance and it is more efficient while increasing the belt life,” he said. “When you shut the machine off, it backs the tension off, so that improves belt longevity.”

After opening the side panel of the combine, farmers will have access to the rotor, as well as the maintenance points.

“It was really thought out because guys don’t want to crawl all over the machine,” Frenzel said. “We call it comfort greasing because we brought it down to the ground level and the grease points are labeled with their intervals.”

The TRION 740 combine is powered with a Cummins L9 motor.

“It has a high torque at a low RPM output and a very good lugging capability,” Frenzel said. “When you get in a tough crop, you can keep going because it will take the loads and push them through the machine.”

Farmers in the Class 7 market do crop changeovers quite often, harvesting corn in the morning and switching to bean harvest in the afternoon.

“It is quick and easy to do a crop changeover with about four points around the machine,” Frenzel said. “In less than five minutes, you can change the head and be ready to go.”

The grain tank has a 340-bushel capacity that can be unloaded at 3.8 bushels per second.

“New for this model is the pivoting spout that you can move from the cab, in or out to evenly load a truck or grain cart,” Frenzel said.

The new cab on the TRION 740 features new mirrors with an additional mirror on the bottom for better visibility to the ground, as well as LED package options and spot light options.

“The cab is wider and there is more headroom inside the cab,” Frenzel said. “There are new seats for both the operator and the instructor, storage is increased, there is a refrigerator and several places to plug in your electronics.”

The CLAAS AXION 900 Terra Trac tractor is also available to farmers in two models — the 930 at 350 horsepower and the 960 with 440 horsepower.

“This is our new half track tractor that integrates our Terra Trac which we’ve had for over 25 years in the combines,” Frenzel said. “It’s very exciting to integrate all that innovation and development over those years into our tractor lineup, as well to provide greater traction and less ground compaction.”

The new CLAAS tractor has a fully suspended track.

“When you’re going in the field, it smiles and frowns to go up and over berms and terraces,” Frenzel said. “So, it’s nice and smooth.”

The bogie wheels for the track are larger in the back than the front.

“Other tractors have a positive drive track system, but our tractor is a friction drive,” Frenzel said. “With the spoke design, every leading edge gives us another grab point on the track, so we increased the diameter to give more surface area contact and more wrap on the track to provide better traction.”

From the cab, farmers can select a low, medium or high level for the track system.

“When you’re hooking up an implement you can lift the draw bar,” Frenzel said. “You can raise the track based on the implement to make it pull level, more efficient and smoother.”

The continuously variable transmission has four ranges.

“Ours is unique because it varies the mechanical to hydraulic portion from a minimum of 60% mechanical and a maximum of 40% hydraulic,” Frenzel said. “The higher the mechanical, the more efficient it is.”

The AXION 900 has an automatic greasing system.

“We are the only one that offers this and it will automatically grease the track when you’re in the field at high loads,” Frenzel said. “It keeps it lubed for longevity of the tractor.”

This system puts the right amount to each grease interval.

“It also monitors too high of pressure if you have a bearing going out,” Frenzel said. “Or, if one of the lines breaks it will say too low of pressure.”

The rear three-point hitch comes with a quick hitch adapter.

“You get up to five remotes with each remote at 30 gallons per minute flow system for hydraulics and a Power Beyond System which is a high flow up to 58 gallons per minute,” Frenzel said.

“We also have an option for a front PTO, three-point and two hydraulic couplers,” he said. “This could be used by guys who want to have front and rear mowers.

“We’re really excited to get this tractor out in the marketplace,” he said.