Claas said choosing Henty Machinery Field Days as the location for the Australian launch of their Lexion 7000/8000 range of combine harvesters was a no brainer, with Henty the birthplace of the header.
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The Lexion 7000/8000 series have been labelled more productive, more efficient and easier to operate, delivering 10 per cent more capacity then the 700 range.
Claas country sales manager for Australia New Zealand, Julian Kollmeyer said they began development on the machine range 10 years ago, their main aim, to make them suitable for a worldwide market.
"We have set a new benchmark in terms of performance and throughput so that will hopefully help us to increase our combine business," Mr Kollmeyer said.
Claas Wagga Wagga branch manager, Andrew Kearns agreed that it was the throughput that really made the series stand out.
"They have a bigger horsepower which usually means more diesel consumed but they're very fuel efficient," Mr Kearns said.
"They get large quantities of grain through the machine but they still keep good quality straw."
The model was a hit at Henty with a consent flow of curious onlookers climbing into the cab.
Mixed farmer from Burrumbattock, Rod Frohling was impressed.
"The cabin looks great, we've had Claas headers for 50 years so I was very interested to come and have a look," Mr Frohling said.
"It's just got better ergonomics, it looks more user friendly so if you're spending long hours in there you're not getting as tired."
Retired farmer and former contract harvester employee, Gerard Nyhan of Albury thought a machine like the Lexion 8000 could bring down food costs significantly.
"People don't realise how important a machine like this is," Mr Nyhan said.
But for Kerry Pietsch the new model didn't hold a candle to his Claas Super 500, manufactured in 1959 and also shown off at the field days, albeit in the vintage tractors section.
"It doesn't really worry me, I like the old stuff where you can fix it yourself," Mr Pietsch said.
It was the first time Mr Pietsch had taken the machine to the Henty Field Days, bringing it along to show off the history of the Claas headers.
But, it wasn't too long ago that the Super 500 was out of the shed and into the paddock.
"It was last used in 2014, I had a harvest day out at my place, unfortunately it was about 44 degrees and there was no aircon but it ran," Mr Pietsch said.
