Project Xerion.

[Cab-over Pete]

Engine plate says 316hp.

She weighs a shade under 12t kerb weight. I think she will be around 22.5 fully loaded up. That’s against the Big A at 20.5t all up on 66/43/25 cross plies and the Multidrive at 19.5t on 710/60/30 SVT radial tyres.

It concerned me a bit but before I bought it I worked out the max tyre size I could squeeze under it, the pressure and the weight. It actually worked out better than the Big A. If used in crab steer I’m hoping it will ride reasonably well.

We can run the front tyres at around 11psi and the rears at 14psi

 

[Chae1]

I can’t make a subframe myself because nobody , and I mean nobody, would insure and also Claas UK wrote to me saying if I did they would supply no other parts or any service to it whatsoever.





Mine is a Trac VC. The cab can be mid or rear mounted. I didn’t want to rear mount it and put the body over the engine because one, it would be too high, two, the engine would be in all the dust and muck and three, I didn’t fancy spending 800+ hrs per year jiggling up and down over a fixed axle.

I couldn’t find a nice Saddle Trac, but of course this really nice one turns up after I’ve bought mine!!

Sorry.

 

[Cab-over Pete]

No need.

 

[Chae1]

No need.

I just googled them to see what the saddletrac models looked like and that came up.

I'm still confused by different models.

I quite fancy one as a self propelled sprayer, that can be your next project!

 

[fred.950]

I just googled them to see what the saddletrac models looked like and that came up.

I'm still confused by different models.

I quite fancy one as a self propelled sprayer, that can be your next project!

I’ve always thought they would make a really nice sprayer! I’ve always really liked the look of them and the concept and always been surprised they aren’t more popular.

 

[Alistair Nelson]

There was one in Leicestershire pulling a knight trailed think it was at coop farms

 

[Cab-over Pete]

The trouble is the newer models are a whole different beast. Huge tractors that I expect are a good bit heavier again than the 781 type I have.

I might be wrong, but they certainly seem to have put some fat on.

The weight of mine really did concern me and I spent two weeks between seeing it and buying it looking into tyres, weights etc.

I have the biggest tyres I can possibly squeeze under it and she is 2.99 metres wide so just legal to tow on the road so she really is maxed out in the boot department. They just literally skim the chassis on full lock so every millimetre has been used.

They are a great set of tyres and I know from calculations that she will travel lighter than the Multidrive, even though she is heavier. However, even that being the case it won’t make her float if I find a real wet spot and I’m really not looking forward to that day!

Like I said before, I’ve tried lightweight and it just doesn’t work on some of the terrain I need to go on, hence ending up trying the Xerion, which I originally ruled out four years ago. The tractor would cope with a 12-13 tonne body I think, but I don’t want it on it’s knees and struggling. So I’ll stick with a 10-11 tonne load on the best tyres I can find and hopefully have a good long life from the tractor.

 

[Alistair Nelson]

I can’t make a subframe myself because nobody , and I mean nobody, would insure and also Claas UK wrote to me saying if I did they would supply no other parts or any service to it whatsoever.





Mine is a Trac VC. The cab can be mid or rear mounted. I didn’t want to rear mount it and put the body over the engine because one, it would be too high, two, the engine would be in all the dust and muck and three, I didn’t fancy spending 800+ hrs per year jiggling up and down over a fixed axle.

I couldn’t find a nice Saddle Trac, but of course this really nice one turns up after I’ve bought mine!!

Quite ironic having been so unhelpful Claas can’t then supply the parts they’re forcing to to buy

With regard to spreader hydraulics talk to KRM they’re a really helpful bunch and then you’ll know straight from the horses mouth what it requires. But I’m sure xerion will have more than enough hyd output. Is yours the same as Clive’s that he made the wheel kit for last year? He may be able to give a guide also.

 

[Cab-over Pete]

I’ve no idea.

Mine is a K85

 

[Clive]

Quite ironic having been so unhelpful Claas can’t then supply the parts they’re forcing to to buy

With regard to spreader hydraulics talk to KRM they’re a really helpful bunch and then you’ll know straight from the horses mouth what it requires. But I’m sure xerion will have more than enough hyd output. Is yours the same as Clive’s that he made the wheel kit for last year? He may be able to give a guide also.

Ours is a k45 - hydraulics might be the same though

 

[Chae1]

There was one in Leicestershire pulling a knight trailed think it was at coop farms

I'd like one with a demount.

 

[Cab-over Pete]

I dare say it could be done. I don’t think my Xerion will be any heavier than a Lite-Trac, maybe even a Rogator.

 

[Blue.]

I can’t make a subframe myself because nobody , and I mean nobody, would insure and also Claas UK wrote to me saying if I did they would supply no other parts or any service to it whatsoever.





Mine is a Trac VC. The cab can be mid or rear mounted. I didn’t want to rear mount it and put the body over the engine because one, it would be too high, two, the engine would be in all the dust and muck and three, I didn’t fancy spending 800+ hrs per year jiggling up and down over a fixed axle.

I couldn’t find a nice Saddle Trac, but of course this really nice one turns up after I’ve bought mine!!

I wouldn’t have told my insurer,honestly it wouldn’t have crossed my mind,then again I’m not as famous as you so I’d be under the radar.

If Claas had told me that I’d have royally told them to feck off!

 

[Cab-over Pete]

It was very tempting I can tell you. The most annoying thing is they get me to agree to using all their parts and now say they can’t supply.

It’s as if they just don’t want me to do it or something.

 

[Chae1]

Not very good PR for them.

Why wouldn't they want you to do it?

 

[ED.D]

I can’t make a subframe myself because nobody , and I mean nobody, would insure and also Claas UK wrote to me saying if I did they would supply no other parts or any service to it whatsoever.

Like they’re falling over themselves to help you at the moment. Makes me think twice about buying anything off them if this is the way they bully the paying customer. What happened to parts that could be shipped over night etc.
The one thing claas are not exhibiting at the moment is class.

 

[Chae1]

Does this one suck up the lime!?

 

[Cab-over Pete]

I think it must. I’ve seen pics of that before and I think it must be loading a product that’s an almost fluid dust, like cement maybe, from a powder tanker.

If that’s the case it will then be spread with a boom, not discs, because the dust would be incredible otherwise.

 

[Cab-over Pete]

Not very good PR for them.

Why wouldn't they want you to do it?

I don’t know, except for maybe they just want to keep a protected market for the Saddle Trac rather than have people doing the conversions themselves. I’m not doing anything new, it’s all been done before. I’ve spoken to a contractor in Denmark who has done several. He can’t understand the delay either, saying he’s never had to wait more than a month.

However, it may just be a real and genuine case of parts not available and needing to be specially made by an outside supplier. I might be imagining the whole “deliberate hold up” theory because I’m a bit stressed about it and desperate to push on.

We will see.

 

[Andrew]

Like they’re falling over themselves to help you at the moment. Makes me think twice about buying anything off them if this is the way they bully the paying customer. What happened to parts that could be shipped over night etc.
The one thing claas are not exhibiting at the moment is class.

They’ve always had that attitude. Its why we and many other farmers won’t buy anything off them. Unfortunately We won’t be having any more Stewart trailers now, as they’ve gone in with Claas in this area too.