Farms and Farm Machinery – September 2019

22 TradeFarmMachinery.com.au THE TRACTOR YOU WANT IS NOW EASIER TO FIND

On top of these, Xerion can be ordered with a standalone

Power Beyond pump that can deliver 220L/min for items such

as demanding hydraulic motors if the application is required.

There are up to six double-acting spools at the rear and two up

at the front. The linkage itself is a serious bit of kit, let alone the

eye-watering figures.

Rear lift arms are made from 55mm steel (wider than your

arm), have Cat IV hooks, are double acting, and can continuously

lift 10 tonnes with a max 13.6 tonnes, which is astronomical.

The front is equally impressive, with continuous double acting

lift of 8.1 tonnes with a max 8.4 tonnes. Both front and rear

are fitted with a heavy hydraulic top link, making implement

adjustment a breeze. I think it’s fair to say that if heavy lifting is a

requirement then the Xerion is the go-to.

CAB

Just like the Led Zeppelin song, the seven steps up to the

rotating cab are like something else. I must admit, though,

they are steep. I did fall off during a dismounting attempt

after missing a step (although, I wasn’t using the

recommended technique).

The cab is wide but not very deep at a claimed 71d(B) at full

load, and the large glass panes make this the business. This

is before you even establish the lack of a traditional steering

column and the fact that the whole cab rotates. For the Kinsman

business, where the machine is solely used for mowing, this

tractor is unreal. The fact that they are running mowers that are

older and have a large number of hectares under their belt says

two things: operator Richie maintains them to a high standard

and the optimal bird’s eye-view over all three mowers mean that

even in Canterbury, mowers can still last a long time.

The CMATIC armrest and controls all obviously turn with the

cab, meaning that no matter what the direction, the operator

has the full array of controls at their fingertips. The mowers

are controlled through ISOBUS in the CEBIS terminal. This isn’t

touchscreen, so can be harder than some of the competition

to navigate around. Using the sub-menus and scroller, however,

the operator doesn’t miss out on any options; just a small bit of

functionality.

VERDICT

This is a large specialist machine and for the jobs the Kinsman

Contracting team use it for, its performance is unparalleled.

The ability of the fully rotating cab, long wheelbase with equal

size tyres, and variety of steering modes make the Claas Xerion

4500 is a must-see if you’re in the market for a high horsepower

machine. If you’re uncoordinated like me, concentrate when

mounting this trusty steed.

TEST REVIEW

6 7

CLAAS XERION 4500

Engine Mercedes 12.8L, 490hp

(max)

Trans CVT 50km in both

directions

Hydraulics 195L/min

Lift capacity

(max)

Front 8.4T

Rear 13.6T KVT 2-speed 0–20km/

hr 0–50km/hr

Weight 16,570kg

Wheelbase 3.6m

PLUSES

The cab rotates!

Best-in-market visibility and versatility

Max 490hp from the massive 12.8L

engine

Long wheelbase and large profile

equal size tyres allow the power to be

transferred to the ground

Various steering modes giving greater

versatility

Outstanding visibility over the

implement when rear mounted

Even when constant flow is selected

on spools, controls still have

proportional control

Rear pressure release levers

Six rear and two front spools

195L/min hydraulic flow

Massive 13.6T rear and 8.4T front lift

capacities

MINUSES

Cab interior was a little dated

compared to the competition in this

horsepower sector. Additionally, no

touchscreen CEBIS required scrolling

through menus.

No front suspension offered

The linkage itself is a

serious bit of kit, let alone

the eye-watering figures.

8

6. A 13.6-tonne rear lift capacity makes it

easy to carry three mower conditioners

7. You would be hard pressed to find a

better mowing set-up than the Xerion

Disco combo

8. The advantages of a rotating cab

are obvious