Clever concept keeping compaction at bay

Redesigning its combine track frames to suit installation on the Axion Terra Trac, Claas claims to have engineered the ideal ride quality, traction visited a Norfolk user to see how the tractor performs and ground contour following characteristics for the tractor. Geoff Ashcroft

N.E. Salmon Farming is no stranger to rubber-tracked tractors. Based at Great Fransham, Norfolk, the farming family was an early adopter with the original Cat 65 tractor and has had a succession of rubber-tracked machines for primary cultivations ever since.

The fleet includes a 17-year-old 9,000-hour example of the legendary Claas 95E, which supports a 3,000-hour Challenger MT865C by shouldering about 300 critical hours/year with autumn cultivations. And until last year, the farm also ran an older MT865B.

Ed Salmon, who runs the 1,900-hectare contract farming operation from Hyde Hall Farm alongside his father Robert, says: “The raw power of a C18 Cat motor takes some beating. The only downside with twin-track machines is the potential for scuffing on headlands and a relatively low travel speed.”

But he says this has all changed since the arrival of a Claas Axion half-track last year, in the guise of a pre-series Axion 960TT. The 445hp FPT-powered half-track uses Claas’ CMatic continuously variable transmission, offering a 45kph maximum travel speed.

Versatility

“The half-track is a seriously good tool and one that offers far more versatility than an all-out tracked machine, so it can handle a wider variety of tasks,” he says. “We are very compaction-conscious and anything that reduces ground pressure for us is a huge step forward.”

The Salmons’ focus on reduced compaction has seen the farm adopt a controlled traffic focus at harvest. Running a 36-metre tramline system with 2.5m wheel track widths allows the farm’s Claas 780TT combine with 12.3m header and chaser bin to minimise wheelings.

“Our soils have restructured well over the last few years from using a 12m CTF system at harvest.

“For us, it is about knowing when to get off the land and the low ground pressure tracked machines means we can make the most of our resources,” he explains.

The farm’s 6m and 8m drills do mean more wheeling, but with tracks where possible, soil structure is not overlooked.

Arrival of the Axion 960TT has brought a big improvement in compaction management, says Mr Salmon.

The 960TT has more than proved its worth at Hyde Hall Farm and is viewed as a worthy successor to the MT865B it replaced.

“We have used the TT with our 8m Vaderstad drill and 12m Carrier and the traction is phenomenal, with just 2 per cent slip,” he says. “We do have a seven-furrow Lemken plough, which is no real test for a 445hp tractor, but during harvest it pulls a tri-axle GR30 chaser bin.

"We thought the fixed drawbar might have been a problem, but with in-cab adjustment to the rear ride height, it is very easy to connect to trailed implements.

"It cannot quite handle our 6m TopDown cultivator." he says.

"If it could be boosted to 500hp, we could probably replace the MT865C with a second Axion TT, but until that time, we will keep the 865C for the heavy work. And if it runs for 20 years, the Challenger will prove to be good value horsepower.”

With soils across the farmed area ranging from chalky boulder clays to blowing sand, Mr Salmon says the lighter land areas can be managed with less power.

A Fendt 939 with central tyre inflation then steps in for drilling and until the arrival of the Axion TT, it would also have been used with the farm’s chaser bin.

Tractor specifications

■ Model: Claas Axion 960TT

■ Engine: 8.7-litre, six-cylinder, FPT

■ Maximum power: 445hp at 1,700-1,900rpm

■ Maximum torque: 1,860Nm at 1,300-1,500rpm

■ Transmission: 0-45kph Cmatic CVT

■ Rear lift capacity: 10.5 tonnes

■ Front lift capacity: 6.5t

■ Hydraulic system: 150 litres per minute (220 optional)

■ Diesel/AdBlue capacities: 860/90 litres

■ Weight: 16.2-22t

Reduced contact

“We have had some good experiences with tyres and tracks over the years, and the Axion TT is the best all-rounder by far,” says Mr Salmon.

“We have tried a Magnum Rowtrac but the way its front idler sits upwards means a reduced contact patch. I believe the benefit of that system is so marginal, you may as well run tyres and save on the outlay.

“We recently tried a John Deere 8RX too. Nice tractor, impressively maneuverable and a much more comfortable cab than the Axion, but I am not convinced about having track units on a front axle.”

He says the Axion TT’s biggest advantage over other tracked options, is its large contact patch and sophisticated suspension system that keeps the rubber track in contact with the ground.

Each track assembly has been developed so the front idler, rear drivewheel and mid-rollers all move independently, with their own suspension and oscillation capability. This maintains a constant footprint on uneven surfaces, allowing each track to hug the ground.

Softly

Compared to a 900mm-wide tyre on 42-inch rims, the 890mm wide track has a 35 per cent larger footprint and can deliver 15 per cent more tractive effort. Even on the mid-sized 735mm tracks, Hyde Hall Farm’s Arion treads softly.

“This tractor has a huge footprint, and with 710/60 R34 front tyres, it really does ride well,” says Mr Salmon. “Importantly, it keeps

a full track flat on the ground and this makes it an ideal machine for high-speed top work.”

A Cherry Products front weight box is the only additional ballast and includes a lift-out one-tonne concrete block.

“When drilling, we remove the front weight block and lower the front tyre pressures from 18 to 12psi,” he says.

For all its capabilities, Mr Salmon says the tractor is not perfect.

“I would like to see a bigger fuel tank so we can run long days without needing to top-up. It is easy to bang your head on the nearside cab mirror when climbing the steps and the rear mudguard mouldings need to be longer to keep the back of the cab clean,” he says.

Operator Lee Oakes is equally upbeat about the Axion TT’s performance.

He says: “I have had tractors with on-the-move tyre adjustment and this is in a different league,” he says.

Comfort

“Ride comfort is great on all but hard, rutted tramlines and its turn of speed for transport work makes it such a practical tractor. If Claas gets the software sorted out and improves GPS auto-steer integration with Cebis, the final version will be a far better operator’s machine.”

Mr Oakes says the track system is simple enough to maintain and clean, thanks to spoked wheels which use bolt-on rubber pads.

“Compared to other models of half-track and four-track machines we have tried, this is currently the best of the bunch for our farming operation.”