United Kingdom, Fisher Farms

William Fisher, Fishers Farms Ltd, Oldcotes, Worksop, Nottinghamshire

Looking to change their main 300 horsepower tractor, it was the versatility of the CLAAS XERION that particularly appealed to Fisher Farms.

The farm, which is split between two units 50 miles apart, extends to 1150ha, growing wheat, oilseed rape, barley, potatoes and onions.

Following a change in policy that means land is only ploughed before root crops and 2^nd wheat, one of the main requirements for the new tractor was that it should have the power to pull a new one-pass 5.0m Watkins Quad-Till which is used for intervening years.

“With just two of us, we used to be ploughing 24/7, then doing at least a couple of passes before the Vaderstad,” explains William Fisher. “By going to a one-pass system we have achieved at least a 30% saving in man-hours which means we can hit optimum sowing dates.”

Due to the distance between the two farms that are run as one, tracks were not an option and looking at wheeled options, the Fishers felt that the XERION with its 50kph CVT transmission would offer the best traction and most versatility.

“We wanted something that would enable us to cover at least 40ha a day, for which the 388hp XERION 3800 was really the only option. We did look at another leading make, but they could not touch the XERION on price and the delivery was far too long. Added to that we know that we will also get excellent service support from Marsh.”

The XERION is shod with Michelin Axiobib 710s to keep transport width down and to allow it to plough in-furrow, using a mounted 6-furrow plough, to which the Fishers are planning to add a front-mounted 3-furrow plough. Aside from the Watkins cultivator the XERION has also been used with the farms 6.0m Kuhn Accord combination drill with front tank and a four-bed bedformer..

“It is surprising how nimble and versatile the XERION is,” says William who also drives it. “It is a tremendous machine, the four-wheel steering, the management control systems and the high driving position are superb and the output is incredible.”

“It has loads of power and torque, and traction is never a problem. As a result, the percentage increase in output from 3ha/hour to 5ha/hr is far greater than the increase in power compared to our old tractor.”

“The cab is a very nice environment to be in and you can certainly do 10-12 hours and not notice it – it’s very user-friendly. The sequence management works well with the drill and the ability to transfer the spool valve controls onto the joystick is extremely useful and makes it easy to just tweak the settings.”

“The XERION is extremely flexible; it has enabled us to take the next step forward and has certainly opened new doors and opportunities.”