TRACTOR TEST: If you’re seeking a middleweight prime mover capable of pumping out over 200hp, then you’d certainly want to consider the Axion 800s. We get the low-down from one operator with two and a half years’ experience of running Claas’s mid-range 830
The current generation of the Claas Axion 800s made their first appearance on UK shores five years ago, and they’ve since made steady progress infiltrating the country’s tractor fleet. Compared with the first Axions launched in 2006 there was a significant change under the bonnet with a shift away from a Deere supplied motor to an FPT block with a cast structural sump.
While this switch in supplier prompted a collective shudder amongst storemen in parts departments across Europe, it also came with a significant change from the operator’s point of view. Until then, employing DPS engines had meant sticking with ‘single-fluid’ fill-ups (thanks to the use of EGR to beat emissions regs), whereas the shift to CNH’s Fiat Powertrain motors saw a move to AdBlue … and the necessity for an extra tank in the yard.
Claas was quick to put its own stamp on the Italian-built power plant by opting for a variable geometry turbo, an electronically controlled viscous fan and a structural sump. By doing away with the need for chassis rails with a front linkage installed, the latter was claimed to maintain manoeuvrability. In reality, the turn was identical to the old Axion’s, albeit now possible with larger tyres.
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