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Texas | I have a Claas chopper and it is a well built machine. Are the combines in the same league? Been shopping around for another combine and would like to know what experience any have had with the Lexion line-up. |
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| You can find a lot of good information by searching this site and thecombineforum on Lexion combines. You will read a lot about having a good dealership near by for service. As with any brand of combine, having a good dealership will definitely impact your opinion on any piece of equipment. That being said, my personal experience (2005 580R) has been that the need for service isn't any more than other colored combines, in fact it may be less. Where I'm located, we are lucky to have a great dealership within 45 minutes. If your looking at used, I would highly recommend the Field Ready Reconditioned option from an Lexion Dealership. It will give you piece of mind that they have went through the machine and will stand behind it. If you raise small grains, definitely get the TM6 upper sieve - it will make a huge difference. Daily maintenance is simple. As far as performance, all I can say is "Just Try One".
Edited by Inline 6 9/9/2013 22:11
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south east SD | I do know for a fact they are made in the same factory in Germany. I was there 1st week of July. Choppers are built there. US combines are made there and put together in the US with different engines. I know they will tell you they are the best on the world! BUT, I think it all comes down to your dealer. Best of luck on your choice! What combines are you running now? |
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Northeast Nebraska and Candelaria Philippines | Aren't they built in omaha? |
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| A more accurate statement would be that they are assembled in Omaha. A majority of the machine is manufactured in Germany and shipped to Omaha where they are assembled. It is actually pretty neat to see - a shipping container contains one complete combine broke down with the exception of a few various components. If I remember correctly the engines, hopper and a few other components are made in the US. |
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| Every state is different but resale value of cat machines in Illinois is pretty poor. They depreciate faster than the red or green ones. |
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Texas | I have had a lot of Axial Flow machines since the early 1980's and know them inside and out. However, my experience with my Jaguar 900 has caused me to consider the Lexion. The Jag is a better engineered and manufactured machine than the CIH combines. I've had Deere walker machines too and prefer the Axial Flow 2 to 1 over the walker Deere. |
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Wallis, TX | That is what's appealing to me about the used yellow machines. Someone else already took the hit. |
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Amherst WI | twraska - 9/9/2013 21:43
That is what's appealing to me about the used yellow machines. Someone else already took the hit.
They did if you plan to run it till it is scrap metal.
I've told this story before but I looked at a 470 when I was combine shopping a few years ago. 1900 engine hours and it sat on the lot for 2 years for $62,000. I think it was 9 years old at the time.
All I could think about is what is this going to be worth in another 5 years when I want to sell it? It already lost what 75% of its "new" value in the first 9 years what would another 5 do to it? Would it be worth $25-30k? Would I even be able to sell it?
You don't see that type of depreciation on any other combine even the New Holland's or the Agco's.
I don't doubt they are good machines but at the end of the day cost of ownership is still king. |
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Wallis, TX | I'm still running a 1660 with 4450 hours so, yes we do keep them. The way I'm looking at them is, what will $100K or 150K buy me. Around here to get less than 2000 hours I'll get a 23 or 2588 and I can't find any for my price that haven't been in rice. 2188's will be more like 3500 engine hours. I can find 1500 engine hour yellow's that have been in grain for that money. Downside is I'll have to trade heads, mine are just too small for a much larger machine. I could get by with the same heads on an 88 series red machine. |
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southeast north dakota | My bro ran one for acouple years and said they were awsome machines but terrible for maintenance hence the poor trade in value. Local cih dealer wont even take them on trade. Cant get rid of them around here. |
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Hungary | Bring them back to Europe.
Claas has much more resell value than any other brand in the market !
Excellent machines !
We have 3 JD just because of the price - if Claas would be just a little bit higher than any other brand I would not think about to buy them !
So it is nothing to do which machine is better than the other it is just a matter of fact which brand has the highest market share and larger dealer network.
Although Claas has won some reputation in the last 15 years , because I remember back than almost nobody wanted to buy them.
So go for Claas you wont regret it ! |
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| So, would you be money ahead buying a $ 100k deere combine that would be worth $60-70k after 5 more years? After all the resale would be higher. |
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NC ND | when I was looking the local salesmen told me to stay away from the first couple years 4xx series as electrical problems. The R's were a good improvement, however they said even if I had to wait till I could afford it a 5xx machine would be much better and then the jetstream machines start around 2005. I'm guessing they were listening to what I needed in a machine and did not want to me to get an earlier machine and be dissapointed/down on yeller. Drove some of the new ones down at Omaha and they have made some really nice improvements on them. |
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Amherst WI | Hours don't wear out combines, bushels do |
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Amherst WI | In your case it would be a wash, but in mine I was looking at 2188's as well. I paid $42,500 for my 2188. Obviously I can't see in the future but I am willing to bet I won't lose half the value of the machine by then. |
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| I would have a hard time moving away from red simply because I know how to work on them and have a good independent mechanic who specializes in them if I get in too deep. More salvage parts available too. I think there's some definite opportunities with the Claas machines, though. As you said, somebody else already took the 75% depreciation hit. |
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Wallis, TX | Brandon SWIA - 9/10/2013 06:29 So, would you be money ahead buying a $ 100k deere combine that would be worth $60-70k after 5 more years? After all the resale would be higher. Not many green around these parts, except in rice. A few more coming in the last few years, but many of them are leased from Machinery Link. Besides, I've never been around a green combine that could keep the grain in the machine. Before anyone flames me,,,, I tried a green one about 15 years ago and didn't have any luck getting it set, even with the dealer, his mechanic and the territory manager trying. Hence, my reluctance to try one again. |
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| If you got dealer support i'd give it a try. Seems to have very clean grain and very low grain loss; a good, quiet cab and on the new ones the dynamic cooling looks quite nice and also new rear axle and unloading auger. |
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Brazilton KS | They are all priced on a per-ton basis when they are done. The Lexion weighs more, so it has better resale value in the end. |
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| Claas has a 2/3 share of the combine market in Europe where mostly small grains are grown. That tells me that The Lexion is probably the best machine in wheat, barley, canola, ect. Our corn is not good enough to max out any machine, so I can't comment on on that, but a Lexion 760 didn't do too bad at 51,000 bushels of corn in 10 hours a couple years ago in IL. Weak points are more greasing than other machines, especially at 100 hrs, but only 2 zerks at 10 hrs. The APS impeller can plug in green stem soybeans and green sunflowers. It takes a few days to learn how to set a Lexion properly, because there are so many things that can be adjusted, or open and closed, or removed and inserted to suit different crops or conditions. It would be a good idea to have someone in your area familar with your crops and conditions to help with settings. |
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| You will find the combines to have similar superior engineering, design, and durability compared to CNH/JD. There is little if anything not to love about the shear performance of these machines, it is what sets them apart in a league of their own if performance is important to you. Plenty of people over-hype the resale card (see much of the jibber-jabber below) and want to only cherry-pick that criteria and confuse it for machine total cost of ownership. While resale is one factor, it is not the only one, nor is it typically the most significant. But every 'expert' likes to focus on it, so fine. Plenty of cheap red and green combines get auctioned every day in the current market. Anyone really going to brag that up, anyone.... anyone??? Listen, total cost of ownership takes projected/estimated resale into account, but also factors machine performance in terms of repairs, scheduled rebuild costs, fuel consumption, and, most importantly, crop savings generated year after year. These combined far outweigh the differences in machine values (which can vary with respect to region, marketing outlet, etc.) but nobody likes to talk about it - rather every old discussion like this gets pulled back into resale and glorified 'coffee shop talk' rather than focusing on the truly important attributes of the machine cost of ownership... so go ahead and we can keep beating the dead horse here and those guys will continue to trip over dollars to pick up dimes. The truly significant numbers come from the performance and durability of the machine, this is where they shine and where the Lexion guys 'get it'.
Are they perfect - no way. But they are a whole (*^% of a lot closer than anything else! |
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south east mn | We just traded our 05 570r with 1500 engine hours for a new 730 and they gave us 125k. So take it for what it's worth. Zieglar salesman made the comment that there used Equipment is starting to appreciate. Will so how fast they sell it I guess. In my opinion there is nothing that will beat a lexion in the field unless its not running. |
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| have a 740 and love it wouldn't have anything else. Ziegler has been wonderful. Have had for two years and no break downs, it just goes. People complain about maintance but only the 100 hours is a lot but its really not that bad once you fugure out where they all are and its only 3 times a year for us. People complain about resale value, well if i'm a used buyer that would be in my favor. As many used combines as John Deere has there resale value can't continue. Ziegler has three states and they have less used combines then our local Deere dealer who covers only a few countys. |
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Pontiac IL | Ran green for 30 years, switched to a 740 last year and no desire to go back. Getting to be quite a few in this area and I think that is helping resale around here. A neighbor, former green owner, told me when I got the Lexion that if I ran grain out the back I needed my a$$ kicked. He's right, big improvement in grain loss and sample. |
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Wallis, TX | Good to hear from you again, how's the crop lookin'? Hope everyone is doing well. |
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Good, Bad, Ugly of CAT Lexion combines???
