Two Claas Arion tractors arrived for the Farmer’s Test. One of them is the Arion 550 model in the Cmatic version. This is the most powerful 4-cylinder Claas engine with a continuously variable transmission and equipment that the largest tractor models would be proud of. Already at the beginning of the test, the tractor surprises with its possibilities.
Strong, yet agile, comfortable and universal – this is what the Claas Arion 550 and generally the 500 series of Arion tractors are supposed to be. Our test included a tractor with a stepless drive, a front loader and many other accessories. In one sentence – a tractor “in full swing”.
Arion 500 – more than a compact
The 500 series of Arion tractors is an intermediate line between the compact 400 series and the larger, 6-cylinder 600 series tractors. The Arion 500 series consists of three models: 510, 530 and 550 with rated powers of 115, 135 and 155 HP, respectively.
The wheelbase of these tractors is 2.56 m. The 400 series has almost the same wheelbase: 2.52, but the Arion 600 is 2.82 m. However, unlike the 400 series, the tractors are more massive. They weigh more and have a permissible total weight that is approximately 2 times higher (11 t). However, they are still relatively maneuverable, although it is difficult to call them compact anymore. The Arion 550 delivered for the test was equipped with, among others: with the maximum tires available for it. The wheels are 650/65R38 at the rear and 540/65R28 at the front. The tractor looks really big.
CMATIC stepless drive
What distinguishes the machine and what is not available in the 400 series is, among others: Cmatic continuously variable transmission, designed by Claas (EQ 200). The first impression – for those who have not had the opportunity to drive a tractor with such a box – may cause a slight headache – how to move it. The armrest with its multitude of switches, buttons and the Cmotion multi-function joystick and the CEBIS monitor seem to complicate operation terribly. In fact, to drive a tractor with Cmatic, all you need to do is select the reverse direction and press the gas pedal.
But of course there are plenty of different functions to use the machine’s potential as effectively as possible. The controlling brain here is the Cebis monitor, where everything can be set, but many frequently used settings can also be changed using function keys. It is worth mentioning that the gearbox offers three driving speed ranges in both directions. The selected range is displayed on the monitor. Already during the first work, we learned the advantages of this solution. The fastest range allows you to move efficiently during transport and road trips. We used the medium range for field work, and the lowest range for precise maneuvering when attaching tools. In each range, you can set minimum and maximum speeds as well as speeds activated by the cruise control.
It is worth adding here that we immediately used the automatic transmission mode, in which the driving speed can be adjusted using the pedal and joystick, and we also set a constant rotational speed of 540 rpm. for the PTO shaft of the fertilizer spreader. After several dozen minutes of practical training, working with Cmatic became pleasant and comfortable.
Parallel driving with CEMIS 1200
The tractor is also equipped with a second Cemis 1200 monitor, used primarily for automatic parallel driving. The operation here seems even more intuitive than in Cebis. We immediately recorded the data of the hitched machine (type of machine, working width) and all we had to do was mark points A and B of the first pass, and then the tractor marked out the driving paths itself. At the headland, you need to manually “drive” the tractor close to the next path marked on the monitor and click the steering wheel button on the joystick to continue automatic guidance. Lines can be drawn as straight or contoured, and you only need to enter the name of the language into memory once and then just select it from the list.
Accurate guidance is possible thanks to an antenna with a GPS receiver and RTK correction (free signal). Indeed, the deviation in individual passes is practically unnoticeable. We could observe this by making successive passes with the spreader over the same field – the tractor hit exactly the previously made track.
The cabin is comfortable and there is plenty of space. The seat is very comfortable, and the suspended front axle and the suspended cabin also ensure comfort of work. The automatic air conditioning also works well. What’s the downside? It’s hard to find one for now. Maybe because we got some errors about twice (PTO shaft and wheel steering sensor). The “cure” for this was a restart, i.e. restarting the engine.
A full test of the Claas Arion 550 tractor will be available soon. At the same time, we are also testing the Arion 660 Cmatic. Write in the comments what interests you, what to check, what to explain…
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