2 x LEXION 7700 – Steve Benson and Bleddwyn Phillips, Wiltshire

With some 2500ha of crops to clear across Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire, Steve Benson and his team can be fairly stretched when the weather closes in during harvest.

“Having plenty of capacity is our only insurance against tricky conditions,” says Mr Benson.

“I’ve always believed that it’s better to be over-kitted out rather than getting caught out when things turn wet. We’ve got four combines in the shed – a straw walker LEXION 670, a wide-bodied hybrid 770 and then two narrow-body 7700s.

“Fortunately we’ve hardly had to use the two older machines this year but in a catchy season all four will be out earning their keep.”

03/12/2026

Steve Benson Farming Ltd, near Swindon, Wiltshire
Farmed area: 2833ha
Cropping Winter wheat 1147ha, oilseed rape 454ha, winter barley 276ha, spring barley 277ha, spring wheat 204ha, spring oats 85ha fallow & legume fallow 240ha grass 150ha
Staff: Steve Benson plus 6 full-timers and 3-4 others part-time as required

Current combines:

2015 LEXION 770 with 10.5m VARIO header
2016 LEXION 670 with 7.6m VARIO header
2023 LEXION 7700 with 10.5m CONVIO header
2024 LEXION 7700 with 10.5m CONVIO header

Why LEXION 7700?

“We’ve run a number of big wide-bodied machines over the years and seen the benefit of having that sort of capacity,” says Mr Benson.

“It has enabled us to be a bit more patient, waiting for crops to be truly ready before we cut them. We need to catch them at their best to achieve milling and malting premiums while obviously avoiding drying whenever we can.

“But a few things attracted me to these latest generation narrow-bodied LEXION. The combination of 40kph travel speeds and the reduced width make road moves so much easier.

“With the bigger drum and concave up front they match the capacity of our old 770s and yet a narrow-bodied tracked machine will always have more appeal on the second-hand market – stronger residual values mean the lifetime running costs are lower.”

2x CLAAS LEXION 7700TT | Steve Benson Farming Ltd

How have the 7700s performed?

“We took delivery of our first LEXION 7700 in 2023. Equipped with a 10.5m CONVIO header, it proved to be the perfect match – the output really was impressive.

“But it’s not all about hourly tonnages. The sample it produces is flawless. That combination of quality and quantity convinced me a second 7700 was the way to go so we had another for last harvest.

“It’s proved to be the right decision. Having two well-matched front-line combines rather than one monster means we’re more adaptable. While we mainly run them together, they can split off to catch different crops simultaneously.”

Cab and controls

“It was a big step up going from a 2015 LEXION 770 to the new 7700. I really liked the old hot-key set-up but the new touchscreen is even more user-friendly,” explains operator Bleddywn Phillips.

“It’s super easy to navigate your way through but going on the CLAAS training days we really learnt a lot more, despite being fairly well-experienced combine drivers.

“We’ve gone from LASER PILOT steering on the old 770 to GPS auto-steer. The new CLAAS system is really easy to use. It doesn’t have any issues following the crop – it’s just awesome.

“But it’s the little things that count too. The pivoting spout makes huge difference. If the trailer boys aren’t quite in position I can make sure the grain lands bang in the middle of the body. The other big benefit of the new discharge system is that even when I shut off halfway through a tankload the auger fully empties itself so you’re not struggling to swing it back out fully loaded the next time you go to unload.”

“Day after day through harvest, I just love every minute – I wouldn’t want to drive anything other than a LEXION.”

Road moves

“Covering such a big area across Wiltshire, Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire, we do a lot of roadwork. The 40kph transmission has been a massive help – some of our moves are 35 miles so it massively cuts our transport times.”

CONVIO

“With a wet end to the season last year, the CONVIO header really came into its own. In flat crops it does a really good job, no matter what the conditions are like. Being able to float the header and shave the deck, the belts keep everything feeding in without bull-dozing.

“We no longer have any issues with crop wrapping on the auger or reel when it starts to get damp. Those days are gone, we’ve forgotten what it’s like to have to stop because the crop won’t feed. The CONVIO just eats it up.”

Fuel

“The smoother crop flow from the CONVIO has had a big impact on diesel use. Both 7700s are really efficient on fuel. They’ll easily run for two days on a 1100-litre tank.”

Why CLAAS?

“Over the years we’ve had all colours of the rainbow here – rotaries, walkers and hybrids. But since 2005 there’s always been a CLAAS combine on the fleet,” says Mr Benson.

“We’ve now gone back to an all green and white line-up primarily because the back-up CLAAS offers is so much better than anyone else. We’re really lucky with the service we get from CLAAS WEASTERN but on these latest machines we haven’t really had any issues – they’ve just kept cutting day-in, day-out.

“With our experience of other makes, CLAAS combines are a premium product. You get your money’s worth out of them and when it comes to swapping them in, they hold their value much better than anything else.

“But critically they’re built to last. We used to change our combines every three years but as the acreage expanded, we ended up keeping machines longer. That proved CLAAS build quality – we’ll happily run them for 10 or 12 seasons without any major issues.

“I’ve run CLAAS combines longer than I’ve had any other brand. I just have the confidence they’ll stand the test of time.”