Optimizing Harvest Efficiency at Euston Estates: Matthew Hawthorne’s Experience with the TRION 750 TT

With significant areas of land being put aside for solar and crops to feed an anaerobic digester as well as vegetables, poultry and outdoor pigs, the cropping profile at Euston Estates has changed significantly over the last 10-15 years.

Today combinable crops account for some 1000ha of the estate’s predominantly sandy soils. So, when it came to changing the business’ combine two years ago there were a number of options to consider.

“Having gone through a significant period of change, our arable acreage is now fairly stable, working well as part of a rotation that includes 400ha of forage maize, 400ha of vegetables and 110ha of ground put aside for outdoor sows and broilers,” explains Farm Manager Matthew Hawthorne.

So when our old LEXION 750 was coming to the end of its five-year hire term we had some choices to make about exactly what combine we’d need to replace it.

Our light soils mean we’re rarely facing ridiculously heavy grain yields or massive crops of straw so we don’t need monstrous output, but we do want to get the cereals hoovered up in good time.

Initially we had thought we’d be going for a new generation LEXION, but our salesman James Bowers suggested we might get better value for money looking at a top-end twin-rotor TRION 750 equipped with a 10.8m VARIO header as we had before.”

11/18/2025

Euston Estate Farm near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
Cropping Winter wheat 708ha (1750acres), winter barley 202ha (500acres), winter beans ha 100ha (250acres), sugar beet 202ha (500acres), low input grassland 202ha (500acres), forage maize for AD 404ha (1000acres), land let for vegetables 404ha (1000acres), land let for outdoor pigs 80ha (200acres), land let for outdoor broilers 30ha (75acres), ground-based solar 364ha (900acres), carbon capture trees 202ha (500acres) – remainder in woodland and conservation areas
Livestock 50 x Red Poll suckler cows plus followers
Renewables 2.5mW gas-to-grid anaerobic digester

CLAAS TRION 750 TT | Euston Estates

Why a TRION 750?

“Given that the internal workings of the hybrid 750 are pretty much the same as our LEXION, we were assured that the TRION would at least match the capacity of the old combine.

And, far from being a step backwards, the TRION offered some big advantages. The larger grain tank meant we could fill our 23cu.m trailers in two loads which I liked from an efficiency point of view.

But from an operator’s perspective the real wow factor was the new cab. It’s so much roomier and better laid-out than before.”

How has it performed?

“Our initial hope was that the TRION would match the LEXION 750 for output, but the reality is that it’s got at least 10% more capacity on a tonnes-per-hour basis. It comfortably handles the 10.8m header.

But the biggest surprise came with fuel usage. Despite having the edge in terms of output, the TRION is using 15-20% less diesel than the LEXION was previously. It’s just a more efficient machine overall.

Given we have a big demand for straw, the quality of what drops in the swath is very important to us. With the dry conditions this year I wondered if we might struggle but being able to tweak rotor speeds in combination with the drum and concaves meant we were able to avoid smashing the crops to bits. Critically that means we’re not overloading the sieves, impacting our hourly outputs or the sample quality. What ends up in the tank is always as clean as a whistle – our screenings rarely exceed 0.15%”

Cab and controls

“Getting a decent sample while maintaining respectable output is never an issue for us. That’s helped by how easy it is to set the TRION up.

Changing between crops we just press the button and the CLAAS factory settings are pretty much always spot-on. With the 750 being well on top of the job we can afford to make sample quality our main priority rather than output.”

Maintenance

“One of the first things that struck us when we lifted the side panels on the TRION was how much work CLAAS had put in to simplify the drivelines. They’ve done away with all the clutter so that there are so many fewer places for dust and debris to hang up.

In combination with the move to 50-hour greasing for most of the lubrication points, that has made daily maintenance and clean-downs so much quicker with the result that we can get going at least half an hour earlier each morning.”

What are the stand-out features on the TRION?

“Moving from Laser Pilot to CLAAS’ GPS steering has again improved the efficiency of our harvesting operation. There are no longer narrow strips of crop left to clear up at the end of the field and we’re now able to run up and back on adjacent bouts because we haven’t just got a single camera on one side.

It means we’re better able to tweak settings as we go along to keep the combine running at its best. That’s helped by Cruise Pilot. By automatically controlling the speed of the machine according to what’s coming in the front, the driver has the confidence to keep the TRION at maximum capacity without worrying that it’ll roar off at a ridiculous pace chucking grain out over the back.

From a logistics point of view having CLAAS Connect is a real bonus. Being able to see the combine’s progress means I can plan ahead for field-to-field moves and refuelling.

The overall analytics package means I’ve got a real-time picture of yields and know exactly how different crops and varieties are performing. The Quantimeter yield recording is impressively accurate – it’s much more in sync with what’s going over the weighbridge.”

Why tracks?

“In the past we’ve run big combines with big headers on wheels and on rutted ground they struggle to reliably follow contours.

With tracks you immediately remove that issue. CLAAS’ TERRA TRAC suspension system does away with that wallowing seesaw motion, so the header is able to maintain an even stubble height across the entire field.”

Why CLAAS?

“We like to hire our combines on a five-year basis because we have known harvesting costs and no nasty surprises which the accountants like!

When it comes to doing a deal on hire packages CLAAS is always the most competitive. Other brands’ charges are often unaffordable.

I believe CLAAS combines have the edge over anything else on the market in terms of sophistication and efficiency. But ultimately it comes down to back-up.

We’ve got some really good dealers in the area but MANNS at Saxham are just a cut above the rest. They’ve invested heavily in a modern state-of-the-art facility which gives us the confidence that CLAAS is serious about the after sales service and aren’t just interested in getting a sale.”

Would you have another TRION?

“After two harvests with the TRION we’ve been impressed by its performance. It’ll comfortably cover our 1000ha and, despite being a mid-range machine, is packed with lots of features you’d expect to find on a top-end combine.

If it is as reliable as our previous CLAAS combines we’ll certainly be looking at another TRION when this one’s time is up.”