To meet the needs of farmers with between 100-500 acres of crops to harvest, Claas has introduced a new combine, the Avero 240, which incorporates many features found on larger models to help boost output.

At the heart of the Avero is a new design of threshing and separation system with four straw walkers working in combination with the well-proven Accelerated Pre-Separation (APS) system to give output levels similar to larger five-walker machines.

As with the larger models, the new Avero can be used with either a standard Claas cutterbar or the Vario, on which the distance between the knife and cross auger can be altered from the cab by 30cm for cereals, or further extended by 50cm for oilseed rape, which can help boost throughput by up to 10%.

For speed and simplicity, all cutterbars are connected using a central multi-coupler first introduced on the Lexion, and are carried on two-way cutterbar cylinders protected by a damping system. The cutterbar features hinged dividers and the reel is hydrostatically driven.

At the heart of the Avero is a new design of threshing and separation system with four straw walkers.

As with the larger Tucano and Lexion models, the APS system on the new Avero is designed to accelerate and smooth the crop flow into the combine, and to separate up to 30% of the grain in the pre-cleaning concave.

By threshing out this much grain at this stage, the capacity of the secondary separation system to remove the harder-to-thresh grains is increased, which helps boost output by as much as 20% while also saving fuel.

The APS cylinder is 1,060mm wide and 450mm in diameter and has a multi-purpose, 151 degree concave that does not need to be changed for different crops. De-awning plates can be fitted below the concave that are operated using a lever next to the feed housing.

The Avero is fitted with four, 3,900mm long straw walkers with four steps that have a total separation area of 4.8 square metres and have been redesigned to work with the APS threshing system.

The Intensive Separation System ensures that large volumes of straw can be handled and any remaining grains efficiently separated.

The cleaning system features a long removable grain pan and is fitted with a high-performance fan that can be continuously adjusted from the cab.

As an option, the Avero can be fitted with the Claas 3D levelling system to reduce losses when working on hillsides.

The new Avero has a centrally positioned, 5,600-litre capacity grain tank, which can be emptied in under two minutes. The driver has good visibility into the tank, grain samples can be easily taken and returns monitored via a lit inspection window.

Straw and chaff can either be left in a swath for baling, or chopped and spread by the straw chopper, on which the discharge width and direction can be easily adjusted.

The Avero 240 is powered by a common-rail, 6.6-litre Caterpillar engine developing 198hp. A particular feature of this engine is its low fuel consumption and the combine is fitted with a 400-litre fuel tank.

A redesigned version of the Claas Vista cab provides the operator with a comfortable, spacious work environment. The cab features air-conditioning and air-sprung driver’s seat, in addition to a fully adjustable steering column and passenger seat.

A multi-function lever incorporates controls for all the main combine functions, while the Claas Information System (CIS) provides the operator with a clear display of all the main functions.

The standard specification also includes eight work lights and centralised lubrication points, and a wide range of tyre sizes are available, with front axle sizes ranging from 18.4-30 12PR up to 800/65 R32, giving transport widths of 2.68m and 3.28m respectively.