Courtesy of a blossoming relationship with the Landpower Group, which has just opened a new $10 million distribution facility in Melbourne, the key message to producers is how new-generation Claas tractors increasingly complement the more widely known header range which has been on sale here since the 1950s.

At an impressive opening ceremony attended by top Claas Group executive, Cathrina Claas, daughter of European machinery legend, Helmut Claas, plus key customers and dealers from Australia and New Zealand, visitors gained an impression of a machinery ‘empire’ of truly global significance.

Landpower's chief executive, Richard Wilson, said rising commodity prices meant it was "a great time to be involved in selling farm machinery", with farming today requiring more powerful, more sophisticated equipment able to help minimise costs and improve profitability.

"Claas has arrived as a genuine main-line tractor manufacturer and today spends 4.5pc of its Euro2.7 billion turnover on research and development," he said.

"That's hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars on making the best in the world even better, and a host of that new machinery is now being introduced (to Australia) here.

"It's the most exciting time we've seen in agriculture for the last 50 years."

That aside, the core focus on the day was on the ‘hardware’ on offer to producers across both sides of the Tasman.

Enter the:

• Axion tractor range from 120kW (163hp) to 193kW (260hp);

• Arion tractors from 82kW (112hp) to 114kW (155hp); and

• the world-beating mighty Lexion 600 header.

But that's only half the story with new 'green line' mowers, swathers and variable chamber round balers.

Other snippets of news centre on evaluation trials of a new telehandler, plus the imminent arrival of a massive 675kW (900hp) self-propelled forager equipped with two engines that allow users to select either one or both to accommodate different crop densities.

Landpower Australia group product manager, Konstantin Blersch, says two of its new Axion tractors from Claas have been successfully evaluated in Australia and New Zealand.

Landpower's tractor expert says the four-strong Axion range is something of a crossbred design in that they are capable of undertaking a multitude of jobs in both broadacre and livestock enterprises.

A longer wheel base doesn't compromise tight turns and plenty of ballasting options, ranging from 7.5t to 14t on the top of the line model, thereby enhancing flexibility.

"This means you can make the tractor 'light' for pto/grassland work and 'heavier' to get traction," Mr Blersch said.

Claas says it designed the new range "from the ground up", following the acquisition of the Renault brand in 2003 underscoring how it now produces tractors in Europe's largest market – France.