Armed with a 6.7-litre FPT engine and a choice of transmissions, Claas’s five-model Axion 800 range has the 200-300hp sector covered.

And it’s the range-topping 870 with Cmatic CVT that’s proved most fitting for Devon outfit Yeandle Agricultural Contractors.

See also: On test: Four-cylinder Claas Arion 570 proves punchy and nimble

The Axion joins a fleet dominated by Fendt and John Deere, handling all aspects of farm work from cultivating and drilling to baling and silage hauling.

Since the passing of founder Steve Yeandle last year, the business was left to his son, Jack, and daughter, Ella, with day-to-day operations handled by Donna Holding and Dan Chanin.

Dan Chanin © James Andrews

Why a Claas Axion 870?

For years, our tractors have been either Fendt or John Deere.

But we’ve got plenty of Claas kit, and the 870 was offered in a really attractive deal, and the backup that we get from Hamblys is second to none.

It was the last tractor Steve bought and was reasonably priced as it had been used by the Claas Experience Centre at Saxham.

There were only about 150 hours on the clock, it has a decent spec, and only cost £173,000. Included in that was a four-year, 4,000-hour warranty and service package.

What extras did you opt for?

As it was technically a used tractor, we didn’t have much say over what kit it came with.

It doesn’t want for much, though. The cab has got all the essentials – comfortable seat, leather steering wheel and dual screens – and it arrived with a front linkage, pto and wheel weights already fitted.

One thing we are lacking is spool valves. There are five at the rear, but it doesn’t have any mid-mounts, so we have to use diverter valves to send oil to the front.

This isn’t enough for some of the work we do, and it gets tedious for the main driver, Billy Edworthy, who sometimes has to open the rear window and turn the taps mid job.

How has it performed?

I’ve been impressed by how well it goes. It pulls better than a John Deere 6R 250, easily handling our six-furrow ploughs and the Kuhn rotavator with seeder that we use for establishing grass.

However, it is a bit light on the front, so we always need to add a weight block. And the diesel tank isn’t big enough for it to do a full day of heavy work without needing to refuel.

As for comfort, it’s one of the smoothest tractors we’ve got. The front axle and cab suspension iron out the bumps and vibrations in a way that other conventional tractors can’t seem to manage.

That said, this is spoilt slightly by the Mitas tyres, which have overly soft sidewalls. Sometimes this give a wallowy ride, so I wouldn’t be too keen to have them again.

To date, the Axion has clocked 3,500 hours and it hasn’t given us any trouble, other than a handful of minor warranty items; things like a sticky joystick button, moisture ingress in the LED lights, and flaking bonnet paint.

All have been replaced with no quibbles.

© James Andrews

What could be improved?

The cab is the main let-down. Access is narrow, there isn’t a great lot of storage and it feels cramped for a 300hp tractor.

All but the shortest of drivers have to push the seat right back to the rear window and the armrest lacks adjustment.

Other minor irritations are that it’s easy to engage park on the shuttle lever accidentally, and the second screen (required for GPS) doesn’t have enough movement.

It’s not all bad, though. The Trimble guidance system is great, the screen is simple to use and it boots up instantly when the tractor is started.

On some we’ve got here, you have to wait ages before you can move the thing.

The final items that need some attention are the turning fenders. For some reason, there’s acres of play in the pivots so they flap around while driving down the road.

It could also do with a tighter steering lock.

Yet none of this is enough to put us off having another. In fact, we’re pricing up a replacement for when the current one gets to 4,000 hours.

This time we’re thinking of having the night edition trim and will make sure it has mid-mount spools.