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CLAAS Debuts LEXION 8500 Combine with Advanced Technology at Commodity Classic 2026

Farmers attending the 2026 Commodity Classic 2026 got their first look at a new combine designed to deliver high-capacity performance and advanced harvesting technology.

Matthew Poling, Combine Product Sales Specialist with CLAAS of America, tells Brownfield the CLAAS LEXION 8500 combine made its North American debut at the show. The machine is part of the updated LEXION 8000 series and serves as a new entry point into the wide-body combine lineup while still delivering the power and performance growers expect from the brand.

The 2026 LEXION 8500 is powered by a MAN D26 six-cylinder engine rated at 506 horsepower, with a maximum output of 549 horsepower. Poling says the combine is designed to handle demanding harvest conditions while maintaining efficiency in the field.

The machine includes the APS SYNFLOW HYBRID threshing system, allowing operators to adjust threshing intensity to protect crop quality while maintaining throughput.

Poling says the addition of the 8500 helps expand the LEXION lineup for North American farmers, creating a 50-horsepower step-up across the 2026 series models.

At Commodity Classic, the LEXION 8500 was displayed alongside the CLAAS XERION 12.650 TT tractor equipped with a CLAAS CONVIO FLEX 1230 header.

Poling also reminds farmers that as harvest season approaches, it’s important to begin preparing combines now to ensure equipment is ready to perform when it’s time to get in the field.

Conversation with Matthew Poling at 2026 Commodity Classic: