The first commercial Tribine combine harvester has finally rolled off the production line in Kansas, USA, after four generations of prototypes and almost 20 years of planning.

The articulated monster comes with the threshing components in the front half of the machine and grain storage in the rear.

It is described as the first new harvesting concept since the Second World War.

As a result, it is enormous. To give a sense of scale, it weighs 4t more than Claas’s biggest combine, the Lexion 780TT, but the designers justify the extra bulk by eliminating the need for a separate grain trailer or chaser.

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The central articulation and pivoting rear axle also allow it to spread its 22t mass by crabbing across the field on its four equal-sized wheels.

The 1,900-litre fuel tank feeds two Cummins powerplants that can provide 590hp for up to 24 hours straight.

The first engine, at 9.0 litres, drives the combine part of the machine, while the second 6.7-litre block is dedicated to driving the rear hopper and all the associated components.

Grain tank capacity is just over 36,000 litres, which is almost three times that of the Lexion, and it can be emptied in less than two minutes through an 8m-long auger.

The manufacturer also claims that the Tribine has the world’s largest threshing and cleaning system, and fires chopped straw and chaff 8-10m either side of the body.

Unusually, there is no steering wheel. Direction is controlled via a single joystick, while a glass floor in the cab is designed to improve visibility.

The new machine is set to work in the fields at two upcoming agricultural shows in the USA. The company hasn’t named its price, but suggests it will cost the equivalent of a combine and chaser bin.