The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
New tractors make for a
Telescopic handlers may be the primary choice for loading and materials handling machinery for most farms, but a very high proportion of 70-120hp tractors purchased new are ordered with a hydraulic loader as part of the package.
Apart from making more versatile use of a general-purpose tractor – mainly on livestock units for bale and silage handling, shifting ring feeders and so on – having a tractor-mounted loader provides backup should the principal handling machine have an off day.
A variety of tech features have turned the top models into a sophisticated piece of kit, as epitomised by the new Massey Ferguson E-loader and Valtra Precision Lift & Load systems available for the loaders sourced from Quicke manufacturer Alo in Sweden.
These apps for tractors equipped with MF Datatronic and Valtra Smarttouch in-cab displays work with angle and pressure sensors plus a loader-mounted ECU to provide several functions.
When working in buildings, the upper height stop avoids the risk of bashing the rafters, while a lower stop brings the loader down, ready for the operator to resume control to pitch into the muck heap for the next load.
Upper and lower attachment angles can also be set to minimise the risk of spillages or loads being dislodged, while a shake function helps shift sticky materials from a bucket or fork with minimal control input.
The weighing function automatically records the amount of feed and bedding dispensed to livestock sheds, providing more accurate farm management data for costings or invoicing, and can also be used to hit target quantities of ingredients going into a ration. Job profiles memorise different settings and function combinations for quick recall when next needed.
E-loader is available for MF 5S, 6S and 7S tractors (and MF 8S from April), and Precision Lift & Load can be had on Valtra G, N and T series tractors.
Some of these features are also evident in a new generation of top-spec Profiline loaders from German manufacturer Stoll and its GB distributor Lynx Engineering.
In addition to electronic self-levelling using linkage bars tucked inside the upper end of the arms for clearer forwards visibility, the newcomers include higher lifting models and greater lift capacities for tractors to 300hp-plus.
New tech features include lift height restriction for working in buildings and load weighing, which join established return-to-dig, rapid emptying and rescooping functions.
The latter crowds the bucket a further 15deg once clear of the ground to ensure a full load of grain or other loose material.
Most tractor makers source loaders from specialist manufacturers, such as New Holland with its partner Stoll.
CNH stablemate Case
IH has just switched to a new agreement with French manufacturer MX, which covers a larger number of models and variants to suit tractors from the Farmall C to the Puma models.
It also brings the opportunity for Case IH dealers to order a tractor and loader in one go via an online configurator and ordering system, which should help avoid any compatibility issues resulting from separate orders.
Kubota has also chosen MX for loaders, extending an existing arrangement for the M7003 and M6002 tractors to include the revamped MGX (now identified M6001 Utility), and the M5002 and M4003 machines.
They feature the e-pilot S System functions such as attachment locking and unlocking; activation and deactivation of the shock absorbing boom suspension system; and constant hydraulic oil flow to the loader’s auxiliary service without having to hold down a button.
Argo Tractors has switched its loader supplier from Manip’ – an MX Group subsidiary – back to Sigma 4 of Italy for its Landini and Mccormick tractors.
The Sigma 4 line, which continues to be available through a number of UK dealers, comprises five families for tractors, from compacts to field tractors of 200hp-plus.
A new range-topping Titanium model due this year has a “Wider View” design said to provide improved visibility, cleaner aesthetic lines and a new boom suspension system.
Dealers representing the makes mentioned include JCB – Scot Agri, Merlo – Ancroft Tractors; HRN Tractors; Wm Rose & Sons; Ramsay & Jackson; Ross Agri Services; Kovaco – Ancroft Tractors, Bobcat – Balgownie; and Forthgrass Machinery.