MACHINERY AND TRACTOR In search of greater versatility for livestock duties, one Nottinghamshire beef producer has swapped a loading shovel for one of Manitou’s latest pivotsteer handlers. Geoff Ashcroft reports.
James Burnett’s intensive beef finishing operation sees 100 tonnes of feed mixed and fed each day.
Pivot-steer telehandler adds flexibility
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ith 1,200 head of cattle to feed on a daily basis, plus bedding and mucking out, beef farmer James Burnett demands reliability, productivity and performance from all his machinery. And to get the job done efficiently, it is a workload which involves a pair of handlers, steered by himself and operator Andy Moses. “We have been looking for more efficiency, more versatility and more performance from our machines,” explains Mr Burnett of the 200-hectare Burridge Farm, North Muskham, near Newark, Nottinghamshire. “And while we have traditionally stuck with a combination of one wheeled loader and one telehandler, we have recently ditched our Case 621 wheeled loader in favour of a Manitou
James Burnett (left) and Andy Moses.
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MLA-T 533 pivot-steer machine.” Launched at the 2018 LAMMA Show, Mr Burnett had a strong list of requirements for his latest loader. He says: “I wanted more speed, better agility and a greater lift height, but I did not want to be sat in the cab on one side of the chassis, and this is where the MLA-T has come into its own.”
Hours clocked Since its arrival on-farm in February 2019 from local Manitou dealer B&B Tractors, the MLA-T 533 pivot-steer handler has already clocked more than 2,100 hours. Mr Burnett says: “We have had several Manitou all-wheel steer, rigid chassis handlers, and they have been great, but my own personal preference has always been to sit in the
middle of a loader and appreciate an all-round view.” He says Burridge Farm has enjoyed a succession of wheeled loaders from Hanomag, ex-army Allis Chalmers, several Cats, a Hyundai and latterly, three Case models on the bounce. “Wheeled loaders have always delivered on lift capacity, but they can be clumsy and numb in a covered yard. The obvious trade-off is lift height and, given the constant swapping between attachments, buying a toe-tip bucket
would have only helped with lorry loading. We need to do more with both machines. “More height for bale stacking and handling was also a priority, and I figured having more performance in a smaller package would also speed up our daily yard duties. “If we could get similar performance from two telehandlers, we could improve what we do.” Finishing about 5,000 head per year on a 90-day turnaround, Mr Burnett’s operation makes the most of vegetable by-products sourced from a number of local growers, supplemented by 70ha of maize plus grass silage, harvested and clamped by a local contractor. Mr Burnett says: “Our daily workload is such that we do not have time to run the clamps during silage. “While we have the firepower, our handlers are used almost exclusively for livestock duties around the yard. “The MLT has just had all its tyres replaced after 18 months and 2,600 hours of use.” The intensive beef finishing operation sees 100 tonnes of feed mixed and fed each day, with straw consumption, in the depths of winter, nudging 15-20 Hesston-sized large square bales each day to keep the covered yards clean and dry. This daily regime sees Mr Moses take care of bedding using FGinsight.com
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