Pivot-steer telehandler adds flexibility

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.

Pivot-steer telehandler adds flexibility

With 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 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.”

James Burnett (left) and Andy Moses.

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 a Spread-a-Bale attachment on his MLT741, while Mr Burnett makes a start with ration preparations, with on-floor mixing of ingredients tossed around by the MLA-T533.

Loader specifications

- Model: Manitou MLA-T 533-145V+

- Power: 143hp Deutz

- Transmission: M-Vario Plus CVT

- Max lift: 3.3 Tonnes

- Max lift height: 5.2 metres

- Operating weight: 8,430kg

Both machines are then used with buckets to rehandle the mixed rations and distribute all feedstock to the different livestock groups housed in the yard.

Mr Burnett says: “Liveweight gain is everything, so time is of the essence to get through our daily feeding and bedding regime, which often takes up to four hours to complete, Once we have done the basics, we can turn our attention to other tasks.”

James Burnett likes the convenience of the JSM palm-shaped joystick lever with its integrated forward-neutral-reverse rocker switch.

Large volume

The predominantly grass farm makes use of manures where possible, but finds itself exporting farmyard manure to local growers, such is the large volume its livestock enterprise creates.

It is a task which sees muck often hauled by lorry and the ability to load over the side using either handler is now a huge improvement.

Mr Burnett says: “We just could not load muck using the wheeled loader, which meant loading was a onemachine task. But it is easy with the MLA-T and we can both get stuck in.”

Powered by an EU Stage 4-compliant Deutz four-cylinder engine packing 143hp, the MLA-T 533 gets the firm’s M-Vario Plus transmission: a 40kph, CVT-type which uses two hydraulic motors powered by a hydraulic pump.

At low speeds, both motors combine to deliver tractive power comparable to a torque converter driveline, while higher speeds see the use of only one motor, offering fuel economy savings.

At the business end, the MLA-T 533 offers a 3.3t maximum lift capacity and a 5.2-metre maximum lift height.

Machine reliability has been rarely questioned. A failed spring in the hydraulic valve block was replaced under warranty and a headstock pin which had come adrift from the carriage has also been rectified by B&B Tractors.

Mr Burnett says: “I do not find the cab quite as comfortable as my Case wheeled loader. The position of seat and steering wheel could be better.

“More comfort would be better given I can spend six to seven hours per day in the cab.”

On a positive note though, he likes the convenience of the JSM palm-shaped joystick lever and its integrated forward-neutral-reverse rocker switch.

He says: “I can keep my left hand on the steering wheel, which is convenient. But swapping attachments is not always straightforward.

“Visibility to the headstock could also be better, as I find myself having to put the loader on a lock to get a better view of the headstock.”

Mr Burnett has identified concerns about the MLA-T’s floor-hinged brake and foot throttle pedals, and it is an area Manitou is looking to rectify.

He says: “It is hard to keep the cab floor spotless in this environment, and we have had problems with debris, small stones and general muck build ing up beneath the pedal hinges.

“This can prevent pedals returning to their resting positions, which means either the engine will not idle or the machine thinks the brakes are on. In both instances, it just will not drive.

“The MLT 741’s suspended pedals do not suffer this trait.”

A key area both Mr Burnett and Mr Moses have identified is that of fuel consumption, and the apparent lack of it.

Mr Moses says: “We used to empty our 4,000-litre diesel tank every four weeks. But since we have swapped the Case loader for the second Manitou, we are now getting six weeks from 4,000 litres of diesel, doing exactly the same tasks. That is a huge saving, which represents about 14,000 litres/year.”

Topping up tanks is also another area where the two operators have been able to compare and contrast.

Mr Burnett says: “The AdBlue tank on my MLA-T will not quite last for two tanks of diesel, so every time I refuel I have to top up the exhaust fluid or it will catch me out. Andy’s MLT will almost do three tanks per refill, so he spends less time topping up.”

Burridge Farm uses an MLA-T 533 and MLT 741 for feeding and bedding.

Issues aside, Mr Burnett is pleased with his purchase, though its overall reliability and performance over three years’ graft and 5,500 hours at Burridge Farm are factors which will influence its replacement.

He says: “After years of sitting in wheeled loaders, I never thought the MLA-T would be as good as it is, although I could do with a bit more power now, and a little extra lift height. A two-stage telescopic section would be really handy, too.”