Practical Farm Ideas
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This drive-on trailer's bed is just 30ins from the ground, and getting the tipping ram at a workable start angle was impossible - if ground clearance was to be un-compromised. Pembrokeshire contractor Neil Phillips came up with this novel solution. He fitted a second ram into the circuit, a dumpy 12in long pusher with a large diameter piston that was salvaged from a scrap old style Pottinger forage wagon.
The oil takes the line of least resistance when it starts pumping, which means pushing on the dumpy ram until it reaches the end of its stroke, and which point the main ram is at a working angle and can push the 10 ton load up with no bother.
The dumpy ram is useful on the descent as well. Owing to the acute angle, the last foot or so would normally be done at high speed, whereas with the dumpy helper in place this final drop has a lot of oil returning to the reservoir.
The 22ft trailer bed is a useful 7ft 6ins wide, and takes the Matbro shovel which weighs 9.5 tons on the twin axles, each rated at 6 tonnes.
The low loader has a wide range of uses, and allows rapid transport of machinery from farm to farm, keeping mud off the roads. It carries 14 bales on the bottom layer, topped with another six of silage and 10 of hay or straw.
The assister ram is a simple and inexpensive way to keep the trailer bed low and still provide a good tipping range
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