Three Bobcat Telescopic Handlers make light of heavy work on the farm Kroon that lies close to Vivo in Limpopo. Sampie Roets established Kroon Plaas in 1998 and breeds beef cattle but mainly concentrates on producing potatoes on 90ha. 

Sampie explains that potatoes are lifted and placed into bulk bags during harvesting. “We then load the massbags with the potatoes onto wagons and move the product to the washing machine where it is dumped into the machine for cleaning,” says Sampie. “We use the Bobcat machines, with fork and bucket attachments, for loading just about anything, ground, sand and basically anything that needs lifting.

When I started farming with potatoes, I brought two Sambron machines that had been used in my construction business since 1992, to the farm,” continues Sampie. “These two machines are still performing without any breakdowns and I was so impressed with the quality of the Sambrons, that I had no hesitation in acquiring Bobcat machines when the Sambrons were replaced by the Bobcat range.

In the current highly competitive agricultural market, it is imperative to keep input costs as low as possible in order to maintain a productive, successful and profitable farm.  While we use precision farming methods, we always keep our eyes open to identify areas where it is possible to reduce input costs even further,” continues Sampie

Sampie says that the three Bobcat Telescopic Handlers, bought in 2003, have been operating trouble free and without any breakdowns since then. “I am impressed with the Bobcat machines’ ability to handle such a very wide variety of tasks. They are so well suited to the tasks at hand that it satisfies the farmer’s every requirement – in other words, they do everything that is expected,” states Sampie. 

“Since I introduced the first Bobcat to the farm, the machines have not developed any mechanical problems, so the Bobcats are a typical area where we are able to reduce costs. The machines are easy to maintain because all the necessary filters are open and the hydrostatic drive means no maintenance is required on clutches, etc. Maintenance costs are kept to a bare minimum and what’s more, unnecessary and unproductive breakdowns are largely eliminated. A further plus factor is the excellent fuel consumption – approximately 2.5 to 3.5 litre of diesel per hour. And last, but certainly not least, is the fact that because the Bobcat is not a high speed machine, it is not only very user–friendly but also extremely safe,” concludes Sampie.