A business processing over 30,000 tonnes of citrus each year needs a big and reliable supply. Mario’s Packhouse in Griffith NSW delivers, partly thanks to maintaining its own citrus orchards. A new Merlo TF30.9 plays a big part in keeping the trees and orchards in tip-top shape, thanks to the individual characteristics of the loader.
Merlo’s promotional material on the TF30.9 points out the exceptional comfort and efficiency, and lists features like air conditioning, full electronic management of the transmission and engine, and the operator being able to manage the steering of the machine with three different options according to the specific needs of the job. Safety levels are high. A certified cab and a metal structure above the glass roof on the outside of the cab comply fully with FOPS Level II standard.
A three-tonne load capacity is an eyebrow raiser for a loader listed as a ‘compact’, and the lift height of 8.3m is a definite standout.
But those very desirable stats weren’t clinching specs in the Mario’s Packhouse purchase decision.
Go flow
Matteo Scappucci, Merlo Product Specialist at FSC Forklifts, was Mario’s Packhouse contact and advisor on the purchase, and he noted a few entries on the Merlo specs table which highlighted its suitability for the work Mario’s Packhouse intended.
“What makes the TF30.9 so good in this application – and in so many applications – is the hydrostatic transmission,” he told The Australian Arbor Age. “The competitors’ machines in that size category are not hydrostatic.
“The TF30.9 is a compact-sized machine, but it has plenty of power and high output from the transmission. Because it’s hydrostatic it can be used with the engine at full revolutions – so with maximum hydraulic flow on the auxiliary line – but the speed of the machine can be adjusted from 01kph to 40kph, independent of the flow to the attachment.”
The intended use for the Merlo was to fit it up with a whopping big multiple-saw attachment to be used in the orchard, and while the corridors between the trees needed a compact machine, the saw attachment needed to be able to maintain a high hydraulic flow.
“The Merlo is actually the only compact machine in the market that can run such big attachments,” explained Matteo.
Making the cut
Farm manager Michael Mogliotti was the man on the ground at Mario’s Packhouse, and his assessment of the TF30.9 was favourable from the first look right through to its first pass pruning trees.
“The reason we chose the Merlo was because of the narrowness of the machine,” he said thoughtfully. “And also matching it with the volume of the hydraulic pump.
“It was hard to find a pump with the flow we needed, but on a machine to still go where we needed it to go. A bigger machine was better for the hydraulic flow, but we still needed it to move through the orchard.”
The Merlo was a clear choice due to the combination of its physical dimensions and ability to run the heavy saw rig which Mario’s Packhouse uses.
“We had a set of saws made,” said Michael. “It’s a three-metre, four-bladed star which will prune the bottoms, sides and tops of the trees.”
It’s an impressive looking rig all up, with the Merlo telehandler looking almost overshadowed by the hefty attachment. But looks are deceiving, because as a unit, the Merlo and saw array do the job with a minimum of fuss, helping keep the orchard neat, serviceable and commercially viable.
The Merlo is well-suited to a wide range of attachments, of course, everything from forks to an EWP platform, but the multiple saw rig is something exceptional and specific.
Michael isn’t a big talker, but the few words he offers tend to be straight to the point.
We asked how he liked the TF30.9 and Merlo in general.
“It’s really good,” he murmured. “This is our second Merlo. They’re really good, eh?
To se the Merlo range, and to learn more of the TF30.9, log on to merlo.com/aus/en/.
