Looking for greater comfort, reliability and control, Wiltshire contractor Ollie Kinch opted for a Volvo L70H loading shovel to handle clamping and loading duties. Geoff Ashcroft reports.
Industrial-type wheeled loaders have struggled to make the move from quarry to clamp, but there is a gradual increase in acceptance for Volvo's L-series wheeled loaders.
The Swedish maker continues to find favour among agricultural contractors and with models gently tweaked to include ag-spec tyres, quick-hitch and torque lock, the L-series is becoming well-suited to the productivity of a high-powered self-propelled forager.
Wiltshire contractor Ollie Kinch based near Chippenham, bought an L70H mid-way through the 2018 grass season and has never looked back.
"In my opinion, construction kit is far better built," explains Mr Kinch. "You have only got to look at centre pivot joints and pins, loader arms and headstock; it is impressive.
"We do work kit hard, but it is no different to what it will do in a quarry where these machines work day in, day out, often covering 12-hour shifts. And I do like my kit to last.
"When I have finished with a machine, I would like to think there is still a useful second life in it, along with a strong residual value," he adds. "And that is one of the key reasons I opted for an L70H."
O Kinch Contracting chomps its way through 2,000 hectares of grass, whole crop and maize silage each season, with a Claas Jaguar 970 sending large volumes of forage back to the clamp at an alarming rate. The L70H's primary role is to clamp and roll, but without feeling the pressure.
And that pressure is on Mr Kinch's shoulders, as he chooses to spend the silage season sat in the L70H. "The cab is a great place to sit - it is comfy and spacious. The front windscreen extends down almost to the cab floor; the deep rear windscreen gives a great view to the corners of the counterweight; it is a viewpoint that you will not get from anything else, and it makes it easy to see behind when reversing down off a clamp."
In choosing the L70H, Mr Kinch opted for Volvo's optional joystick steering system known as Comfort Drive Control (CDC). Integrated into the left-hand armrest, it affords fingertip control of the steering in place of wrestling with a steering wheel. Though, touching the steering wheel overrides CDC.
"CDC takes so much fatigue away from the operator. It is comparable to operating a digger," he says. "It is effortless to use and I find it particularly useful when rolling clamp shoulders. A little movement creates gentle steering; full movement creates fast, full steering."
The left-hand armrest also carries a forward/reverse transmission rocker switch, in addition to the same thumb-operated switch on the right-hand loader joystick.
"The Volvo is in a different league to anything else we have ever tried," he says. "It really is a well-engineered machine that has operator comfort and productivity at the top of its priorities. Some might say that with only 173hp, it gives a lot away to its main competitor in agriculture. But there really is no comparison."
He says 18-tonne trailer loads are put away in one pass, with the help of a 14ft Ulrich folding fork.
"The way the Volvo puts down its power is impressive," he adds. "There is no fuss, no drama, no wheelspin - it just grips and goes, and those Michelin tyres also work well in-field.
"If you want to tear up and down a clamp at a rate of knots, buy a JCB," he says. "If you want to work smoothly, with less fuss, while pushing much more grass, you need a Volvo. It makes full use of everything it has got."
His experience is based upon two years and 2,000 hours running the L70H, following a succession of 416, 418 and 434 models, which he describes as very capable machines.
"We do run JCB Loadalls and they are ideal for materials handling tasks," he says. "But when a lorry load of fertiliser would turn up in the yard, and I had the choice of jumping on a 434 or the Loadall, I would take the Loadall everytime. Now I will take the Volvo as my first choice - and it will also lift so much more."
He says the machine's 14 tonne operating weight gives a sure-footed and stable feel, making it an impressive all-rounder for the Wiltshire contractor. "There is no awkward movements that make you think we are going too far," he says. "Loading bulk lorry trailers with woodchip, lifting big bags or pallets off flat beds, rehandling big square bales, muck loading or clamp work, it takes it all in its stride.
"We have got a high-cube toe-tip bucket, Heath super grab, silage fork, pallet forks and general-purpose bucket. It does not matter which attachment you are using, the L70 is just so communicative and extremely comfortable with it."
And it is a view point shared by operator Harry Rogers, who takes the L70H's seat for most general loading and muck spreading tasks - the latter filling the firm's Bergmann spreaders.
"It is maximum productivity with minimum fuss," says Mr Rogers. "And after a long day in the cab, I do not get out feeling like I have done 10 rounds with a boxer."
The L70H's specification is not found wanting. The Kinch machine includes a heated and cooled seat, electrically heated and adjustable mirrors, auto-greasing system, Eco throttle pedal for everything other than clamp work, climate control, front axle diff-lock, LED work lights and an auto-reversing fan.
"The fan is so effective at cleaning and regulating temperatures, that I have only had to clean the radiator once in two years," says Mr Kinch. "The cooling pack stays clean, even with really dry grass."
He says that service and back-up is impressive, with direct access to two local mobile technicians from Volvo importer SMT GB. "We have had kit serviced before 7am so we can go off and work for the day, and when we first had the loader, SMT came and rode in the forager, to get a better understanding of what we did," he says. "I like the way that SMT thinks and operates for its customers."
He says that the L70 is equipped with Volvo CareTrack telematics, which he says is a superb management tool that helps with operating efficiency and also preventative maintenance. "I have no complaints with the way we are supported," he says. "The L70 is on a gold R and M package too, which gives me fixed costs per operating hour. Other than the fuel tank capacity - which needs topping up on very long days - the L70 has not been a disappointment to us, and I would definitely have another."
Telematics
On-board data and telematics helps with machine longevity, and reliability.
Cooling pack
Cooling pack's ability to self-clean is impressive, even in dry grass.
Verdict
Mr Kinch says he did consider the larger L90H model, but saw no benefit for going bigger. And trying other similar loaders confirmed his preference for the Swedish machine.
"The L70H is the perfect size for us. It suits a lot of the traditional buildings that we get into, and there was little difference in price with other similar machines," he says. "I still have our 10 foot Albutt front push-off fork, but we only use it on larger clamps where we can safely run our Fendt 936 alongside the L70. But the Fendt really is for consolidation with a Silopacter."
