EDITORIAL – Farms & Farm Machinery.
SOTA Tractors Pty Ltd, located in the Melbourne suburb of Thomastown, is a family owned and operated business that specialises in the import and distribution of fully refurbished second hand tractors. More recently however, the company has introduced a new line – supplying a totally new range of certified front end loaders designed to suit compact tractors.
The fully ‘bolt on’ loader kits are manufactured to stringent ISO certification, and are available in two configurations – a standard bucket or a versatile 4-in-1 bucket. They are expected to appeal to operators of small scale market gardens, hobby farms and commercial contracting businesses.
Steve Watt, on behalf of SOTA, elaborated: “The compact and efficient nature of a loader equipped Kubota or other small tractor is ideal for applications such as stables and stud farms, and small scale operations from boutique vineyards to public property managers. Featuring well positioned controls, broad steel bucket, fully set up hydraulics and superior finish, the new front end loaders are easy to use and offer longevity in design and manufacturing,” he said.
The front end loader kit comes ready to install with bucket, hydraulic fittings and controls plus mounting hardware. The loader bolts directly into existing holes and is supplied with fittings to attach to existing tractor hydraulics. Although the loaders are easy to install, a qualified mechanic must be on hand to check for proper hydraulic attachment, safe loader fit and alignment and ballast adjustment.
The 4-in-1 bucket is a specially designed multi-purpose unit. It can be used as a normal pickup bucket or as a dozer blade, a leveller or a picker. The two hydraulic cylinders located on the back enable the bucket to open at the bottom and close with a vice like grip, allowing the removal of stumps and fence posts or picking up heavy objects from the ground. The lifting parameters of each loader have been ISO tested and are specified to ensure safe and efficient operation.
The loaders are attractively priced for the compact tractor market and kits are immediately available for shipping right across Australia. If required, SOTA can also supply loaders for other brands of Japanese tractors including Yanmar, Iseki, Mitsubishi, Shibaura, Hinomoto and Satoh.