Tong Engineering introduces new design options on its popular Fieldloader, including unique automatic transport mode features, allowing users to make the machine even more compact for road transport.
Designed to provide effective in-field cleaning and bulk loading in one mobile machine, the Tong Fieldloader is a mobile system that allows crop cleaning and inspection to take place straight from the harvester with direct loading into bulk trucks for immediate distribution.
“Our Fieldloader is increasingly popular with growers, as it means soil is removed in the field and kept off the public roads. Plus, transport of crop is significantly reduced as there is a no need to transport crop to a central yard or location" says Charlie Rich, export sales manager at Tong. “It significantly reduces crop handling times, allowing growers to meet tight deadlines and deliver crops in optimum condition straight from the field.”
One of the key benefits of the Fieldloader is the fact that it incorporates a heavy-duty infeed hopper, crop cleaner, inspection area and integrated extending elevator, all in one mobile unit. The new options on the Fieldloader are set to offer even better transportability and maneuverability between fields and the farm.
“While some growers choose to operate the Fieldloader in the yard, many customers move the machine between fields,” says Rich. “With this in mind, we have designed a new model of the machine, which incorporates a transport mode option featuring a powered elevator section that automatically retracts back under the cleaning and inspecting sections of the machine, making the unit as short as possible when towing on the road. Foldable conveyors are also a feature on the transport mode design to also make the Fieldloader as narrow as possible.”
The standard Fieldloader stands about 72 feet long when in full operation, but reduces to just under 49 feet long when in transport mode, reducing the length of the machine by over 23 feet. The new and automatic transport mode design can also include further transport options including full suspension, brakes, machine lighting and steering where required.
The new options on the Fieldloader not only make the machine even easier to transport, but all the latest Fieldloader models are powered by Tong’s Blue Inverter Technology with all electric direct drive, meaning the machine runs very efficiently with minimal energy consumption, which is a key consideration when using the machine in the field. The Fieldloader is available with a choice of crop-cleaning systems including Tong’s market-leading EasyClean separator or adjustable coil-cleaning unit for lighter soil conditions. The latest models also feature wireless remote control of the extending elevator, giving the operator complete control over bulk bed filling without moving the Fieldloader. Tong’s Pro-Series HMI Control system featuring sophisticated diagnostic capabilities can also be specified for added control and advanced machine monitoring and reporting.
Farming over 10,000 acres of root crop, barley and rye, Elveden Farms, one of the UK’s largest single farming units, is currently operating a custom-built Fieldoader from Tong that was designed to clean and load the farm’s carrot and onion crop straight from the field. In order to keep up with demand and to achieve higher throughputs, the company has ordered a second Fieldloader, complete with the latest transport mode options, for use on its potato, carrot and onion crops.
“Our original Fieldloader from Tong has streamlined our post-harvest crop handling times and has allowed us to achieve a very quick turnaround from field to bulker lorries,” says Elveden Farms manager Andrew Francis. “Our second Fieldloader is now in production, and we look forward to increasing our capacity even further with the availability of a second machine.”