Mr. Kari Pekonen has been running the farm in Parikkala Kirjavansalo since 2001. The farm includes 220 Ha of fields, forest 70 Ha and 400 head of cattle. Farming contracting work is ran as its own separate business. From the begging the KESLA crane loader has been used in contract work.
Working from a warm cab
The fourth KESLA tractor crane loader is now in use on the Pekonen farm. It is Keslar's largest tractor loader crane, the KESLA 316T. Pekonen's crane is mounted on the back of the tractor instead of the forest trailer. According to Pekonen, with a crane rear mounted on the tractor is the simplest handy solution.
- With a rear mounted crane you can still do jobs in tight spaces. On our farm the crane is a daily help, for example with bale handling, fodder spreading on the feeding table and with cattle bedding. These jobs are done in a few dozen minutes, and even done from the warmth of the cab of the tractor, Pekonen says with satisfaction.
Pekonen explains that the crane is also convenient for a variety of farm building projects, where you need to lift or move goods.
- I remember when I recently demolished a fairly big barn with the help of the crane. Well within half an hour, the barn was demolished and the materials were sorted into their own piles, says Pekonen.
The crane is also used on the farm for the lifting of rocks, lime powder loading and spreading, and of course also with forestry work. For different jobs, the farm has different types of grapplers, which are fixed to the end of the crane and always changed whenever needed.
The farmers are pleased with the Kesla developed the proC electronic control.
All the Pekonen cranes have been equipped with electronic controls. The latest KESLA 316T features the Kesla developed proC control system. In Pekonen`s opinion the control system is really satisfying.
- The control is accurate, fast and easy to use, says Pekonen.
He also mentions positively that the control system is in the Finnish language, very easy to adjust, fast to slow functions, work lighting controls and has alarms, for example when its time to change the oil. For each employee it is easy to save their own settings with their own name, allowing them to use the machine and be ready to start working quickly.
The joystick inside the Valtra T214 Direct controls the crane and also controls the front loader, which reduces the number of controls in the tractor cab. The Joysticks are comfortably mounted on Valtra's armrests. Pekonen's Valtra is already equipped at the factory with a complete reverse drive system. According to Pekonen, the reverse drive system is needed in the majority of all the farms work. As the work progressed, the tractor moved smoothly all the time during the different jobs.
Pekonen farms machine contracting work is handled through a separate company. This makes it easier to follow the real costs of the machine work and on the other hand, it is easy to offer contracting help to other farms and businesses. The crane investment is worthwhile for the farmer and he is also willing to pay for quality.
- The crane speeds up many jobs and gives the possibility for them to be made in comfortable conditions. So I am willing to pay for a good quality crane.
Pekonen also has in mind some new uses for his KESLA loaders, but of these we will certainly be hearing more about later on.
