A Victorian farmer has found Rata Equipment’s Power Claw to be a labour saver for clearing loose sticks and rocks around his property

Rata Equipment’s Power Claw continues to prove its worth for Australian farmers, playing a variety of roles and helping to complete many otherwise challenging tasks.

At its essence, the Power Claw is designed as a replacement for four-in-one buckets on tractors and other machinery such as skid steers, with its biggest advantage over the bucket being the ability to grip loose material.
One customer experiencing the benefits as Rata intended is Victorian farmer Brad Ingram.
Based in Bonang in far east Gippsland, Brad and his family run about 300 beef cattle across their property.
Brad purchased a 2.2m Power Claw, which is one of the largest in the manufacturer’s range, from his nearest Rata dealer – Donalda Motors in Bairnsdale.

“We bought the Power Claw because we’ve got a bit of country that's scrubbed up, plus a few fence lines we’ve got to clear to put new fences up,” Brad says.

“We've got a bit of country that got burned in 2014 which we haven't had a chance to do anything with, and now it's got a bit of scrub coming back on it."

“The plan is to start using the Power Claw to run through regrowth, clean it up and getting it back to usable farmland which will increase the number of cattle we can run.”

Rata’s Power Claw offering can be broadly split into three sections – compact, mid-range and standard.
The compact models are designed for tractors between 25-45hp, while the mid-range suits tractors between 45-75hp along with small loaders.
The standard range, of which Brad’s unit is part, is designed for tractors above 75hp plus telehandlers.
Rata offers the standard Power Claw in five different models between 1.6m and 2.6m widths, ensuring all customers can get a model perfectly suited to their specific requirements and tractor’s power.
It was a visit to last year’s Farm World in Warragul which first introduced Brad to Rata’s Power Claw and as he approaches 12 months of ownership, his initial positive impression of the unit has continued.

“Looking at it during the field days, we were very impressed with the design, how it was shaped and also the build quality,” he says.

“It looked a lot heavier and better built compared to other ones that we've seen."

“We’re coming up to 12 months with it now and it’s a very handy bit of gear."

“It’s a very useful attachment for a tractor and it cuts down on a lot of manual labour.”

Cutting down on manual labour is one of the Power Claw’s primary purposes.
Its design allows it to safely and efficiently pick up a variety of small and loose materials such as sticks and rocks, with its claw ensuring everything is tightly gripped.
Many farmers have relied on four-in-one buckets to complete these tasks, however Brad’s experience shows the additional benefits offered by the Power Claw.

“I've got an excavator so I can clear the fence line with the excavator and then just run the Power Claw over it on the tractor."

“This means I can clean up any loose material, pick up any little loose sticks and rocks and things like that and get rid of them quickly."

“Before, to get all the smaller sticks you had to do it by hand or try and use the four-in-one bucket on the tractor."

“When you do it with the four-in-one bucket on the tractor you get a lot of dirt with it though."

“With the Power Claw, you can just run it through with the teeth an inch into the ground and it just picks up all the sticks and leaves all the dirt behind.”

The dealership which Brad bought his Power Claw from – Donalda Motors in Bairnsdale – has found considerable success with the Rata product in the past 18 months.

“When I was talking to the salesman Warren Kennedy, he says the Power Claws are so popular now that he tries to always keep one there to show, because they just sell so quickly,” Brad says.

“We’ve dealt a bit with Donalda Motors over the years and they are very good - Warren is very good to deal with.”

Rata Equipment’s full range and national dealer network can be viewed online at www.rataequipment.com

Donalda Motors is located at 672-678 Princes Highway, Bairnsdale and its website is www.donaldamotors.com.au/Donalda-Bairnsdale

Website link to the Standard Power Claws | https://www.rataequipment.com/products/loader-attachments/versatile-grapple

Website link to the Mid-Range Power Claws | https://www.rataequipment.com/products/loader-attachments/mid-range-grapple

Website link to the Compact Power Claws | https://www.rataequipment.com/products/loader-attachments/versatile-grapple-compact