Ground control

Attaching a Rata Equipment Power Claw to a remote-controlled mower has opened new opportunities for one contractor.

If Rata Equipment’s Power Claw could be summed up in one word, that word would be versatile.

The number of roles being played by Power Claws on Australian farms and rural properties continues to grow, with Victorian mowing contractor Ruggedscapes providing a clear example of the product’s versatility.

At its essence, the Power Claw is an alternative to a bucket for a small tractor, telehandler, skid steer or front-end loader, offering the ability to move materials around with the added benefit of gripping the likes of logs and branches.

Ruggedscapes’ story is one of many which demonstrate how many problems can be solved on Australian farms by simply using the Power Claw.

Owned by Robert Fullagar, Ruggedscapes is a mowing contractor servicing areas east of Melbourne such as the Yarra Valley, Dandenong Ranges and West Gippsland.

What makes the business – and its use of the Power Claw – unique though is that Ruggedscapes operates with a remote-controlled mower.

By being remote controlled, Fullagar’s mower can access and mow spaces that would otherwise range from difficult to impossible, and this has been Ruggedscapes’ point of difference in the contractor market.

One of the biggest challenges Fullagar would face while working in these environments was obstacles such as logs impeding the mower’s progress, resulting in either time-consuming manual labour to remove them or having to stop the job altogether.

That was until he invested in Rata’s compact Power Claw.

“Sometimes within the scrub or blackberries or whatever I'm mowing, there will be a hidden log or a tree,” Fullagar says.

“This enables me to mow to a point, and now I can switch over to the Power Claw and drag the tree out or push it into a pile and then continue mowing.

“Previously I would get to a point and be stuck without some significant manual labour amongst blackberries and the like, but this enables me to continue.

“It’s time saving and another benefit is by not being a roadblock for the business because now I can achieve more results.

“I can move the logs or the debris out of the way, or I can put trees that are too big to mulch into a burn pile.

“Instead of saying to the client ‘sorry, this is as far as I can get unless you get in an arborist to clean up’, I can actually solve the problem myself.”

Fullagar’s use of the Power Claw is a unique one, and certainly not an ‘off the shelf’ solution.

The process can be traced back to Fullagar having a change of business direction last year, investing in a Green Climber mower having previously been in the construction industry.

Realising the machine’s broader capability in the Dandenong Ranges where he calls home, Fullagar started looking at various grabs as a means of expanding his operations.

When the area was hit by significant storms which required clean up, Fullagar decided it was the right time to invest and also be able to help the community’s recovery process.

His research led to him concluding Rata’s Power Claw was the attachment he wanted, albeit with some attachment modifications needed to make it suitable for his mower.

“The Power Claw seemed to be the most versatile for a grab, being a stick rake as well,” he says.

“They have the right width and the right weight for the front of my machine, so it still could have the capacity to lift a decent amount rather than most of the capacity being taken up in the attachment’s weight itself.”

Fullagar got in contact with Brad Storey, sales manager at his nearest Rata dealer, Lilydale-based Agpower.

It is ultimately due to Agpower’s willingness to help that Ruggedscapes has been able to install the Power Claw and experience its ongoing benefits.

“I rang Brad at Agpower, plus a few other places, and Brad was the only one that was actually interested in engineering a custom bracket to fit the front of the mower, so it went from there,” Fullagar says.

“There were a few companies that weren't really interested because it is difficult and the Green Climber has a unique proprietary attachment plate at the front that you can't just buy off the shelf.

“As soon as I spoke to Brad and he had the contacts at an engineering firm, it was fairly straightforward with the three of us brainstorming.

“I told them what I needed, I had some ideas and we came up with a solution which worked straight away - there was no re-engineering required.”

Another benefit has also occurred as a result of Fullagar’s investment in the Power Claw, as he is now able to run any Euro Hitch attachment on the front of his mower.

Rata Equipment’s Power Claw is available in three sizes, depending on its intended use.

The compact Power Claw – which Fullagar uses – is also best suited to tractors between 25-45hp.

The mid-range Power Claw is designed for tractors between 45-75hp along with small loaders, while the standard power claw suits tractors above 75hp plus telehandlers.

View the full range of Power Claws - https://bit.ly/3tiY3qj

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