Versatile Unimog tractor on display at Yorkshire event
Following last year’s Highways Unimog demonstrations to Highways England, local authorities and selected contractors – South Cave Tractors Ltd will hold a follow-up event on February 26,27,28 in Newport, East Yorkshire, to show off the versatile Unimog and a variety of demountable equipment, specifically designed for verge maintenance.
The model has been praised for its speed and economy as a working platform in a wide variety of roles and on all-terrain and for the event, the Unimogs low-speed control with both hydraulic and mechanical PTO power will primarily be on display.
‘It is this level of vehicle control that makes for such an ideal partnership with the Mulag range and the reason why Mulag has been a Mercedes-Benz “Expert Partner” for so many years’ says Andy Cooper, marketing manager at South Cave Tractors.
Last shown in the summer of 2018 the Mulag SB600 ‘Cut-and-Collect’ mowing system will be demonstrated once again and expands on the possibilities presented by the interchangeable working head technology.
The standard 1200mm cutting head takes the mulched grass cuttings away to be deposited in the hookloader bin behind, via large diameter flexible ducts and the powerful, radial suction fan.
By removing the mulch it reduces the following season’s regrowth thereby allowing the return of wild flora and fauna to the verges and hedgerows. A secondary benefit and one gaining in popularity comes in the form of free energy from the collected mulch when it is transported to local anaerobic digester plants.
The entire setup is self-contained so it arrives on site with the speed of a normal road-going truck and carries the mowing equipment fully within the envelope of the Unimogs dimensions.
Deploying the onboard equipment hydraulically the Unimog then switches to its innovative ‘Hydrostatic drive’ system which de-couples the engine speed from the vehicle speed. The engine revs can be adjusted to power the mowing systems while the movement of the vehicle is minutely and accurately controlled via the normal accelerator, which both starts and stops the machine just by pressing or lifting the pedal.
Later in the season as the grass dies back it can, all too often, reveal the unsightly problem of litter. Often embedded in the undergrowth it can be, at best, unpleasant and at worst, unsafe. An additional benefit of the SB600 suction system is its litter picking and collecting ability through a simple change of the working head.
This allows the litter collection to be carried out from the safety of the Unimogs high-visibility cabin and removing working gangs of litter pickers from the roadside, protecting them from the potential risks posed by other road traffic and from unpleasant contaminants discarded along Britain’s verges. The Litter-picking system will also be on display during the event.
To add another string to their bow the Unimog and South Cave Tractors will also be showing off the latest addition to their verge maintenance fleet of equipment. The hydraulically driven verge planer easily removes the build-up of verge soil and grass as it inevitably creeps towards the highway.
This equipment re-establishes the boundary line between pavement and verge and affords significant improvements in water run-off, reducing the hazard of standing water and the potential for vehicle aquaplaning, freezing in winter, sub-surface breakup and the resulting potholes and general road damage.
Other equipment on display includes the Freezone cutter, weed brush, spray tank, heavy scrub head, front and rear flail arms, AEBI wide track bank mowers, road working patch planer attachments and more.
The event is open on Tuesday 26th, Wednesday 27th and Thursday 28th February 2019 and is open to all interested parties who are welcome to drop in to see the equipment on display and on live demonstrations during the course of each day between 9.00 am and 4.00 pm.
Location: South Cave Tractors Ltd, Common Lane, Newport, East Yorkshire HU15 2RD
For visitors with a specific interest or request, they should call Tony Levitt or Andy Cooper on 01430 424233 or email at info@southcavetractors.com