Standing next to the Ferrari Cobram 50AR and you may be forgiven to think that it looks like a large scale model. It’s hard to believe that under the bonnet sits a four stroke, direct injection diesel engine putting out 46HP. Chris Bassett visits Steve Weeks from the Kent Wildlife Trust to find out how his Ferrari tractor and Caroni mower, bought from nearby Lamberhurst Engineering is ideal for getting into tight, awkward spaces.

The Kent Wildlife Trust manages nine reserves within Medway, from the ancient semi-natural woodlands of Cromer’s Wood to the internationally important Queendown Warren.

Steve Weeks, Warden for the Medway Valley decided that he needed a tractor and flail mower for all seasons having recently seen what colleagues from the National Trust were now using.

“The Ferrari model had been recommended to us, and after Lamberhurst Engineering arranged a demonstration we decided it fitted our requirements. The tractor is small enough to be transported between sites on a trailer, the low centre of gravity makes it safer to use on sloping and uneven sites than a conventional compact tractor and it is powerful enough to run the attachments we need to use,” says Steve.

Although it is the reverse drive feature that sets the Cobram range apart from ‘ordinary’ tractors on the market, it is the marriage of compactness and power that impresses most. Featuring four models, the Cobram range offers a model to suit most purposes with two articulated models (AR) and two rigid steer (RS) models from 35HP – 46HP.

Compact, with a low profile, the Cobram range of tractors have been designed specifically for use where other tractors are too large or too heavy. The optimal steering radius, the four wheel drive and the ideal weight distribution let you work safely and efficiently in difficult terrain. The comfortable driving position, the ergonomically positioned controls and the practical, easy to read instruments let you work without fatigue.

“We currently use the Ferrari and Caroni mower for habitat management on a range of nature reserves in Kent. Work ranges from topping rush and woody re-growth through to grass cutting and ragwort control. It is also useful for off-road towing of water bowsers and trailers. At present it is used on about half a dozen reserves, but this is likely to increase as staffs become more familiar with the machine,” commented Steve.

So, what does Steve make of the reverse drive feature? “Firstly, spinning the console round to face forwards or back is a piece of cake and it’s actually harder to describe to someone how to do it, than it is actually doing it. Basically, all you need to do is raise the pedals, release the catch, lift the seat and turn the console round – it really is that simple!”

The whole operator console revolves around three central gear levers and the central forward reverse shuttle works back and forth so there is no risk of confusing which direction you are going in.

The Caroni 1.3 FTM, which was supplied with the tractor and also imported from Italy by Lamberhurst Engineering guarantees the correct cutting height by using an adjustable rear roller and a scraper, which keeps the mower clean. A set of side skids can be supplied upon request to suit the various different types of terrain. The TL series mount steel protections as standard to safeguard the driver when the rotor is in operation. The hitches, which are also standard fittings, allow the mower to be used with any type of tractor.

As to the price, the Cobram range starts at £15,447 for the base 38HP 3 cylinder AR model, £16,254 for the 46HP 4 cylinder AR model, £15,739 for the 38HP 3 cylinder RS model and £16,600 for the 46HP 4 cylinder RS model.
Steve is more than delighted with the Ferrari tractor, Caroni mower and the level of service from Lamberhurst Engineering. “We’ve found Lamberhurst to be very helpful from the first time we contacted them to arrange a demonstration and continue to find them more than helpful with any servicing and after sales support we need.”

In a continuing purchasing drive as Liebherr-Rental Limited grows and augments its versatile and specialist rental fleet, the company has now added a Seppi 150 BMS Mulcher from distributors Lamberhurst Engineering.

The Seppi 150 BMS is a well-proven excavator attachment designed for fast and efficient brush clearance in forestry plantations, road and rail embankments and, in fact, anywhere that requires thick undergrowth to be removed. It is the largest in a range of three attachments with a cutting width of 1500mm and features a fixed knife rotor. The majority of the mulcher’s construction is from Hardox, producing a rigid and highly wear-resistant casing for a longer active life.

The large bearings and thicker side-walls reduce the overall bulk of the attachment and produce an improved overall width to cutting width ratio. The transmission housing is designed at an angle for a lower head profile and the mulching rotor can further exposed by opening its casing door, which reduces traction stresses on the carrier excavator for faster and optimum operation.

The Seppi 150 BMS has an operating weight of 1120Kg and can be mounted on to machines of up to 30 tonnes operating weight in the Liebherr-Rental fleet – including wheeled, tracked and railroader carrier excavators – and will be exhibited on the Liebherr-Rental stand (Number 850-900) at the forthcoming APF Show in September.

The Ferrari Vega tractor range has been named on the shortlist for the Specialist Tractor of the Year award for 2008. The annual award commends design and innovation in the tractor industry, and the three model Vega range – imported into the UK by Kent based Lamberhurst Engineering Limited – is full to the brim with features that will assist its operator. The winner of the award is due to be announced at the Agritechnica event in Hannover, which opens to the public on the 13th November.

Featuring three models from 64 to 92hp, the Ferrari Vega range offers an innovative reverse drive facility within a compact package. Available in narrow AR (articulated steering with ROPS frame), RS (dual steer – articulated with turning front axle) or MT (articulated steering with cab) variants, the Vega is ideally suited to a number of tasks.

The tour de force, however, is the reverse drive feature. The whole steering, control console and seat is easy to lift up and secure in the opposite direction, taking mere seconds. All cables are secured and kept within the console to reduce the possibility of damage.

Standard is a 16 x 16 synchronised gearbox with a range of gears from 0.7 to 40kph, in both directions. The forward/reverse shuttle is always operated according to the direction of travel but the gear levers remain in a fixed position and do not rotate. Also standard is electro hydraulic spool valve controls, with up to eight outlets plus an automatic parking brake system.

Having a reverse drive feature means that the Vega range is an ideal tractor for many specialist and conventional operations, including mowing in tight or difficult areas where a normal tractor cannot access due to height or width restrictions. A wide variety of options allow a machine to be specified to suit a specific requirement.