Petts Wood put their Trust in Ferrari

So it’s not Rosso red and a top speed of 25mph is another departure from what you would normally associate with a Ferrari, but the Vega tractor range has its automotive cousins green with envy for speed when it comes to reversing. Chris Bassett visits Sam Pettman from the National Trust to find out more.

While only being 13 miles South East of Central London, the Hawkwood and Petts Wood site covering 138 hectares provides an oasis of peace and tranquillity. Full of natural history, the area is a haven for all kinds of bird, butterfly, amphibian and plant life.

Sam Pettman, Warden for Kent Countryside decided that he needed a tractor for all seasons after having previously brought an earlier Ferrari model from Lamberhurst Engineering along with a Berti flail mower and trailer.

“When we needed a replacement machine, I went straight for the new Vega – I didn’t consider buying anything else, as we’ve been so pleased with the older models,” says Sam. “It offers many more features than the others, yet was the most competitively priced. It is ideal for us, being able to undertake a host of year-round tasks.”

Although it is the reverse drive feature that sets the equal wheel size Ferrari Vega apart from the more ‘ordinary’ tractors on the market, it is the relatively compact size of the 64, 84 and 92hp tractors that initially impresses most.

Featuring three models, 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.

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.

The rest of the tractor is otherwise pretty much what you now come to expect of an Italian built tractor; a good spread of 16 speeds from 0.7 to 40kph, simple forward reverse system and a decent hydraulic specification.

Nice finishing touches include the electro hydraulic controls and automatic parking brake. “The clutch action is nice and slow in its uptake, however it is a multi plate oil bath design, so bear in mind that you need to allow the oil to warm-up before assuming that it is sluggish to release,” Commented Sam.

So, how easy is the reverse drive feature to change? Describing how it is done probably takes longer than actually doing it!

  1. Turn off engine
  2. Raise clutch and brake pedals
  3. Release lock catch
  4. Lift seat
  5. Turn console round
  6. Ensure unit locks home

All cables are secured and kept within the console to reduce the possibility of damage.

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

The rear linkage controls stay in-situ, so in reverse drive they are in front of the operator. When using a mower, this control position switch works very well. Similarly, visibility over a mower when working in rear facing mode is excellent.

The reverse drive option feature makes the Vega a great mowing tractor and with a great choice of front mounted rotary mowers now available it should be easy to exploit this feature. The Caroni F Series mower range, also imported into the UK from Italy by Lamberhurst Engineering, stretches to 2.35m (93in) in width and is an example of what is on offer and well suited to the 64hp model.

News of the results has spread quickly. Kent Wildlife Trust situated in Maidstone, in Kent has also bought a Ferrari tractor.

As to the price, the range starts at £26,216 for the Vega 62hp model, the 84hp and 92hp versions coming in at £27,139 and £28,293 respectively. It is difficult to make a conventional tractor price comparison as they are different animals. But one point is clear, the Vega range offers something different and this makes it worth taking a look at.

Sam is delighted with the Vega machine and level of service he’s received from Lamberhurst Engineering. “It is a genuine all-round workhorse and can tackle anything we ask of it. We are very pleased with the machines we purchased and the superb service we have received from Lamberhurst Engineering. We know from experience that we can call on their after-sales service if it is needed, which is important when you are relying on machinery to clear a busy workload.”

Liebherr-Rental Adds Seppi Mulcher to Attachments Hirefleet

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.

Pellenc Launch Professional Electric Pole Saws

Lamberhurst Engineering Limited, the UK distributor of Ferrari Tractors, have just announced the arrival of the “Dualsteer” Ferrari Vega to the UK.

Pellenc has launched a range of four electric pole saws – the Selion which have been designed for professional tree surgeons, landscapers and viticulturists.

Two models have fixed length poles of 1.30m (P130) & 1.80m (P180) and a further two models have telescopic poles of 1.50m extending to 2.0m (T150/200) and 2.20m extending to 3.0m (T220/300) via an easy adjustment knob.

The saws are fitted with the very latest Pellenc innovations, including automatic oil flow control, automatic chain tension adjustment and a head that can be set in high, low or axial position.

As well as the above innovations, the Selion is powered by the new generation of lithium-ion batteries, known as the 600, which provides power for a full day’s (8 hours) cutting without the need for re-charging.

No less than five patents have been registered for the automatic chain tensioning, electronic oil flow control, fully tilting head, retractable wrench integrated within the head of the tool and the brushless motor which has been specifically developed after endless research with customers.

With a weight of just 2.7 kg (excluding battery pack), the Selion is almost half the weight of its more conventional two stroke rivals. Add to this the heavily reduced vibration levels, no emission and not even the use of ear protectors needed for the user, the machine has been thoughtfully produced with the environment and end user in mind.

Without the need for a petrol/oil two stroke mixture, and the important reduction of noise pollution, the Selion gives a far higher productivity to the user – up to four times superior than a petrol-engined machine thanks to its comfort of use, power and reduced maintenance.

Ferrari in the race to be the Specialist Tractor of the Year 2008

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.

Be Articulate With Ferrari

Lamberhurst Engineering Limited, the UK distributor of Ferrari Tractors, have just announced the arrival of the “Dualsteer” Ferrari Vega to the UK.

The Dualsteer range of tractors has the same basic fundamentals of the AR and RS versions of the Vega tractor. The new choice results in an avant-garde solution with a brand new steering system; the features of which dramatically improve the performances of these vehicles, making them practical to use even in precarious conditions where being able to move easily in narrow spaces is the only way to be able to work.

Reduced wheel bases and the use of hydraulic clutches which allow containing of the overhanging part of the engine, in addition to the other interesting solutions aimed at reducing dimensions without altering the performance, remain basic virtues in the new model.

The double steering system highlights the qualities of safety and stability in curves and the manoeuvrability of the Dualsteer. This solution allows a turning radius of just 2200mm with a steering angel of 70 degrees, which is far greater than those tractors with a central articulation, further reinforcing the outstanding performances of the new model.

Thanks to the features of the Dualsteer, the new Vega model can be easily used in vineyards, orchards and greenhouses but without overlooking park maintenance and work in public areas where being able to move in narrow spaces is of fundamental importance to operate in the best possible way.

Lamberhurst Appointed UK Agents for Caroni Spa

Pellenc is proud to announce its very latest tool, electronic pruning shears known as LiXion. In so doing, Pellenc has scored a world first: invention of a new technology enabling the use of lithium-ion batteries as the power supply for power tools, resulting in the registration of two patents.

In its concern for preservation of the environment, Pellenc uses non-polluting batteries, which are free from heavy metals, recyclable and immune from memory effect. LiXion is 30% more powerful and faster, lighter (the battery weighs 1.1 kg and the pruning shears alone weigh 787 g) ; it has greater pruning capacity (up to 30 mm diameter) ; is compact and ergonomic (dimensions : 38 mm diameter by 197 mm long). LiXion provides a permanent indication of the battery charge state, similar to the fuel gauge in motor vehicles or the bricks on mobile telephones.

Numerous tests conducted world-wide, during the last two pruning seasons, demonstrated that LiXion can be used for two days without recharging.

Based on that experience, Pellenc guarantees a day’s pruning for all future LiXion users.

Pellenc Launches LiXion, the first electronic pruning shears equipped with lithium-ion technology batteries

Pellenc is proud to announce its very latest tool, electronic pruning shears known as LiXion. In so doing, Pellenc has scored a world first: invention of a new technology enabling the use of lithium-ion batteries as the power supply for power tools, resulting in the registration of two patents.

In its concern for preservation of the environment, Pellenc uses non-polluting batteries, which are free from heavy metals, recyclable and immune from memory effect. LiXion is 30% more powerful and faster, lighter (the battery weighs 1.1 kg and the pruning shears alone weigh 787 g) ; it has greater pruning capacity (up to 30 mm diameter) ; is compact and ergonomic (dimensions : 38 mm diameter by 197 mm long). LiXion provides a permanent indication of the battery charge state, similar to the fuel gauge in motor vehicles or the bricks on mobile telephones.

Numerous tests conducted world-wide, during the last two pruning seasons, demonstrated that LiXion can be used for two days without recharging.

Based on that experience, Pellenc guarantees a day’s pruning for all future LiXion users.

Ferrari Launches New Model

An exciting addition to the already successful Ferrari Cobram, Thor & Raptor models has just been unveiled to the UK market by Lamberhurst Engineering, the UK distributor of Ferrari tractors.

The new Ferrari Vega series with 16+16 speeds was first launched at the EIMA exhibition, Bologna in November and went into production at the beginning of the year. The Vega has some outstanding features including a platform to reduce noise and vibrations, fully homologated cabins, more powerful, EUR 2 engines (max. 92 Hp) with counter rotating shafts, larger hydraulic pump, PTO clutch activated electro-hydraulically with brake, electro-hydraulically controlled insertion of front wheel drive, disc brake in oil bath on all four wheels, BRAKE-OFF automatic hand brake, and many more new features.

The new Vega will compliment the other already successful Ferrari models says Andrew Fuller, Director of Lamberhurst Engineering. With this now being the biggest Ferrari model available we now cater for small estate managers through to the large agricultural markets.

The Vega will be on sale in the UK from 1st July 2005.