A KUHN Multi-Longer, with one of the longest reaches on the market and a unique telescopic arm, has been a welcome addition to an expanding Anglesey contractor.
Rhys Jones took out his first loan aged just 18 and has subsequently gone on to build a thriving contracting business based at his parents’ Elusendy farm, on Anglesey, but reaching parts of mid Wales. In 2022, aged 25, he chose to invest in the KUHN Multi-Longer despite having two Bomford machines.
“We have a machine with a 6.5 metre reach but I have been struggling with reliability and the CPU failed this year. I needed a well-built, reliable hedge cutter that had a longer reach and the KUHN was the perfect fit,” he explains.
With a fully extended horizontal range of 7.4 metres and maximum vertical height of 8.4 metres, the Multi-Longer GII 7457 E-TPAL is KUHN’s longest reach hedge cutter yet and significantly enhances its offering in the sector. The transport height is 3.8 metres and there is ground clearance of 0.5 metres which helps with the tight operating conditions and uneven surfaces.
Designed to meet the needs of the professional operator, the Multi-Longer GII 7457 E-TPAL has a parallelogram pivot-mounted straight arm configuration, with the heavy-duty frame and main boom robustly constructed of high yield steel. It has a 57hp hydraulic motor and 21kW air-cooled radiator with double heat exchanger making it well suited to extended usage.
“We have done 150 hours so far and the season will see me add at least another 400 to that. I have been impressed with how the boom and the head stay level, even when cutting thicker hedges the head never drifts,” he says.
He is also taking full advantage of the 4-function joystick with electric proportional control, which has a range of features including ground following aided by hydropneumatic lift control. The Multi-Longer also features a hydraulic roller which provides greater control when operating on verges, ditches and riverbanks, and allows a rapid switch between operational modes.
“It is very easy and intuitive to use. Most of all it is comfortable and simple so I can focus on the work rather than have to fiddle with controls constantly. I also like the KUHN CCI terminal in the cab which makes setting the cutter up quick and easy, I can also adjust it more easily when switching between grass and hedges,” he says.
As with other models in the KUHN range, the Multi-Longer GII has a 1.2 metre reinforced belt drive flail head as standard, with 240-degree flail head rotation. There is also the option of a 1.5 metre flail head with hydraulic roller.
The Multi-Longer GII 7547 E-TPAL benefits from having KUHN’s Stabi-Link quick hitch axle mounting as standard, offering increased stability as well as fast mounting/uncoupling to allow the tractor to be quickly freed up for other work.
“I have been told you can mount it in three minutes, but I would say it’s more like five, which is still very quick. What I also like is that maintenance is easier than other machines I have had. The grease nipples are at hand, rather than having to remove guards. I grease every 40 hours and each time I am saving 30 minutes, so over the whole season there is about 7 hours of time saved which is the best part of days’ work,” he says.
He is achieving further time savings by not having to go over areas twice. He reliably only makes one pass and suggests that the more powerful hydraulic motor is both quiet and consistently effective.
“It is quieter, and more stable too. I never feel any movement and, whilst I would say the only shortcoming it that it is positioned too far to the centre of the tractor, it does help manage the weight. The Valtra 234 is over 7.5 tonnes and the Multi-Longer weighs 2170 kilos so I have a 900 kilo ballast on the front and would potentially benefit from some wheel weights too,” he says.
He initially had the Multi-Longer on demo in February 2022, at the very end of the season. Despite only operating it for a couple of days he was sure it was the machine he needed. Kuhn supplied the machine on a tractor and a product specialist joined Mr Jones to explain the features and benefits of the machine.
“It was clear that it was heavier duty, better built and faster operating than anything I have had before. I also know that KUHN can supply parts quickly should I need them, so a mixture of reliability and support will significantly reduce the downtime I have experienced in recent years,” he concludes.