" Our Fieldloader is increasingly popular with growers as it means soil is removed in the field and kept off the public roads , plus transport of crop is significantly reduced as there is a no need to transport crop to a central yard or location " explains Charlie Rich , Export Sales Manager at Tong Engineering . " It significantly reduces crop handling times , allowing growers to meet tight deadlines and deliver crop in optimum condition straight from

the field ."

One of the key benefits of the Fieldloader is the fact that it incorporates a heavy duty infeed hopper , crop cleaner , inspection area and integrated extending elevator all in one mobile unit . And the new options on Tong ' s Fieldloader are set to offer even better transportability and manoeuvrability between fields and the farm .

" Whilst some growers choose to operate the Fieldloader in the yard , many customers move the machine between fields ," says Charlie . " With this in mind we have designed a new model of the machine which incorporates a transport-mode option featuring a powered elevator section that automatically retracts back under the cleaning and inspecting sections of the machine , making the unit as short as possible when towing on the road . Foldable

conveyors are also a feature on the transport-mode design to make the Fieldloader as narrow as possible too . The standard Fieldloader stands at around 22 metres long when in full operation , but reduces to just under 15 metres long when in transportmode , reducing the length of the machine by over 7 metres . The new and automatic transportmode design can also include further transport options including full suspension , brakes , machine lighting and steering where required ."

" The new options on the Fieldloader not only make the machine even easier to transport , but all the latest Fieldloader models are powered by our Blue Inverter Technology with all electric direct drive , meaning that the machine runs very efficiently , with minimal energy consumption ; something which is a key consideration when using the machine in the field ," adds Charlie . " The Fieldloader is available with a choice of crop cleaning systems including Tong ' s market-leading EasyClean separator or Tong ' s adjustable coil cleaning unit for lighter soil conditions , and the latest models also feature wireless remote control of the extending elevator giving the operator

complete control over bulker filling without moving the Fieldloader . Our market-leading Pro-Series HMI Control system featuring sophisticated diagnostics capabilities can also be specified for added control and advanced machine monitoring and reporting ."

Farming over 10,000 acres of root crop , barley and rye , one of the UK ' s largest single farming units , Elveden Farms , based in Thetford on the Norfolk / Suffolk border , is currently operating a custom-built Fieldoader from Tong which was designed to clean and load the farm ' s carrot and onion crop straight from the field . In order to keep up with demand and to achieve higher throughputs , the company has ordered a second Fieldloader , complete with the latest transport-mode options , for use on its potato , carrot and onion crop . Farm Manager at Elveden Farms , Andrew Francis says , " Our original Fieldloader from Tong has streamlined our post-harvest crop handling times and has allowed us to achieve a very quick turnaround from field to bulker lorries . Our second Fieldloader is now in production and we look forward to increasing our capacity even further with the availability of a second machine ."