Faresin has grown its local telehandler range, adding feature-packed models perfectly suited to Australian needs
The first models in Faresin’s latest telehandler line have arrived in Australia, bolstering the Italian manufacturer’s offering to local farmers.
Four models in the FS Middle series – the 7.40, 7.45, 8.40 and 10.40 – have been introduced by local distributor Ahern Australia, complementing the FS Compact 7.32 and 9.32 which have been popular additions to local farms in the last 12 months.
In a nutshell, introducing the Middle range means Faresin can now offer telehandlers with lifting capacities of up to 4.5 tonnes and with boom extensions providing a reach of up to 10m.
To focus on just the raw specifications though would be doing a disservice to Faresin’s overall strategy.
Two major factors in what sets Faresin apart are evident via the careful selection of models by Ahern, only importing telehandlers which it believes are best suited to Australian conditions and requirements, plus the wide array of features which are included as standard on these units.
“With the Faresin machines, we spec them up for the Australian market to meet what we are constantly asked for,” Ahern Australia’s agriculture business development manager David Soderstrom says.
“With the 3.5 and 4-tonne machines, we put things like boom suspension as standard.
“This gives the customer a better ride and once you’ve got boom suspension, you would never have a machine without it.
“All our telehandlers are equipped with a quick hitch as standard, we’ve gone for larger tyres, air suspended seats, a 12-tonne tow hook, full LED work lights across the machine – these are all standard features.
“We’ve tailored it specifically for the Australian market and we’ve done that so the customer doesn’t have to say ‘I need this feature’ – we know what customers need.”
In the Middle
By adding four additional models to its range courtesy of the Middle series, Faresin has increased the number of agricultural sectors to which its telehandlers appeal.
According to Soderstrom, the Middle range will appeal to anybody with on-farm requirements for machines such as loaders and forklifts.
“We have customers who are hay producers plus livestock and feed lot operations where they’re going to have bigger buckets and bigger capacity to load into mixer wagons,” he says.
“We’re also opening up to the shed builders with the 10.40, as it gives that little bit of extra reach for silos and shed building.
“It’s also for customers who have the capacity to lift heavier loads and telescope them up higher or lower – that’s what the Middle range allows for.”
While the Compact range offers its own unique features that appeal to specific markets – such as a low cabin option for the poultry industry – the Middle series has aimed for customers seeking more than an additional tonne of lift capacity and a metre of reach compared to what was previously available.
The 7.40 and 7.45 both offer a 7m lift height, with the model numbers giving a clue to the lift capacities of 4,000kg and 4,500kg respectively.
The 8.40 and 10.40 both have 4,000kg lift capacities, with maximum reaches of 8m and 10m respectively.
Introducing the Middle range is not simply a matter of adding more grunt though, with the telehandlers also offering Farmatics – the telematics and telediagnosis system developed by Faresin.
Available as an optional extra across the telehandler range – including the existing Compact models – it provides data reporting on the unit covering areas such as machine location, error codes and operational information.
“It means that either the dealer or end user can have access to see where the machine is, how many hours it has done, when it’s due for a service, or diagnose any error code that may come up,” Soderstrom says.
“It’s designed to have capabilities which enable you to see more into the machine. If you were a fleet manager and you had two or more of them and wanted to know how many hours they have done or where the machines are, you can get that type of information.”
Compact
While machines being bigger and more powerful creates obvious benefits, there is still a section of farmers that requires something different.
Faresin’s Compact telehandlers come with a low cabin option and reduced height of just 2.06m, which has made them a popular choice for the poultry industry.
“One piece of feedback I got only recently was from someone using a low-cab version in a chicken shed clean-out business,” Soderstrom says.
“The first thing he said was that the telehandler is a lot better in its manoeuvrability and it far exceeded what he had with a previous brand.
“He said there were some sheds where he just couldn’t do something or we couldn’t get in because it was too tight, but now he’s actually able to get in a little bit closer and do those jobs.
“They’re not having to bring in extra pieces of equipment to do things that the telehandler can now do because of its reduced height and turning circle.
“All of a sudden his profitability and his margins are a lot better on doing that cleanout job.”
Faresin’s two Compact models measure just 2.1m wide and 4.67m long, plus have a turning radius of just 3.8m, making them ideal for working in tight spaces.
Despite this, a 7m or 9m maximum lift height (for the 7.32 and 9.32 models respectively) plus a 3.2 tonne lifting capacity on both ensures they are capable of handling heavy and high jobs despite their compact nature.
Another standard feature on the low cabin Compact telehandler is a reverse camera, which helps to provide additional vision and safety in the back-and-forth nature of these jobs.
Rear hydraulic remotes are also standard, which Soderstrom describes as a feature which may not be used frequently but which will provide huge benefits when it is needed.
Euro quick hitches are also fitted as standard on Faresin’s Compact telehandlers, while Soderstrom says other telehandler brands’ quick hitches can also be installed on the front.
This increased connectivity means significant cost savings for those making the move to Faresin, as their existing buckets and accessories are all compatible.
“Farmers can use what they’ve already got, which could save the operator 20 to 30 grand in not having to buy all new accessories,” Soderstrom says.
“From a farmer’s perspective, and someone who’s lived and worked on a farm when dollars mean everything, if you’re not having to go and outlay all this extra cost initially then it’s money in your pocket rather than having to throw it away.”
Ready to go
Ahern Australia’s overall philosophy is guided by the fact its key decision makers such as Soderstrom are from agricultural backgrounds themselves, and know what farmers are looking for.
Its list of standard features is testament to this, as is feedback Soderstrom has relayed from current telehandler users around aspects such as quietness, smoothness, joystick responsiveness and the tight turning circle.
“Our customers will say ‘this machine has got everything on it’ and that’s because, coming from an agricultural background, I know if I’m working on a farm I would prefer to have these features on there,” Soderstrom says.
“Instead of saying ‘that’s another add-on’ why don’t we just come in with a model that has everything on it?
“They may not necessarily use all of it all the time, but when the one time comes up where they need that particular item, that particular capacity or particular option, they can do it.
“We’re just trying to have it a competitive edge with things we know the farmers like, and we’ve been very strategic with our configurations so that people are impressed by what is standard.”
Faresin telehandlers are distributed nationwide by Ahern Australia, whose head office is in the Sydney suburb of Wetherill Park and which also has branches in Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane.
The full range can be viewed online at www.ahernaustralia.com.au