Sticking with Kerfab attachments is a simple decision for South Australian farmer and contractor Grant Clough
Any time a farmer says the phrase “I wouldn’t use anything else”, it is clear the equipment they are talking about is worth considering.
For a contractor, whose equipment is often more specialised and who needs to consistently perform the same task to the same standard, getting something efficient and reliable is arguably even more important.
It is for this reason that Grant Clough’s opinion of Kerfab products should carry such weight.
Clough is from Carlton Park Industries in the South Australian town of Millicent and has spent the last 15 years working as a hay contractor.
He owns and uses Kerfab bale forks, which are fitted to a John Deere tractor and a JCB backhoe loader, and a quick hitch that is used on the backhoe.
Using the forks predominantly for shifting hay around the farm and for loading trucks, Clough’s priority is for a reliable attachment which enables him to safely lift and move multiple square bales simultaneously.
Having used and rejected other brands of attachments previously, Clough moved to Kerfab products and has not looked back since – with no intention of ever looking elsewhere.
“Before the Kerfab came along, we had some pretty ordinary attachments that only just did the job – they kept breaking,” he says.
“I’ve been using Kerfab products for probably 15 years on telehandlers, loaders, you name it, and it’s just my go-to attachment.
“The things I like most about them are just their strength and quality.
“Everything fits like it should and you never have any problems of putting the attachments on and off.
“It’s just fits, it just works, and I wouldn’t use anything else.”
Kerfab remains a thriving example of Australian manufacturing, with the attachments manufacturer celebrating 30 years in business last year.
Based in the northern Victorian town of Kerang, Kerfab also recently opened a second factory alongside its original site to expand its manufacturing capacity.
Much of this extra capacity is dedicated to products involved in Kerfab’s Attach + Go range – of which the bale forks are a part.
This promise is to have an official quote to customers within two hours, free delivery across Australia, and the attachments dispatched from its facility within seven working days of order confirmation.
This ability to get products quickly to customers without the manufacturing or shipping delays that can impact overseas purchases is a huge point of difference for Kerfab.
Even products which are not part of the Attach + Go range, and therefore have longer lead times, still provide an example of the company’s impressive service.
For Clough, the experience of getting the quick hitch for his JCB backhoe was a positive one in every sense.
“That was bought through JCB and when I purchased the backhoe I said to them I wanted a quick hitch, hay forks, bucket and a few other attachments and it was all organised from there,” he says.
“Kerfab designed a quick hitch, got it fitted, and back here within a few months. It was really, really fast.
“When we got it all fitted up, they were more than helpful to get it moving and make sure it was down here and working straight away.
“Dealing with Kerfab was unbelievable – they were just straight onto the design, straight onto the manufacturing and then straight onto getting it fitted to the machines.
“Everything just fits and it works. They know what they’re doing and they’ve been doing it for a long time.”
Kerfab designs specific bale forks for tractors, telehandlers and loaders – ensuring farmers can get access to a perfectly suited product regardless of their machinery type.
Available in three, four or five tine configurations, the bale forks are built to be adjustable while featuring the durability and strength needed to handle Australian conditions.
This ties in with the “strength and quality” which were cited by Clough as his standout features on the bale forks.
The quick hitch that Clough owns is described by Kerfab as a “versatile attachment that is designed to turn an ag loader into a multipurpose tool capable of handling almost any task on a farm”.
Many specifications and weight ratings are available, providing further versatility for customers to get exactly what they need, while it successfully achieves the ultimate purpose of saving time and money by quickly and easily fitting a variety of attachments to the loader.
Kerfab’s range is varied, but 30 years of manufacturing means they know what customers want and have the ability to make it for local conditions.
For customers such as Clough, it makes the choice of where to get his future attachments a simple one.
“We’ve tried others, and they just didn’t work – and now without a question, I’d just go straight to a Kerfab,” he says.
“It’s their strength and quality – you just don’t break them.
“If I was recommending the Kerfab attachments, I’d just go on my experience that I’ve had loading trucks with hay for 15 years.
“Ergonomically, they just work, and you realise that after doing it for 15 years, it just feels right, and it just works.
“Kerfab makes good quality equipment and they have done for years. I don’t see that changing,” he says.