Kerfab’s pallet forks and four-in-one bucket have made light work of a New South Wales vineyard rejuvenation
Attachments manufacturer Kerfab prides itself on making products that are easy to use and that stand the test of time.
The experience of The Wild Vine vineyard has had with two of the company’s attachments shows how a well-made product can create significant benefits for the user – despite its apparent simplicity.
Primarily operating as a wedding venue, The Wild Vine is located just outside the New South Wales city of Wagga Wagga. It is spread across 7.7 hectares (19 acres) and about half the property is used to grow several different grape varieties.
The “beautiful but tired little vineyard” is also being slowly rejuvenated, having been purchased by Nick and Kate Shepherd in late 2018, when it was also rebranded to The Wild Vine.
Ever since the Shepherds decided to give new life to the vineyard, Kerfab’s pallet forks and four-in-one bucket played key roles in the work being undertaken.
The Wild Vine’s relationship with Kerfab first came about after the Shepherds needed a new tractor and approached Hutcheon & Pearce, which is part of both Kerfab and John Deere’s dealer network.
While discussing the tractor purchase, the salesman was “pretty complimentary” about Kerfab’s attachments, which led to the Shepherds investing in the Kerfab bucket and forks to be paired with a new 42hp (31kW) John Deere 4044R tractor.
Ticking the boxes
Sometimes in farming, new and innovative uses are discovered for machinery and attachments well beyond their original intended purposes.
Other times, simply ‘doing what it says on the tin’ and doing so to an exceptional standard is all that is required.
The latter provides an accurate summary of Nick’s experience with both the Kerfab pallet forks and four-in-one bucket.
“The pallet forks are a bit of a Godsend really,” he says.
“It’s just simple – it’s so easy to use, and easy to attach and detach. It’s a great bit of kit.
“The four-in-one bucket is nice and solid.
“They’re well built, plenty of power, easy to attach and easy to connect up your hydraulic lines and everything else – it’s a really good bit of gear.
“The quick attachment system is simple to install and take off, so it’s not a huge chore to try and change from the bucket to the forks.
“It makes it a really simple task and means we use it all the time.”
Local manufacturing
Kerfab is based in the northern Victorian town of Kerang, where it recently opened a second factory to cater for increased demand for its attachments.
Everything is manufactured in-house and is backed by more than 30 years of experience, meaning customers can have confidence their attachments are built locally and for Australian conditions, something which resonates with Nick.
“Being Australian made is always a good thing – that’s something we try and support wherever we can,” he says.
In addition to its products being suited to local conditions, another benefit of Kerfab being an Australian manufacturer is that products can reach farms quickly without the risk of shipping delays from overseas.
As a result, Kerfab offers an Attach + Go promise on its core products, including its pallet forks and four-in-one buckets, along with bale forks.
Kerfab’s Attach + Go promise involves firstly providing an official quote within two hours and then getting these attachments dispatched within seven working days of the order confirmation.
Free delivery around Australia is also included to further sweeten the deal.
A warehouse and office in Perth also help with product distribution across the country, while a strategically placed network of dealers nationwide means customers such as The Wild Vine can access Kerfab’s products and receive support near to them.
Kerfab’s headquarters in Kerang are the heartbeat of its production, with the second factory having been necessary to keep up with national demand.
Opened in 2022, this 2,000 square metre facility is primarily dedicated to the attachments covered by Kerfab’s Attach + Go promise and features an array of new technology to streamline the production process – along with an investment in more staff including expert design engineers and qualified welders to maintain quality control throughout.
Problem solving
Before investing in the pallet forks and their accompanying tractor, Nick and The Wild Vine team were using forklifts to complete a lot of jobs in the vineyard.
His description of these pallet forks as a “Godsend” is based on the extra capabilities they have provided, along with the ease of use in what he says can sometimes be a challenging environment – with the property located at Oura, just east of Wagga Wagga, and close to the Murrumbidgee River.
“We’re on fairly silty, muddy land not far from the river and the slightest hint of rain means everything turns to a bit of a bog,” Nick says.
“The number of times we’ve had to tow our forklift out means the pallet forks on the 4WD tractor have been an absolute Godsend, particularly during winter.
“It gets used a fair bit during harvest, carrying grape bins around but also just odd jobs around the property.
“It’s much more practical than trying to get a forklift out into the paddock,” he says.
While being able to use the forks on a machine better suited to that environment has been a significant benefit, the Kerfab pallet forks have also been extremely useful beyond just this use.
“It gets used for everything from collecting firewood to lifting posts to moving bins around, and the girls use it all the time for landscaping and cleaning up around the property,” Nick says.
“A fair bit of work goes into keeping gardens and everything mulched, cleaned, tidied and trimmed. It’s very, very useful and it’s been a really good tool.”
Kerfab’s pallet forks are specifically designed for tractors, although similar units for skid steers, telehandlers and wheel loaders are available.
Offered as either ITA or floating pallet forks, they offer capacities between 600kg and 2,500kg and have a load guard for extra strength during heavy-duty lifting and to protect against potential load damage.
Standard tines are 1.07m long, with the option of increasing this to 1.22m on the high back frame version.
The distance between the tines can be easily adjusted and securely locked into place.
On both models, the open back frame enables maximum visibility and increases operational safety.
It is also customisable to exact specifications required, as is Kerfab’s range of four-in-one buckets for tractors.
The bucket is offered in various sizes, with widths ranging from 1.58m through to 2.4m and capacities varying between 0.3 cubic metres and 0.6 cubic metres.
Also built to be versatile and heavy-duty, it has an opening in the middle which Kerfab says can be used to grapple green waste and clamp large rocks, tree trunks, logs and other obscure objects.
A pivoting jaw in the middle allows the user to control how much material is emptied by opening at different widths, while the rear fixed bucket section is an ideal tool for back blading and levelling.
Its hydraulic rams and connecting pins on either side at the rear of the bucket are well protected, and all main pivots have replaceable self-lubricant bushes which make the bucket easier to maintain.
Kerfab’s attachments are all backed up by a 12-month warranty, but customers like Nick are seeing them as worthwhile and reliable investments for a much longer period than that.
“They are just rock solid, built to last, really well put together and I can’t see us having any issues with it over the lifespan of the tractor – that’s for sure,” he says.
“It’s made work a whole lot easier and since getting it, it’s paid for itself over and over.”
Kerfab’s factory and head office is at 11 Tate Drive, Kerang, while its full product range and national dealer network can be viewed at www.kerfab.com.au