Kerfab attachments have a reputation for strength and reliability, with farmers making repeat purchases proving a powerful endorsement
With more than 30 years of manufacturing experience, Kerfab has become a trusted name for countless farmers around Australia.
One of these is Bec Cruise, who farms with her family at Carwarp near Mildura in Victoria’s north-west on a property which is used for dryland cropping, sheep and cattle.
Her family’s first interaction with Kerfab came more than 10 years ago via the purchase of a bale fork, before they reached out again in the last year to add both a stick rake and pallet fork.
The original bale fork is still going strong and working every day after a decade of use, providing a glowing endorsement of the products’ long-term durability.
As for the attachments’ strength, Cruise’s endorsement of this aspect can be summed up in one simple sentence regarding the recent stick rake purchase.
“Our stick rake is really strong – I think the machine would break before the stick rake,” she says.
Raking it in
Kerfab is a Victorian-based company, with its manufacturing facility and head office in Kerang being located roughly 250km from Carwarp.
It builds attachments for a variety of popular agricultural machinery types and, crucially, makes them to handle Australia’s demanding conditions.
Kerfab attachments are available through the manufacturer’s national dealer network, and the company’s base in Kerang is complemented by a warehouse in Perth and office in Warwick, Queensland.
The bale fork, pallet fork and stick rake are all attached to a Manitou telehandler on Cruise’s farm, with Kerfab building models of each that are specifically designed for telehandlers, in addition to what the company produces for tractors.
The telehandler stick rake is available in two widths – 2.4m and 2.7m – and each tine is 32mm thick.
The tines are also made from GR350 steel, which Kerfab says guarantees power and durability when moving large amounts of material.
All tines are evenly spaced to ensure smooth and efficient operation, even when having to clean up roots or vegetation in challenging conditions.
Double forks
The bale fork – which was the Cruise family’s first purchase and is still going strong a decade later – is one of Kerfab’s most popular attachments.
It has a range of customisation options depending on individual requirements.
A 1.8m fork is able to confidently handle two bales, and a 2.1m or 2.4m-high fork is available for when three or four bales need to be carried.
Telehandler bale forks are available in four or five tine configurations that are 36mm thick, with the fifth tine ideal to help denser bales to not fall apart under their own weight.
Also built with an open design to ensure visibility, the bale forks have a high back, which Cruise describes as “super safe”.
“We can carry three big square bales and the bar goes quite high, so the bale can’t fall back on top of the cab,” she says.
Two skid gussets enable the bale fork to stand alone while it is not being used, making it easy to attach and detach from the telehandler.
This ease of switching between their Kerfab attachments thanks to a quick hitch is cited by Cruise as one of her favourite features, particularly for farmers having to constantly juggle priorities.
“I think our farm is like everyone else’s farm – there’s so much to do and no time to do it, so having the quick hitch just makes life so much easier,” she says.
“It’s a matter of just pulling up, pulling a pole out, swapping implements, putting a pole back in, and you’re done in 30 seconds. It’s that quick.”
Cruise’s final Kerfab attachment is the telehandler pallet fork.
Kerfab manufactures these in two styles – ITA adjustable forks and floating adjustable forks.
The difference between the two is the manoeuvrability of the tines, with the ITA adjustable fork having multiple latching points across the pallet fork carriage, meaning the tines can be adjusted and secured onto desired points, depending on the pallet’s width.
This ITA-style fork is available with capacities between 2,500kg and 5,000kg, while the floating models can handle between 2,500kg and 4,000kg.
Heavy duty forged tines offer excellent strength and durability, and come as standard with a load guard that provides extra strength and protection against load damage during heavy lifting.
Ready to go
Both the bale fork and ITA pallet fork are included as part of Kerfab’s Attach + Go promise.
This has long been one of the company’s unique and standout offerings, which is applicable to its most popular products and involves several steps.
Firstly, Kerfab promises to have an official quote within two hours on its Attach + Go range and will dispatch them within seven working days of order confirmation.
This gives Kerfab customers – and its national dealer network – the confidence that attachments can be quickly and reliably sourced if required on short notice.
Receiving top quality products and service to match has Cruise feeling thrilled with her Kerfab experience.
“Dad was the one who dealt with Kerfab. He had great experience with them and they were fantastic to deal with,” Cruise says.
“Within a few emails back and forward, and some phone calls, it was done.
“We love supporting Australia, so we love that it’s Australian made.
“The quality is fantastic. It’s really high quality, they’re safe and we highly recommend Kerfab to anyone.”
The full Kerfab attachments range can be viewed online by visiting www.kerfab.com.au
