Avant 745 Arbour Pro mini loader 2023 Operator Review

John Douglass is an arborist and has spent his life caring for trees. In fact, he is one of Tasmania’s foremost tree climbers, regularly scaling trees above 50m in height. He also runs his own company, iClimb Tree Solutions, providing multiple services such as risk reduction, tree felling, tree bracing, tree pruning and trimming, and wood chipping.

John was looking for a more productive way to move larger trunks and branches and feeding to his woodchipper, and spent a considerable amount of time researching various machine options, including skid-steers and mini-excavators. Finally, he settled on the Avant 745 articulated loader.

“What attracted me initially towards this machine was that Avant set it to suit our work style straight out of the box,” he said.

“It is very flexible in the different tasks it can perform simply by changing attachments. And changing attachments is fast and easy with the Avant-designed quick-release system.

“Also, the standard telescopic boom means I can load high-body trucks and lift large, heavy tree trunks.”

The heart of the Avant 745 is the Kubota V2403 diesel engine. The water-cooled 2.4-litre four-cylinder naturally aspirated Kubota delivers 49hp at 2700rpm. The engine is accessible for daily checks via the top rear cover of the loader.

However, access to the engine bay is a very tight squeeze to change fuel and oil filter, John said.

“I’m going to relocate the engine filters, similar to how they are mounted on mining machines, so they are more accessible,” John said.

“If the machine is in the workshop, an extra couple of hours having panels and parts removed just to access a filter means unnecessary hours of lost productivity. By having the filters remotely mounted, a filter change will only take a few minutes.”

The drive system on the Avant 745, called Optidrive, consists of a variable displacement hydraulic pump with four hydraulic drive motors located on each wheel of the loader.

In a traditional hydrostatic driven system, when hydraulic oil flows at a high rate in any drive circuit, it flows through numerous hydraulic hoses, fittings, motors and valves. Because of the natural resistance to flow in these components, the hydraulic oil heats up. Also, the more hoses and fittings, the quicker the oil heats up.

With all the heat generated in the system, engine output is consumed unnecessarily, meaning less engine power is available to perform the task. This results in higher fuel consumption.

Avant said its Optidrive system has 60 per cent fewer hydraulic fittings as well as reduced T-junction and 90-degree fittings to improve hydraulic flow. In addition, mounting valves together reduced the number of hoses required in the circuit by 20 per cent. The amount of flushing oil in the drive motors is five times larger compared to the old system, thereby providing a far better cooling of the drive circuit. All this combined reduces power loss in the hydraulic system by up to 1.5kW, Avant said, which equates to about ten per cent of the total power used in the drive circuit.

Avant added the Optidrive system also positively affects the balance and weight of the engine and pump assembly on the loader. The altered weight distribution led to the development of new engine mounts, resulting in a 50 per cent reduction in the total vibrations compared to the older model 700 series units, the company claimed.

John agrees with the statement, saying the ride in the machine is exceptionally smooth and fuel economy is better than he’d expected.

Avant’s Multi-connector System comprises hydraulic quick-coupling and electrical multi-connector systems mounted in one block.

The hydraulic quick-coupling system allows for fast and straightforward attachment connection, making it possible for operators to switch between attachments in minutes. The system is also designed to prevent oil spillage, ensuring a safe and clean working environment.

The electrical multi-connector system comprises a set of electrical connections that enable the control of various attachments from within the machine’s cabin. This eliminates the need for the operator to leave the cab, reducing downtime and increasing efficiency.

Furthermore, the electrical multi-connector system ensures the attachments are correctly connected, minimising the risk of operator error and subsequent damage to the equipment.

The Avant 745 loader has over 150 attachment options, making it ideal for use in various sectors such as civil construction, nursery and agriculture.

A self-levelling boom that keeps the load automatically level in all positions comes standard on the Avant 745, making load handling quicker and more precise, John said.

A load sensor is also a standard fitment, which provides an audible warning if the rear wheels are about to lift off the ground. This pre-emptive measure gives the operator more time to react should the machine become unstable.

The rear of the Avant 745 has four pre-cut circles that can be quickly removed to allow for electrical and hydraulic leads if rear-mounted attachments are required. In addition to the engine’s weight in the rear, 80kg counterweights are fitted to each side at the rear of the machine for extra stability.

Utilising the Avant 745 has meant less manual handling of materials, John said, which reduces the risk of injury on site. Instead of dragging limbs across the ground and damaging plants, the crew is picking and lifting them over the top of plants and shrubs instead, minimising damage to vegetation in the area.

“Also, there are fewer chips from chainsaw cuts because we are not cutting the larger limbs into smaller cartwheels for men to lift, so there is less mess to clean up at the end of the job,” he said.

According to John, one of the standout features of the Avant 745 is its compact size.

“It’s only 1.3 meters wide and 1.9 meters tall, allowing it to easily squeeze through tight spaces around house sites inaccessible to larger machines,” he said.

“Over the past few weeks, we’ve had a lot of rain out here in the northeast, and the ground is very soft underfoot.

“But look where we’ve been working today, and the machine has barely left an imprint in the ground. That is terrific for our consumers who care for their gardens and lawns.”

The cabin’s ergonomics were also a standout, alongside the great forward visibility it affords.

“The multi-function joystick is located on the right console and controls the action of the boom and fitted attachment,” John said.

He admitted the centre articulation threw him off initially when he needed to navigate tight spaces in the machine.

“But now I’ve had a few hours on it, I can confidently squeeze it down narrow paths and easily manoeuvre it around small garden plants,” he said.

“If there is one improvement I’d like to see on this machine is the addition of a decelerator pedal similar to a bulldozer.

“That way, I can set the throttle to around 2000rpm for normal operation, and then when I’m manoeuvring around tight spots or coming up on to pick up a limb, I can cut the engine rpm with the decelerator pedal and lift off the hydraulic drive pedal, which will allow for more precise machine control and hopefully save some fuel at the same time.”

John said he is also grateful for the addition of a seat heater on the Avant 745 for when he needed to deploy the machine on frosty autumn mornings in Tassie.

While not the cheapest machine option he’s come across, John said he was glad he invested in the Avant 745.

“Right from day one, it’s more than proved a valuable asset to the business, increasing productivity threefold,” he said.

“Interestingly though, it is how much happier our team are with it on site because it has removed the manual handling of a lot of material, which has reduced the fatigue levels of our ground crew at the end of each day.”

“I’m more than happy with how the Avant 745 has integrated into our operation.”

Model: Avant 745 Arborpro Series
Engine: Kubota V2403
Horsepower: 36kW (49 hp)
Fuel: Diesel
Transmission Drive: Hydrostatic
Top Speed: 15km/h
Wheels: 320/60-12” HD TR
Max Lift Capacity: 2100kg
Max Lift Height: 3000 mm
Tipping Load: 1400 kg
Max Breakout Force: 1700 kg
Turning Radius Inside: 1240 mm
Turning Radius Outside: 2780 mm
Hydraulic Oil Cooler: Standard
Aux. Hydraulic oil flow pressure: 70l/min 240 bar
Length: 3060 mm
Width: 1295 mm
Height: 2105 mm
Weight: 1850 kg