Kramer machinery arrive Down Under

German heavy machinery specialist, Kramer, has expanded its presence in Australasia by partnering up with Cervus Equipment to distribute its line of telescopic handlers in the region, as a result of its alliance with John Deere.

Cervus Equipment has been a longstanding John Deere distributor and will now also be offering Kramer’s telehandlers to complement the rest of its agricultural range. John Deere’s current product line-up does not include telescopic handlers after it pulled out from that market in 2006, according to Farmers Weekly.

Kramer, which also has all-wheel steer loaders and telescopic wheel loaders in its stable, decided to expand into the region with its telehandler range first, with a number of machines already in the region for demos.

"With our portfolio of telehandlers, the first Cervus Equipment distributors and a Kramer employee on-site, we are looking forward to our new beginning in Australia and New Zealand,” said Kramer Head of International Sales, Thomas Brogt.

“In future, the Kramer presence in both countries will continue to be expanded so that we can provide an extensive agricultural dealer network.”

Managing Director of Cervus Equipment, Tim Ormrod, said the company looks forward to offering the Kramer range to customers in Australia and New Zealand.

“The Kramer product portfolio is best suited for our market and year-round application in various agricultural disciplines,” he said.

Kramer’s complete telescopic handler range consists of 11 models capable of handling up to 5.5 tonnes of payload.

The compact model KT276 is equipped with a 74hp engine by Kohler and has a 2.7-tonne load handling capacity and is capable of a stacking height of 6m. Electronic pilot operated joysticks allow quick and precise loading movements while the LUDV (load-independent flow distribution) technology on the hydraulics enables up to three movements to be carried out simultaneously.

The new KT457, which succeeds the KT447 model, has a payload of 4.5 tonnes and features a new ecospeedPRO transmission as an option that allows a top speed of 40km/h. It is also capable of handling trailer loads of up to 20 tonnes, Kramer added.

The models KT306, KT356, KT307, KT357, KT407, KT457, KT507 and KT429 are equipped with Deutz’s TCD 3.6 engine with 134hp of power while the range topping KT557 and KT559 with a 5.5 tonne payload are powered by Deutz’s TCD 4.1 engine with 154hp of output.

Customers can equip their machines with a range of options such as the Smart Handling operator assistance system with three functional modes that increases productivity and safety, Kramer said. The KT306 to KT559 can be equipped as standard with a fourth steering mode, known as the "manual crab steering" that restricts the rear axle while the front axle can be controlled freely.

There are two cabin heights available for certain models depending on requirement for optimum visibility. Additionally, the FOPS screen has been designed to allow operators unobstructed view of the attachment at all times.

Cervus Equipment is urging interested customers to get in touch with their respective branches to arrange for a machine demo.