KTS trailers/cranes

[waz77]

Any one have any experience and opinions of them? Cheers

[Brushcutter]

I went to one of their demo days last year.

 

They look well built and i liked their stag head joysticks ( you rotate the sticks left and right for open close/extend). There is some nice things like a saw holder and nice little bits of guarding like on steering rams.

[waz77]

Cheers Brushcutter, I'm thinking between a botex 360 and the kts, want something where the crane will 3pl mount so I can use it on back of tractor and go feed chipper when needed, don't suppose you know how the two compare with regards to switching the crane over?

[monkeybusiness]

I've got an 11 tonne KTS trailer with the 6.7m crane, and I think it is excellent!

 

I have never done it yet myself, but the crane comes away from the trailer very easily for 3pl mounting (I think it is 8 bolts to undo from memory, which you release once the crane is held by the 3pl). My only concern (and I would imagine it would be the same with any equivalent set up) is where to mount the spool block when carrying the crane on the 3pl.

 

At present I have the spools mounted on a frame that attaches to the top-link holes on the tractor. I went down this route for ease of removal when swapping between the trailer and other implements. It is still an awkward job to do on your own though, as the spool block and hoses are cumbersome. The spool block is theoretically designed to hang off the lower window frame, but I'm not sure what tractors would allow that either. The hoses will almost certainly foul on the top link when 3pl mounting, and it is a heavy thing to hang off the window frame there.

 

If I was going to use the crane on the 3pl I think I would look at a different mounting solution for the spoolblock (probably inside the cab) and fit the hoses with quick release couplings, to allow easy crane removal. I think it would be great having the crane on the linkage though - if you go down this route with either option please put up a couple of pics.

[waz77]

Hi monkeybusiness, thanks for your reply, I was thinking of making a bracket on the forestry guarding to mount the spool block, going to fab the guarding myself so can make it to suit, I'll get some pics when it's all sorted

[kernowstu]

Mate down here has just bought one well chuffed, not that many in the country at the moment,watch out botex better build quality and less pressure on the wallet. I also like the colour

[Brushcutter]

Just to throw another crane in the mix the farmi forestry cranes come in 3pl too.

 

As for mounting the spool block i have an extra bit of box section between the guard uprights comming across just below window level to hand the block on. Not ideal but not really enough room in the cab for it.

[Chris Sheppard]

 

As for mounting the spool block i have an extra bit of box section between the guard uprights comming across just below window level to hand the block on. Not ideal but not really enough room in the cab for it.

 

Have done similar to that in the past too, though the back of the tractor was such that I managed to get he levers to sit in a fairly comfortable position eventually - when I first started there you were about hangig out the cab window to use them.

 

Bolted a piece of steel sheet to the block folded to hook over the piece of box section so quick to remove if need be.

 

Only used 3pl mounted crane a couple of times and it's not half as good as you might expect - there's a lot of movement on the linkage, especially out sideways.

Edited May 5, 2014 by Chris Sheppard

[waz77]

Cheers guys. Chris, I would imagine they're a bit wobbly on the 3pl but would mainly just be feeding a chipper occasionally and retrieving the odd stem from arb operations.

[Svts]

Any further feedback on these a few years on. Are they holding up well?