Dieci’s Poultry Pro 30.7 is a unique telehandler with
additional local upgrades built specifically to handle
the specific requirements of poultry producers
When Dieci builds a telehandler, it does so for a specific purpose and with the needs of an individual farming sector in mind. Its ‘general purpose’ agricultural telehandlers have appeal across the market but its Poultry Pro 30.7 is a clear example of a machine designed for one type of farmer and is excelling in meeting that sector’s needs.
One of the biggest challenges faced by the poultry sector is finding a telehandler that can manage two seemingly opposing requirements. Telehandlers, by their very definition, are designed to reach heights which other agricultural machines cannot and do so while reaching outwards. For many farmers, this would be the primary consideration when buying a telehandler, but poultry producers must also factor in their need to regularly work inside sheds and under gantries where space is confined and roof heights become an important part of the equation.
Dieci has taken these requirements and answered the challenge by putting smaller wheels on the Poultry Pro 30.7 compared to a standard telehandler and lowering the cabin height, which means the whole machine measures just 2.04m high and gives the Poultry Pro a significant edge in these environments.
Built Tough For The Australian Poultry Industry
Despite the manufacturer’s emphasis on making the Poultry Pro 30.7 compact enough to excel in places where other telehandlers struggle, it would be wrong to say there is anything miniature about its capabilities. Other frequently undertaken jobs by poultry producers are loading into trucks and lifting pallets of feed into awkward areas, which is why the Poultry Pro’s 6.35m lift height and 3.7m maximum reach, along with its three-tonne lift capacity, are also important characteristics.
Powered by a 98hp (73.4kW) Kubota diesel engine, the Poultry Pro 30.7 telehandler boasts an impressive top speed of 30km/h. This engine is designed to run cooler, making it ideal for the hot conditions experienced in Australian poultry sheds, while an engine temperature monitoring system has shutdown protection to prevent any overheating.
Dieci telehandlers are manufactured in the same region of Italy as Ferrari and Maserati cars, giving an insight into the premium design they offer as standard. The Poultry Pro is further configured to ensure it meets the unique needs of Australian farmers.
“We’ve upgraded the air conditioning to an Australian-made air conditioning system,” Dieci Australia national sales manager Bob Mules says.
“This is equipped with a sealed filter inside the cabin, so it recirculates the cabin air, instead of pulling in the fowl air from outside.
“The sheds are a very acidic environment so it’s important that the cab is sealed for operator comfort.
“Furthermore, we’ve got a custom-built radiator on the unit which is also Australian made.
“This is equipped with an automatic reversing fan, so it increases the cooling capacity of the radiator and ensures there is no build up of feathers and debris.”
Local legend
While managing the engine forms a significant part of Dieci’s local upgrades to the Poultry Pro, these are not the only additions that have been made. Seven additional LED lights have been installed as part of an overall lighting package upgrade, something introduced due to how dark chicken sheds can get.
The dusty nature of the sheds can also mean crucial components could wear and become damaged earlier than on telehandlers primarily used outdoors. This has been factored into another of Dieci’s upgrades, which relates to the electrical system.
“These machines are washed and sanitised daily because of the environment inside the sheds, so we’ve upgraded the electrical system to include marine-grade solenoids and circuit breakers, and they’re encased in what we call an IP64 rated box,” Mules says.
“The key reason for this is to eliminate any corrosion around the fuse box and the relays.
“By doing this, we’ve eliminated that corrosion around the electrical areas.”
All of this bolsters a telehandler that is already built for comfort and
performance and has an impressive feature list to highlight this. The Poultry Pro is fitted with hydrostatic transmission, complete with a servo-controlled two-speed gearbox and constantly varying hydrostatic drive, which guarantees top-end speed and low-end torque. There is also a Generation 3 Space cab, which in addition to the sealed filter also offers soundproofing, large and curved windows with complete 360-degree views, a steering wheel that is both height and depth adjustable, plus various accessories such as storage compartments and an air suspension seat.
“For drivers in the cabin for six or eight hours a day, this seat, along with air conditioning and the filtration, is about ensuring operator comfort in those harsh environments,” Mules says. “What we’ve done is improve the overall performance and comfort for the operators.”
Core strength
Dieci’s advanced telescopic boom is made from high resistance steel that includes load sensing and flow sharing distributors, which allows for more simultaneous movements during operation. Boom control is available through the four-in-one joystick, while Dieci has worked to ensure precision is maximised inside the tight and delicate environments poultry producers work in.
Its centrally positioned boom provides the perfect balance between size and strength, Dieci says.
A load limiter device analyses the telehandler’s stability in real time, while an inching pedal allows the operator to momentarily either slow down or stop the unit completely while still maintaining maximum power to boom functions.
It has a 146-degree fork swivelling angle rotation, designed to increase the operating arc by allowing the operator to tilt the bucket even further down and therefore support safe and easy unloading of the contents.
Support to match
All of these features have made the Poultry Pro a winner for Australian customers using them for daily work. One major poultry producer said they were now able to load B-double trucks straight out of their shed, maximising overall efficiency, while the presence of a full cabin that eliminates dust had been a huge attraction for operators previously accustomed to comfort compromises.
The telehandler is also backed up by Dieci Australia’s flagship branches in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth, plus its long-serving national authorised parts and service agent AWD Australia.
Mules says 85 per cent of parts are common across the Dieci telehandler range, and more than $3 million worth of parts are held across the national branch network to ensure farmers can quickly access any replacements needed.
Having been proven in challenging Australian conditions over several years, Mules is proud of the Poultry Pro 30.7, a telehandler which he declares as “industry leading”.
“With all the local upgrades that we’ve done, it’s certainly the number one unit for that environment,” he says.
To enquire about Dieci Australia’s Poultry Pro 30.7, contact Dieci Australia, or call 1300 888 479.
