Varied equipment and vehicle introductions were to be found among machinery exhibitors at the Royal Welsh Show.

Here’s a selection picked out by Peter Hill.

See also: 10 scraper tractor options for dairy farms of all sizes

Morris Mini Mobile crush

The increasing use of traditional breeds such as Highland and Longhorn cattle for conservation and land improvement through grazing, as well as for their aesthetic appeal, has prompted Morris Livestock Equipment to produce a purpose-designed crush for horned cattle.

The upper section of the Mini Mobile road-legal crush is wider than on the standard version to accommodate the cattle’s broad appendages, which has required some thought into making the squeeze sides and other mechanisms work effectively.

Battery-powered hydraulics operate the sides and also the head yoke and scoop, and the sliding intake gate.

At a gross weight of 1,800kg, the Mini Mobile crush can be towed by any number of light vehicles legally on the road, says Pete Jones of Morris, for taking the outfit to cattle grazing in remote locations.

Prices are likely to start at £25,000 once final specs are settled.

Dalton UTV tub

ATV specialist dealer John Dalton reckons the Honda Pioneer 520 is a perfect farm vehicle – nearly…

Where it falls down, he says, is the lack of load-carrying volume in the tub, which is plastic and needs thick sides and tailgate for strength.

“So I took measurements, cut out some pieces of cardboard and gave them to a local fabricator – Rhayader Design & Manufacturing – to make one in aluminium that fits to the original tipping frame,” he says.

The Dalton High Capacity Tub priced £1,195 gains about 35cm of internal width without exceeding the original’s external dimensions, and 10cm or so in length.

Both usefully increase the space available for carrying tools and supplies, as well as for lambs, a small ewe, sheep dogs and so on, when the £795 canopy with barn doors and internal divider is added.

A front window and thick rubber matting are standard and different configurations – such as a tailgate and lift-up doors – are available.

Indian Imports compact tractors

Having showcased Preet Group’s Avenger series European-spec compact tractors from India at the Royal Welsh Show two years ago, the Carmarthenshire-based business now trading as Indian Imports featured VST compacts this year.

Mathew Davies explains: “The supply of Avenger models was too limited to keep pace with demand so we reached an amicable agreement to also bring in VST’s Classic and newer Fieldtrac 900 tractors.

“VST’s engines and tractors were originally developed in collaboration with Mitsubishi, so there’s a reassuring background to the machines.”

The current line-up has 18.5hp, 22hp and 24hp outputs from three- and four-cylinder engines to Stage 5 emissions standards.

These are coupled to a 6×2 sliding mesh gearbox that is upgraded to an 8×2 unit for the 24hp 929 EGT, along with oil-immersed disc rather than dry drum brakes, and 750kg rear linkage capacity as opposed to 500kg.

Prices start at £6,595 for an older-style Fieldtrac 180D Classic and from £6,995 to £8,800 for the 900 series; more powerful versions and cab options are anticipated later this year.

UK Mini Trucks

Royal Welsh first-time exhibitor Monty Gorringe sources Daihatsu 4×4 “micro pickups” from Japan and converts them to off-roader spec on the family farm in Herefordshire.

“The information given by the auction houses in Japan is incredibly detailed and honest, so I’m really confident that what I see in the numerous auction house listings is genuine,” he says.

He is now fully tuned-in to the documentation needed to import and make these vehicles a viable alternative to a side-by-side UTV.

Options include fitting a 50mm lift kit for added ground clearance that retains full suspension damper stroke, and standard or larger-size knobbly tyres for max off-road traction.

There are original fixed and tipper dropside body versions for which local manufacturer Garic Trailers at Llandrindod Wells has put together a neat aluminium canopy available in different configurations.

Chinese diggers and telehandlers

Two unfamiliar Chinese brands made their debut at the Royal Welsh – LiuGong and Sany are global players in construction machinery, but have their eyes on the agricultural loader and materials handler markets.

Some farm machinery dealers stock LiuGong excavators and mini diggers, but plant dealer KJ Equipment had the 820TE compact loading shovel centre stage for its first show outing.

This 6.4t machine with 1.2cu m bucket rating has electric power from a 70kWh lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO 4) battery, which supplies a 50kW (peak) motor for the single-range transmission and a 60kW version for the hydraulics and steering.

List price is £100,000.

Sany has just started building telescopic handlers and although the 4t/14m STH1440 on show is a construction machine, the company’s dealer sales manager Jason Periam says smaller ag-spec varaints are on their way.

“We won’t see them until next year but we’re expecting a 2.5t/6m model with diesel or electric power that would be the first with an agriculture specification, followed by 4.2t/7m and 3.5t/9m machines available with either hydrostatic or advanced powershift transmissions.

“We’re acutely aware of the demands on agricultural telescopic handlers – they’re worked hard, are often used by multiple operators and perform a crucial role, especially on livestock farms,” he adds.

“Sany is committed to making its mark with telehandlers and we’ll be looking for agricultural dealers when these machines become available.”

Hauer link box

Austrian front linkage and loader manufacturer Hauer has turned its attention to the back of the tractor with a heavy-duty 4.5t capacity “link box” that Michael Salisbury of dealer RVW Pugh reckons could have various uses on a farm.

“It has a cutting edge that enables it to self-load with materials or carry out levelling of farm tracks, and there’s a swing-over option to form a four-sided load-carrying box with 420mm clip-on extensions available for extra volume,” he says.

In standard form, the KM Tipping Box comes with a swinging tailgate and four tie-down rings in the floor, along with two side-mounted high-tip hydraulic cylinders that tilt the main structure to 92deg for clean discharge.

List price is £4,650.

LM Bateman crush

Among a trio of new cattle handling products, LM Bateman’s new Iconic crush caters for the largest beasts with an internal width of up to 850mm compared with the firm’s usual 750mm.

Yet the linkage that brings the sides in to hold animals securely to minimise stress and movement can still get that dimension down to 250mm for smaller animals.

A number of new noise-dampening measures are evident, including nylon bushes and securing bolts on the numerous panels that swing out for access, nylon rollers on the sliding inlet gate, and nylon swinging latches for the rump bar.

Handles positioned front and back to operate the yoke gates is another new feature for a Bateman crush, and the show model includes lift and swing out TB testing access panels on both sides, a removable brisket rail, rubber flooring and an integral vet kiosk for safer back-end access.

That comprehensive spec takes the list price to £10,995; also new is a bolt-on vet kiosk for other crushes at £1,495 and a variable width race arch to cater for animals of different sizes at £410.

Dingo loaders

Dingo stand-on ultra-mini loaders from Australia are about to join the McConnel range as the Powerloada.

Available on wheels or tracks, the diddy 21hp and 27hp petrol-fuelled machines are designed for hop-on, hop-off re-handling and loading around stables and other small buildings, in commercial horticulture, and such like.

Larger diesel-powered versions are understood to be in the pipeline.