Raycam Hi-Lift brings loads of benefits

Sue Meekenin Industry News
Raycam Hi-Lift brings loads of benefits

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A Raycam Hi-Lift Trailer is proving to be one of the best investments Anthony Davies has ever made. As Course Manager and Master Greenkeeper at Prestbury Golf Club near Macclesfield, he has to maximise staff efficiency and turf quality, and the high work-rate machine is helping him achieve this.


The Hi-Lift, distributed by Campey Turf Care Systems, can carry more than 3 tonnes of material and simplifies transportation and handling. Previously, four personnel had the arduous task of loading and applying various materials around the course for top-dressing and bunker filling. Now, however, it takes just two people with the Hi-Lift, freeing the others for different duties.

"The Hi-Lift is just ideal and it is worth every penny," says Anthony, who has been the Course Manager at Prestbury for 17 years. "It has cut our labour costs and means my staff do not have to do backbreaking lifting tasks. This is a major issue, given the ever tighter Health & Safety regulations governing manual handling."

The Raycam Hi-Lift requires a tractor of 30hp or more and is operated by the tractor's auxiliary hydraulic services. The articulated rear axle rises quickly to discharge material from a maximum height of 1.48m (4ft 7in) into a top-dressing machine, giving the greatest productivity. All controls are hydraulically operated.

At Prestbury Golf Club, Anthony and his team are also using the Hi-Lift to move stone for use in filling drainage channels. The unit's discharge mechanism enables precise operator control, allowing the stone to be unloaded directly where it is needed.

"Previously, much of this work had to be done laboriously by hand," says Anthony, "but now we let the Hi-Lift's hydraulics take the strain. In fact, we have completely dispensed with shovels for this sort of work."

The machine's hydraulic controls are situated at the nearside of the Hi-Lift, allowing the operator an unrestricted view of the entire discharge operation. The unit features low ground pressure tyres to eliminate the risk of turf damage, even when fully loaded. Additionally, the Hi-Lift rear tailgate can be easily removed in minutes allowing the trailer to be used all year round as a general purpose tipping trailer.
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