Gebrueder Gross

"Above all, a telescopic loader has to be able to shift heavy loads flexibly and quickly, because that's how we earn our money," says the contractor, summing up his requirements. This is a strength which the SCORPION demonstrates in many applications. For example, when clearing out chicken sheds: "It is as strong as a bear", rhapsodises Hermann Gross.

A 40,000 capacity chicken shed is up to 100 m long - "Here you can start at the front and move up 30 m, without having to make a heap in between - it has real pushing power. Another advantage is the reversing fan in the SCORPION, because the air in the chicken shed is thick with fine dust: "After half an hour, just reverse the fan, and you're done. You no longer have to turn off the engine and clean the radiator by hand."

"It's great to drive", says employee Martin Dingman, "you have all the operator control functions on your right hand side, including the forward and reverse shift controls, so you always have your left hand on the steering wheel. 100 percent smooth drive-away in forwards and in reverse! And its throttle response is unbelievable. Press the accelerator, and you're off. The other loaders had a torque converter, and they were much slower."

"The cab is very roomy," says Dingman - high praise indeed from a man who is 1.95 m tall. "In the other loaders, you sit there like a monkey on a stick". I've now been working on the SCORPION for a week straight - but I don't have any aches and pains at night. The ergonomics are perfect, and visibility is good, too. It's easy to manoeuvre even though it is so long - it almost turns on the spot. Maintenance is simple and done in no time thanks to the lubricating headers."

"It handles well on the road - even at 40 kph. Even with a heavy load on the loader, you can drive faster because the boom balances out the vibrations."

Management and staff are very satisfied with the SCORPION. "It's fun to work with. Price-wise, it's at the top end of the market," sums up Hermann Gross. "But, that said, the SCORPION is worth every penny, because it does a very good job."

Removing 5000 tons of potatoes from a burned-out storage building.