Avant 423: Smaller is Better for Pentre Farm

At Pentre Farm in North Wales, Hugh Jones has seen first-hand how the nimbleness of the Avant 423 compact loader has revolutionised his daily operations.

This 120-acre beef and sheep farm, which also features significant woodland, has been in Hugh's family since 1961. Hugh, who has worked the farm all his life, needed a machine that could efficiently handle various tasks better than the large tractor he previously used.

“I needed something nimble and small, which I could hop on and off to carry out a variety of tasks,” Hugh explains. “The large tractor was just too big for the spaces I needed to navigate, and I'm not getting any younger – I wanted something I could get on and off a lot quicker.”

The Avant 423 has proven to be the perfect solution. Its compact size and remarkable manoeuvrability allow Hugh to tackle tasks such as carrying items and scraping out with ease. “This Avant is a very simple machine; there is not a lot that can go wrong with it. It is just an engine with a hydraulic pump, designed mainly to lift and carry things around the farm,” Hugh says.

Hugh did consider other alternatives, like a compact tractor, but found them too long and lacking the excellent turning circle of the Avant. “Plus, nothing was as easy to get in and out of as the Avant,” he notes. With the local dealer, Clwyd Agricultural, providing excellent support and service, Hugh was confident in his choice.

The Avant 423's benefits extend beyond its compact size and agility. It boasts a significant lifting capacity of over 500 kg and a turning radius of less than two metres, making it highly effective in tight spaces. Hugh highlights, “It gets in and out of tight places; the family yard doesn’t suit a bigger machine. For its size, it feels very big and strong. It is very well designed and built to last.”

Hugh's Avant 423 is used year-round, primarily for mucking out and cleaning the yard. “We use it all year round – every day in the winter, we are very dependent on it. Since buying it in September last year, it has done over 300 hours. It is doing more hours than our tractors and other equipment,” Hugh explains.

The loader's efficiency is another standout feature. “It has a 15-litre tank, and I fill it every 5 or 6 days in the winter,” he says. Hugh also appreciates the quick-release system for attachments, which allows for fast and clean changes between tools. He owns a range of attachments, including a brush, bucket-grab, twin spike, and scraper. “The brush is great for cleaning the yard – a job that would have taken hours now gets done in about 20 minutes,” he notes.

Hugh sums up his experience with the Avant 423: “The best feature is its nimbleness. Despite its compact size, it is powerful enough for everything I need. I can get in and out of places very quickly, and it's ideal for work on our farm.”

The Avant 423 compact loader has undoubtedly been a game changer for Pentre Farm, improving efficiency and ease of operation, proving that sometimes, smaller really is better.