Product Focus: Ziegler’s high-quality header trailers

As demand for higher capacity combines continues to grow, sales of trailers capable of transporting the wider and heavier headers are also increasing. One company which has seen a big rise in demand is Abrey Agricultural. David Williams reports.

As demand for higher capacity combines continues to grow, sales of trailers capable of transporting the wider and heavier headers are also increasing. One company which has seen a big rise in demand is Abrey Agricultural. Farmers Guide‘s David Williams reports.

Based near Saffron Walden in Essex, Abrey Agricultural is the official UK importer for Ziegler products. The German manufacturer offers a range of high-quality header trailers and specialist combine headers – including versions for oilseed rape, sunflower and maize harvesting. The header trailer line-up includes single-axle models suitable for headers up to 7.7m working width and weighing up to 3.6t. Close-coupled, tandem-axle trailers can carry headers up to 9.5m and weighing up to 3.6t, and double-axle trailers with a steering front axle and a fixed rear axle will accommodate headers up to 10.7m and weighing up to 6t.

Exceptional manoeuvrability

While UK sales of all the trailers are increasing, the Abrey team has experienced a significant rise in the numbers of enquiries and sales of its flagship Four Wheel Turn (4WT) trailers. These transport headers up to 12.5m and with weights up to 6t or 7.2t depending on their construction, but the biggest attraction for users is their ability to accurately follow the same line as the tractor wheels when manoeuvring, making it easy to turn into tight field gateways from narrow lanes – typical on many UK farms.

Premium products

Abrey Agricultural managing director, Toby Abrey commented that he feels fortunate to have such a great range of products to offer, and highlighted features which make the 4WT trailers so popular.

These include:

• V-Lock system for easy attachment and securing of the header to the trailer
• Main frame painted to match the combine brand colour – powder coated and oven-baked
• Galvanised supports keep the trailer looking new – for enhanced residual value
• Accurate following and turning into gateways whether behind the combine or a tractor
• Standard tyres 260/75-15, but with options up to 22-ply
• Heavy-duty, 10t-rated axles
• Heavy-duty, twin-beam construction available on 40, 45 and 50ft header trailers
• 40mm/50mm drawbar eye options
• Overrun braking (so trailer always brakes effectively whether behind the combine or a tractor)
• Back-up from the official UK importer – spare parts readily available.

Agco dealer view

Main Agco dealer, Chandlers Agricultural recommends Ziegler headers – especially to customers operating Ideal combines with the widest SuperFlow or Geringhoff headers. “We don’t use any other brand now,” explained Chandlers harvesting dealer principal, Sean Stanfield. “When we assemble the trailers after shipping, everything fits perfectly, and they are incredibly well made.

“Customers love them, and they tow like a train. We use a Ziegler 4WT trailer to transport our demonstration combine headers and, often when we turn up on a farm, the first thing customers comment on is the way the header trailer negotiates turns. Headers lift on and off easily and lining them up is never a problem.”

Sean said that Ziegler has also developed a version of the trailer to transport heavier flex Draper headers. “Since last year, we have been able to supply Geringhoff Flex headers as an approved option for Agco Ideal combines, and our demonstration machine was very busy last harvest. The Geringhoff header, with its ability to flex, requires extra support for transport and it’s heavier, but the specially designed Ziegler trailer makes it as easy to move about as a conventional header.

“The back-up from Ziegler and the Abrey team is always excellent, so the trailers are an obvious choice.”

Essex-based farmer’s experience

Essex-based farmer, James Nott farms near Clare, and he replaced two John Deere combines with 35ft headers, with a single John Deere X9-1100 with a 45ft header, just before the 2021 harvest. He chose a Ziegler trailer.

“I have always got on well with Toby Abrey and the rest of the Abrey Agricultural team,” he said. “I used two different brand header trailers with my previous combines, but the Ziegler 4WT trailer was the obvious choice for the new, wider 45ft header.

“Ziegler’s build quality is very good – better than any other brands I have tried, and the trailer does just what it was bought to do. It turns easily through narrow gateways and the wheels follow the path of the tractor precisely. There have been occasions when I have watched it enter a field and doubted whether it could make the turn, but then it just does – it’s very successful.”

Trailer success led to header purchase

In recent years, James has diversified into growing grain maize. A small area was grown as a trial for the 2021 harvest, more was grown successfully last year and now an even larger area has been planted for the 2023 harvest. A conventional combine equipped with a specialist maize header harvests the grain and, after becoming convinced of the crop’s benefits, James ordered his own 12-row Ziegler header for his John Deere X9 combine from Abrey Agricultural through his local John Deere dealer, Tuckwells.

Several brands were considered before James ordered the Ziegler. “I’ve been very impressed by the build quality and performance of the Ziegler trailer, and I know that the Abrey team will provide excellent back-up, so buying a Ziegler header through Tuckwells, which also supplies and looks after our combines seemed the obvious choice.”

Recommends Ziegler

Tuckwells group sales combine specialist, Steve Bucket said that he always recommends Ziegler trailers to customers. “Toby and the rest of the Abrey team are very easy to deal with and the Ziegler trailer is so good,” he stressed. “We’ve seen a big increase in numbers of four wheel-steer trailers sold recently as this sort of arrangement is essential for moving flex headers over 30ft cutting width on the road.”

View trailers for sale on FarmAds.