Based in the Slieve Bloom Mountains in Co Laois, Barry Cuddy and John Ryan operate a forestry contracting business and a haulage company under the name of Camross Transport.
Back in 2016-2017, the duo found themselves looking for a device that could accurately weigh the load of timber on their artic trailers. They had problems with the accuracy of previous systems they used.
“Hauliers transporting timber to mills will only be paid for a legal gross load which is up to 48t,” he said. “If you bring two loads to a mill in one week with the same lorry that tips the scales over 48t, the lorry will be automatically banned from drawing in timber for at least one week. Not alone is this the issue, but the road legalities say that this 48t payload cannot be surpassed.”
He said the previous systems he was running were often 2t out from the actual overall weight. Through another haulier, Barry learned of a system built in Tipperary named LH Weigh Pro. Barry opted to try out two of the weigh systems at first, and has since fitted a further two.
He said: “We run all fairly new lorries so we really can’t afford to have them banned from a mill. This, in combination with tight haulage rates, means we need to maximise our load to the legal limits. After hearing of the success of the LH Weigh Pro, we decided to try it out. Depending on how much time I spend loading the trailer, I can get this system to be accurate within 300kg to 600kg on a 48t load. The other systems that we tried were usually 2t out.”
How does it work?
A weigh link sits between the rotator and the end of the crane. When the grab is full and the operator lifts the load, it puts pressure on the oil in the hydraulic ram. This sends the oil back up through the hydraulic hoses and into a transducer. The oil pressure is measured here and the weight reading of the grab is converted to kg. In two to three seconds the system will take five measurements of the weight before calculating the average. 
1. When a load is lifted, it sends the oil back up through the hydraulic hoses and into a little unit known as a transducer where the oil pressure is measured and converted to the weight reading of the grab in kg
Before releasing the load from the grab on to the artic trailer, the operator presses a red button on the control handle which takes multiple readings of the load in the grab, and adds it to the total load weight.
2. Before releasing the load from the grab onto the artic trailer, the operator presses a red button on the control handle which takes a reading of the load in the grab, and adds it to the total load weight.
Both the weight in the grab and the total weight of the load to date is displayed on a small waterproof screen mounted in front of the operator’s seat on the crane.
Barry said the steadier the operator goes with the crane, the more accurate the overall reading will be. He took delivery of his first system in 2017 and has been delighted with how it has performed, saying it hasn’t given a day’s bother. The full system is priced at €4,000 plus VAT.
Who makes the LH Weigh Pro?
The Weigh Pro system is made by Late Hose Hydraulics, a small company in Co Tipperary. Owned by JP Betts, the company was set up a number of years ago concentrating on the repair/installation of hydraulic systems. After hearing of the gap in the market for a weighing system, the company successfully designed and built the LH Weigh Pro.
Based in the Slieve Bloom Mountains in Co Laois, Barry Cuddy and John Ryan operate a forestry contracting business and a haulage company under the name of Camross Transport.
Back in 2016-2017, the duo found themselves looking for a device that could accurately weigh the load of timber on their artic trailers. They had problems with the accuracy of previous systems they used.
“Hauliers transporting timber to mills will only be paid for a legal gross load which is up to 48t,” he said. “If you bring two loads to a mill in one week with the same lorry that tips the scales over 48t, the lorry will be automatically banned from drawing in timber for at least one week. Not alone is this the issue, but the road legalities say that this 48t payload cannot be surpassed.”
He said the previous systems he was running were often 2t out from the actual overall weight. Through another haulier, Barry learned of a system built in Tipperary named LH Weigh Pro. Barry opted to try out two of the weigh systems at first, and has since fitted a further two.
He said: “We run all fairly new lorries so we really can’t afford to have them banned from a mill. This, in combination with tight haulage rates, means we need to maximise our load to the legal limits. After hearing of the success of the LH Weigh Pro, we decided to try it out. Depending on how much time I spend loading the trailer, I can get this system to be accurate within 300kg to 600kg on a 48t load. The other systems that we tried were usually 2t out.”
How does it work?
A weigh link sits between the rotator and the end of the crane. When the grab is full and the operator lifts the load, it puts pressure on the oil in the hydraulic ram. This sends the oil back up through the hydraulic hoses and into a transducer. The oil pressure is measured here and the weight reading of the grab is converted to kg. In two to three seconds the system will take five measurements of the weight before calculating the average.
1. When a load is lifted, it sends the oil back up through the hydraulic hoses and into a little unit known as a transducer where the oil pressure is measured and converted to the weight reading of the grab in kg
Before releasing the load from the grab on to the artic trailer, the operator presses a red button on the control handle which takes multiple readings of the load in the grab, and adds it to the total load weight.
2. Before releasing the load from the grab onto the artic trailer, the operator presses a red button on the control handle which takes a reading of the load in the grab, and adds it to the total load weight.
Both the weight in the grab and the total weight of the load to date is displayed on a small waterproof screen mounted in front of the operator’s seat on the crane.
Barry said the steadier the operator goes with the crane, the more accurate the overall reading will be. He took delivery of his first system in 2017 and has been delighted with how it has performed, saying it hasn’t given a day’s bother. The full system is priced at €4,000 plus VAT.
Who makes the LH Weigh Pro?
The Weigh Pro system is made by Late Hose Hydraulics, a small company in Co Tipperary. Owned by JP Betts, the company was set up a number of years ago concentrating on the repair/installation of hydraulic systems. After hearing of the gap in the market for a weighing system, the company successfully designed and built the LH Weigh Pro.
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