South African manufacturer, Bell Equipment’s wide range of rugged hydraulic cane loaders delivers the lowest cost per tonne in tough African sugarcane conditions, safely and reliably. These machines will be showcased at the 2026 NAMPO, Africa’s premier agricultural show.
One thing that defines Bell Equipment‘s staying power in a competitive market of robust agricultural equipment globally is constant innovation to cater for evolving niche market requirements. This is evident in the hydraulic range of robust cane-loading machines for rugged sugarcane fields: Bell Cane Loader, Bell CanePro, and Bell UltECO6 Slew Loader.
Specific applications
Each machine is designed and engineered to meet specific applications in sugarcane loading.
- The Bell Cane Loader
The tri-wheeled Bell Cane Loader, developed in 1964, has stood the test of time as a highly manoeuvrable, simple to operate loading tool with pedal steering. Currently in its F-series generation, the cane loader is used for diverse applications on modern sugarcane farms. These include but are not limited to: loading trailers in-field, compacting sugarcane in the trailer, zone loading, bundling, and stockpiling. Without doubt, underlining its diversity, it can handle steep slopes when fitted with optional dual wheels.
- CanePro
The Bell CanePro is used for loading from spilled zone onto transport vehicles, loading of rail trucks, roadside loading of sugarcane road transport vehicles and sorting and stacking spilled sugarcane. It is a high-volume machine ideally suited to compacted surfaces or paved loading zones.
iii. The Bell UltECO6
The Bell UltECO6 is capable of 185° slewing while loading. It is practical for controlled traffic operations where it enters a field from one end and exits at the opposite, with no requirement for infield turning. It can drive between fields, handle flat to moderate slopes with ease, and meet high volume loading requirements.
Big on Operator safety and ergonomics
The design and engineering of the three models, as their provisions indicate, are big on operator safety and ergonomics.
- Cane Loader
Bell 125F Cane Loader features a quieter, water-cooled engine that reduces vibrations and operator fatigue while the cab is Roll Over Protection (ROPS) certified. Optional safety extras include a 4-point seat belt and door kits.
- CanePro & UltECO6
Both the UltECO6 and CanePro are ROPS (Roll Over Protection) & FOPS (Falling Object Protection) certified. They feature an A/C cabin, electronic controls, roof window for increased visibility, reverse and boom fitted cameras as standard. What is more, they feature proximity sensors (that only allow the machine to operate if doors are completely shut). Distinctly, the UltECO6’s boom and slew position sensors ensure smooth operation.
Payload and performance
In the three models, hydraulic components bring the following benefits to payload and performance: high level of reliability, withstanding harsh conditions usually experienced in African sugar industries, and meeting demands for heavy lifting.
Loading rates
Comparison loading rates (for instance, tonnes per hour) that each of the models can achieve in field versus zone loading scenarios, Bell Equipment’s Forestry & Agriculture Product Manager, Emile van Wyk, illustrates. “With a Cane Loader, loading on a zone can average loading rates of 45 tonnes per hour. On the other hand, infield, it can achieve theoretical load rates of 40 tonnes per hour. However, “this varies heavily since no field is the same and tractor movements and trailer capacities don’t always allow 40 tonnes to leave the field in an hour.”
The CanePro allows for zone loading at 60 tonnes per hour while the UltECO6 allows theoretical load rates of 90 tonnes per hour depending on the operational constraints, such as cane density, tractor movements, and trailer capacities.
Maintenance
Equipment maintenance is a priority in sugarcane farming, and the three machines are not an exception, explains the Product Manager. “The machines are built in line with a simple goal: Provide the industry with the lowest cost-per-tonne solution in cane handling and logistics. Service costs and maintenance form a massive part of achieving this goal, the machines efficiency in loading and actual fuel usage achieves the other part.”
Fuel consumption
Fuel cost – in other words engine fuel efficiency – is another priority for owners of agricultural machinery, not least with the war in Iran, and the three machines have been engineered to address this issue. In the sphere of tri-wheeled cane loaders, the Bell 125F performs on par or better than any competitor burning in the range of 5-6 litres per hour; the UltECO6 burns 5-6 litres an hour, and the CanePro burns 6 litres per hour.
However, states the Product Manager, fuel consumption depends on the operators’ handling of the machine and underfoot conditions. “Although the consumption numbers are the same (a testament to the great engineering in matching power to weight ratios), one needs to consider the load rates coupled to that fuel burn to truly see the value of these numbers.”
NAMPO 2026
The Bell Equipment team will be at the NAMPO 2026 to exhibit the Bell 125F Cane Loader and other machinery to prospective customers in the regional agriculture sector. They are committed to providing customers with safe, cost-efficient products with low lifecycle costs.
Loads of Success
There are many accounts of client satisfaction with the Bell cane loaders.
Two recent ones involve Illovo Sugar (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd, a major sugarcane grower and producer of sugar products, and Sigangeni Vusumnotfo Multi-Purpose Cooperative in eSwatini.
Illovo Sugar South Africa
Illovo Sugar South Africa took delivery of two new Bell 125F Cane Loaders in August 2025, fitted with dual front wheels for higher flotation for infield loading. One of these machines is working at Paddock Farm on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast, where Jurgen Witthoft, the company’s Estate Agriculture Manager for the South and North Farms, says: “We’ve been impressed by the safety features and all-round improvements on the new F-series Cane Loader. Even though our operators wear earmuffs, the new Yanmar engine runs so much quieter than the older Deutz engine and the four-point seatbelt is a really good safety concept.”
Sigangeni Vusumnotfo Multi-Purpose Cooperative
Another satisfied customer is Sigangeni Vusumnotfo Multi-Purpose Cooperative in eSwatini.
During harvesting season, Sigangeni Vusumnotfo Multi-Purpose Cooperative in eSwatini operate a Bell UltECO6 Slew Cane Loader around the clock with two shifts and typically loads between 12 to 18 trucks in a 24-hour cycle. Most trucks carry 30 tonnes of cane and the UltECO6 loads around 45 tonnes in an hour. Its diesel consumption of five litres an hour also fits the business plan of the group.
For more details on Bell Equipment’s cane loader range visit the website: https://www.bellequipment.com/bell-south-africa/
