When you do a lot of road miles with a fully laden trailer of sugar beet, you need the reassurance of knowing it has the best possible braking.

This is what prompted Roger Oates, who farms near Thorney, Newark, Nottinghamshire, to upgrade his 14t AS trailer to air brakes when he bought an MF6480 tractor fitted with air.

He and son Chris haul their own sugar beet to the Newark factory, a round trip of 15 miles.

They cut off the original hydraulic brakes and fitted a set of new air-hydraulic ones, supplied by trailer-braking specialist Erentek.

“It took a day to plan and check the brackets were right and a day to do,” Roger says. “The job was made much easier by having a good set of drawings to work to. The trailer is now well up to the job and it certainly gives you peace of mind to know you’ve got good brakes.”

He also likes the reassurance of knowing that even if there is a slight leak in the air-brake system, the compressor will replace it. That contrasts with hydraulic brakes, where even a slight leak can mean the brakes won’t work as well.

Further information: Boost trailer stopping power