The humble tractor step gets you from the ground and into the cab, and vice versa. How could you possibly refine such a simple arrangement? Well, the Softstep answers that question … definitively. We explore what it is, what it does and how it works

The Health and Safety Executive will be happy to confirm that mounting and dismounting a tractor can present a major risk of straining a muscle or injuring an ankle. To reduce the risks, German firm Grifa has come up with the Softstep ladder. This positions the bottom step just 250mm from the ground instead of the usual 400-600mm. Climbing onto the machine the operator stands on the lower step, and it automatically rises nearly 500mm. The second from last step forms part of this up and down moving arrangement.