Kubota’s B2530 compact tractor has been chosen as the ideal groundcare solution for the world-famous Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, following the purchase of eight units from the UK’s leading provider of groundcare machinery.
Declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2003, Kew is one of London’s top visitor attractions with almost 2 million visitors each year.
The site is one of the leaders in plant science and conservation with a collection of over 30,000 species of plant and trees within its 300 acres.
In order to keep Kew Gardens on top of the extensive maintenance programme that the grounds require, an army of groundcare machinery and personnel is required to keep the site in immaculate condition.
Tony Kirkham, Head of the Arboretum and Cultural service, commented: “As Kew Gardens is the top echelon of horticulture, we have to strive to be the best we can as the public expect to see the best when they come here.”
With that in mind, Kew purchased eight of Kubota’s B2530 compact tractors from local dealer Lister Wilder, following a competitive DEFRA tender.
The tender specified the need for a lightweight 25hp hydrostatic tractor with simple operator controls that would suit the variety of different operators required to use the machinery.
Other tender considerations included reliability, running costs and how environmentally friendly the tractor solutions were – all of which the Kubota’s scored highly on.
Tony continues: “The new machinery is absolutely critical to the business. With 300 acres to cover we need good tractors otherwise it’s down to wheelbarrows.
They’re our workhorses for moving materials, but we also have a number of attachments for landscaping work such as a flail for long grass, landscape rakes and tractor-mounted rotovators.”
With long working hours required to keep the centre in tip-top condition, another key focus of the tender process was that any specified machines needed to be backed by a high quality parts and service programme.
Tony continues: “The Kubota’s work hard, doing the most hours out of all the machines we have. That’s why it was imperative that a good service plan was part of the tender, as with the amount of work that needs doing we cannot afford to be without machines for long periods if they break down.
Having worked with Lister Wilder for so many years, I know that if we have a breakdown I can rely on them to pull out all the stops to get it fixed quickly.”
Tim Vines, of dealer Lister Wilder, commented: “We have enjoyed a long relationship with Kew Gardens and were happy to be able to supply them with the right solutions, that they required to help maintain the site.
“Following the DEFRA tender, it was clear that Kubota’s B2530 was the best machine for the job thanks to its versatility, ease of use and exceptional reliability. They will be a great addition to the machines already working at Kew and should help keep the site in pristine condition for years to come.”
For more information on Kubota and its extensive range of solutions for the construction, groundcare and agriculture sectors visit www.kubota.co.uk or call 01844 268000.
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