Tag Archive for: workhorse

Avant 225 is the Perfect Workhorse

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Avant 225 is the Perfect Workhorse: For Jeff Clark, maintaining his acre-and-a-half property in rural North Wales has become significantly easier thanks to the Avant 225 compact loader.

Jeff, who has some woodland, and a main field to maintain, has found the perfect solution in this versatile machine.

Jeff has extensive experience with various types of equipment, often testing new machinery for manufacturers. Initially, he sought a ride-on mower but soon realised he needed something more versatile. “I went to Clwyd Agricultural looking for a flail mower to attach to my ride-on, but I saw the Avant and thought it looked interesting,” Jeff says. After some consideration and a test drive, Jeff traded his ride-on mower for the Avant 225, along with various attachments for it.

“I needed a machine that could mow, tow a trailer, and help me move things around the garden,” Jeff explains. “I’m 76, not getting any younger, and not as strong as I used to be. The Avant seemed to be the perfect machine to help me. It’s invaluable and well worth the money we invested. The bucket on the front is large and versatile; you can even mix cement in it, which I’ve found very useful.”

One of the standout features for Jeff is the quick-release coupling for changing attachments. “The changeover of attachments is very quick. A quick flick of a lever and there’s no effort involved,” he says.

The Avant 225’s versatility shines through in various tasks. “I’ve planted apple trees with the mini digger attachment. Rather than spending hours digging a hole, it’s done in five minutes,” Jeff explains. “The 1500 out-front mower attachment does an extremely good job, and the adjustable height of cut is perfect for the different areas we have here.”

Jeff also utilised the Avant 225 for a significant project on his driveway. “The front drive was covered in pebbles, and I didn’t want to lose them when I had it tarmacked. The Avant picked up 8 tonnes of pebbles, which I’ve since used around raised beds and paths. The machine has probably paid for itself already.”

For Jeff, the best feature of the Avant 225 is its versatility. “It does everything I want – it carries weights, pulls the trailer, and carries most things in the bucket up and down the garden. I even use it to pull trees from the woodland area with a rope. It’s a muscle saver and works really well. I don’t think I could do without it.”

“The joystick is easy to use, and the seat warmer is fantastic in the winter,” he adds.

The Avant 225’s impressive capabilities include a 1.4m lift height, 350kg lift capacity, 10 km/h speed, and 42 L/min auxiliary hydraulics. Easy to transport with a car trailer, it’s a powerful and versatile compact loader despite its small size. The articulated design and hydraulic 4×4 transmission are similar to larger Avant models, ensuring efficient operation with excellent visibility and easy-to-use controls.

As well as being impressed with the machine Jeff praised Clwyd Agricultural, the local dealer, for their excellent service and support. “They are lovely people, easy to deal with, and very helpful,” he notes.

Overall, the Avant 225 compact loader has proven to be the ideal workhorse for Jeff Clark, providing the versatility and efficiency needed to maintain his land with ease.

For more information, please visit www.avant.co.uk

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Kubota LX 351 a real workhorse

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Kubota LX 351 a real workhorse: Lifting, mowing and manoeuvring within confined areas are proving no problem for an estate in the heart of Lincolnshire following the delivery of a Kubota LX 351 – which the owner describes as the ‘Swiss Army Knife’ of compact tractors.

Complete with a range of attachments, the LX 351 was installed by Irelands Farm Machinery in Spring 2022 and has gone on to be fundamental to the expanding orchard operation, making light work of the year-round estate management and reducing the reliance on external contractors.

Kubota LX 351 a real workhorse

Kubota LX 351 a real workhorse

The 400-acre family-run estate comprises arable land, run by a tenant farmer, with 34 acres of woodland a further 6 acres of grassland in the final stages of being converted into a fully-operational orchard – with close to 1000 apple trees planted come the end of February 2023. A spokesperson for the estate said, “Our tractor is at the centre of everything we do here, so when it came to looking for a new one, we spent extensive time researching and comparing the options available. We had used Kubota machinery on hire previously and were impressed with the quality and engineering, but still looked at the specification of comparable brands.”

They continue, “Our wish list was for a 35hp tractor, powerful but small enough to navigate around the estate and capable of being equipped with attachments for mowing, towing, hedge cutting and lifting and moving pallets to where they are needed. We also wanted a cab and air-con for comfort and safety as we work all year-round.” Ticking every box, with a competitive price tag and excellent back-up support from the team at Irelands, the LX 351 complete with mixed service tyres, front-end loader and counterweight, front forks, log grapple, 60” mid-mounted mower deck and 2-tonne Kubota tipping trailer was installed in April last year.

“It’s proven itself to be a real workhorse, from lifting pallets on and off delivery vehicles, assisting with pruning trees, felling and planting jobs throughout the winter and spring and assisting with the apple harvest in September and October. Attachments are easy to switch with the ‘quick attach’ mechanism and all of the controls and features are designed for comfort, making for a very pleasant operator experience. The cut quality with the mid-mounted deck has also been superb, navigating around the newly planted saplings where the gap is no more than 4m.”

The LX 351 has also enabled the team to conduct more operations in-house, saving money otherwise spent on bringing in contractors, to the point where the estate are now considering offering contracting services themselves to those in the surrounding area. “This investment will pay for itself in no time and there’s been nothing we have asked of it to date, that it hasn’t been able to deliver.” They conclude, “The whole experience has been so positive that we would not hesitate to consider further equipment from the Kubota brand in the future, as and when the need arises.”

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