Ask the team at Harpenden Common Golf Club about their favourite and most adaptable pieces of equipment, and it’s Kubota that wins the day – with the club loyal to ‘orange’ when it comes to both tractors and course utility vehicles.
Head Greenkeeper Olly Claridge explains how their current fleet of three compact tractors and two RTV’s bring versatility, efficiency and ultimate manoeuvrability to year-round maintenance of the Hertfordshire club.
Claridge has been at the 18-hole common land course for the last 11 years, starting as an apprentice and working his way through the ranks to Head Greenkeeper, now supported by a full-time team of six. “It has always been Kubota here – my predecessors and now myself working closely with David Fisher at local dealer George Browns Ltd, to exchange and upgrade equipment as and when required” Olly explains.
“We currently have three Kubota tractors – an STW40, L2501 with front loader attachment and the newest addition is an L2622 – and they’re all brilliant!” Claridge explains how the fleet, ranging from 40hp to 61hp, powers the entire maintenance operation. “The compact STW40 has wide tyres which is perfect for spreading the load, making it ideal for work on the greens. We use this one for brushing and towing smaller implements and trailers, as well as equipping it with the spray tank for all of our fertiliser applications.”
“Moving through the range, the L2501 is incredibly versatile. The loader is a godsend for winter construction projects, and for quickly and easily filling the topdresser. The loader bucket can also be swapped for pallet forks or removed completely. Also, the tractor has outstanding pulling ability for use with more power-hungry implements such as the Verti-Drain or our Trilo leaf collector.”
The newest tractor for Claridge and the team to put through its paces is the 61hp L2622 – the largest model in Kubota’s L2 series. The L2622 combines robust, reliable technology with a high degree of comfort and efficiency making it ideal for a vast array of tasks. “When we need big power, we turn to this tractor and it’s just a pleasure to use.” He continues, “As time goes on, you see how Kubota are always innovating and delivering new features to enhance the operator experience.”
One feature Claridge notes is the two-speed engine memory, which allows you to set and switch between low revs and working revs at the touch of a button improving functionality, fuel-efficiency and saving the time ordinarily taken to throttle the engine down to the required speed. “It might not seem like a big thing, but using this function saves so much time in the long run and makes life easy for the operator.”
Besides their tractors, the club also run two Kubota RTV’s – a petrol RTV 500 and diesel-powered RTV X900. “Again, we have the versatility of a smaller, faster vehicle or a slightly larger capacity one with a bit more oomph! These RTV’s are used anytime we need to get people or tools from A to B and like everything from Kubota, give us outstanding reliability and service.”
Claridge concludes: “In all my years here we have rarely had any issues from any of our Kubota machines and on the odd occasion where we’ve needed advice, the support from George Browns has always been excellent. We have nothing but positivity for Kubota machinery.”