ISEKI is part of the team at Bloxham

Lucy Selfin Machinery & Mechanics

An ISEKI compact tractor is proving to be an 'extra member of staff' for the grounds team at Bloxham School according to Head Groundsman Paul White.

Located in the heart of the beautiful Oxfordshire village of Bloxham, Bloxham School is an independent, co-educational boarding and day school for boys and girls aged 11 to 18.

On a single-site campus the school boasts state-of-the-art facilities for academic work, technology, arts, and sport - which is where Paul comes in. Bloxham has a superb sporting programme offering a wide range of sports and Paul and his grounds team work hard to prepare these surfaces to the highest standard.

To achieve this, Paul is somewhat of a perfectionist when it comes to grounds maintenance equipment.

"As soon as machinery becomes outdated and not fit for purpose it absolutely needs replacing," he said. "Specifically, we wanted a tractor to cover all the implements we have in our workforce, and to be able to use them safely and correctly on different surfaces.

"The reason we bought into ISEKI was because we have used their machines regularly in the past and they have always been reliable."

After a demonstration arranged by ISEKI dealer Turney Groundcare & Garden Machinery, Paul decided to purchase the ISEKI TG6495 - a 47 hp compact tractor with the innovative IQ dual-clutch 24-speed transmission.

Other benefits of the TG6495 include:

  • 1580 kg lift capacity at the ball ends and 1400 kg lift capacity @24″ behind
  • Category 2 cab with air-conditioning, heating, and a good view
  • Front loader joystick, up-stop PTO, linkage up in reverse and draft control all supplied as standard
  • Equipped with an electro-hydraulic power take-off shaft that saves the attachment and the engine while providing operator comfort

"We all been really impressed with the tractor," said Paul. "The lifting of the PTO has been a massive benefit and the automatic clutch shut off is good for when we are turning on the sports fields.

"The weight and the size of it is much better on our fields for compaction. It has good traction for the wheels, the all-round visibility of the tractor is very much improved compared to our last tractor, and general use is a lot easier for the operator.

"It has performed exceptionally well in all weather conditions. Through the winter it has been fantastic with our vertidrainer and in summer it has helped with a number of different implements.

"Also, the IQ transmission makes it easier for our operators to use and change gear when there are implements on the back.

"We like to think of this tractor as an extra member of staff - it does everything we ask of it."

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