ISEKI - Love at first sight
Two ISEKI compact tractors are making a difference at Powfoot Golf Club and Head Greenkeeper Neil Hamilton claims they struck a chord from the very first demonstration.
Set in breathtaking scenery in Dumfriesshire, South West Scotland, Powfoot Golf Course presents a mixture of both links and parkland golf. Opened in 1903 and redesigned by the legendary James Braid in 1923, the course offers a superb test of golf with its many challenging holes which are set among whins and rough and has earned Powfoot the tag of 'one of golf's best kept secrets'.
Neil and his two trusty assistants maintain this wonderful course and for the last 5 years the team has had a little help from two ISEKI tractors in the TG range. It was love at first sight according to Neil.
"We originally had a demonstration with a few various tractors from different manufacturers, but we just loved the ISEKI models from the very first minute," he said.
lSEKI's TG Series sets the benchmark for compact tractor performance. Designed and manufactured in Japan, the TG Series is built to exceptional standards of quality - starting from the front lights through to the back three-point linkage. Every component, including the engine and transmission, features lSEKI's stamp of approval for quality and excellence that is rarely seen in the compact tractor category. With a host of options and features to choose from, the lSEKI TG Series provides unrivalled reliability to get the job done fast, efficiently and in comfort.
Neil opted for the TG6495 - a 47 hp tractor with the innovative IQ dual-clutch 24-speed transmission and the TG6675 - a 65 hp tractor with a 6-speed hydrostatic transmission.
He provided a glimpse of how the two are commonly used on the course.
"We use the TG6675 with the front loader on it to do some flailing work - this is to thin out the roughs, to get rid of the coarse grasses and to promote the fine grasses.
"The TG6495 is used to pull the trailer and then we tip all the grass cuttings into it and then dispose of them. With the IQ transmission we can change gear without dipping the clutch, which is a massive advantage when you are working and doing flailing jobs.
"I also like the Headland management system, which is very important when you are vertidraining. It helps a lot because at the end of each line you don't need to keep operating levers, you can just lift it to the desired height that you have set it to."
Users of the TG range also frequently praise the spacious factory fitted cabins which are available on all models and come fitted with air conditioning as standard. All control elements are extremely clear and positioned in a readily accessible manner within the field of vision of the driver, reducing fatigue.
"The main benefits of these tractors are the ease of use and the comfort in the cab," continued Neil. "If you are in it for long periods of time, it has everything you need from air conditioning to a radio which keeps us entertained.
"The way everything is situated around the operator is also great - from the PTO button, the throttle shifter, to the lifter which enables you to lift the arms at the back.
"We have had the tractors for approximately five years, and we will continue to use ISEKI in the future because of the reliability of them and the ease of operation.
"The dealer (Rickerby Horticulture) has been brilliant through the whole process, but I can't really comment on the back-up because nothing has ever gone wrong with them - so in this respect, the less we see of the dealer the better!
"Ultimately, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the ISEKI tractors to any golf course."