New Toro Workman UTX expands fleet
Pangbourne College is one of the first customers to snap up the latest powerhouse from Toro to tackle all terrains: the new Toro Workman UTX 4×4 utility vehicle. Joining it is Toro’s Groundsmaster 4300 rotary mower to lead the venue’s growing fleet of machines.
Head Groundsman Ian Osbon says the Toro machines are an ongoing investment he’s proud to make in the grounds maintenance of the 234 acre independent school which includes hockey, rugby and cricket pitches as well as woodlands and gardens in Berkshire.
Ian Osbon, Head Groundsman at Pangbourne College, with the new Toro Workman UTX utility vehicle.
From the moment Ian arrived in 2010, he was faced with projects requiring machinery muscle including levelling out the grounds and incorporating new drainage systems: “It’s been so important to get the right machinery,” he says. “I had a few machines that weren’t strong enough for our needs.”
Determined not to face similar issues going forward, Ian opted for Toro’s robust four-wheel drive, full-sized utility vehicle which has 25 percent more cargo capacity than that of others in its class and a towing capacity of up to 2000lbs.
I was instantly impressed with the machine’s strength and stamina. The electric tipper is noticeably stronger than the piston system we had in our previous utility vehicle which wasn’t strong enough for grounds maintenance.
First up on the Workman UTX’s to-do list is helping out with a wildflower meadows project, landscaping and lots of planting, explains Ian: “We have big plans for our wildflower meadows and there are beds, borders, rewilding and planting work to do too, as well as transporting tools and lugging soil. The UTX ticks all the boxes for getting this work done, plus more.
“It has great manoeuvrability for working in our woodlands and getting around tree stumps and logs, but with the option of higher RPMs it’s powerful enough to haul heavier loads up hills and inclines and get over wet areas and hillsides easily.”
Just like the other utility vehicles in the Workman range, the UTX is a workhorse.
It’s road-ready, which Ian says has been convenient for the multi-site venue: “It’s been so handy being able to tow and transport to the school a little way away.”
Also involved in the order with distributor Reesink Turfcare is Toro’s Groundsmaster 4300 rotary mower, which after proving itself to Ian and his team of three over five years of leasing it, Ian has decided to buy.
Toro’s Grandmaster 4300 rotary mower proved itself so well at Pangbourne that Ian decided to buy it when the lease came to an end.
“Originally, I wanted a cylinder mower, but I knew the grounds here wouldn’t suit it, we’d risk ruining the blades, so we went down the rotary route,” he explains. “It was the right thing to do for both productivity and cost savings for maintenance and servicing.”
But it’s not just Ian and his team who approve of the Toro machines, the students’ parents do too!
Ian Osbon, right, with Reesink’s Liam Linehan.