At the heart of a traditional Cotswolds sporting estate, the Kubota RTV is the main workhorse, offering the ability to tackle a variety of shoot and land management tasks in all weathers and all conditions.
Brimpsfield Park offers shooting over 2000 acres of undulating pasture, parkland and forestry which is managed alongside 100 acres of arable land by Archie Larthe and his family.
Mr Larthe comments: “We rate the Kubota RTV very highly. We operate two RTV X-900s which put in more than 1000 hours a year and when we replaced our 2018 models last autumn, they were the only utility vehicles under consideration.”
Duties include feeding, moving equipment, towing a Logic spinner and transporting beaters on shoot days. Out of season, Brimpsfield Park offers simulated game via a partner company, and there is always plenty to do on the estate, so the RTVs are kept busy all year round.
“We work them hard, so we take advantage of Kubota’s warranty and aim to replace them every two years,” explains Mr Larthe. “Not only do we have some steep land, but the estate is Cotswold brash with a few inches of soil over it, which is tough on machines. The RTVs have to be able to go 365 days a year, so reliability is extremely important.”
Dual A-arm suspension and 25.7cm ground clearance is the perfect combination for the demanding terrain: “They will go anywhere, yet you feel very safe, and on the roughest of terrain the ride is comfortable.”
Performance is also key, and there’s no shortage of power for lugging and hauling tasks with the 22hp Kubota diesel engine, he comments: “We need to be able to confidently tow 500kg-plus and they just keep going. The suspension is always equally effective regardless of load, which also makes for a very stable ride.”
Mr Larthe comments that customer service from dealer Lister Wilder has been exceptional. “After-sales and service departments are very good, and they are always prepared to listen. We’re constantly lifting bags of feed in and out of the load bay, so they fitted galvanised steel panels on the tailgate to offer added protection.”
He adds that Kubota have also responded well to feedback, making improvements on the latest generation of RTVs.
“We’ve been able to specify a machine to meet our needs – the cab is great protection against the weather, but we didn’t want doors as we need to be getting in and out so much. I really like the fact that hydraulic bed tip is standard, however, as we use it a lot when carrying stone to repair tracks. To cope with the rough terrain, we specified a belly plate, which is perforated to let mud and water out.”
Regular servicing from Lister Wilder keeps the RTV in tip-top condition for their busy schedule, and diesel power cuts running costs compared to the petrol quads used in the past.
“I haven’t found another utility vehicle that would stand up to our demanding workload, so when they come up for replacement, I’ll be looking to Kubota again,” says Mr Larthe.
