34 Wood Hall Stud, Farm & Stud, Hertfordshire
Thoroughbred horsepower Two pedigree ARION tractors provide the mechanical horsepower for the 280ha Wood Hall Stud in Hertfordshire. The two tractors – a 185hp ARION 650 CIS+ and a 145hp ARION 610 CIS – were both new in the last year year and are the latest Stage V models. Between them they handle a wide range of arable and grassland work at the stud near Radlett in Hertfordshire. The stud is the home base for a string of around 50 flat and national hunt racehorses when not in training, in addition to brood mares and youngstock that are either taken on for pre-training or for sale. The first of the tractors, the ARION 610 CIS, arrived at the end of last year after farm manager Josh Ord had looked at a number of different makes. Impressed with how the tractor performed and the support received from OLIVERS, the decision was then made this year to replace their other larger tractor for the ARION 650, even though it was not due to be replaced. “Of the four dealers I initially approached, it only really came down to OLIVERS and one other as they were the ones who were obviously keen to work with us and make a sale,” says Josh. “Paul Green at OLIVERS couldn’t have been more accommodating and helpful, and was always quick to come back to me. Even though we had
previously not dealt much with OLIVERS, I did know of them, and they have always had a good reputation in the area and been highly spoken of.
AN ENJOYABLE PLACE TO BE “I had the two tractors on demo and even though both were similar horsepower, the ARION just felt more substantial and much more able to handle our plough and other heavy kit. We hardly need any weights on it and have never felt unstable. Also the specification on the ARION was that much better. It’s even small things like the sound system, the seat, lighting, mirrors and the suspension which together make the ARION a very enjoyable place to be, especially over a 10hour day. With the other tractor we would have had to work our way through the options list to get it anywhere near. With the ARION you feel you are getting a good tractor right from the start. They are just so well designed – even the small simple things are done well. They have obviously looked at it from a user’s point of view. “Even though we did not intend changing the second tractor, OLIVERS put forward a good price for the ARION 650 and had availability. Having electric spools as part of the CIS+ specification is great and being able to adjust the flow rate makes it ideal for use with our Arcusin bale packer.
