Kubota LX 351 proves to be a real workhorse

Lifting, mowing and manoeuvring within confined areas are proving no problem for an estate in the heart of Lincolnshire following the delivery of a Kubota LX 351 –which the owner describes as the ‘Swiss Army Knife’ of compact tractors.

Complete with a range of attachments, the LX 351 was installed by Irelands Farm Machinery in Spring 2022 and has gone on to be fundamental to the expanding orchard operation, making light work of the year-round estate management and reducing the reliance on external contractors.

The 400-acre family-run estate comprises arable land, run by a tenant farmer, with 34 acres of woodland a further 6 acres of grassland in the final stages of being converted into a fullyoperational orchard – with close to 1000 apple trees planted come the end of February 2023.

Ticking every box, with a competitive price tag and excellent back-up support from the team at Irelands, the LX 351 complete with mixed service tyres, front-end loader and counterweight, front forks, log grapple, 60” mid-mounted mower deck and 2-tonne Kubota tipping trailer was installed in April last year.

“It’s proven itself to be a real workhorse, from lifting pallets on and off delivery vehicles, assisting with pruning trees, felling and planting jobs throughout the winter and spring and assisting with the apple harvest in September and October,” said a trust spokesperson. “Attachments are easy to switch with the ‘quick attach’ mechanism and all of the controls and features are designed for comfort, making for a very pleasant operator experience. The cut quality with the mid-mounted deck has also been superb, navigating around the newly planted saplings where the gap is no more than 4m.” alternative professional solutions to using peat in growing media and is committed to becoming 100% peat free. “Our members have already made great strides in transitioning away from the use of peat and the proportion of peat used in growing media is at an historic low for the industry (30% in bagged compost at retail and 51.7% in professional use),” she added.

The LX 351 has also enabled the team to conduct more operations in-house, saving money otherwise spent on bringing in contractors, to the point where the estate are now considering offering contracting services themselves to those in the surrounding area.

“We therefore reiterate that any government considering legislation to ban peat use should ensure they are ready to support the horticultural sector to develop and access responsibly-sourced alternatives which do not jeopardise the sustainability or price of the growing media, nor affect the quality of the crop produced. Facilitating research and development and knowledge exchange on best practice for growing peatfree is an absolutely essential part of this process. We need the Government’s support to ensure the transition away from peat enables the horticulture sector to play its vital role in contributing to environmental ambitions, while remaining competitive and sustainable as a business sector.”

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