Despite being loyal to another machinery brand for the past 18 years, Smytham Holiday Park in Devon, has made the switch to TYM and purchased a new T353 tractor.
Set in an idyllic valley and surrounded by 33 acres of parkland, the grounds require 10 acres of grass to be cut and collected up to twice a week in peak season. As a result, reliability, durability and power are essential traits for the machinery purchased for the park, says owner, Tony Harper.
L-R: Smytham Holiday Park owner, Tony Harper, with Rob Read from Devon Garden Machinery
“We needed something simple and straightforward that meets the demands of a holiday park. It’s important for us to have a reliable workhorse with a lot of power, but small enough to manoeuvre between the caravans with cutting units attached.”
He continues: “We’ve been brand-loyal since we started the business, but the TYM T353 was a similar size to our previous machine, with the added bonus of a higher lift capability. Plus, the way the hydraulics were put together was a lot tidier. I’ve operated it myself, it’s simple to use, good for switching from one task to another and handles all my attachments perfectly. I’m confident it will improve the quality of the park.”
A demo, organised by Devon Garden Machinery (DGM), saw Tony and his family try out the T353 for themselves.
“We were able to organise a free, onsite demonstration within a week of first discussing the T353, as TYM’s distributor Reesink Turfcare delivered really quickly,” comments DGM sales dealer, Robert Read. “Tony was impressed by the tractor as soon as he saw it, it’s a great size for the holiday park environment. After the demonstration, Tony decided there and then he would purchase it.”
Speaking of the demonstration, Tony added: “Robert was very knowledgeable, he showed us the safety measures and how it worked, but then stepped back and let us give it a try. The tractor spoke for itself really, I knew once I’d seen it in action it was the best product out there for the price. And it was a definite bonus that he could leave the tractor with us and we could trade in our old machine that day - it made buying an easy decision!”
The T353 is already being put to good use. Along with keeping the park in top order, the tractor has been used to move a 12-foot-wide caravan, weighing five tonnes, offsite.
“It’s a bit of a funny sight, seeing a little tractor pull a big caravan like that, but it just shows the power it has,” said Tony.
