With 200 acres of grass to care for and a packed programme of events ranging from Truckfest to the International Antiques Fair and the Festival of Motorcycling, East of England Arena and Events Centre says they need reliable, productive machinery.

After a round of demonstrations aimed at updating their fleet, the grounds team say they have chosen a Kubota M5112 tractor, RTV-X1110 utility vehicle and ZD1211 zero turn mower, supplied by dealer Irelands Farm Machinery.

The main tasks for the tractor are mowing the large expanses of grass used for exhibition space and parking, plus general haulage, head of maintenance Dean Wyers explains.

“We have also purchased a 4.6m Spearhead Multicut mower from Irelands, and the combination gives us the output we need to keep the extensive grass areas tidy.

Dean continued, “We had a front mower before but were interested in a zero turn to work around the many lamp posts, stand pipes and electricity boxes on the site. The ZD1211 is a huge improvement, so much quicker, but with a very good quality cut."

To get around the huge site and move tools and materials, the 24hp RTV-X 1110 has, according to Dean, proved a great choice.“It’s very good to drive and comfortable due to its all-round suspension - I’ve already clocked up some miles in it, and it’s proving economical on fuel."

An onsite workshop means that most of the machinery maintenance is kept in-house, and Mr Wyers praises the ease of service access on all three machines, while Irelands are close at hand for back-up and parts should they be needed.