SWINDON-based GA Plant and Tool Hire has become the first company to take delivery of the brand-new EVO 165P SUB-750 woodchipper from GreenMech.

Described as delivering the performance required by domestic and small commercial contractors, the EVO also meets the spec for owner/director Angus Lacy-Hulbert when it comes to ease of maintenance, ensuring the machine is serviced and ready for tight hire turnarounds.

With a 3” chipper on GA's hire fleet previously, Angus spotted the gap for a larger, road-tow machine and sought advice from local arborists on the options available.

“We naturally gravitated to GreenMech. Being British engineered and backing up good product with local service and support is an ethos we like to follow ourselves,” explained Angus, who established GA Plant and Tool Hire five years ago.

A demonstration of the new 6” SUB-750 kg EVO 165P sealed the deal and it was delivered by local dealer GA Groundcare in September 2020.

Angus continued: “One of the major plus points was the ease of maintenance – the EVO has centralised greasing points which keeps the ongoing maintenance quick and simple. We also purchased the blade sharpening unit which means we can sharpen the blades as and when required, in-house, dramatically reducing downtime between hires. Being sub-750 kg was critical for our largely domestic client base, delivering powerful performance in a package that can be towed on a standard car licence.”

Within a week of delivery, the EVO 165P SUB-750 was out on its first hire – a domestic customer with 12 conifers to process.

“Incredibly, the client completed the whole job in under an hour! They returned the machine with the biggest grin, complimenting it not just on performance but how simple and user-friendly it was to operate,” said Angus.

Originally launched in road-tow format, the EVO 165D was joined by the fixed-track EVO 165DT in Autumn 2019 and then by a higher 45 hp limited-edition option. The newest SUB-750 machine is described as combining proven EVO performance with a powerful yet economic 37 hp B&S Vanguard petrol engine.

Angus concluded: “Together with performance, backup support is also incredibly important for us – our machines ultimately make no money if they’re out of service. Ashley at GA Groundcare is just down the road and is always on the end of the phone, even at weekends, with helpful support and advice if we need it.”

Forestry Journal remains dedicated to bringing you all the latest news and views from across our industry, plus up-to-date information on the impacts of COVID-19.

Please support us by subscribing to our print edition, delivered direct to your door, from as little at £69 for 1 year – or consider a digital subscription from just £1 for 3 months.

To arrange, follow this link: https://www.forestryjournal.co.uk/subscribe/

Thanks – and stay safe.