Kent-based contractor Guy Gregson has marked his 30th anniversary in business by treating himself to his fifth all-terrain
Mercedes-Benz Unimog.
His
U218 implement carrier was supplied by Dealer Lloyd Ltd. It replaces the
23-year-old U1600 which Mr Gregson had been using for the last four years, and
which he has now traded in.
The U218 is the smallest truck in the Unimog range and,
thanks to its narrow, 2.15m-wide cab, and a 12.6m turning circle comparable to
many cars, exceptionally agile. With
permanent all-wheel drive and a fuel-efficient
5.1-litre four-cylinder engine that produces
130 kW (177 hp) and up to 750 Nm of torque from 1,200-1,600 rpm, it also offers
the go-anywhere capability and 56 mph road speed for which the Unimog is
renowned.
Mr
Gregson began serving the agriculture and amenity sectors in 1989, with an
MBtrac tractor (Mercedes-Benz ceased production of the MBtrac, which was built
around a Unimog chassis, in 1991). He bought his first Unimog, a pre-owned
U1000, in 1990, and ran it for three years, before replacing it with a new
U1600.
Mr
Gregson can attach a variety of implements, including his Mulag flail and
mower, and a Schmidt snow plough, quickly and easily to the Unimog’s hydraulic
and mechanical implement drives, and front PTO shaft.
He
is also benefiting from his new truck’s VarioPilot and hydrostatic drive
systems. VarioPilot allows the driver to swap between left- and right-hand
drive, moving the steering wheel, instrument panel and pedals from one side of
the vehicle to the other in less than a minute. This optional feature is ideal
for tasks such as mowing and hedge-cutting, which are more easily and safely
completed from the verge-side of the vehicle.
Hydrostatic
drive, meanwhile, works in conjunction with the mechanical transmission and
provides finely-tuned gear changes allowing infinitely variable speeds from a
standstill up to just 15.6 mph.
The Mercedes-Benz Unimog is widely acknowledged as the
world’s leading all-terrain vehicle, with a reputation forged in the harshest
operating conditions. The overwhelming
majority of those built since 1951 are still in service today.
All
Unimogs have 4x4 chassis with single rear wheels, while gross weights vary from
7.5 to 16.5 tonnes. There are two core variants: an implement carrier like Guy
Gregson’s with front, side and rear attachment points, and an ultra-high
mobility truck with extreme torsional flexibility, which can accommodate a
range of bodies. Both are superbly adaptable to a huge variety of roles.
