It’s fair to say that if you have a demanding job to do in a tricky location, Ray Britland Contracting will be able to handle it.
The Cheshire-based business offers grounds maintenance services nationally, including vegetation management and site clearance.
Clients include highways authorities, principal contractors for some of the largest infrastructure projects and government-led bodies such as the Environment Agency.
Since 1998, Reform tractors have been a vital part of the armoury, as Ray Britland explains: “Much of our work is on extreme terrain where conventional tractors are just not suitable. The ability of the Reform tractor to work safely and efficiently on steep banks, rough ground or wet areas is essential for what we do.”
Ray Britland Contracting now has 25 Reform tractors in its fleet.
“We have a variety of models, right up to the top specification Metrac H75 Pro and the 95hp Metrac H95,” Ray explains.
Given the demanding nature of the work carried out, Ray is clear about the advantages of the Metrac design over a conventional tractor: “We would not be without their exceptional ability on banks, coupled with the four-wheel steer, with its choice of five steering modes, which makes for improved safety as well as manoeuvrability.”
The business makes the most of the standard front and rear three-point linkages, fitting seeders, scarifiers and collectors, winter maintenance equipment, sprayers and side arm flails as well as mowers.
“They are extremely versatile and allow us to secure contracts that simply couldn’t be done with any other machine, such as maintaining embankments from 4m to 40m width on the M6 Toll Road and flood banks on the River Severn,” Ray points out.
“We’ve even carried out sports pitch work for our local authority due to their light tread,” he says.
“Public sector budget cuts mean that forecasting is more difficult these days but the Reform Metrac will remain at the heart of our fleet,” comments Ray. “New solutions have come along but can’t compare with its productivity. On large swathes of grass, each machine could cut 30,000sqm of tall rough grass in a day, which would be the work of at least four remote control mowers.”
