Franchises

Lister Wilder - Groundcare Testimonials

South East Tree Surgeons
South East Tree Surgeons are arboricuture specialists with an established reputation in Dorking, Hersham, Leatherhead, Reigate and the surrounding counties of Surrey and Sussex. Graham, the owner of the company has been a user of the Timberwolf TW150DHB for a number of years and replaces the machines every 3-4 years with their local dealer Lister Wilder. Graham comments "I like the TW150DHB as it is a good quality chipper that comes in below 750kg, I need a machine that is always ready for work and the 150’s that I have had over the years have always been both reliable and economical to run." He continued "the lads really like the speed at which the machine can work and the crushing power of the hydraulic feed rollers is incredible. The secondhand value is very good as well so I know that when I come to part exchange my machine I will always get a good return. Having dealt with Lister Wilder for a number of years I am very happy with their aftersales service and would recommend them to anyone looking to buy a chipper".
South East Tree Surgeons

Mark Goddard - Mark Goddard and Son
I was really pleased with the build quality of the Snow-Ex and the ability to spread wet material which has resulted in zero blockages, this has increased my productivity levels on my 15 NHS contracts and has reduced the time on site by half.
I now have more time to tender for new contracts and explore new opportunities.
Mark Goddard - Mark Goddard and Son

Birch Grove Estate
Birch Grove House is the former home of Sir Harold Macmillan, Prime Minister between 1957 and 1963. The imposing, if somewhat architecturally understated, mansion looks out from its hill top position across 1200 acres of undulating Sussex countryside.
It is hard to imagine that London Gatwick airport is but a stone’s throw away, so idyllic are the surroundings. Visitors to the house have included Sir Winston Churchill, General Charles De Gaulle and, just a couple of weeks before his assassination, John F Kennedy. The estate boasts one of the best kept secrets in Sussex as behind the gates it homes what can only be described as a "spectacular" 18 hole golf course. Peter Smith – Course Manger is in charge with reinstating the once magnificent golf course and has chosen a Baroness SP05 Bunker Rake to help him in his task.
Peter commented "the bunker bike was truly impressive, in fact both myself and my deputy both agreed within a few minutes of using it that we had to have one! its manoeuvrability is class leading, which, after all is the main requirement in a bunker bike! also the service I have received from the team at Lister Wilder has been exceptional and has left me with no hesitation in buying the bunker bike from them and recommending them as a first class machinery and service and parts dealer"
Birch Grove Estate

South Cerney Golf Club
South Cerney Golf Club in Gloucestershire have recently purchased a Baroness LM2700 fairway mower following the purchase of their Baroness GM2800 rough mower.
Joe Curtis head greenkeeper commented "Having bought the rough mower and seen the benefits that the Baroness has given us we felt like we should really look at the rest of the range. The fairway mower wasn’t yet due for replacement however once we saw the quality of cut and high level of presentation that the Baroness delivered we decided to trade it in early". He continued "The machine is simple to use and very robust and much quicker than our previous mower whilst still offering a superb quality of cut. Having spoken to a number of Baroness users before we purchased the machine I also believe that maintenance costs will be dramatically reduced due to the Baroness’s high quality bottom blades and cylinders that stay on cut for longer periods and require less re-grinds than other manufacturers." Joe also added "With the GM2800 & the LM2700 the presentation level is excellent and the members are very pleased with the look of the course, once Baroness have a Greens Triple available they really will have a fleet of machinery second to none!"
South Cerney Golf Club

Cowdray Park Golf Course
However much they might recognise the benefits, a previously perfect green peppered with thousands of tiny holes left by an aeration machine is not a happy discovery for many golfers.
Greens compaction is a fact of life for course managers like Cowdray Park’s Jonathan Smith. The typical passage of some 250 golfers’ feet over the popular Sussex championship course on a wet Sunday plays havoc with compaction which squeezes out the essential air, that’s hard to put back in.
The answer lies in aeration which is typically done with either a manual walk-behind machine or, for greater depth, a tractor-mounted Verti-Drain® punching a network of holes at pre-selected depths. The inevitable penalty is that, for a short time, the treated greens offer the golfer a few additional challenges – and the man responsible for making them is often not universally popular!
It was with that scenario in mind that Jonathan turned to Lister Wilder for the hire of a greensIRON 3900 high performance turf roller as a fast and efficient means of making good behind the aeration process. The Honda-driven roller with its distinctive manoeuvring handles is widely used across the world for achieving consistent championship-quality greens.
And it certainly didn’t disappoint at Cowdray Park with its panoramic views from Midhurst over the South Downs.
"Over the past ten years we have only ever had vibrating rollers that fit onto a greens mower but the greensIRON has been on my wish list for a long time," explains Jonathan. "Membership golfers quite understandably don’t like us to disrupt the surface for aeration, but is an essential from a green keeping point of view.
"I had a bit of compaction which went deeper than I could get to with a standard ProCore aerator going down to about 100mm. So I did two operations in October, combining the ProCore with a Verti-Drain to aerate at two levels down to 300mm. Normally, I wouldn’t have done the two together because of the combined severe effect on the surface. But the greensIRON brought the surface back perfectly.
"Speaking to some of our golfers immediately afterwards, they said that the greens that had been Verti-Drained, ProCored and rolled with the greensIRON were actually putting better, quicker and truer than the greens that hadn’t been touched."
He adds: "I would have been nervous to do the full extent of the aeration process without the security of knowing that the greensIRON would make it good. It was very reassuring to run the two simultaneously and see the before and after effect.
"In the end, I did all the greens and I would certainly look to hire the roller again from Lister Wilder, and ultimately we will certainly consider buying one. They were very helpful and gave us excellent support."
The Cowdray Park Golf Course is set in an estate of 16,500 acres, much of which is forestry and agricultural land. The estate is world famous as a polo venue but golf is one of a string of other leisure activities including clay pigeon shooting and fly fishing.
The golf course now also manages Chiddingfold golf course some 20 minutes away in Surrey. That means Jonathan has a total of 36 holes to manage, for which he has four full-timers plus two part-timers at Cowdray Park and two full-timers with occasional help at the smaller Chiddingfold course.
Cowdray Park Golf Course

Wildernesse Golf Club
Wildernesse Golf Club in Kent have recently taken delivery of a new Kubota L5040GST tractor to add to their fleet of Kubota’s
Course Manager – Mark Todd commented "When it came to purchasing a new tractor our decision was a easy one, we have run Kubota’s here at Wildernesse for the last 17 years and they have always proved to be reliable and problem free" He continued "I have dealt with Lister Wilder’s for a long time and have always found their after sales service to be second to none and would happily recommend them to anyone".
Wildernesse Golf Club

Foxhills Golf Club
Foxhills Golf Club in Surrey have recently taken delivery of a new Timberwolf TW200PHBC shredder to compliment their current machinery involved in their woodland management program.
David Wyborn – Course Manager commented "We are currently working on a woodland management plan and needed a machine to help reduce the amount of Rhododendron that we are thinning from the course. I originally hired one from Lister Wilder but was so impressed with the amount of man hours that it saved that we decided to purchase one!" He continued "I was particularly impressed with the speed at which the shredder processed the material as well as the ability to pull it into the machine with the conveyor and hydraulic feed rollers, this dramatically reduced the amount of hours required handling and moving the waste material".
Foxhills Golf Club

Cirencester Golf Club
Cirencester Golf Club in Gloucestershire offers golfers glorious views over the Cotswolds. The 18 hole golf course is known for being in wonderful condition all year long as well as it’s welcoming atmosphere and picturess views. In order to assist in the high level of presentation the course have recently added a Baroness LM2700 to their fleet of machinery.
Head Greenkeeper Richard Louisson commented "I had heard very good reports from other local clubs about the quality of the Baroness mowers as well as the reduced maintenance required to the cutting cylinders, and so wanted to see for myself. We first demo’d the machine last summer but also took another look later on in the year to ensure that it offered the same level of presentation in all the seasonal conditions". He continued "it more than met our expectations and performed exceptionally well, so the choice to purchase one was easy. I really like the build quality and the high quality finish that this machine offers"
Richard added " Dealer support is also very important to us and having dealt with Lister Wilder for a number of years we know that they offer an excellent back up service to support the products that they sell"
Cirencester Golf Club

North Wiltshire Golf Club
North Wilts Golf Club in Devizes has recently joined the Baroness owners club having purchased an LM2700 Fairway mower, this adds to their fleet of machinery responsible for maintaining the parkland course that in that in recent years has hosted a number of National and Regional competitions. Founded in 1890 it is wholly owned by its members and is situated midway between Calne and Devizes offering stunning scenery across the downs.
Andy Pullen – Course Manager commented " When we started looking for a new fairway mower to replace the old one we had all four manufactures machines in for appraisal. We quickly narrowed the list down to two as the course here can be very demanding on the mower and we needed a machine that would stand up to the job. We opted for the Baroness for a number of reasons, the build quality is exceptionally good and the quality of cut is brilliant." He continued "I also like the idea of having a local dealer that I can rely on, I have always had a good relationship with Lister Wilder as they offer a fantastic back up service, I know they will always help me out if I need them. I’m really looking forward to seeing their greens triple when it arrives, if it’s as good as the fairway mower they’ll be on to a winner."
North Wiltshire Golf Club

Reading FC
Following their promotion into "The Premiership" Reading Football Club purchased a Baroness LM2700 Fairway Mower. The Baroness is used at their training ground in Arborfield where Adam Grantham – Head Groundsman is responsible for managing 25 acres which includes a total of 9 pitches
Adam commented "We purchased the LM2700 as the pitches need to be maintained to the highest standard , presentation is really important to the way that the club is perceived now that we are back in The Premiership. We can a number of fairway mowers in on demonstration and the Baroness really stood out above the rest."
Adam continued "The relationship with Lister Wilder not just in supplying but in also maintaining the groundcare equipment is fundamental. They provide us with a very good all-round service, Knowing that I can call them and get a quick response on any front makes my life easier – and that in turn means that the players benefit from the way we can manage the facilities."
Reading FC

Charlton Athletic FC
At a time when football clubs with bigger pockets are boasting squads costing upwards of £900 million, the pressure is on to keep players free of injury. Trainers and physios have obvious roles to play – but even groundsmen are playing their part.
Charlton Athletic falls a long way short of Manchester City and Chelsea when it comes to having big money to invest in players. But the homely club that lies tucked amongst the back streets of south east London shares the same imperative to keep its footballers fit to earn their still substantial salaries.
After 25 years in his current role and ten years previously as a player at the Valley, Colin Powell knows only too well that the state of the turf can make a profound difference in terms of not just avoiding pulled muscles but reducing the impact when a player goes to ground.
It is with that in mind that he has invested in buying a Verti-Drain® from Lister Wilder as a means of overcoming problems with a pitch that had become progressively more compacted as the season progressed, with resulting gripes from the players.
"Ours is a fibre sand pitch which we dig up and re-lay each summer," says Colin. "It holds together better than a normal soil pitch but the downside is that it comes up quite hard through the season, especially when you get a lot of rain. There are dormant months through the mid-winter when the grass doesn’t move and the pitch can look very sorry for itself.
"We had a situation a few weeks back when it rained right through a Saturday match and then carried on raining right through to our next match on a Tuesday evening. The pitch stands no chance."
Mounted on the back of a lightweight tractor like the Kubota pictured, the Verti-Drain punches a network of holes at pre-selected selected depths of up to six inches, so allowing water to drain and air to circulate around the grass roots. It is estimated that there are as many as three million holes across the whole of the Charlton pitch.
Where larger clubs cover half their pitches with grow lights to stimulate the grass into growth through the winter months, Colin has just one set. He also doesn’t have the under-soil heating and forced-air ventilation systems that keep Premiership grounds in tip-top condition. That makes the Verti-Drain a great asset.
"It is absolutely brilliant," Colin enthuses. "We have only had it for two weeks but if you walk on the areas we have Verti-Drained as opposed to those that we haven’t, you feel a big difference in softness.
"I can’t get on it often enough because I know that it is doing so much good with every run. You can do the whole pitch or just run over bad spots."
Says Lister Wilder’s area sales manager Phil Turner: "You will see increasing benefits as the weather gets better and the grass starts to grow - air is getting into the roots and you get a much thicker swath. It also keeps the surface nice and soft for the players and helps them to avoid injuries."
Charlton Athletic FC

Foxhills Golf Club
David Wyborn is the Course manager of the prestigious Foxhills Golf Club in Surrey. He has been running Kubota tractors for a many years and currently uses a M7040 purchased in 2009 and a L3200 purchased in 2011.
David commented "Kubota are the best tractors for us. They are excellent value and tick all the boxes. They are reliable, comfortable, have a good driving position, an uncluttered cab and the lads love them!"
Maintaining a high quality playing surface means extensive use, spring and autumn of a Vertidrain to ensure good drainage and avoiding small areas of standing water. "You can’t do this with any old tractor," says David, "We have gone for a Kubota M7040 because it is man enough to work the Vertidrain and has a light footprint."he says. "We run it on the fairways for 8 hours a day during the aeration programme. We mainly use this larger tractor between September and April for scarifying the fairways."
David continued "The Kubota L3200 is extremely reliable. It’s basic but does everything you need it to. It is mainly used with the front loader, snow plough and rear mounted flail mower. We use it all year round and bought it as a yard tractor. It’s a great work horse." David added "We use Lister Wilder for parts backup and have always found them to supply an excellent service."
"The power to weight ratio of this tractor is just great for the ground we are on, and fuel economy is excellent"
Foxhills Golf Club

Peter Goddard
Grounds maintenance Contractor Peter Goddard has a substantial workload looking after school playing fields and local authority sports pitches across the Shepway district of Kent – stretching from Dover and Ashford to Romney Marsh, including no less than 18 different schools.

"Our work is mainly routine maintenance but I am also aiming to educate my clients on the benefits of renovation work using my Verti-Drain," he explains. "School pitches work hard year round, and some are also used in the holidays for caravan rallies and car boot sales, so compaction can be a serious issue."
Peter purchased his Verti-Drain 7215 in 2009 from Lister Wilder, looking to expand his renovation service, and he admits that while he has achieved excellent results, it can be hard to convince hard-pressed school boards or local authority committees to invest in their pitches.
"Schools and councils have limited budgets, and they can take some persuading to try a new operation. But where the Verti-Drain has been used regularly, we have achieved excellent results."
One example is Folkestone Rugby Club, whose pitches were constructed relatively recently but have been troubled by compaction.
"The four pitches take a couple of days to Verti-Drain thoroughly, so the club has had to invest in my time, but real progress has been made in alleviating compaction and promoting growth," Peter explains.
At 1.5m wide, the Verti-Drain 7215 is the ideal size for a contractor such as Peter – it is compact enough to transport between jobs but offers plenty of output – and is well matched with his 40hp Kubota tractor.
It has also proved highly versatile, working with half inch and 3/4 inch tines and at a range of depths.
"The half inch tines are ideal for renovating cricket squares at the end of the season, and at the other end of the scale on rugby pitches and cricket outfields I can work with 3/4 inch tines to 10in deep," he comments. "You need to know your ground however – in this area the soil can be very thin and it is easy to reach the sand underneath. Timing is also crucial as the clay soils can dry out very quickly."
Peter adds that the Verti-Drain is very easy to set up and adjust between jobs and for different applications.
"Build quality was a big selling point and the machine has not disappointed; we have also seen the value of fitting genuine replacement tines when they are needed."
The Verti-Drain is seen as a long term investment by Peter, working about 100 hours a year which he hopes will increase as customers see the benefits of the decompaction that it can offer.
"It is a two year project to improve a pitch, but then the results are clear to see, so even in these difficult economic times it is a very worthwhile operation for schools and sports clubs," he comments.
Peter Goddard

Guards Polo Club
You don’t need to be a millionaire to play polo - but it certainly helps! Having invested in at least two pricey ponies in order to play in tournaments, you also need to factor in livery costs, vets’ bills and club fees. For that investment, you quite naturally expect to play on the very best turf.
The ability to turn on a sixpence while travelling at speed is a unique characteristic of a polo pony. But it also has the unique potential after two matches on a wet day to transform a previously green field into a muddy potato patch.
That’s when the real challenge begins for the Guards Polo Club’s Head Groundsman, Peter Svoboda, as his team of eight mount a rapid recovery process to ensure that they can always offer top quality pitches six days-a-week during the seven-month playing season.
With the new season now getting underway in the club’s beautiful Smiths Lawn surroundings within Windsor Great Park, Peter’s Kubota fleet is increasingly busy. While 40 hectares of grass spread over ten pitches has to be cut most days, there is also an extensive programme of drainage improvement, plus rolling, applying sand, fertilising, re-seeding and general grounds maintenance which make it essential to have reliable workhorses.
The club has two Kubotas M108S tractors and an older L3200 tractor, plus a KX61 3.5 tonne mini-excavator and a G23 ride-on rotary mower, all sourced from Lister Wilder in nearby Reading. The company has also supplied five RTV900 buggies to meet the club’s constant need to transport staff for jobs like erecting goal posts and line marking, and to carry modest loads ranging from loud speakers to flag poles.
"We really like what the Kubotas do for us on all fronts," says Peter. "They have a reputation for reliability, and Lister Wilder responds quickly if we do ever need support."
While the park has the benefit of naturally sandy soil, the club has invested in a comprehensive drainage system for its two top class pitches and in irrigation rigs for when the ground becomes dry. The constant compaction inflicted by some 370 games a season means that a Kubota-mounted Verti-Drain® also has an important part to play in getting air to the roots of the grass and so maintaining a surface that is safe for ponies and players alike. Two major sessions take place at the beginning and end of the season, with the Verti-Drain also used through the summer to punch sand down into the surface.
"Given that we have to Verti-Drain 40 hectares at a speed of about one mile an hour, it takes us a very long time - but it is well worth it for what it achieves," says Peter.
Depending upon the weather, Peter’s team will aim at the end of a day’s play to roll pitches that have been in use. Perhaps most startling of all is that the club pays a contractor to bring in a ten-man crew just to replace divots on the day after matches. It can take four hours to make good the damage from flying hooves on just one pitch.
It isn’t always easy to maintain the constant supply of high quality pitches but the grounds team are adept at making the very best of what they have by sometimes marking the playing areas in different configurations.
"But maintaining the pitches and looking after the grounds is just part of what we do," says Peter. "We also devote a lot of our time to event support - setting up everything from loudspeakers and flag poles to the boards that go around the pitches. The big tournaments here are very large events that attract a lot of people."
Guards Polo Club

Bewley Homes
There is something very British about stripes in a lawn. While our continental neighbours settle for an even finish, stripes go with our sense of neatness and our love of cricket and bowls. But they are also, it seems, a sales feature when it comes to choosing a new home.
While most of us manage to put off summer mowing for at fortnight or so at a time, Steve Dance likes to cut the lawns for which he is responsible at least weekly, and sometimes more. The difference for Steve is that he may be responsible for around 40 lawns at any time spread over a wide area of the South East.

As Landscapes Manager for Bewley Homes, Steve is in no doubt that a fine lawn is very much a sales aid in a world where competitive edge is everything. Over the past 20 years, his company has worked hard to establish its place at the high quality end of the market, lavishing the same attention to detail on the landscaping as on the build.

It was that constant pursuit of perfection that persuaded Steve to buy two Viking 650 MB VR 21-inch rotary mowers from Lister Wilder when the time came to replace equipment. He wanted not just a quality cut from a robust and reliable mower, but also the beautiful stripes that you only get from a rear roller.

"When I set up our in-house landscaping department ten years ago it was an unusual step for a developer," says Steve. "We did so partly because we were moving to a new HQ with extensive grounds, and we needed to maintain it to a high standard. It then made sense when buying machinery and employing people to take control of all our site landscaping and maintenance rather than to sub-contract it.

"As the landscaping is completed, we then do the maintenance until such time as individual properties are sold and communal areas are handed over to a management company or local authority. That means that at any time we are doing the maintenance for sites that may range from 4,000 to 6,000 square-feet mansions to developments with up to 100 houses. It adds up to an awful lot of grass to cut in spring and summer."

At the moment, Steve’s small team of five is looking after the landscaping and maintenance on around 40 units spread over some 10 sites, plus the HQ at Baughurst on the Hampshire/Berkshire border.

For Steve, the secret to a beautiful lawn lies first in the preparation of the ground and in using high quality turf. It’s then down to regular maintenance with high quality machinery in the hands of knowledgeable staff who take their time.

"It’s all about quality," he says. Our properties are at the high end of the market, and for the grounds to look good you have to apply more regular maintenance than is the norm. We cut weekly or bi-weekly at our show houses to keep them looking their best all the time."

So why the Viking mower? "Having used a much heavier machine, we have gone back to the Viking as a response to the generally wetter conditions in recent years," says Steve. "They are more manoeuvrable in restricted space and, because they are lighter, they are much gentler on the grass and don’t smear when you turn a corner.

"The quality of cut is excellent and they pick up almost without fail even when the grass is damp. The fact that we have to lift them quite a lot over the course of a day also means that their lightness is also a better health and safety option for our staff.

"While we have found cylinder mowers more temperamental, the Viking is a highly reliable rotary that has a rear roller to give us stripes. That really accentuates the look of the development – there is nothing quite like a nice straight stripe."

He adds: "Lister Wilder’s service is excellent - if we have something go down, they will get it fixed very quickly or give us another to keep us going. And the fact that they have a hire division means that we can also go to them for specialist machinery like wood chippers and shredders for clearance work."
Bewley Homes

Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew
Visitors who were otherwise focused on one of the world’s great tree collections stopped to take in the sight of a fleet of eight shiny new Kubota tractors supplied by Lister Wilder making their debut at Kew Gardens in west London. Their role is a critical one.
Given that his first badge was as a forester in the scouts, it was no surprise that Tony Kirkham rose to become the man in charge of trees at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew.
Thirty five years on from joining the iconic gardens, Tony still likes to take an hour at the beginning of each working day to walk among the trees that his team lovingly tend. Along the way, he will be overtaken by several of his new fleet of Kubota B2530 tractors as operators get to grips with the host of maintenance tasks that make Kew tick.
As Head of the Arboretum and Horticultural Service Tony, is responsible for everything outdoors at Kew, including the world-famous wooded plant collections plus all the grass, recycling, growing media and horticultural machinery. And he is in no doubt about the value of the nimble and yet powerful Kubotas.
“They are absolutely critical to the business,” he says. “We have 300 acres to cover and if we don’t have good tractors then its down to wheelbarrows – they are basically our workhorses moving materials, but we also have a number of attachments for landscaping work such as a flail for long grass, landscape rakes, and tractor-mounted rotovators.”
The Kubotas work hard – they do the most hours of all the machines in the gardens.”
Kew’s extensive grounds cover the arboretum and gardens within which are several large grade 1 listed glasshouses, 14,000 trees and 26 miles of paths. Tony has a team of some 35 looking after it all, covering a range of disciplines from a mechanic through to arborists and propagators.
“Kew Gardens is the top echelon of horticulture, so we strive to do the best we can,” he says. “The public expect to see the best when they come here. Its like the Forth Bridge – I have two full time grass cutters and will add to those during the season. You start at one end and by the time you get to the other it’s ready to cut again.”
Tony is one of those lucky people who loves his job. “There is not a day that goes by that is the same as the last one,” he says. “This morning I was with Prince Charles (planting a commemorative tree) and this afternoon I am taking delivery of tractors from Lister Wilder. Tomorrow, I could be writing a detailed report and next week in Japan or China collecting trees or lecturing to students.
“My passion is trees and that is why I came to Kew, so I commit and devote as much time as I can to looking after the tree collections. That is where I get my fix from. We have the best collection of temperate trees in the world, and because we are a public garden they have to be managed on an intensive scale and risk assessed on a five-year rolling programme.
“My arborists are working on many species of trees that they would never see in the outside world. Each one has to be treated very specifically to the species.”
Lister Wilder won the latest tractor supply contract via a DEFRA tender. The specification sought was a lightweight 25hp hydrostatic tractor with easy controls for the variety of operators that will use it. Other virtues where the Kubota scored included reliability and its modest running costs. It also had to be backed by a high quality parts and service.
“I cannot fault Lister Wilder on service and that is why I have been with them for a long time,” says Tony. “We have a really good relationship. They understand my pressures but I equally understand if I have a breakdown at the same time as they have one on a combine during harvest. I know they will pull out all the stops for me when they can.”
Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew

Royal St Georges Golf Club
Royal St Georges Golf Club- host to “The Open” no less than 14 times
has recently taken delivery of a Kubota L5040 GST, purchased to enable Royal St Georges to use larger and more productive turf care machinery. The L5040’s class leading lift capacity and Glide Shift transmission make it ideal for heavier and precision tasks on this prestigious Links Course.
Paul Larsen- Course Manager comments "it is important to prioritise performance and future needs, as well as selecting the most appropriate machinery for current and future aspirations".
This philosophy was fundamental in selecting the Kubota L5040GST to fulfill the needs of this unique and prestigious Links Course.
Royal St Georges Golf Club

Walmer & Kingsdown Golf Club
Walmer & Kingsdown Golf Club established in 1909, have recently taken delivery of a Baroness GM2800 Rotary Mower. Neil Douglass Course Manager was keen to select the machine most able to cope with the variety of terrain on a course that prides itself in appealing to men , Ladies and juniors alike.
The course extends to some 6471 yards of Downland turf on East and West sides of a ridge spanning the Downs. One of the most adverse seasons on record provided perfect conditions for testing various machines.
Neil commented "I was confident that the GM2800 had proven its ability to find traction and provide a quality finish in the most arduous conditions, build quality, ease of height adjustment, and ease of maintenance were key factors in the purchasing decision".
Walmer & Kingsdown Golf Club

Hersham Golf Club choose Baroness

Hersham Golf Club is situated in the village of Hersham,between the towns of Esher and Walton-on-Thames in South West London. The 18 holes have been carved within a natural woodland environment (formerly a GLC Tree Nursery) alongside the river Mole. The course has been constructed to meet U.S.G.A. standards and is maintained to the highest of standards by course manager Kevin Day.

They have recently taken delivery of a Baroness GM2800 rough cut ride on mower. Kevin Day has been Course Manager at the club for 10years and commented “We had previously seen the Baroness at an open day held by Lister Wilder at Foxhills golf club and were keen to try it out on our as well as asking all of the other manufacturers to bring their machines in for demonstration and appraisal. There was one clear winner! The Baroness is an exceptionally well built machine that leaves a perfect quality of cut, we like to pride ourselves on the course here at Hersham and this machine cuts quickly and cleanly providing both productivity and a high level of presentation.” He added “ The rest of the Baroness range also looks excellent and I’m hearing reports from other greenkeepers about their cylinders being extremely hard wearing and producing an unmatched quality of cut, I’m definitely looking forward to seeing their greens triple when it arrives in the UK!”

Kevin added “I have been dealing with Lister Wilder now for about 10 years and have always found them extremely helpful, they are a dealership where everyone involved is interested in aftersales service and you feel looked after as a customer, I’m sure we’ll be working with them for many years to come.”
Kevin Day - Hersham Golf Club

Vredo Supercompact 216

Rye Golf Club established in1894 is a challenging Links Course on the Kent Sussex border.

Alan Banks HGC has recently taken delivery of a Vredo Super Compact 216 towed disc seeder. The Vredo proved its credentials on a demonstration helping Alan to convince the committee that owning was preferable to hiring.
35mm disc spacing provides the density of new grass that was required and the robust design ensured that the discs cut in and placed the seeds perfectly for consistently high germination rates.

The trailed configuration was paramount in being able to follow the many challenging contours at Rye with the independent metering wheel ensuring a consistent supply of seed. Two passes at complimentary angles on greens produced excellent results helping to promote the preferred dominant species of grass. The Vredo produced equally impressive results on other areas of the course.

The Vredo is mated to a Kubota L5030 GST purchased in 2005 initially to enable Rye to use larger and faster vertical tine aerators. The L5030’s class leading lift capacity and Glide Shift transmission make it ideal for heavier and precision tasks on this established Links Course.
Alan Banks - Rye Golf Club

Kubota Mini Excavator
Bearwood Lakes Golf club in Wokingham, Berkshire was ranked No. 2 in England and No. 3 in the U.K. & Ireland, based on reviews of best golf experiences a ‘Top 100′ survey 2011. In April 2011 they purchased a Kubota KX101-3N mini excavator after demonstrating the machine against all the competitor brands.

Golf Course Manager, Daniel Lightfoot commented “We use the mini excavator throughout the year for bunker construction, drainage, pathway construction and materials handling. We have found it to be very reliable, quiet, easy to use and the operator controls are fantastic!”

“We tested it against all the other brands and found it was generally better. The reputation that Kubota has for reliability was also a deciding factor as well as our good relationship with Lister Wilder. Dave King has always been very helpful and provided us with a good service and the locality of the branch in Reading is handy for any parts me might need.”

“The Kubota KX101-3N is an excellent all round machine, it is responsive, good value and ticks every box.”
Daniel Lightfoot - Bearwood Lakes Golf Club

Kubota Compact Tractor
Since Clandon Regis became a members' owned club on May 31, 1996 the club has gone from strength to strength. It is a challenging course to golfers of all abilities. With a par of 72 and 6485 yards off the back tees it has a number of holes that require carries over water and some dog legs which demand careful club selection.
Course manager Darren Wales has recently taken delivered of his second Kubota tractor having purchased the first one 3 years ago. Darren commented “The first tractor that we purchased was a B2230, Kubota have a very good reputation when it comes to reliability and as this tractor gets just daily we didn’t want to take any chances. Most of our mowers also have Kubota engines so we are familiar with them when it comes to servicing.” Darren continued “When it came to replacing the second tractor it was again an easy choice, Lister Wilder advised us which model we should go for as this one needed a front bucket fitting due to it mainly being used as a yard tractor and for loading top dressing. These tractors play an important part in the day to day maintenance of the course, being used for duties such as slitting, seeding, trailer work and loading, they really are workhorses!”

Darren added “I have been a customer of Lister Wilders for many years and have always found their staff to be both knowledgeable and helpful, the aftersales service has also been very good with parts arriving quickly.”
Darren Wales - Clandon Regis Golf Club

Kubota STV32
Ronnie Christie is the Course Manager at Addington Palace Golf Club in Croydon, Surrey. They have run Kubota STV’s for a number of years and last year purchased the latest STV32 as a replacement for the previous STV30.

Ronnie commented “We bought the new STV32 as a straight replacement for the STV30 as it is so reliable as well as being powerful, lightweight and it’s the right size for the work we do. We had the old STV30 for 15 years and were very happy with it.”

“We run the STV throughout the year for a variety of tasks including aeration work, leaf blowing, grass cutting, Vertidrain etc. It works well for even the most heavy duty jobs on the course because of the agility and variable speed control.”
Addington Palace Golf Club

New Kubota G23 ride-on mower joins the Wisley team
RHS Wisley purchased its oldest Kubota machine, a B6200 compact tractor, more than 20 years ago – and it still forms an essential part of their groundcare fleet today.
Wisley – the flagship garden of the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), one of the world’s leading horticultural organisations and the UK’s leading gardening charity - currently operates a fleet of seven Kubota tractors and mowers to help maintain its 360 acre estate and the reliable B6200 model still operates alongside its most recent purchase - a 23.3hp G23 professional ride-on mower.
Over the past ten years the charity has purchased numerous Kubota machines from dealership Lister Wilder, a family business which has been supplying high quality groundcare machinery for more than half a century. Peter Anderson, machinery maintenance engineer at RHS Wisley says that the combination of usability and functionality, together with equipment reliability and ease of servicing are some of the key reasons why he and his team choose Kubota time and time again.
Peter Anderson said: "Whenever we have bought a new Kubota, we’ve always decided not to trade in the old machine because they are such good, reliable workhorses. We’ve been running the B6200 for more than 20 years and a B1550 compact tractor for more than 15 years. They’re both still going strong and while we don’t use them every day, they certainly come in handy as back-up machines during busy periods."
Prior to purchasing any new machine, Peter Anderson always undertakes a lot of research, reading up on the latest reviews and talking to other users. He knew he wanted a shaft-driven mower deck on his next machine and when advised by Lister Wilder to take a look at the new G23 model, he discovered that its outstanding features and performance absolutely blew the competition away.
"Quite simply the G23 outperformed all the other manufacturers in terms of power, comfort and manoeuvrability. There was simply no contest. There are lots of trees here at Wisley and we need to be able to crop the grass close to the trunk. The G23 has a very tight turning circle and an extremely large carrying capacity – it’s perfect for the job," concluded Peter Anderson.
Phill Hughes, Group Sales Manager at Lister Wilder added: "We are delighted to have such a good relationship with RHS Wisley and, that as anticipated, the G23 has proved to be perfect for their needs."
Any servicing and maintenance of the G23 and the rest of Wisley’s Kubota fleet is undertaken by Peter Anderson .Peter reports that the machines are extremely easy to work on, but if there are any problems Lister Wilder are always on the end of the phone to provide all the necessary guidance and support.
"We have a very good relationship with Lister Wilder – they’re excellent for spares and offer a quick delivery service as well as always being on-hand to help if we ever need it," commented Peter.
RHS Wisley

Kubota RTV900

Tim Parker of Beversbrook Sports facility in Calne, Wiltshire purchased a Kubota RTV900 4 years ago for sports field maintenance and football pitch renovations.

Tim commented “We use it for everything; to transport fertilizer, seed and materials for setting up the football pitches. It’s also used to tow the drag mats, top dresser and for repairing divots. It’s a great all round machine, you can hit it with anything!”

Tim continued “It’s very reliable, great both on and off road as well as being very economical. The hydrostatic drive means that there is less to go wrong than other machines and although ours doesn’t have four seats, it is an option that is available. It’s the perfect size, has good power, is very comfortable and is works well in all weather conditions.”
Tim Parker - Beversbrook Sports Facility, Calne

Baroness GM2800
Joe Curtis, Head Greenkeeper at South Cerney Golf course in Gloucestershire have been running gang mowers to cut the course rough for a number of years and recently purchased a Baroness GM2800 five deck rotary mower to replace them.

Joe commented “It’s an extremely versatile machine as it can be used not only to cut the rough but also the semi-rough and we even use it round the edge of the greens. It only takes 5 minutes to change the height of cut by adjusting the number of shims on the deck. We use 6 shims on the rough (66mm), 3 on the semi rough (48mm) and none around the greens (30mm).”

Joe continued “It can cut just about anything on the golf course and saves a lot of time and effort. On the Toro it takes about half an hour to change the height compared with a few minutes on the Baroness. Additionally, it is very easy to change the cutting blades, you just pull a pin out and the deck slides out so no more lying under the machine to access the blades as they swing out to you for easy access. It is also very easy to operate and is a very comfortable machine, which is important when you spend all day sat on it!”

Joe also added “With our old gang mowers we could just simply cut the grass and now with the new GM2800 we can create a more definitive stripe, which makes it look nicer and we have had some great comments from our members about this. We are extremely happy with this mower and are now looking at the LM2700 fairway mower from Baroness to add to our fleet.”
South Cerney Golf Club

Kubota RTV900
Richard Louisson is the Course Manager at Cirencester Golf Club in Gloucestershire and purchased a Kubota RTV900 utility vehicle in 2008.

“We bought the RTV900 because Kubotas are so reliable and also we love the hydraulic tipping on the back. We use it for everything: transportation of tools, towing tees and greens mowers, collecting chippings and hedgecuttings as well as collecting golf balls on the driving range.” said Richard

“It is used every day, it’s a real workhorse. It’s been very reliable and in the four years we have owned it we have not had any problems whatsoever. We would recommend this vehicle to anyone who works a golf course – it’s an absolutely essential piece of kit.”
Richard Louisson, Cirencester Golf Club

Kubota Compact Tractors: 5030, 3830 and B7200
Mark Little is the Assistant Groundsman at Cheam School near Newbury in Berkshire. Mark and the groundcare team at Cheam School have run several Kubota tractors over the past 20 years.

Mark commented “Quite simply Kubota engines are brilliant! Kubota don’t make a bad engine. They are very good for gang work because the glide shift transmission is great. Up and down the slopes you can go up and down the gears. The manual gearbox on the 3830 gives more control and for the front loader is easier to use than the hydrostat.”

“Kubota is the right size for us and for complete grounds maintenance work. We put gang mowers on the back and mow three times a week in the spring and summer. We use them for shifting gear about and in the winter for leaf sweeps, tree work, spiking, aerating and composting.”

“All our servicing is done by Lister Wilder on the tractors, cylinder mowers, gangs etc. We have sent stuff to other places in the past and they did not come back as well done as they do from Lister Wilder. Everyone at Lister Wilder is very helpful. Richard Burfield brings the stuff out. Everyone in service and parts are good. Anything we want, even for the old girl (the B7200 which is over 20 years old) - they always find it!”
Mark Little, Cheam School

Dennis G760 pedestrian mower
Greg Bolton is Head Groundsman at Reading Football Club’s Madejski Stadium in Berkshire. Greg uses both the Dennis G760 and Honda HRD 536 pedestrian mowers on his pitch.

Greg commented “We have been using the Dennis G760’s for the past ten years at Reading FC. It is used on the pitch for grass cutting and tidying up with the brush after games. For me it is the ideal machine for football and rugby pitches.”

“It provides good flexibility with the different cassettes (cylinder and brush). It is also lightweight – minimising the weight on the pitch itself and is also very reliable. I use it for approximately 8 hours a week during the grass growing season and I never have any problems with it.”

“Lister Wilder always provides an excellent service on all our equipment and if we ever have to call them out we will usually have an engineer with us either the same day or next day.”
Greg Bolton, Reading FC

Baroness LM66T and LM180 Triple Gang mower
Derek Walder is the Head Greenkeeper at the Reigate Heath Golf Club in Reigate, Surrey. He runs a range of grasscutting machinery and recently purchased two Baroness mowers.

Derek commented “I generally use Toro and used to run an Alan National in the past but decided to buy Baroness for the first time.”

“I had the machines on demo and they performed well and they were also good on price. The real decision maker though was the fact that Baroness comes with a 5 year warranty which is substantially more than most other manufacturers who generally only offer 1 or maybe 2 year warranties.”

“The Baroness LM180 replaces an old Alan National which was belt driven. The Baroness has gears and is also more substantial. We use it on the semi rough and it also works well on banks. The fuel efficiency is also generally very good.”

Derek Walder, Reigate Heath Golf Club

Kubota Excavators: U10, U17 & U20
Neil Curtis of Neil Curtis Funeral Services in Barkham, Berkshire runs four U-series Kubota Excavators, which are used for grave digging across Reading and the surrounding areas.

Neil commented “We tend to work in confined spaces and narrow gaps so the U series is made for us. It has no boot on it and is very narrow so is ideal for what we do. We have four machines from 1 tonne up to 2 tonnes, which has more digging power. They are all very reliable and are good on fuel.”

“The most important factor for us is the reliability of these machines as we can’t afford to have a machine breaking down when we are working as the type of work we do cannot be delayed or postponed. We run our machines for 5-7 years and it needs to look the part throughout. Our last one was 5 years old and did 1200 – 1500 hours. It also holds its value well on trade in.”

“Lister Wilder understands the importance of needing our machines to dig a grave to a fixed timescale. If we have a problem, someone will always come out and turn it round in a morning, which is what we need. We need good service and Lister Wilder are always good with us.”
Neil Curtis Funeral Services, Barkham

A Passion for Trees at Beechwood

Beechwood Tree Care are an Arboricultural Association approved Contractor and have been trading for 12 years across the home counties.

Neil Wilson, Managing Director of Beechwood Tree Care commented ‘ We have been running Timberwolf 150DHB chippers for the past 12 years and tracked 190 chippers for the last 6 years. They are very reliable, hard working machines and are great value for money.”

Neil also added “We have been dealing with Lister Wilder for the past six years and they are good people to work with. We get a good price and great back up service from them and when we need spares they are delivered right on time.”
Beechwood Tree Care - Neil Wilson

Cottage Garden Services
Cottage Garden Services commenced trading around 12 years ago, originally as a small one-man band supplying good, friendly, knowledgeable service to large domestic properties, estate and some small contracts. In the last four years the business has grown massively now employing 3 full time staff and a further 2 on a casual basis. They undertake all the original work, hedge cutting and garden maintenance as well as Sports field maintenance and large parish council contracts.
Tony Williams commented “I have dealt with Lister Wilder right from day one and have enjoyed good service and back up at all times which is crucial when we are busy and the machines are under pressure. I know that Lister Wilder can supply the full package. From the initial advice and sales process to parts and service back up. With friendly customer service right the way through the ownership of the machines.”
“We run a number of machines purchased from Lister Wilder, from a Kubota M series pulling a set of Hayter gangs for the sports field work, to our most recent purchase a Toro 360. We bought the Toro, as we know they have an excellent name in the industry for quality and reliability. When tested it proved to be all that and more with excellent capabilities on banked ground and with an excellent turning circle, which improved productivity. Fitted with a rear discharge deck, it will cut through long grass with great results but is just at home on fine turf, which helps keep my varied customer base happy. I would have no hesitation in recommending the 360 to another user. It does everything it says on the tin and more.”
Cottage Garden Services - Tony Williams

Leeds Castle
Leeds Castle in Kent is one of the premier tourist attractions in the garden of England. The castle has a 1200 acre estate which is maintained by Grounds Manager, James McConkie who is responsible for grounds and garden maintenance as well as greenkeeping the 9 hole pay and play golf course.
James McConkie commented “I have dealt with Lister Wilder for over 20 years. I started using Walter Wilders in Reading whilst working on estates in Berkshire, then moved to Kent and had problems as at that time no Lister Wilder depot in the area. I was so pleased when the new branch opened at Ashford, it really made a difference to the demands that the machinery brings here at Leeds Castle. The Ashford branch has definately helped me out in supplying the machinery I require and in vehicle maintenance.”
“We use Kubota compact tractors, which are world leaders in performance and features. The new Kubota has extra power delivery, new features and extra horse-power for the same size as the old Kubota. I would recommend these machines without question."
"We like dealing with Lister Wilder because they provide a friendly, honest service, the staff are very knowledgeable, they know their products and will always go the extra mile to help us out of trouble.”
Leeds Castle - James McConkie

Countrywide Grounds Maintenance
Countrywide Grounds Maintenance has been trading in North Wiltshire and South Gloucestershire and the surrounding areas under the Countrywide franchise for the last 18 years.
Graham Burfoot, Franchisee, has dealt with Lister Wilder for the last 3½ years and runs Kubota and Hayter machinery for grass cutting and grounds maintenance on a wide range of businesses from hospitals lawns through to much rougher sewerage treatment works.
Graham commented “The reason we chose the Kubota G26 sit on mower was due to the following factors:
Versatility – ease of replacing the collector with the rear discharge chute
Power – the ability to collect long grass. Strong and powerful.
Design - Width of cut and overlap of deck giving close cut to fence lines.
I would definitely recommend Kubota machinery as it offers excellent value for money. I also like dealing with Lister Wilder because I get on well with Ian Davies who has a great sense of humour!”
Countrywide Grounds Maintenance - Graham Burfoot

Urban Planters
Reading based Urban Planters supply and maintain plants to local businesses, bars, restaurants, shopping centres and multinationals. They have dealt with Lister Wilder for over 30 years on the agricultural side and for just over a year in horticultural machinery. In addition to using Kubota G23 and G26 grasscutting machinery they use Stihl kit for blowing and hedgecutting. "Urban Planters selected Lister Wilder as their machinery partner for supporting the move into corporate exterior landscape maintenance due to the excellent customer service, high levels of responsiveness, and great after sales service.” Rory Waterer, Managing Director, Urban Planters.
Urban Planters - Rory Waterer

Winter Hill Golf Club
Winter Hill Golf Club in Cookham, Berkshire is owned and run by the John Lewis Partnership. Built in 1976 the course is 6,364 yards in length with a par of 72. The course is maintained using specialised grass cutting and turf maintenance equipment by Duncan Irvin and Chris Nunn. Duncan Irvin, Head Greenkeeper, commented "We have dealt with Lister Wilder since the days of Walter Wilder around 22 years ago. We choose to buy our machinery from Lister Wilder as the range they stock suits our needs and they also provide a great back up service. We use Baroness mowers which we find give great value for money and the quality of the cutting cylinders are superb. We also use the parts and service departments at Lister Wilder when needed and we find Stuart Venn-Dunn, our Lister Wilder Sales representative, very knowledgeable regarding the machinery. He could not do any more to help us than he already does, he’s a great rep!"
Winter Hill Golf Club - Duncan Irvin

Landscape Services (South West) Ltd
Landscape Services (South West) Ltd are a family run business based in Backwell, North Somerset. They have been using Kubota products very successfully for a number of years to carry out many aspects of commercial mowing. General Manager Peter Weston commented that the Kubota product is very reliable and produced a good quality finish. Peter added that he has had an excellent working relationship with Lister Wilder that goes back over 20 years. "We deal with Ian Davies our local area sales manager who has an excellent product knowledge and helpful manner and provides us with demonstrators and information to enable us to choose the correct product."
Landscape Services, Backwell, North Somerset

Bob Bailey Grounds Management
"In all my dealings with the Ockham branch since they opened in 2003 I have felt supported by their interest, knowledge and experience, whether it be in the supply of new equipment or in the effective maintenance of our existing fleet. Richard Ifoulds background and personal approach renders his advice and care much more valuable than sales alone. They understand our industry, the cost and time pressures involved and the value of responsiveness. Support is an often misused word – in this case it is accurately placed."
Bob Bailey - Bob Bailey Grounds Management, Surrey