Kubota makes the grade at Christ’s Hospital School
From a large 90hp tractor to a a nippy 17hp utility vehicle, the orange liveried influence of Kubota at Christ’s Hospital School near Horsham in Sussex is very evident. Less obvious but very much key to the maintenance of the grounds is the influence of Lister Wilder, who supply not just Kubota but a variety of other machines and tools of all sizes.
Dating all the way back to the 1550s when it was granted a royal charter, Christ’s is a proudly independent boarding school with total grounds stretching to some 1,200 acres that are lovingly tended by Grounds Manager Neil Wenham and a team of 11.
“It’s a diverse and enjoyable experience looking after grounds like these,” says Neil. “You might be grass cutting all day one day and hedge cutting the next. We also devote a lot of time to setting out the sports pitches and to the termly change-overs from one sport to another.”
From fine lawns to rugged football and rugby pitches, grass cutting is a big preoccupation and one that Neil says has become all the more time consuming given the prevalence of warm, wet winters.
Covering a lot of ground at a reasonable speed has become increasingly important on the sports pitches and is a role fulfilled by a 50hp Kubota L2-522 pulling anything from trailers to Trimax Snake rotary mowers, Ryetec P1800C flail collector, Sisis Quadraplay and a VeriDrain. Meanwhile, a 90hp Kubota M5 tractor contributes in particular on the estates side of the school’s grounds with as flail hedge cutter attachment and is also often seen providing the motive power for a Trimax Warlord flail mower.
Given the sheer size of its estate, the school also needs to move members of its grounds team plus their light tools and materials around the site. That role is divided between Kubota RTC utility vehicles at two sizes. Two RTV-X1110s with powerful 24.2 HP Kubota three-cylinder diesel engines typically pull trailers and transport mowers. Thanks to a unique drive train arrangement, the X1110 goes where other utility vehicles can’t. With rapid acceleration and gripping traction, it can stop and resume climbing without the need for braking.
People carrying is the speciality of the smaller RTV520 with its two-cylinder petrol engine. Neil believers it’s particular strengths will come into play as the school takes delivery of a new all-weather running track in the summer of 2025 when light equipment will need to be moved quickly into place.
The volume of groundcare equipment needed to maintain the beautiful surrounds of Christ’s Hospital School are considerable, and Neil puts a lot of faith in the combination of Kubota and Lister Wilder.
“Most of our grounds machines come from Lister Wilder and the company has had a good relationship with the school that goes back before I joined a year ago,” says Neil. “Kubota is a brand I have used previously and the guys here are really happy with it. We look for competitive prices and reliable machines and we get that from Lister Wilder and Kubota.”
