Grounds for growth

1 February 2021

A shift from plant hire towards the ground care hire market has paid dividends for an Exeter-based business.

Chipper Hire (SW) was established in 2015 and now offers much more than wood chippers, including stump grinders, tracked access platforms, ground protection mats and other items for tree surgeons and landscapers.

Diggers and dumpers are also available, reflecting the operation’s plant hire origins. “This gives us year-round business opportunities,” said managing director Col Bachmann.

The company has a significant fleet of GreenMech chippers, and other machines available include Avant compact loaders and Grillo mowers. The majority are two years old or less.

A recent addition is a B20 stump grinder made by the Danish manufacturer FSI, supplied by distributor David Evans Agriculture Ltd (DEAL).

“Some other grinders are heavy, cumbersome and expensive for use on smaller stumps,” said Col. “The B20 is the best pedestrian machine I’ve seen and feedback from customers has been very positive. It’s compact, lightweight and manoeuvrable.”

The machine has independent brakes so it can be moved into position and secured in place. The chassis is separate from the engine mounting and cutting arm to give precise operation.

Chipper Hire (SW) serves customers over a wide area that encompasses Devon, Dorset, Cornwall, Gloucester and South Wales. And its vehicles and machines sport a very distinctive livery.

DEAL, which is based at Llancarfan in the Vale of Glamorgan, is introducing other grounds care and landscaping machines to the hire market, including CAST compact loaders manufactured in Italy.