Yamaha’s UMX AC light utility vehicles have proved a hit with Adam Smith, the Head of Grounds and Gardens at Bishop’s Stortford College in Hertfordshire.
He and his team now have three of these electric-powered workhorses for estate management duties, while the Catering team have two, which are used for delivering food and beverages to the various houses and to outlying areas of the campus. The Maintenance team have recently taken delivery of their own unit with an enclosed carry box for transporting tools, cables and other necessary equipment.
“Prior to getting the UMX’s we were using golf buggies adapted with a cargo box and tow bar,” he said, “but they weren’t really fit for purpose; their traction under load was poor and they had limited carrying capacity.
“We demoed most of the competitor machines and Yamaha came out on top. They were not the cheapest option, but they were far and away the best, with a good towing capacity, excellent storage in the side boxes and bonnet, sturdily built and with a very comfortable ride.
“We have three UMX’s for the Grounds and Gardens team and they are excellent workhorses carrying leaves, mulch, topdressing, tools and hand mowers around the school estate. The carrying capacity is just over 360kg and the aluminium cargo bed is a generous size with a one-touch tailgate latch. Storage is an important consideration, as the team need to keep their smaller tools dry in inclement weather, and the storage space under the bonnet is very good.
“We also use them as the tow vehicles for our ground-driven sweeper on our two Astroturf pitches. At 100 x 70 metres, they are large areas to keep clear of debris, but the UMX’s are certainly up to the task.
“Summing up, they are quiet, which is ideal in a school environment, comfortable, easily maintained, good on artificial surfaces, sturdily constructed, have a very good carrying capacity and the LED headlights are excellent, especially in the winter months. They tick all the boxes!”
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