Taking the number on their fleet up to six and supplied through the Belfast Cyril Johnston dealership, the Northern Ireland Western Education & Library Board has now taken delivery of a further two 28hp diesel powered Shibaura compact SG280 slope mowers.

Speaking for the board, Procurement Officer Hugh McCallan said, “we took our first SG280 following an accident in North Antrim. We needed to reassess the suitability of our equipment for working on more difficult terrain. Our remit was to source tractors that were certified as safe when working up to 30 degree angles and this led us to the compact SG280.

They are used right across our area maintaining education authority property and   have proved to our satisfaction they are a robust and reliable machine. Their performance, capability and safety is second to none. The 26 litre fuel tank gives us more efficient working and the fully adjustable horizontal rolling seat to compensate for working angle is a real hit with our operatives. At some point in the future we may well be adding more Shibauras to our fleet”

Paul Butterly, Managing Director of FGM Claymore Ltd, UK Distributor for the Shibaura compact ride-on tractor range says, “The Shibaura compact professional brand is recognized for offering added value and we are seeing sustained tractor sales growth in the UK.  If I could describe the Shibaura in a few words it would be reliability and performance. The feed-back we get from end users is extremely positive”

Simon Richard the UK Sales Agent for the Shibaura compact range said, “although the SG280E is a purpose-built 28hp diesel 4WD mower designed specifically for mowing on steep terrain, it is equally at home on the flat. 0perator comfort is a priority and well catered for with low noise and low vibration levels and the high range two wheel drive delivers ground speeds of up to 18km/hr and productivity performance of up to 3.5 acres per hour.

 The Shibaura SG280 slope mower complies with all current emission regulations and weighs in at 890kg, with 443kg to the front and 447kg to the rear.  This solid 50 - 50 weight distribution, allied to the 1500mm wheel base and low centre of gravity gives stability and safety of operation in the most demanding areas. Find out more at www.slopemower.co.uk