Almost three decades of Bomford for Wicklow contractor

Situated on the outskirts of Wicklow town, Richard Woodroofe runs a small contracting business, specialising in hedge-cutting and verge-mowing, as well as making and selling haylage to surrounding stables and equine owners.

With over 40 years of experience in the equine business, 20 years ago Richard got into making haylage, first growing, baling and selling 12 acres worth of bales, to now growing and baling 190 acres, which translates to over 4,000 large square bales, which are mainly sold over the course of the winter period.

Richard also provides a delivery service for his local clients.

During the other times of the year, Richard finds himself on hire, hedge-cutting and cutting grass verges within a 25km radius, stretching as far as north Arklow and to the south of Bray.

Why Bomford?

“When I first set out to buy a hedge cutter in 1995, I had intended to buy a second-hand machine. Knowing I was going to start up some contract work, Denis Kehoe advised me to buy new and take a chance on a shop-soiled Bomford Turner machine he had available.

“It was a Bomford B 58T with a 5.8m reach. It proved a great machine, but its biggest downfall was the light duty head and the rather stiff cable control.”

Having got established, Richard upgraded it for another B 58T after four years, this time with a heavier-duty Pro-Trim belt drive head.

“The new head really made a difference and the cable controls were much freer moving. Bomford was the first brand I saw with a belt drive head, which I liked, given the fact the drive motor was out of the way. The Bomford head always seemed more straightforward when it came to maintenance too.”

Since then, Richard has owned two Falcon 6.5m machines with electric controls followed by a 6.5m Hawk model. Five years ago, the decision was made to upgrade to a machine with a Variable Forward Arm (VFA), one of the first sold in Ireland at the time. Today, Richard is on his second Falcon Evo Telescopic VFA model, which is now approaching one year old. A Bomford Turbo mower Euro 250 is also used for the mowing of grass verges.

Variable forward arm

“I had first stumbled across the Variable Forward Arm concept on the Bomford website and straightaway became interested in the idea. After a visit to the factory in England and to a contractor running a VFA machine, I was convinced of its benefits.

“Being an owner operator and clocking up over 1,000 hours yearly purely hedge-cutting, the additional visibility I felt would be a major benefit. At this point I was running a New Holland T6.145. Like all modern tractors, including my current T6.180, visibility around the rear corner post has become more restricted.”

“With the VFA, the work is right alongside you and more visible given the large glass doors on modern tractors. This is a major improvement in all situations, especially when cutting grass verges, while concentrating for foreign objects and obstructions. Furthermore, the tractor is less prone to being hit with debris,” explained Richard.

Performance

The Falcon Evo Telescpic VFA range is one of Bomford’s flagship models, aimed for the professional contractor. As standard the 6.5m T-VFA is equipped with a 74hp hydraulic pump and 6.5m reach (including 1.1m telescopic reach). The on-board gear-type hydraulic pump is capable of producing 125l/min, which Richard feels has always been adequate. Richard said that the 1.2m Pro-Cut head fitted with the larger 150mm roller, best suits his run of work and that a wider 1.5m head wouldn’t be as nimble at accessing banks and certain areas. He stated also that the larger roller is more effective and rolls easier given its larger diameter.

Having spent a long number of years running T-flails he now runs a single sided Match Cut 60mm flail.

“The T-flails are meant to be reversible in theory but in reality, they aren’t. When the leading edge wears, the following edge takes the brunt and tends to leave a rough finish on a hedge. What’s more, I cut a lot of grass verges and areas within caravan parks where the Match flail is better suited.

One set of flails will do me 12 months. I replace the full set of 32 around October when the hedges around the stubble fields have been cut. By this stage vegetation has generally begun to die off leaving it easier to spot stones and avoid damaging a new set,” Richard strategically outlined.

Now running a six-cylinder T6.180 Auto Command tractor, Richard further improves stability with a front weight and a water filled right hand rear tyre which alone he said adds 750kg.

Controls and Comfort

Richard opts for the Intelligent Control System (ICS) 4, which uses an electronic proportional joystick to control all major head and arm functions. A small TFT screen displays all machine vitals including work hours, oil temperature and speed adjustment. Both head and arm float features are engaged on the ICS panel also. After years of experience with the tried and tested ICS, Richard can’t fault it.

Three years ago, Richard upgraded to a new New Holland T6.180 Auto Command Blue Power model, the 11th new tractor purchased from local dealer, William Foster Ltd. With 5,500 trouble free hours clocked up, he feels that it is an excellent tractor for the job.

“I always felt that a CVT would suit hedge-cutting as it eliminates the need for shifting gears. The control over the tractor’s speed is excellent. Between the VFA, the CVT transmission and comfort of the cab, I’d leave the cab after a long day’s cutting in much better form and less tired than what I used to when there were less comfort aids.”

Modifications

With many thousand hours of hedge-cutting under his belt, Richard has made some tweaks which he feels improve the job. The first is a modification to the axle brackets whereby he has made a linkage and shackle that attaches to both lift arms, improving stability and the ease of mounting the hedge-cutter. The second is a wedge bracket to support the main arm in transport position and to prevent it hitting the tractor cab. Richard also modified the transport support bracket for the head so that it no longer sticks out as much. Having broken a hydraulic system bleed valve on the arm with a large tree limb, Richard fabricated a heavier steel cover to better shield the valves. He also fabricated a bracket to carry road signs and cones.

Furthermore, he added an extension to the accelerator pedal in the tractor to better suit his driving position when cutting.

Verdict

The quality in the product and support from Kehoes as well as IAM (Irish Bomford distributor) direct are main factors why Richard has stuck with the brand consistently since 1995 and bought seven new machines over the years.

“As my brother summed up once, ‘it doesn’t so much matter about the colour of the bonnet, but more so the dealer sticker on the bonnet’. And he’s right. Any of the small issues I’ve had over the years were sorted in hours having just made a phone call.

“The move to the VFA in recent years has been a game changer in terms of comfort and visibility. It’s a more costly option but one that’s certainly worth it. At 65, I’d probably sooner retire than revert to a machine with a standard arm, it really does make that much of a difference!

“The only slight downside to the VFA is when cutting the side of a hedge on full forward extension. A backwards movement is also an outward movement which can affect the finish on a hedge. But this is easily enough avoided once known.

“The Auto Command CVT allows me to get the most out of the hedge-cutter. Making fine adjustments to forward speed is just so much easier,” Richard stated.

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