Bobcat after-sales attention really stood out for this hobby farmer. Selling good equipment is only part of great service.
George Michael has a hobby farm at Bilpin, an idyllic rural community in the foothills of the Blue Mountains to Sydney’s northwest. An accountant by day, George cares for the 25-acre property and its sheep, alpacas, fruit and nut trees in his spare time, both as investment and for the enjoyment.
It’s not George’s first hobby farm, but this one is bigger, both in area and commitment, than his previous smallholding, and that had George looking at his alternatives for running and maintaining the place.
Stepping up
“This property is more country-style. It’s a bit rougher, and there’s a bit more maintenance and upkeep than the previous farm,” George explained during a leisurely conversation with Landscape Contractor, “and we decided rather than paying contractors, we’d do the work ourselves.”
That strategy meant some investment in suitable and economically viable machinery, and George turned to Clark Equipment at nearby Heatherbrae. George was already the happy owner of a Bobcat ZT3000 zero turn, and the experience left him with a favourable opinion of the Bobcat brand.
When you’re on a good thing
After some very helpful guidance from Aaron Becroft at Clark Equipment, George found himself the owner of a ZT6100 zero turn and a CT4045 compact tractor, and while he’s not a professional operator, he’s certainly a very happy one.
“The ZT6100 is a more commercialstandard, heavy-duty mower than the 3000, and that’s been great on the new property,” he explained. “There’s a lot more mowing to do now.
“The ZT6100 has the same size deck as the ZT3000, but it has a bigger fuel capacity, a more comfortable seat, a bigger engine, bigger wheels…” he trailled off in apparent bliss.
“What about the CT4045?” we asked, reluctant to intrude on his happy musing.
George brightened immediately and gave us the rundown on the Bobcat compact tractor and the attachments he’s using.
“It’s really good,” he beamed. “It’s easy to use, comfortable, and very reliable. And for someone who’s never driven a tractor before, I found it very easy to operate.”
Before he could slip into another happy reverie we asked about any attachments.
“We have the four-in-one bucket, an auger, forks, and we also have a log splitter which attaches to the rear and PTO,” he ticked them off.
“We’ve been using the auger to build shelters for the sheep,” George continued. “We also move bales of lucerne on the forks, and level the ground after removing trees with the bucket. We use it to move mulch.” He thought for a second then finished up with, “We also have three wood fireplaces, so the log splitter gets plenty of use.”
Good people
By that stage of the conversation we were well jealous of what sounded like a fantastic property and great machinery.
But George’s satisfaction with the situation didn’t end there.
“The service and after-sales service from Clark Equipment is very, very good,” he confided. “The people are very reliable and very supportive – especially knowing I’ve never operated a tractor before. Aaron from Clark Equipment spent a lot of time teaching me and taking my phone calls afterwards. He’s just been great.”
There’s no doubt George has found himself an ideal sanctuary to enjoy, and well-suited machinery to groom and maintain his property.
But it was the service and after-sales care which really won his highest praise. He summed it up when he said of Clark Equipment: “It’s nice to see there’s still genuine people out there who’ll take the time to assist, teach and help you on the journey.”
Click here to see the Bobcat range of machinery and attachments.