The all-new Profihopper range from Amazone offers the ultimate in flexibility with its 5 machines-in-1 approach to turfcare. CPS Grounds Ltd have been running one of the first 4WDi machines to be delivered; six months on, find out how they have been getting on with that steering wheel!

We were looking for a machine that would make a statement to our customers about our business’ Chris Richardson, Director of CPS Grounds Ltd volunteers ‘And the Amazone 4WDi has certainly done just that, without a doubt, it really is a fantastic bit of kit!’

CPS Grounds Ltd, professional grounds maintenance contractors and employing more than 30 staff from Warmley, Bristol, specialise in every aspect of green area maintenance and have been running one of the new Amazone Profihopper four-wheel-drives since the past few months. Launched at Saltex in September, this new generation Profihopper offers a steering wheel instead of the usual lever-steer set-up and is available in either 2 or 4 wheel drive. Chris went on to explain ‘We had been using Amazone Groundkeeper mounted flail collectors for years and so we knew the potential that the Exact Cut rotor has to offer in terms of its cutting & collecting ability, plus its versatility, and so we saw the Profihopper as the obvious successor’.

The new generation Profihoppers feature the new PowerCompactor cutting deck with its substantially bigger auger system that gives it the ability to transfer now twice the grass of the previous model. This means faster forward speeds and thus higher work rates plus the ability to work cleaner in those areas of long grass, such as wild flower meadows, that are cut just once a year. Power still comes from the 24.5hp Lombardini FOCS 3-cylinder diesel, but this is now remounted to provide a simplified drive-line and reduced noise levels. The high-lift hopper now gives more reach and also tips further back to utilise the trailer load area better. For those used to the BigBag system, the 4WDi will tip its hopper contents into a big bag for collection later by Hiab or forklift.

CPS Grounds Ltd cover about 105 sites all over the Bristol, Bath and surrounding areas and so what was needed was something that was easily transported from location to location and then, once on site, offered complete flexibility in what it could do. CPS Grounds Ltd specialise on maintaining school premises with a strong emphasis on sports provision with numerous sports clubs taking advantage of their expertise and, for example, at their peak, will be marking out about 270 football, hockey and rugby pitches a week. ‘We offer a comprehensive service that includes flower beds right through to artificial pitch maintenance’ Chris continues ‘And the Profihopper can play a part in virtually every aspect of our job; it can scarify and collect, we even did the cricket squares in the autumn with it. It will also mow leaving a fine lawn finish with that nice striped effect as well as leaf collection, litter picking and tidying up after the hedge cutter or spring bulb tops. The brilliant manoeuvrability with the rear caster wheel steering means it turns on a sixpence and so there is never a problem getting it into all those awkward places, and believe you me, we can find them in our job. And to the future? Chris goes on ‘We think potentially we can also think about using the machine on artificial pitches, the precise contour following of the out-front cutting deck with its exceptional collecting ability gives us the opportunity to clear leaves and debris from Astros as well, as I said at the start, it really is the perfect tool for our type of business’.

Click here for more info on the new Profihoppr range