Access and transportation are often the biggest challenges in grounds maintenance and site clearance. For Pro Grounds Maintenance based in Stoke-on-Trent finding a machine that could reach difficult sites while remaining easy and secure to transport was essential.
After first seeing the Ohashi chipper at GroundsFest Andrew and James Perry booked a demonstration. Following the demo they made the decision to invest in an Ohashi machine and it has quickly become a key part of their operation.
The Challenge
The main issue Pro Grounds Maintenance needed to solve was transportation. Much of their work takes place in locations where towing a trailer is either impractical or undesirable.
Their projects often involve:
- Remote locations with limited parking
- Canal towpaths with narrow access routes
- Restricted pedestrian access and small bridges
- Residential and commercial sites with tight entry points
Being able to transport the chipper inside a Transit van was critical. Van transport improved accessibility while also offering greater security compared to using a trailer.
As Andrew explains:
“The ability to transport it in a van was essential due to some of the locations we work at. Remote locations with limited parking made transport in a van perfect from an accessibility and security perspective.”
The Solution
The Ohashi chipper delivered exactly what was required. Its compact design allows it to fit inside a van while still offering impressive performance on site.
The machine has proven particularly effective on canal towpath works where narrow paths restricted access would previously have been a major issue. It has also performed well on residential properties and commercial sites where space is limited.
Unexpectedly, the team has also used the Ohashi on larger site clearance projects.
“Due to the performance, we’ve also used it on sites we wouldn’t have expected to. We anticipated hiring a much larger unit but decided to use the Ohashi and it coped absolutely fine.”
This has helped reduce hire costs while increasing flexibility.
Ease of Use and Reliability
The simplicity of the Ohashi design has been another major benefit.
“Very easy to use and operate. Any problems we’ve had were easily sorted due to the straightforward and thoughtful design.”
The only issues encountered were related to clogging caused by water soaked timber which was quickly resolved. Day-to-day operation has been trouble-free.
Real Benefits on Site
Since adding the Ohashi to their fleet Pro Grounds Maintenance has seen clear benefits:
- Improved access to difficult sites
- Reduced labour by avoiding long distance dragging of waste
- Cost savings by reducing the need to hire larger machines
“It’s solved several issues for us in terms of getting a chipper onto difficult sites and helped avoid dragging waste considerable distances.”
Would They Recommend Ohashi?
Yes without hesitation.
“We would have no concerns recommending it.”
The reasons include:
- Excellent service and support
- Simple and well thought out design
- Outstanding access and transport capability
- Strong and reliable performance
Final Thoughts
Seeing the Ohashi chipper in action at GroundsFest was the starting point for Pro Grounds Maintenance. Today the machine is transported securely inside a van and is successfully tackling a wide range of challenging sites.
For contractors facing access and transport issues the Ohashi range offers a practical and proven solution.