Looking closely at budgets

There are two ways of cutting costs when it comes to investing in agricultural cleaning equipment, and Uckfield-based Pressure Clean can help farming businesses with both of them.

Not only can the long-established business provide expert servicing to keep existing pressure washers and other cleaning equipment performing at its best for as long as possible, but it can also supply new machines that offer particularly good value.

“We know that farmers and growers are looking closely at budgets at the moment, and price is increasingly being brought up in conversations around replacement cleaning equipment,” said Gary Fielding, who runs the well-respected business with wife Donna.

“That’s why we have looked carefully at what’s out there and have found new machines that offer the same quality and performance as established models but at a more affordable price.”

Those machines include the Karcher Classic range and Nilfisk’s Viper brand, both of which offer slightly less sophisticated equipment that nonetheless benefits from the build quality and reliability associated with these top name brands.

Viper’s ROS1300 ride on sweeper, which sums itself up as “simple, rugged and affordable”, is a case in point and has proved to be an ideal solution for cleaning potato sheds and grain stores.

Viper claims the low maintenance model is “designed for optimum productivity”, with long battery run time and just one button to start the main broom, side brooms and vacuum fan.

“What’s particularly impressive is that as well as being a lower cost option than many other machines, Viper has included many of the features that are often priced as extras, including two side brushes. It really does offer great value at a time when value is more important than ever,” commented Gary.

Karcher’s Classic range of pressure washers features a number of smaller, cold water machines that bridge the gap between domestic washers and commercial equipment at an entry level price point. “When you need to upgrade from a domestic machine while keeping an eye on the budget, the Classic range is ideal,” Gary said.

The HD 4/10 X Classic boasts a ten-metre integrated high pressure industrial hose, an operating pressure of 100 bar and a flow rate of 400 litres an hour. With automatic pressure relief, a retractable handle and robust wheels, it’s an ideal entry level machine, while the brass pump head is a reassuring upgrade over a domestic pressure washer.

Karcher also offers a range of petrol-driven, cold water-filled Classic pressure washers that can be filled either from a hose or by using suction from a tank or other water supply. The range runs from the HD 6/15 G Classic, with an operating pressure of 150 bar and a flow rate of 600 litres/hr through to the HD 9/25 G Classic, which has a working pressure of 250 bar and a flow rate of 900 litres/hr.

Every model in the range benefits from outstanding mobility, an ergonomic design, a robust tubular steel frame and the flexibility offered by a petrol-driven machine.

One range that has proved Increasingly popular recently, especially amongst those for whom red diesel is no longer an option, is the MAC International Plantmaster line-up of electrically heated static pressure washers.

The Plantmaster range can live outside in a lagged, stainless steel tank, which keeps frost at bay and allows quick and easy ‘drive up and turn on’ operation. They offer particularly good value for farmers and growers with access to their own solar PV-generated electricity.

Emission free, always a bonus for those looking to enhance their environmental credentials, the three-phase electric machines with electrically heated water tanks have a working pressure of between 160 and 200 bar, depending on the model, and a flow rate of between 780 and 1,100 litres/hr.

For those whose goal is to keep their existing machines going for as long as possible or make sure new equipment enjoys a long and productive life, Pressure Clean has a highly trained and responsive team of engineers out on the road as well as a busy in-house engineer at the company’s showroom and parts department on the Bell Brook Industrial Estate in Uckfield.

“A lot of farmers and growers are looking to maintain their equipment better these days because it makes economic sense,” said Gary. “And we have a skilled team that can do that cost effectively.

“We are also finding our service agreements are popular at the moment as it means owners can relax in the knowledge that maintenance and repairs are covered for a known, fixed sum.”

Pressure Clean will be displaying a range of cleaning equipment on its stand at the Farm Expo event being organised by Kent County Agricultural Society at the Kent Showground on Wednesday 1 March.