One of Britain’s best-known stately homes, Harewood House, has purchased two new Massey Ferguson compact tractors to help look after 56ha (140 acres) of ornamental gardens, pleasure grounds and managed woodland.

Home of the Earl and Countess of Harewood, the house was designed by John Carr and completed in 1772 with exquisite interiors by Robert Adam and grounds designed by Lancelot "Capability" Brown. Attracting some 400,000 visitors a year, Harewood is Yorkshire’s most visited country house.

The two Massey Ferguson compact tractors were selected by Harewood’s head gardener, Trevor Nicholson, following a successful demonstration arranged at nearby Bracken Hill Golf Club by local MF specialist grounds care dealer, Bolton Abbey Mowers Ltd of Wharfe View Road, Ilkley, West Yorkshire.

“We needed to replace two ageing tractors of similar horsepower and had a close look at various contenders in the sub-30hp class,” explained Mr Nicholson. “My seven gardeners were involved in the final decision which came down in favour of a 22hp MF1523 and a 28hp MF1528 tractor, the latter fitted with a Lewis front-end loader. Features which impressed were the tractors’ excellent power delivery, manoeuvrability, ease of use and the after-sales service provided by Bolton Abbey Mowers.

“We were mindful also of Massey Ferguson’s long and successful heritage and felt that the marque would make a fitting addition to the fleet used to look after the gardens and grounds of Harewood House.”

Earmarked for a range of general transport and materials handling tasks throughout the year, the two tractors will spend much of their time assisting with the planting, upkeep and general maintenance of Harewood House’s three principal gardens: the Himalayan Garden, the Walled Garden and the Italianate Terrace, the latter laid out by Sir Charles Barry in 1844.

"One thing is for sure,” concluded Mr Nicholson. “The tractors will be kept very busy and will certainly earn their keep helping ensure that the grounds and gardens at Harewood House look at their best at all times for our many visitors from Britain and around the world.”

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About AGCO

Founded in 1990, AGCO Corporation (NYSE: AG) (www.agcocorp.com) is a global manufacturer of agricultural equipment and related replacement parts. AGCO offers a full product line including tractors, combines, hay tools, sprayers, forage, tillage equipment and implements, which are distributed through more than 3,200 independent dealers and distributors in more than 140 countries worldwide. AGCO products include the following well-known brands: AGCO®, Challenger®, Fendt®, Gleaner®, Hesston®, Massey Ferguson®, New Idea®, RoGator®, Spra-Coupe®, Sunflower®, Terra-Gator®, Valtra®, and White™ Planters.  AGCO provides retail financing through AGCO Finance. The company is headquartered in Duluth, Georgia, and in 2006 had net sales of $5.4 billion.
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