Easter Open Hours

Please see our open hours for the Easter Bank Holiday weekend. Wishing you all a Happy Easter!

Easter Open Hours Here.

Out of Hours Contacts here.

Following completion of the purchase of Smart Ag Services, Hunt Forest Group are pleased to announce effective 15 March 2021 that Smarts will be Kramer dealers for their existing John Deere area of responsibility. This decision helps align the business with its parent company so that customers experience more consistency across the trading area.

JCB decided to terminate the dealer agreement held by Smarts following the purchase of the company, leaving many customers questioning why JCB would immediately disrupt the support which many rely on.

“During the transition of the business to Hunt Forest, it was planned to continue with all of Smarts suppliers and it is a surprise that JCB should take such a dramatic decision when Smarts remain in business and our wish was to continue what I considered to be a very successful relationship” comments Colin Smart

“We are a business that is well known for customer satisfaction and outstanding support, which partnering franchises have without doubt benefited from to build excellent levels of market share. The product is only part of the story and Smarts as a business have been instrumental in the success of JCB with market share well in excess of 65%”.

Although the agreement to supply JCB machines ended on the 12 March, JCB has requested Smarts continue to supply parts and service support and warranty coverage through its network of technicians for the next 6 months.

Paul Burnett, Business Development Director of Hunt Forest said “In Kramer we have a highly reliable and quality product that we excel with in our current area and using this recipe of staff attitude, knowledge and understanding of what customer support really means, I have no doubt Smarts can replicate that success with Kramer.

After completing a business wide product roadshow for all staff, we are in great shape to hit the ground running and very much look forward to inviting new and existing customers to experience the Kramer product” adds Paul. “The company has a large level of stock with demonstrators available and all HFG machines also are supplied in special colours to signify that we can offer that something a little different. To prove that, we will support all new sales with a 4 year or 4000hr warranty funded by Hunt Forest as an introductory offer until July”

Extended KUHN coverage in Somerset following Hunt Forest Group acquisition of Smart Ag Services

Sales, servicing and spare parts back-up for KUHN equipment will now be available at the Inwood Farm depot at Nether Stowey, Bridgwater, following the agreement for Hunt Forest Group to acquire Smart Ag Services Ltd.

Hunt Forest Group, a leading John Deere dealership, has been a major supplier of KUHN Farm Machinery’s full agricultural and amenity ranges since the merger of R. Hunt Ltd and New Forest Farm Machinery in 2018. This latest acquisition by Hunt Forest Group allows extended coverage for the KUHN offering in Somerset.

“Having now fully completed the acquisition of Smart Ag Services, we are delighted to be able to further our partnership with KUHN into our expanded area,” comments Paul Burnett, Business Development Director at Hunt Forest Group.

“The drive and enthusiasm shown by KUHN and its employees makes them a perfect partner for us. As a John Deere dealer, quality and reliability, good residual value, plus high end technology, are things we have become accustomed to and with KUHN, we find a lot of commonality which forms the basis an excellent relationship.

“Customers can benefit from a full suite of machines that help achieve more, in a cost-effective way, supported by a full team of experienced people both in our business and at manufacturer level. I am confident the Nether Stowey team, coupled with the ethics of Hunt Forest Group, will go from strength to strength and help us grow the KUHN business together in the area.”

Siân Pritchard, Managing Director of KUHN UK adds: “We’re delighted to be able to make the KUHN brand more accessible to customers in Somerset and to strengthen our relationship with Hunt Forest Group.  Hunt Forest’s expertise and professional approach to sales and aftersales support in the farming and groundscare sectors is highly compatible with that of KUHN UK.”

Situated in the village of Brockenhurst in the New Forest National Park, Brokenhurst Manor Golf Club is one of Hampshire’s finest woodland/heathland courses. The club likes to point out that theirs is the correct and original spelling although it is pronounced the same as with the c, which was added to the railway station name in the 19^th century by mistake and stuck.

The club hosted the first of last summer’s eight Rose Ladies Series tournaments, sponsored by Justin Rose. This was held in June just five weeks after re-opening following a 10-week lockdown, when the greenkeeping team was only doing essential maintenance to keep the course tidy. The idea for the series came from club member and Ladies European Tour player Liz Young, who was beaten by Charley Hull in a play-off at the inaugural event.

It was the pre-tournament support that club manager Kevin Light and course manager Kevan Glass received from John Deere’s local turf dealer Hunt Forest Group, particularly groundscare sales & golf specialist Andy Johnson and golf demonstrator Rob Patrick, that contributed to the decision to sign Brokenhurst Manor’s first ever fleet package deal using a John Deere Financial contract lease arrangement.

As a result, the club’s greenkeeping team now uses a 7500A PrecisionCut fairway mower, two 2653B tees & surrounds mowers, TX Turf and TE electric Gator utility vehicles, a ProGator equipped with a Charterhouse top dresser and a 5075E utility tractor on low ground pressure tyres, plus ancillary equipment including a tractor trailer, a Campey TB 220 brush and a Tru-Turf greens roller.

“Our previous five-year contract was up for renewal in the summer, and the decision to change to John Deere was influenced by a number of things,” says Kevin Light, who has been manager for three years. “Chief among these was that Andy and Rob were very forthcoming with loan machines for testing, demonstrations and tournament support. Both John Deere and the dealership did a very professional job all the way through this period and were really helpful when we needed it.”

“We’ve run John Deere tractors here for 20 years, used Gators before and know the 2653 utility mowers well, but the A Model fairway mower and the Tru-Turf roller were firsts for us,” adds Kevan Glass. “We managed to stay positive through the initial lockdown period and utilised the time as well as we could. Along with the new kit, we were able to get quite a few extra jobs done and ticked a number of boxes while we were shut.

“There are not a lot of clubs like this one, with the forest all around us – the natural beauty of the woodland feeds onto the golf course, it’s very tranquil and provides great views all the way round. However, with a clay subsoil and situated on a flood plain, it can be a hard job keeping it in top condition. Nowadays people want the full golf course experience, they don’t want tee mats and temporary greens during the winter months for example, so it’s definitely more of a challenge than it was 10 or 20 years ago.”

Since Kevin Light took over as club manager, a number of other significant changes have been made and there is a waiting list for members. “We have a great team here now, with Kevan and the greenkeepers, our bar manager Kevin Casswell and club pro Jason MacNiven, who is one of the UK’s leading club fitters, all working together rather than as separate entities,” he says.

“As a members club run primarily for our members, we know what people want to see the club evolve into. However, the whole place is a lot more social these days, and I’d like to think more welcoming to visitors. We are now looking forward to hosting another important tournament, the Brabazon Trophy Southern Qualifier, in May if permitted, and I believe the club can continue to grow and prosper, despite what we’ve all had to go through in 2020 and early 2021.”

Photo caption:

Brokenhurst Manor Golf Club, John Deere and dealer Hunt Forest Group personnel with the club’s new machinery fleet.

John Deere has announced its new 9R Series tractor range, headed by the 691 (maximum) hp flagship models 9R 640 and 9RX 640. The latest 9R, 9RT and 9RX machines have not only been made stronger and more efficient, but also more intelligent. Operators and farm managers will benefit from their increasing connectivity and automation features.

All the tractors use the same new and highly fuel-efficient 13.6-litre John Deere engine as the X9 combines, except for the top of the range 640hp (rated) models which are still powered by the proven 15-litre Cummins engine. The six-cylinder John Deere engine with its HPCR fuel injection system has been developed to operate more efficiently, with noise levels reduced by up to 50 per cent. In order to transfer the enormous engine power to the ground, all models offer additional ballasting options that allow a gross weight of 30.4 tonnes.

In addition to their tremendous power, the new tractors have become smarter. The StarFire 6000 receiver is integrated into the cab roof and is included as standard, along with the large 4600 CommandCenter display, full AEF ISOBUS compatibility and AutoTrac activation. John Deere also offers a full activation package for maximum automation at an additional price of just £1425. This includes Turn Automation, Section Control, Variable Rate Control, Passive Implement Guidance, In-Field Data Sharing, Machine Sync and now also new AutoPath row guidance.

John Deere’s new AutoSetup allows farmers and contractors to pre-schedule jobs in the customer’s personalised Operations Center. Jobs appear automatically on the cab display when the machine enters the field and the operator only has to confirm with a single button click. The system supports settings such as client, farm, field, field boundaries, tracks, implement widths/offsets, products, application rates, site specific applications, documentation settings and operator name.

Once the job is completed, all data can be transferred wirelessly to the Operations Center. AutoSetup not only saves up to 90 per cent of setting up time in the field, but also provides clear documentation and avoids errors and data losses.

In the field operators will appreciate the extremely comfortable ride. This is a result of not only the individually developed suspension systems for the 9R, 9RT and 9RX but also the new cab. John Deere’s exclusive HydraCushion front axle suspension is now available for all 9R Series models, while the new cab features are the same as those introduced on the new 7R and 8R Series tractors launched at Agritechnica 2019.

The second generation ActiveSeat is available with leather trim, heating, active air circulation, massage function and various adjustable seat settings. A top quality 6.5in DAB+ touchscreen radio with 6.1 sound system provides state-of-the-art infotainment and is compatible with Apple CarPlay, while LED lighting provides excellent visibility. Thanks to the reduced size of the exhaust aftertreatment system and optional cameras, visibility on all sides has been further improved.

Besides their extra performance, automation and comfort, the new 9R Series tractors have been developed with the aim of maximising reliability and reducing operating costs even further. Among many other enhancements the e18 transmission, axles, track drives and chassis have been significantly reinforced for higher capacity and productivity.

In order to reduce maintenance effort and cost, many service intervals have been extended – for example, the new fan is now serviced every 5000 hours, the same as the torsional damper. Reflecting the tractors’ reliability, John Deere has doubled the standard factory warranty to two years or 2000 hours. In addition, the optional PowerGard Protection/Plus warranty extension terms are now even more cost-effective, reaching up to eight years or 8000 hours.

John Deere’s state of the art dealer Connected Support solutions also ensure maximum uptime. With Expert Alerts, potential machine damage can be predicted and the likelihood of expensive repairs can be reduced or completely avoided, as well as any unplanned downtime.

New John Deere 9R Series model line-up:

The new look, feel and navigation of the John Deere Operations Center make it easier to use and provide a more consistent user experience with the latest mobile version.

The established MyOperations App for smartphones and tablets has been renamed Operations Center mobile and pairs well with the Operations Center web version. Both provide users with an all-inclusive farm management tool. Another improvement is the addition of Work Planner, which is now a key feature of the new AutoSetup system that allows farmers to streamline their work set-up and help operators start working more quickly in the field.

Farmers already use the popular Operations Center to collect and securely store their field, crop and machine data from their connected machines for easy analysis and to aid decision making. To meet the constantly changing demands of the business of farming, the improved Operations Center is designed to bring more clarity and organisation to farm data management.

It can help farmers set up, plan, monitor and analyse their data to make sound business decisions using the following features:

• Setup uses a JDLink connection and the Operations Center to synchronise the farm’s data, saving time while eliminating possible data entry errors.
• Plan uses a Generation 4 Display with the Work Planner feature to improve efficiency through increased accuracy.
• Monitor, with a JDLink connection and the new Home and Map tabs, helps farmers keep a watchful eye on their entire operation to ensure quality and efficiency, even when they’re away from the farm.
• The new Analyze tab in the Operations Center helps farmers turn this year’s results into next year’s decisions.

“We know today’s farmers are always on the move, which makes the app version of Operations Center more important than ever,” says Peter Koch, John Deere’s Digital Technology Marketing Manager. “That’s why John Deere has improved both web and mobile versions, to make them look more alike and function in a similar manner.”

To get the most from John Deere Precision Ag technologies, Peter Koch suggests farmers need the following:

• a Generation 4 CommandCenter display that gives farmers more precise control of machine functions from the cab;
• a StarFire receiver to ensure accurate positioning;
• JDLink telematics, which serves as the wireless connection between machines and streams data from the Gen4 display to the Operations Center.

Using the Operations Center’s new Work Planner feature, farmers can now preload all their display information so operators no longer need to complete this step once they are in the cab.

The improved Operations Center is now live, and new customers can create an account online or download the Operations Center mobile app from the Google Play or Apple App Stores. Existing users will automatically receive all updates in both Operations Center web and mobile versions. More information about the new Operations Center is available from John Deere dealers or by visiting John Deere Operations Center.

We are going to be having disruption to our phone lines across 4 of our branches this week.

We are hoping this will be for around 30 minutes in the morning, if not these are the contact details to help you.

We thank you in advance for your patience.

Monday – North Warnborough:

Service/Parts: 07950 442 640

Sales: 07392 090 272

Tuesday – Blashford:

Service: 07973 801 896

Parts: 07971 088 385

Sales: 07471 997 144

Wednesday – Tilshead:

Service: 07766 900 001

Parts: 07780 703 514

Sales: 07880 550 331

Thursday – Isle of Wight:

Service/Parts: 07940 389 291

Sales: 07377 451 373

A well-maintained lawn is always a welcome sight, and never more so than now. John Deere is introducing new features to its X100 Series range of lawn tractors for 2021, along with updates to the X300 and X500 Series, and three new ZTrak zero-turn ride-on mowers.

All six models in the X100 range incorporate the stylish new bonnet design. The hydrostatic transmission and side-by side pedals enable the operator to change direction without raising a foot, making them very comfortable to operate. The grass collector bag has been redesigned for easier emptying and cleaning. Standard on the X117R, X147R and X167R lawn tractors, the collector is available as an option on the X107, X127 and X167 side-discharge models.

The car-style dashboard now includes an easy-to-read fuel gauge on the X127 and X167 models. A new open back seat on selected models in the range offers enhanced comfort, especially on hot days.

All X300 and X500 Series lawn tractors for 2021 benefit from more powerful engines which enable them to handle steeper slopes and speeds up mowing in larger areas, as well as improved snow blowing performance in winter. The X354, X370 and X380 models comes with a new style high back seat that delivers a higher level of comfort and support.

Three new Z500 zero-turn ride-on mowers also join the John Deere line-up for 2021. The Z515E, Z530M and top of the range Z545R all deliver outstanding agility for fast mowing, especially around obstacles and on uneven ground. All three machines feature deep decks with a cutting width of 122cm (48in) and a wide discharge chute for excellent grass distribution even at high ground speeds. A robust frame and roll over protection (ROPS) are standard on all models.

The Z545R benefits from an electric fuel injection engine with electronic hand throttle and integrated LED lighting (standard on R and optional on E and M models).

Following on from the success of limited edition black machines from Kramer, you can now own a Hunt Forest Group Black edition Kramer at no extra cost.

Help your machine or business stand out from the crowd, in fact – talk to our sales team to have your machine supplied in any customer colour!

Why consider a Kramer? –

• Telehandlers from 2.6t to 5.5t capacity with stacking heights from 6 to 9 meters. Powerful engines up to 156hp
• Envious spec levels and features as standard, such as return to bucket position and third service remote pressure dump
• Factory hydraulic quick hitches to cater for all brackets
• Outstanding German build quality
• A comprehensive range of wheeled loaders with fixed or telescopic boom up to 6t tipping load with unrivalled stability
• 3 years finance and 3000hr warranty available for a limited period

All from an established dealer with trained technicians, machines and parts support. Contact us for your competitive price today.