Landscaping and grounds maintenance companies know all too well that every machinery breakdown means lost time, delayed jobs and unnecessary cost.
For Mansfield-based Weedfree Landscapes, those challenges became a thing of the past when the company switched to Aspen Fuel – a partnership borne from a conversation at SALTEX which has now entered its eighth year.
Founded in 1992, Weedfree Landscapes has evolved from private garden and landscaping projects into a full-service ground’s maintenance operation – delivering soft landscaping, turfing, planting, grass cutting and line marking for customers across Mansfield, Sheffield, Chesterfield, Lincoln, Leicester and Nottingham. With a team of nine operative working across a wide area, reliability with their equipment is mission critical as Office Manager Shelley Sharp explains.
“Prior to discovering Aspen, we would frequently see tools in the workshop suffering with the side effects of inconsistent fuel mixing, operator error and just general, excessive wear. Our Managing Director got into conversation with Aspen during a trip to SALTEX in 2018 and after an initial trial, it’s all we’ve used in both our 2 and 4-stroke equipment ever since.”
“It’s a phenomenal product. The health & safety benefits are of course evident for the operators, but the biggest difference has been for our mechanics who simply don’t have to deal with the breakdowns we used to” she says.
Without most of the hazardous hydrocarbons found in traditional pump fuel, Aspen alkylate petrol burns significantly cleaner delivering multiple benefits for professional users of petrol-powered outdoor power equipment. While often viewed as a premium fuel, Weedfree has found the overall economics work in their favour. “When you actually look at it, not having to make trips to the forecourt and not having to buy two-stroke oil separately as well as the reduced maintenance bills, it’s actually a decision that has saved us money.”
Together with engine performance and the convenience of having Aspen cans safely delivered and stored on site, Shelley also notes the benefits of Aspen for their environmental credentials. “Exhaust emissions are cleaner and there aren’t the harsh petrol fumes for the operators or those in the vicinity of the works. It forms part of our COSHH and risk assessments and is something that our customers notice and appreciate.”
Shelley concludes, “The combination of greater reliability, lower maintenance costs and simpler day-to-day operations means that Aspen is a decision that’s set to stay.”
