Connick Tree Care, an arboriculture specialist with locations in Berkshire, Surrey, and Sussex, recently purchased three new Isuzu Grafter N35.125 trucks with Southern Vehicle Bodies bodywork. The company, which operates a 40-vehicle fleet, has been an Isuzu customer for 14 years and owns a mix of 3.5- and 7.5-tonne trucks from the marque. Connick Tree Care has been in business for more than 35 years and is headquartered in Reigate, Surrey.
The trucks’ arboriculture-specific bodies feature large toolboxes for storing important equipment and a tipping body designed to haul wood chips, which are recycled as biomass fuel. The company hopes to keep them in operation for five to nine years, which tracks with how long its other Isuzus have been in service.
Connick Tree Care Director Mike Connick appreciates the efficiency and manoeuvrability of the company’s new Isuzu Grafters, in particular. “Under quite arduous conditions, the Isuzus do what they say, they are economical to run, and the Grafter’s payload is as good as you can get on a 3.5 tonne truck,” says Connick. “We work in many urban environments where space is at a premium and the Isuzu has proved to be more manoeuvrable in tight spaces, particularly within London. They have a great turning circle and finally, and probably most importantly, our drivers really do find them good to drive in these challenging locations.”
“The Perfect Truck”
“Since we purchased our first Isuzu 14 years ago, we have not looked back. Never have we been with one vehicle manufacturer for so long, but Isuzu truly fits the bill and is the perfect truck for us at both the 3.5-tonne and 7.5-tonne weight range,” Connick says. “Within the business, it is our policy to invest in quality equipment for all our staff and as far as our trucks are concerned, Isuzu provides us with a quality product that is not only robust in operation but also ticks our environmental requirements. Our typical daily working environment is tough and it demands a tough truck to survive. The Isuzus are worked really hard each day and with their custom arb bodies, they are ideally fit for purpose.”
The Grafter N35.125 Up Close
The Isuzu Grafter N35.125 is a 4x2 rigid chassis cab with a gross vehicle weight of 3,500 kilograms and a 3,500-kg maximum trailer weight, as well. This model is also available with a chassis cab, a tipper body, or with a tipper body and toolpod in the N35.125(T) Utilitruck configuration. All of the models in the range feature Isuzu RZ4E turbo intercooled DOHC four-cylinder diesel engines producing from 118 to 148 horsepower (88 to 110 kilowatts) with lean NOx (nitrogen oxide) traps. They also come with manual transmissions as standard, but customers who wish to do so can spec them with the optional Easyshift automatic transmission.
Find The Right Isuzu
You will find a large selection of new and used Isuzu vehicles for sale on Truck Locator, including a number of D-Max, N75, NPR, and NQR trucks.
Source: Isuzu