Morghew Park Estate Gets A Grip…With ATS Euromaster

Morghew Park Estate is benefiting from a new tyre fitment policy across three of the primary off-road vehicles used to support its commercial shooting, which takes place around a 2,000 acre Estate in Tenterden, Kent.

The change in tyre choice was taken following close consultation with ATS Euromaster, with the primary aim of increasing off-road traction and handling to ensure the Morghew Shoot fleet was better suited to cope with local terrain, which is comprised largely of Wealden upland, which descends steeply in places onto classic unspoilt marshland.

One of the first changes made was to fit new Michelin 280/80 R18 MXCL tyres to the primary shoot transport a 1968 ex-Belgian Army Mercedes Benz Unimog 404S, powered by a 2.2 litre petrol engine. The vehicle had previously featured an ageing set of Russian tyres which were not providing the necessary grip to enable the driver to make proper use of the simultaneous front and rear diff locks.

Piers Carey, Farm Manager on the Morghew Park Estate, explains: When the terrain got challenging, the tyres on the Unimog just werent up to the job. ATS Euromaster advised us to fit Michelin MXCLs and they have transformed the Unimog into a transporter which can tackle the steepest and muddiest terrain we encounter.

Also benefiting from a new set of rubber is an ex-British Army Series 3 Land Rover, which is used exclusively by the Gamekeeper during the shooting season and was previously fitted with a narrow set of tyres which were chewing up the land.

I found a spare extra-wide wheel rim on the farm and asked ATS Euromaster to investigate whether it would fit the Land Rover. We found that it did, and would be ideally suited to a set of Mitas 31/10.50×15 Treadlight tyres, to give the Land Rover a true go-anywhere capability.

ATS Euromaster had three other wheels made up to fit the tyres, and the Land Rover got a new lease of life. The larger footprint keeps the vehicle on top of the mud and stops it digging in. Not only does this mean it never gets stuck, it has also virtually eliminated any vehicle tracks being left on the landscape, he adds.

Completing the trio of tyre changes has been the fitment of a new set of Michelin 400/80 R24 Power CL tyres onto the farms Matbro loader, replacing a set of budget tyres on the second-hand vehicle, which had failed to provide sufficient off-road grip and which had been prone to regular punctures.

As the sole national agricultural tyre specialist in the UK, ATS Euromaster has been the principal supplier of tyres to Morghew Park Estate since 1987. It carries out all tyre fitment and servicing on-site using a mobile service van from its agricultural hub in Ashford one of approximately 450 centres in the country.

All new tyres purchased for the Estate are made through Southern Farmers, one of the leading agricultural buying groups, which enables Morghew Park to benefit from the combined group purchasing strength of more than 900 members.