The Woods family have been long term customers of RVW Pugh for their ATVs. They recently shared with Yamaha why they continue to choose their ATVs over other brands.

The Woods family, a family-run beef and sheep farm in Shropshire, have been using Yamaha ATVs for over 35 years to navigate the challenging hills of the Shropshire/Welsh border.

The Woods family run a beef and sheep farm located just a few miles from themarket town Bishops Castle in Shropshire. The farm spans 2800 acres and sits 820-1600 feet above sea level with plenty of hilly ground for them to tackle. Predominantly a beef and sheep farm, the family’s herd of 500 cattle and flock of 3500 ewes keeps this family very busy! Edith, her two sons Mike and Phil who have three sons between them; Tom, Martin and Simon, all work on the family enterprise. The family originally moved to Kinnerton Farm in Ratlinghope in 1962 and it has since remained a solely family-run operation.

Navigating the tumbling hills of the Shropshire/Welsh border can be a challenge, one that only their Yamaha ATVs can tackle. Purchasing their first Yamaha Big Bear ATVs in 1988 from local dealer RVW Pugh, the family have not looked back since and over the years have purchased over 25 Yamaha ATVs to help with the running of the farm.

“We tend to change them every couple of years and welcome three new bikes each time. We would be putting around 10,000 miles on each bike when it comes to changing them, so they are worked hard. Ultimately, they need to be able to tackle the rough terrain that we have here on the farm and that can take some doing! You cannot run across these banks with a 4X4 or even a side-by-side-buggy, these ATVs get you to more places and are safer in the process.” Phil Woods comments.

The three bikes that are at the farm are used extensively when moving animals which can be a daily task and largely for fencing work, lending themselves well to fitting equipment on the back as well as being able to get anywhere a tractor or 4X4 cannot.

“They are the workhorse on the farm, they need to be able to keep going. When they are used every day, the bikes are an essential piece of equipment, and we simply cannot manage without them!” Simon Woods comments.

Remaining a loyal Yamaha customer for over 30 years, the Woods family have seen plenty of developments in the range.

“We have always liked the Yamaha bikes, like with anything there have been niggles over the years that have been rectified, but never anything major and they continue to be a sturdy machine for us time and time again. We have tried other brands through friends and on other farms, but Yamaha remains our favourite for several reasons; we like the Diff-lock on the machines as it allows us to tackle the different terrains.”

Both the Kodiak 700 EPS and Grizzly 700 EPS models are fitted with an easy to-operate On-Command system with 2WD/4WD and Diff-lock for full control as well as allowing you to choose the right option to suit the terrain and surface conditions.

“The real stand-out feature for us has been the power steering. Robert Pugh convinced us to go with it, so we decided to have it on our latest bikes, and it is great. It’s a must now on any future bike, you don’t realise how good it is until you have to ride a bike without it. We love it!” Simon adds.

Yamaha’s Electric Power Steering (EPS) adds an element of extra comfort and a reduction in physical effort for the rider. By maintaining light steering and precise handling, this system enhances the complete experience and allows for better control.

Phil adds “All of our bikes come with winches which are handy to have in a sticky situation. We like to have the tow hitch on them as well although we don’t use it as much as we did in the past when we used a sheep snacker to feed. It’s also worth mentioning the design when riding the bike, they are comfy and all the buttons are to hand, making the driving a lot more enjoyable.”

Both ATV models that the Woods family owns allow a 600kg towing capacity which means fewer limitations when it comes to using the bikes on different applications. With another year of work ahead of the three bikes currently on the farm, the family will start to think about the models and features that are a must-have when it comes to swapping.

“We must have another Grizzly 700 as it is just that bit higher off the ground which we need when we are fencing especially. The equipment sits quite nicely on that bike and gives us plenty of clearance across the fields. The other feature we cannot be without is the power steering, I think those would be the only non-negotiables when it comes to changing these for our next set. We may even need four bikes next year, but we will see how we get on. Watch this space!”

Here’s to another 30 years of Yamaha on Kinnerton Farm.