LPG ATV Case Study - Drumbuie Farm

When 500 suckler cows and 2,000 ewes need feeding and attending to, there’s only one way to do it – with an all terrain vehicle (ATV), powered by Calor, the UK’s leading supplier of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

The 3,500 acres of Drumbuie and Tower Farms are situated amongst the hilly landscape of Sanqhuar, Dumfriesshire. In addition to being the home of livestock, they also house three Honda ATVs.

Jim Walker, the ex-president of National Farmer’s Union Scotland, was born and bred on Drumbuie and has a wealth of knowledge of the Scottish agricultural industry and the farming sector. His experience of the last 20 years in the industry has helped Jim understand the necessity of controlling costs in a very tough business environment.

Cost effectiveness and efficiency are words that hundreds of farmers across the UK are already familiar with and these are just a couple of the reasons why Jim opted for bi-fuel and LPG powered ATVs rather than relying purely on petrol.

Increasingly aware of escalating petrol costs, Jim decided to look for other alternatives to power his ATVs that would prove just as good on performance but reduce running costs. He says: "I am always looking to reduce operational costs in every aspect of running the farm, and after receiving literature from Calor regarding LPG and having had a number of trial demonstrations on the farm, I was convinced that I could make significant savings on my fuel bills." With each bike doing between 60 and 80 km a day, the potential for savings was certainly there.

Jim owns ATVs that are run on LPG and petrol. By switching to Calor LPG, during a year-long period he made considerable savings.

Having run the bikes on Calor LPG for nearly three years, Jim hasn’t been disappointed. "The two 350 and one 450 Honda bikes are put through their paces over hilly terrain and through rough conditions yet the performance has been first class.

"The ATVs are used primarily for checking sheep and cattle and transporting feed and stock up to fourteen hours a day, seven days a week at busy times. Due to the unpredictable nature of the farming business it’s essential that my bikes can run at any time of the day," added Jim.

A huge advantage for Jim is having Calor bulk tanks on site and unlike petrol this saves him having to leave either of the farms to top up. Running back and forward to the local village for petrol in cans was a nuisance, so convenience as well as cost was an issue. At times of peak use, Jim takes a couple of minutes to refuel every day. "In addition to the huge savings I could make, having the tank on site was another advantage for me when considering LPG."

A new development is the bi-fuel option. "If one of my shepherds runs out of LPG in his tank he
simply has to flick a switch and use the petrol supply. Although they try not to use too much petrol it’s very much a safety net," says Jim.

Calor’s Barry Ohrman believes that switching to LPG was the best decision Jim could have made
for Drumbuie Farm in terms of cost savings.

He says: "We worked closely with Jim and the Honda dealer, Mike Patterson, to find the right ATV and fuel solution for the needs of the farm. By undertaking extensive bike demonstrations, we were able to clearly point out how we could help Jim reduce the running costs of his ATVs".

Jim is pleased that Calor provided him with the detailed information needed to make such an important decision and has been very impressed with the after sales support provided. Combined with the bike repairs service provided by the dealer, Mike Patterson, using LPG ensures that farming activities are never interrupted.