‘Rugged simplicity’ has earned seven British machinery manufacturers top awards at this year’s Royal Show. Winning the prestigious Royal Agricultural Society of England’s (RASE) Silver Medal will mean pride of place for their kit in the machinery area at the show, taking place at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, from 1 to 4 July this year.

The RASE silver medal winners were unveiled at the Scotgrass event in Dumfries on Tuesday, May 15. The awards, sponsored by Arch Express to help promote its newly branded ‘Through The Night’ service, are unique in that they are based on a rigorous examination of the performance of the machines in the hands of commercial users.

Keenan’s Klassik six-paddle mixer received a silver medal, and also the Institution of Agricultural Engineers award for a machine contributing to sustainability in agriculture. Also earning the right to display the sought-after silver medal are the Ecorider two-wheel ATV, RDS Technology’s Weighlog 200, the Shelton Supertrencher, the SUMO Trio cultivator, Glenside Group’s Oxygenerator and the Irrigation Hose Reel from Jones Engineering.

The judges, primarily farmers and contractors, noted how the Keenan mixer wagon is massively-built and simple in design and operation. Users confirmed its total reliability and long life. With low carbon emissions, the Ecorider two-wheel ATV is “rugged, simple in design and opens up a whole field of potential uses”.

Robust electronic pressure sensors that provide accurate weight measurement of a lifted load earned the Weighlog 200 its silver medal, while the Shelton Supertrencher was noted for its stainless steel construction and tungsten carbide cutting tips. This tractor-mounted wheel-trencher is used for laying pipework and drainage under fine turf.