Machinery for Soft Ground

Low Ground Pressure: What It Means in Practice

Ground pressure is machine weight divided by contact area with the ground.

A wheeled machine concentrates all its load on four small tyre contact patches.

A tracked machine of the same weight spreads that load across the full footprint of both rubber tracks, a contact area considerably larger, reducing the PSI applied to any single point on the surface.

A tyred machine exerts enough pressure at each contact point to break through the surface layer and sink, rut, or compact the soil below.

A tracked machine with equivalent weight stays on top because no single point takes enough load to fail. This is what low ground pressure (LGP) equipment means in practice, and it’s why tracked configurations exist for machinery that would otherwise require firm, dry ground to operate safely.

In Scotland, wet ground conditions run across much of the year on everything from estate lawns and reservoir banks to boggy forest rides and agricultural margins.

The choice between tracked and wheeled often determines whether a contract can be completed on time and without leaving surface damage that costs more to repair than the job itself.

Tracked Wood Chippers for Wet and Waterlogged Ground

Towable chippers require a vehicle to move them across site. On soft ground, that vehicle creates its own ground damage before the chipping work begins.

Tracked chippers move under their own power, reaching the working area without needing a vehicle alongside them on the ground.

Forst’s tracked chipper range uses dual rubber tracks with independent hydrostat drive on each side.

The tracks give consistent traction on wet grass, soft soil, and uneven terrain that a towable machine couldn’t safely cross.

6-inch tracked chippers

The Forst TR6P and TR6D are the entry point to the tracked range.

Both machines run on compact rubber tracks suited to residential and estate sites where the main concern is accessing material without damaging lawns, pathways, or sensitive turf.

The petrol and diesel options cover contractors whose preference or site requirement dictates which fuel type to run.

New Forst tracked chippers carry a 3-year warranty.

8-inch tracked chippers

The TR8D and XR8D Traxion handle larger material and higher volumes on soft ground sites.

The XR8D Traxion takes its name directly from the tracked soft-ground capability. It boasts wider tracks than the standard TR range, greater ground contact area, and the capacity to keep chipping at production rates on ground conditions that would stop lighter machines.

For forestry contractors, habitat restoration sites, and soft or boggy woodland clearance contracts, these are the machines that maintain productivity where other chippers can’t reach the material.

Tracked Stump Grinders for Soft and Hazardous Ground

Self-propelled wheeled stump grinders struggle on soft ground for two reasons.

The wheels lose traction on wet soil, and the machine’s weight concentrated on two rear drive wheels is enough to sink the machine into boggy or saturated ground.

Tracked stump grinders avoid both problems. The track footprint gives consistent traction on surfaces that wheeled machines slip on, and the distributed machine weight keeps the machine on top of the soil rather than sinking through it.

ILH supplies the FSI D-series tracked stump grinder range for soft ground work.

The models within the range step up in grinding capacity and power, covering contractors who grind stumps on wet estate ground, soft agricultural sites, and boggy woodland where wheeled machines can’t maintain traction.

The rubber track undercarriage manages soft soil and uneven terrain without the slipping common on wheeled machines in wet conditions.

Radio-Controlled Operation

Radio-controlled operation is available across part of the tracked range.

On boggy or waterlogged sites where an operator walking alongside the machine would themselves be on unsafe ground, remote operation removes the personal exposure entirely.

For peatland restoration, habitat management on sensitive or protected sites, and stump clearance on unstable ground, remote-controlled tracked grinding manages the site conditions and the safety requirement together.

Tracked Robotic Mowers for Wet Embankments and Boggy Slopes

Conventional ride-on mowers lose traction on wet grass well before the gradient becomes steep.

On soft, boggy, or saturated ground on any slope, a tyred machine slides, ruts the turf on every pass, and risks rollover on wet cambers where the surface layer shifts under load.

nergreen robotic tracked flail mowers are engineered for exactly these conditions.

Every Energreen model runs on rubber tracks.

The tracked undercarriage distributes weight across the full contact area of both tracks rather than loading four tyre patches, giving consistent grip on wet grass and soft ground across a far wider range of conditions than any tyred machine of equivalent cutting capacity.

In Scotland’s climate, where embankments, reservoir banks, and roadside verges are soft for most of autumn and winter.

The tracked undercarriage is what allows maintenance mowing to continue to programme rather than waiting for the ground to firm up.

The Energreen range covers compact models suited to regular maintenance mowing on estate, council, and contractor programmes through to higher-output machines for large-scale infrastructure and vegetation management contracts.

Models work on slopes up to 61 degrees with the operator controlling by radio remote from level ground.

This combines the tracked soft-ground capability with the remote-control safety advantage for slopes too steep or too wet to work with conventional equipment.

Where Tracked Groundcare Machinery Works in Scotland

Scottish ground conditions mean soft terrain is what many contractors are dealing with for a significant part of the working year.

The west coast, the Central Belt uplands, and most highland and island sites stay wet enough through autumn and winter to make wheeled groundcare machinery a liability on sensitive or unimproved ground.

Woodland and Forestry

Woodland and forestry ride clearance generates chipping and stump work on ground that ranges from moderately soft to boggy, particularly on rides that haven’t been regularly trafficked.

A tracked chipper reaches material along soft rides without the vehicle access that a towable machine requires, and a tracked stump grinder completes the clearance without compacting the soil or rutting the surface in a way that causes drainage problems on the ride.

Estate and Conservation Land

Estate and conservation land management increasingly requires low disturbance machinery on sensitive or protected sites.

Peatland restoration and habitat management work demands machinery with minimal surface impact, and tracked LGP machines are the standard specification for contracts on these sites.

For estate managers and environmental contractors, tracked groundcare machinery is often the specification required rather than optional.

Equestrian and Agricultural Sites

Equestrian and agricultural sites present soft ground conditions after heavy use or wet weather.

Paddock margins, field gateways, and livestock areas become soft quickly and take time to recover.

A tracked chipper or stump grinder completes the work without causing additional surface damage that extends the recovery period.

Not Sure Where to Start?

Tracked machinery is a bigger commitment than wheeled, and the right answer on whether to buy or hire depends on how often you’re working on soft ground, what types of contracts you run, and which machine actually suits your terrain.

That’s not a decision most contractors should make without talking it through first.

When you call ILH, we’ll ask about the ground, the job, and how regularly this kind of work comes up for you.

From there we can tell you which machine in the range is the right fit and whether hire or purchase makes more sense for your operation.

We’re not going to push you toward the most expensive option if hire covers the work you need to do.

Soft Ground Machinery: Your Questions Answered

Which Forst tracked chippers does ILH supply?

ILH stocks the full Forst tracked chipper range: the TR6P (6-inch tracked petrol), TR6D (6-inch tracked diesel), TR8D (8-inch tracked diesel), and XR8D Traxion (8-inch tracked, wider tracks for maximum soft-ground performance). All are available to buy new or hire. New machines carry a 3-year Forst warranty and are supplied with pre-delivery inspection and after-sales support from our Cumbernauld workshop.

What tracked stump grinders does ILH stock for soft ground?

ILH stocks the FSI D30 Track and FSI D30 Track Remote, both tracked self-propelled stump grinders suited to soft and wet ground conditions. The D30 Track Remote adds radio remote control, allowing the operator to stand back from unstable or boggy ground while the machine works. Both are available to buy and hire. Call us on 0141 775 9288 to discuss availability and specification.

Can Energreen robotic mowers work on wet and boggy slopes?

Yes. Every Energreen model in the ILH range uses rubber tracked undercarriages specifically designed to maintain traction on wet grass and soft ground. The tracked contact area gives consistent grip on soft, boggy, and waterlogged slopes that tyred machines lose traction on, and the radio remote operation keeps the operator on firm ground while the machine works the soft terrain. Slopes up to 61 degrees are within the Energreen range’s working capability.

Do you hire tracked machinery for soft ground work in Scotland?

Yes. Our hire fleet includes Forst tracked chippers, FSI tracked stump grinders, and Energreen robotic tracked mowers. All machines are serviced before delivery, supplied with the right attachments, and come with full operator training on handover. We can deliver to site across Scotland from Cumbernauld, or machines can be collected direct. Call us to discuss which tracked machine suits your site conditions and contract duration.

What areas of Scotland do you cover?

ILH is based in Cumbernauld in the Central Belt, close to the M80. We supply and service tracked machinery across Scotland and into northern England. Contractors working on soft ground sites from the Borders and the Central Belt to the Highlands and Islands can arrange delivery to site or collect direct from Cumbernauld. Parts are available UK-wide through our online shop.

Get in Touch with ILH Groundcare Today

ILH Groundcare stocks tracked groundcare machinery in three categories.

Wood chippers, stump grinders, and robotic mowers, each in the specific configurations designed for soft, wet, and waterlogged ground conditions.

We’ve been supplying and servicing this machinery since 2007, and the team knows from site experience which tracked machine suits which type of soft ground and which contract.

When you call, you speak to someone who can advise on the right tracked configuration for your ground conditions, whether to buy or hire based on how often you’ll use it, and what servicing or parts support you’ll need once the machine is working.

Demos are available on your own site or at our Cumbernauld workshop before you commit.

Call 0141 775 9288 or email contact@ilhgroundcare.com. Tell us about the ground conditions, the type of work, and the machine categories you’re looking at. We’ll take it from there.