When you think of fun in a farmyard it is normally bottlefeeding the goats or petting the pigs that comes to mind, but for the favourite family venue, Folly Farm near Tenby in Pembrokeshire, the latest addition to the fold is a herd of ten Cat 301.6 mini excavators from Finning.

The mini excavators have already become one of the most popular attractions with budding farmers and construction workers of the future, as the farm has setup a special area for children to get behind the controls and start digging! With the movement of the excavators restricted to allow only the boom and bucket to move up and down and perform the digging operations, the Cat’s have been well and truly ruling the roost since they leapt into action in March.

Located in the outdoor adventure play area, one of six fantastic zones at the venue, that also incorporates a zoo, the Jolly Farm, a vintage funfair, an indoor adventure playground and Folly Wood Country Park, the attraction has already pulled in large crowds and delighted those that have enjoyed the experience.

Commenting on the arrival of the Caterpillar mini excavators, Folly Farm Founder and Director, Glyn Williams said: “Part of being such a successful entertainment venue is to make it interesting for visitors to come and see what’s new and return on a regular basis. In order to make the venue safe, interactive and fun there is a lot of hard work that goes on behind the scenes and each exhibit needs to be kept in full working order.

"It was for this reason that we chose to purchase the Cat 301.6 mini excavators from Finning, as the support and service cover they could offer was outstanding. By combining the sale with a three year service and maintenance deal, we are confident that the Caterpillar brand will pull in the crowds and the reliability and support offered by Finning will work as hard as the Caterpillar machines prove to."

Commenting on the deal Finning Sales representative Barrie Samuel said: "This is a first for Cats on a farm-based visitor attraction and it’s great that we have been able to combine the Cat brand values and obvious appeal with such an interesting concept that can be used in all weather conditions, thanks to the spacious shelter, warmth and high levels of visibility offered by the machines cabins.

"What’s more Managing Director Chris Ebsworth and his team have recognised, what hundreds of our customers benefit from everyday, the importance of a service and support package from Finning. This is especially important in these circumstances as operator training and skill levels vary hugely, although seeing some of the children in action, I think there is a definite future ‘European Operator Challenge’ winner amongst them!"

With all ten Cat 301.6 machines now operating at Folly Farm, the venue is encouraging all budding mini excavator drivers to come along and give it a go and see if they can put the Cat amongst the pigeons!