Royal Cornwall Show 2025 Machinery Highlights (Part One)

The Royal Cornwall Show is the main event in the region every year, and it just seems to keep getting bigger and bigger in terms of the machinery trade stands!

I could only manage one day at the Royal Cornwall Show this year, so popped down on the opening Thursday. The weather was not playing ball this year, and the heavens opened during the first 2-3 hours, so the big raincoat was deployed and off I headed to get around as many stands as I could.

It’s often said that Cornwall has its own micro climate, and true to script the sun came out for the afternoon and I even ended up getting a sunburnt head!

My first port of call as ever was to see the team at CBL Plant Sales. This stand has become my traditional starting point as I visit the showground over the years. Nothing majorly new to see this year, but as usual there was a nice range of Takeuchi machines on display in the familiar red and grey livery, however, as has become customary at the show, Steve Hoskin Construction (SHC) had a TB290-2 on the stand sporting their blue corporate livery which always looks awesome.

Also sporting the custom SHC colours was a Thwaites 3-tonne forward tipping dumper. CBL has been a long-term dealer for the long established British built Thwaites site dumper range.

Talking of dumpers CBL also featured a 6-tonne swivel skip dumper that features the manufacturers new ROPS+ system which is aimed at those who don’t wish to purchase a fully enclosed cab version. The wrap around design is aimed at keeping the operator in the safest position in the event of a roll over.

This appears to be a market driven decision with most of the dumper manufacturers coming up with a solution like this, personally it feels like a big step backwards after the big push towards fully cabbed options which offer the ultimate in safety and comfort for those who drive them.

My next port of call was to see the team at MPS South West Ltd, who this year were located in the prime spot which has become available following the decision by Plant & Engineering Services (PES) not to attend the show anymore. It really is a fantastic location right on one of the major routes through the show and a great place for maximum exposure to potential customers.

Jason McCollough and his team had an amazing display of products from their portfolio which includes Hidromek, Holp GmbH and Gyru-Star.

Witout a doubt, the showstopping exhibit was the Hidromek HMK 230LC in a stunning equine themed wrap with pink trimmings. Affectionately named the “Hidropony” the machine is the brainchild of Sophie Porteous the sister of company owner Ben Porteous, who is big into her horses and was keen to put her spin on this new addition to the ever-expanding Porteous Groundworks fleet.

The work and attention to detail that has gone into this machine by MPS and Tavy Signs ahead of the show is nothing short of phenomenal and a real credit to all concerned in bringing Sophie’s idea to fruition.

I mistakenly assumed that Sophie was going to be operating this machine, but apparently, she doesn’t operate the kit but works in the office. Either way I’m very keen to get out to visit this machine for Earthmovers Magazine whenever it’s possible and with numerous other media outlets circling to get to it too, the race is on!

The Holp Rototop systems are gaining friends as a cost-effective alternative to the full blown tiltrotator options. And with the added benefit of the Holp Cashback scheme its an even more attractive time to invest in one.

An early Cornish adopter of the Rototop, Matt Bardoe had his new Takeuchi TB230 on the stand complete with the RT 032 Rototop unit. I have been trying to arrange an Earthmovers site visit with Matt for many months, hopefully I will get it sorted at some point this year.

Last stop for part one, was a visit to the CASE and Wacker Neuson dealers, M&M Plant Devon & Cornwall, who were located in their usual spot, across two stands. Machines on display sported the usual suspects branding but here the standout machine was the all-black CASE CX210E.

This machine is heading for our old mate Mike McGuire who operates for Helston & Exeter based MJL Contractors Ltd. I first worked with Mike when I was operating a CASE CX130B for PJ Kingwell. He was just on the ground in those days, but always had an ambition to become a machine operator. I think he actually took over the CX130B when I had moved on, and he has gone on to become one of the most respected operators in the South West, who looks after the machine like it was his own.

I suspect this colour scheme has been chosen because of Mike’s love of all this Manchester United! We wish him all the best with it.

Wacker Neuson products were strongly represented on the second stand with compact telehandlers, dumpers and this EZ26 mini excavator model sold and ready to be delivered to its new owner after the show.

Lookout for more Royal Cornwall Show highlights this week here on the Digger Man Blog.