VGR Equipment strengthens team and focuses on new soil-improving machines

ARTICLE

MARKET & CURRENT AFFAIRS

Wijnand Meijboom, Wednesday 7 January 2026

84 sec

VGR Equipment hired a new engineer as of 1 November. This reinforcement is intended to accelerate the development of a new line of soil-improving machines. The machines are designed to combine multiple operations and make use of water-switching technology. According to director Ruud de Deugd, this responds directly to questions from practice. 'We clearly hear what people need. We take that into account in the design,' he says.

The new direction is based on in-house field research and years of experience with the TopChanger. By using the machine extensively themselves, VGR sees where additional tools are needed. The company is therefore working on a broader range of machines. 'Working with our machines has to be easy. We put all our practical experience into the design,' says De Deugd.

Bunkerbuddy

An existing example is the Bunkerbuddy. This compact conveyor belt turns a small sand spreader into a fully fledged filling unit. The system was developed because filling the TopChanger sometimes proved cumbersome in practice. Greenkeepers often used multiple tractors or heavy machines to supply sand, with a risk of rutting. 'We wanted to make sure two people can do the job, without heavy machinery on the course,' says De Deugd.

'Everyone has such a small spreader. By adding a conveyor belt, you can work more efficiently.'

The Bunkerbuddy makes it possible to move sand directly from a small spreader to the TopChanger via a conveyor belt. Many courses already have such a compact spreader, which keeps the threshold low. De Deugd: 'Everyone has such a small spreader. By adding a conveyor belt, you can work more efficiently.' The Bunkerbuddy is also used more broadly. Courses also use it to fill bunkers or drainage trenches. 'Anything you need to fill with sand or similar material can be done with it,' he says. 'Without immediately needing a large spreader.'

Efficiency

VGR supplies the Bunkerbuddy for various brands, including Rink, Toro ProPass and Dakota. Abroad, the machine is already sold regularly, but according to De Deugd, awareness in the Netherlands is still limited. 'Efficiency is important for every course. If you can use one less machine and speed up an operation, you notice that straight away,' he says. With the arrival of the new engineer, VGR wants to further expand the development of new machines in the coming years. 'I come up with ideas, but translating them into technology is really a team effort,' says De Deugd.

This article was previously published on 15 December 2025 on the Greenkeeper](https://www.greenkeeper.nl/article/52387/vgr-equipment-versterkt-team-en-richt-zich-op-nieuwe-bodemverbeterende-machines]Greenkeeper) website.

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