TM1000 Tackles Golf Course Thatch

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TM1000 Tackles Golf Course Thatch: Normanby Hall Golf Club Head greenkeeper Michael Burgin has reported hugely successful results from using the SISIS TM1000 tractor mounted heavy duty scarifier to combat high levels of thatch on the greens.

This delightful golf course in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, adjoins the picturesque Normanby Hall country park and is set in 117 stunning acres of mature woodland and parkland. The 18 hole, par 72 course is widely considered to be one of the toughest courses to play in the area, providing a challenge for players of all abilities.

TM1000 Tackles Golf Course Thatch

Michael, who has been in the greenkeeping industry throughout his entire career, has been at Normanby Hall for eleven years. Two years ago, he was promoted to the position of head greenkeeper and one of his first tasks in charge was to tackle an abundance of thatch which had occurred on the greens.

“We established that we had a large layer of thatch on the top of our greens; it was on all of them throughout the whole course. This resulted in some drainage problems and I knew that we desperately needed a new piece of equipment which could help us solve the problem.

“I did a lot of research and came across a number of videos online of greenkeepers using the TM1000. I then read an article about the course manager at Greetham Valley Golf Club using it and what he said about the machine pretty much persuaded me to buy it.”

The SISIS Rotorake TM1000 is a tractor mounted heavy duty scarifier and linear aerator and is un-rivalled when it comes to removing and controlling thatch. It includes a collector box and floating unit to follow ground contours and its contra-rotating reel throws debris forward ensuring a clean, consistent groove resulting in an excellent finish. The TM1000 also features interchangeable blades and a quick, simple depth setting without tools.

The fact that the TM1000 collects debris was a key factor in his decision and also something which was incredibly important to the greenkeeping team according to Michael.

“There were other machines on the market but the ones we looked at didn’t collect. This would mean that you would require two or three guys going behind the machine clearing up.

The hydraulics on the back of the TM1000 means that the operator doesn’t have to keep jumping in and out to empty the grass box – which would be very time consuming. For a small team, if you can get one man to do this job then it is a massive benefit.

TM1000 Tackles Golf Course Thatch

“I also like the fact that the TM1000 can go down to 50mm deep. The SISIS TM1000 runs straight through the turf – like a knife through butter.

“We have found that the time of year doesn’t really matter when it comes to using it. The first time we used the TM1000 was mid-February in winter conditions and we found that it did not phase the machine whatsoever.

“No matter what the weather you can’t even tell that the TM1000 has been across the greens and that has really impressed me. It’s a reliable machine with very little maintenance required.

“Overall it is just a fantastic piece of kit. There has been a big improvement in the greens and our soil samples have proved that the thatch levels have dropped dramatically since using the TM1000.”

For further information or a no obligation demonstration, please contact SISIS on 01332 824 777 or visit www.sisis.com

For more news, reviews and insightful views, you can follow SISIS on Twitter and Instagram @SISISMachinery and like the company’s Facebook page – www.facebook.com/SISISMachinery. You can also view the latest SISIS videos by visiting www.youtube.com/SISISMachinery

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PRO 34R The Ultimate Rotary

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PRO 34R The Ultimate Rotary: After a long-term search for the ultimate rotary mower, Shrewsbury School grounds manager, Andy Richards, believes that he has finally found the mower he has been looking for in the Dennis PRO 34R.

Shrewsbury School has a world-class reputation for all-round excellence. As well as boasting fantastic academic results the school is also renowned for highly competitive sports teams. The pupils compete internationally in cricket and its football teams are considered to be some of the best in the UK.

PRO 34R The Ultimate Rotary

In matching the reputation of its teams, the sports pitches are also highly regarded and there’s a reason that the first team pitches at Shrewsbury School are on par with most Premier League football pitches or County Cricket pitches. That reason is grounds manager Andy Richards, who has been in his current position since 2010. Ever the perfectionist, Andy and his team arguably encounter some of the highest usage in sports turf, and even still he insists on leaving no stone unturned.

Andy demands the best in all aspects of his role and even more so when it comes to turf maintenance equipment. After struggling to find a rotary mower which matched his expectations, Andy claims that the solution arrived in the newly launched Dennis PRO 34R.

“Over recent years we have struggled to find a rotary mower that actually ticked every box – they were either too fast or not fast enough; some were too heavy and some felt too light; and there were some that would not pick up the debris clean enough or produce a good enough cut.

“I saw the new rotary mower at SALTEX and knew it would be good because it is a Dennis mower and I already know the quality of cut from their cylinder mowers. It actually seemed to me that a rotary mower was something which was missing from their portfolio so when it did finally come to market I put my name down as soon as possible to get one. It is safe to say that it definitely hasn’t let me down.”

The Dennis PRO 34R is a 34” (860mm) rotary mower which has been designed to help groundsmen achieve an aesthetically pleasing appearance and desired playing surface. It is ideal for sports pitches and lawns producing the enviable ‘Dennis Stripes’ while a powerful vacuum flow collects debris quickly and efficiently.

The angle of the cutting deck and twin blades can be easily adjusted using a single ‘click adjuster’ ensuring the mower is suitable for changing conditions and meeting groundsmen’s requirements.

“We bought two of them and I would say that they are easily our most used machines,” said Andy.

“We originally just bought them to hoover up the debris but we quickly found that the cut is comparable to a cylinder mower so we started mowing with them too. Our first team football pitch is surrounded by 30 trees so in autumn we used to come out in the morning of a match day and leaves would be all over it. We actually used to use a cut and collect ride-on mower and then follow up with a Dennis cylinder mower but now we just use the Pro 34 R. It does a brilliant job, saves us time, keeps the weight off the pitch and avoids wheel marks from the heavier ride-on machines.

“I had a feeling it would also work well on our cricket pitches and it has. The amount of debris that is produced during the cricket season is huge. We blow it off with blowers from the surrounding wickets so they can get covered and then the morning after we just hoover it all up with the PRO 34R.

“Maintenance wise, it has been completely trouble-free. It’s my favourite machine at the moment and I think it will take some beating,” said Andy.

For further information or a no obligation demonstration, please contact Dennis 01332 824 777 or visit www.dennisuk.com

For more news, reviews and insightful views, you can follow Dennis on Twitter or Instagram @DennisMowers and like the company’s Facebook page – www.facebook.com/DennisMowersUK. You can also view the latest Dennis videos by visiting www.youtube.com/DennisMowers

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E. Corr Put The Boot In Elsenham

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E. Corr Put The Boot In Elsenham: E. Corr Plant Hire, the Hertfordshire based hirer of a wide range of plant, skips and associated machinery have purchased an X-BOOT footwear cleaning module from Trime UK.

The X-BOOT is an on-site footwear wash system. It recycles 100% of the water used, enabling a site to utilise the water many times. The X-BOOTs’ filtration system collects the soil and mud for easy disposal via a removable textile bag.

E. Corr Put The Boot In Elsenham

The X-BOOT had been made to collect up to 1000 kg of dirt, mud and other contaminates, saving over 20,000 litres of water per week. Seven persons can use the X-BOOT at any given time, using the handy cleaning brushes to ensure that their footwear to properly cleaned. The X-BOOT operates from safe 110v and can be positioned onto site using a forklift truck or telehandler. It is set up for use within a matter of moments.

Explaining the decision to purchase the X-BOOT, Gary Mills, E.Corr’s Purchasing Manager said, “We first spotted the X-BOOT during an online search for a foot cleaning system we needed for use on our own premises, here at Elsenham. Mark Taylor from Trime UK came over and demonstrated the X-BOOT and we were impressed by its good design and solid build.”

The X-BOOT is already in use and is helping to keep the E.Corr offices and surrounding areas clean, tidy and free from mud.

E. Corr Plant Hire is a family business that has been trading for over thirty years. The company is based in Elsenham, Bishops Stortford. They hire a wide range of equipment from 1 tonne mini-diggers, right through to 30 tonne bulk earthmovers.

Trime has significant experience in producing energy and water saving products for the UK construction rental markets. In 2018 their X-SPLASH Wash Bay was given a Green Apple Award by the Green Organisation. The Trime manufacturing plant is based in Cassinetta di Lugagnano, near Milan and the Trime UK is situated in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire.

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Jensen Success At Arb Show

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Jensen Success At Arb Show: The team behind the UK distribution of Jensen woodchippers, the world’s first and original woodchippers developed in 1884, were delighted to host a stand at the 2019 Arb Show this month.

With a prominent stand overlooking the entrance, Jensen woodchippers were on full display to several thousand visitors that attended over the course of the two-day event, drawing in crowds of interested people and resulting in a large number of demonstration bookings throughout the country.

Jensen Success At Arb Show

Jensen are known for supplying the widest range of woodchippers in the industry, from 6” to 12” capacity; towed, PTO, tracked and hydraulically-adjustable ‘Spider’ tracks; as well as turntable functionality on all 8” and above machines.

A wide variety of Jensen machinery was available to see at the show, including towed and tracked machines, having both petrol and diesel models on display.

The 6” capacity, diesel A530L woodchipper is road-towable at less than 750kg, which made it one of the most popular machines on the stand from interested tree surgeons and arborists looking for a powerful but lightweight all-round chipper.

Similarly, the 6” A530L, petrol version, at under 700kg fully braked attracted much attention on the stand. With a 35hp Briggs & Stratton Vanguard engine, and electronic safety touch-sensors fitted as standard, the A530L offers power, performance and safety in a practical sized machine.

Always one of the machines to draw a crowd is the Jensen A540 Spider, and at this year’s Arb Show it was no different.

Capable of tackling timber up to 190mm effortlessly, the A540 with Spider tracks is designed for embankments and awkward terrain.

Agile and manoeuvrable, visitors to the stand were impressed to learn about the stability benefits of the A540 Spider, which features independently adjustable hydraulic tracks both horizontally and vertically.

Visitors to the stand were varied with hugely interesting careers and equipment requirements, from independent tree surgeons looking for a single woodchipper for daily tasks through to large, crane-fed machines for highway and railway maintenance.

“This is the third year we’ve attended the Arb Show with Jensen and we were delighted with not only the turn out to the event but the huge level of interest in the brand”, says Bill Johnston, Head of Machinery Imports division and Business Manager for Jensen in the UK.

He continues, “It was excellent to meet a large number of existing Jensen owners who were pleased to share their experience of Jensen machinery with us, as well as a whole host of new customers booking on-site demonstrations.”

“We’re looking forward to seeing lots of those visitors again over the coming weeks, giving them the opportunity to try a Jensen for themselves and experience the power and performance of the world’s original woodchippers.”

The Jensen dealer for Wales, Riverlea, supported the stand at the show and was represented by Sales Manager Paul Austin.

“This was my first time at the Arb Show and I found it very interested. We were pleased to speak to visitors and leave at the end of the show with some leads, which I hope will generate some more sales for Jensen over the coming months.”

To find out more about the wide range of Jensen woodchippers available, and to locate your local Jensen dealer, visit www.jensenchippers.co.uk

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John Deere Awards Apprentices

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John Deere Awards Apprentices: A total of 31 young service technicians have formally graduated from the latest John Deere Ag Tech and Turf Tech advanced apprenticeship programmes, which are run in partnership with national training provider ProVQ at the purpose-built John Deere Apprentice Training Centre in Radcliffe-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire.

Apprentice of the Year for 2018 was Henry Smith of Cornthwaite Agricultural Ltd in Ormskirk, who received a crystal plaque, winner’s certificate and a John Deere tool kit worth £500. The runners-up were Martyn Burnett of HRN Tractors Ltd, Insch and William Storr of Rea Valley Tractors, Sudbury, who each received a certificate and high street vouchers worth £250.

John Deere Awards Apprentices

The annual apprentice graduation ceremony was held at the East Midlands Conference Centre on the University of Nottingham campus for the first time, with the students’ parents and dealer representatives also invited to celebrate the occasion. John Deere Limited managing director Jonathan Henry presented the apprentices with their graduation certificates, while after-dinner guest speaker and TV presenter Guy Martin, together with ProVQ chairman Julian Lloyd, handed over the three apprentice of the year awards.

These awards are based on the trainees’ consistently high standards of work, both at their dealerships and at the training centre, over the three years of the apprenticeship. In addition, all central government approved apprenticeships in England now require an end-point assessment, over and above the log of work progress that was kept for each apprentice before last year. The majority of the 2018 graduates were therefore the first John Deere technicians to qualify under the new EPA rules.

“With the new EPA tests, which were held at Langar in April, both John Deere and our dealers are now able to quantify more effectively the skills of the apprentices we are training,” says John Deere Limited training centre manager Allan Cochran. “An EPA pass mark of above 90 per cent was required to earn a distinction and well over half the apprentices we tested achieved this, which was well above our initial expectations, so we have got off to a great start with these new assessments.”

John Deere’s three-year Ag Tech and Turf Tech and two-year Parts Tech apprenticeships involve students being trained in engineering, electronics, hydraulics, diagnostics, communication skills, computing, sales and marketing. The programmes lead to IMI Level 2 & 3 Diplomas in Landbased Engineering and Vehicle Parts Competence, and registration at LTA Intermediate level in the industry’s Landbased Training Accreditation scheme.

In subsequent years qualified technicians undergo further education and adult training within the John Deere University programme, on a career path that can ultimately lead to the highest possible LTA Master Technician accreditation.

New student intakes are in September each year; apprentices need to be resident in the UK, sponsored by a John Deere dealer and aged 16 or over. The standard programmes include on-the-job training and assessment as well as eight weeks each year at the John Deere Apprentice Training Centre. Further details can be found at http://apprenticeshipfinder.co.uk/john-deere.

Now in its 27th year, Ag Tech was the first such scheme to be introduced in the UK and won a National Training Award at the end of 1997, the only one ever made to an agricultural machinery apprenticeship programme. Since the first programme started in 1992, over 750 apprentices have graduated through the three main schemes and are now working in the company’s nationwide dealer network.

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