idverde Choose Reform Again

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idverde Choose Reform Again: Supplied by the Ilminster based Loxston Groundcare dealership, national landscaping and groundscare services provider idverde has taken delivery of a second Reform Metrac. Their recent acquisition is a H7RX, to be used primarily for highway maintenance work.

Simon Richard, the UK agent for the Reform specialist bank tractor range says, “the 4 speed hydrostatic drive 70hp Reform Metrac H7RX, is the spearhead of the companies mid-range, offering the professional and local authority user a compact power unit tailor-made for a wide range of municipal tasks, including safe operation on steep slopes up to 45 degree angles to directly address operator health and safety issues”

idverde Choose Reform Again

The H7RX’s low centre of gravity, combined with constant power hydrostatic drive provides maximum ground contact and the suspended front axle ensures that all four wheels have permanent ground contact even on uneven terrain. Additionally, an inching pedal means the operator can work around trees, shrubs etc, with confidence. Depending on task, selection can be made between four wheel, front wheel, rear wheel or continuously adjustable crab steering mode.

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SAS Institute Appreciate Ventrac

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SAS Institute Appreciate Ventrac: The SAS Institute, based at Medmenham, near Marlow in Buckinghamshire, is the latest organisation to purchase a Ventrac 4500 compact tractor and attachments. The leading global analytics company purchased the equipment from Aylesbury-based groundscare dealer, RT Machinery Ltd.

The 110-acre Medmenham estate is an amalgamation of two previous sites; Whittington House, a former mansion which is now used as the company’s meeting and conference centre and an old MOD premises, which was purchased and demolished to make way for the modern offices. It consists of formal gardens and lawns, a unique arboretum, a cricket pitch for staff use as well as the local village team, a 3-hole pitch-and-putt course, 5-a-side football pitch, wildflower meadow, river frontage to the Thames and staff allotments.

SAS Institute Appreciate Ventrac

Landscaping Manager George Reeder is the man tasked with the job of managing the estate. He heads a team of 5 and joined SAS as a gardener in 2005. He studied at Sparsholt College in Hampshire before joining Countrywide Grounds Maintenance as part of the team maintaining the green spaces of various hotels in the south of England.

“Our mid-mounted rotary mower was nearing the end of its working life,” he said, “and we were in the market for a replacement machine. We were considering an out-front flail, but then attended an RT Machinery open day and saw the Ventrac with its Contour deck. It looked to be a very innovative machine so we organised a demonstration on site. It worked exceptionally well, producing great stripes and has now replaced our cylinder mower as well. Rye stalks, which are problematic for a cylinder machine, are no longer an issue as it deals with them admirably. This versatility has enabled us to replace two machines with one.

“As well as the Contour deck we have also purchased a Finishing deck and ToughCut deck and there’s scope to purchase additional implements in the future. One of its prime benefits is that we can now access and maintain areas on banks where previously we could not get machines on. Its compact nature means we can get under branches and we have saved considerable man-hours on strimming due to its out-front design and manoeuvrability.

SAS Institute Appreciate Ventrac

“The Finishing deck, which mulches effectively and is rear discharge, works great in all conditions, be it long grass or in the wet. Height adjustment is simple and it does not scalp easily. It has a relatively small engine, minimal hydraulics and is good on fuel. The flip up decks are easy to clean and maintain and it provides a comfortable working platform for the operator. The ToughCut deck is equally impressive, especially in little maintained areas where it can cut through saplings and long brush with ease. All in all, a great addition to our fleet here at Medmenham.”

Founded in 1976 by current CEO James Goodnight and three other faculty members from North Carolina State University, SAS is the leader in analytics software and services with global headquarters in Cary, North Carolina. Its solutions help businesses to access, manage, analyse and interpret data to aid decision-making. The company is one of the world’s largest privately held software businesses and its customers include most of the Fortune 500 companies.

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Save More With Otterbine

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Save More With Otterbine: It’s taken a little time to warm up this year (unlike last year!), but British Summer Time is in full swing and water management specialist Otterbine is offering all customers an extra five percent off its entire range of aerators and aerating fountains on orders placed before 31 August.

The promotion is timed to help customers when they need it most, says Pete Newton at Reesink Turfcare, Otterbine’s UK distributor.

Save More With Otterbine

“When higher levels of sunlight and heat is generated by the summer sun it can lead to excess nutrients in water bodies and when combined with low oxygen levels and minimal circulation, it prematurely ages the water throwing its natural ecosystem out of balance,” he explains. “This can quickly lead to problems with algae, aquatic weeds and a build-up of silt on the riverbed, and in severe cases can even lead to unpleasant odours and cause fish to perish.”

In order to avoid this, a proper water management system is needed, Pete says: “Waiting until symptoms of poor water quality appear before implementing good water management could be detrimental to the environment and be costly to rectify.”

“Once a lake has lost its ecological balance, it goes into crisis, at which point the cost of restoring it dramatically rises. As well as often being more expensive to implement, reactive solutions tend to be less friendly to the environment too.”

To prevent or eliminate stagnant water in a pond or lake, the most natural water quality management solution is to introduce aeration, which is where Otterbine’s aeration systems can help.

With solutions suitable for small ponds to vast lakes, Otterbine’s wide range of aeration systems comprise aerating fountains, industrial aerators and diffused air systems. Each has unique features that work to increase oxygen levels and circulate oxygen rich water, keeping water quality high, and inhibiting algae, aquatic weeds and odours.

Plus, installation is quick meaning that if this situation does occur it is easily fixed with Otterbine, says Pete: “These symptoms are quickly formed but with Otterbine also speedily rectified. We offer the highest oxygen transfer and pumping rates in the industry with independent testing done by the University of Minnesota and GSCEE to prove it. The High Volume units, for example, adds 3.3lbs or 1.5kg of oxygen per horsepower hour into the water and pumps over 920gpm or 199m3/hr per horsepower.”

And now, with an extra five percent off any purchase, is the time to ensure that these unwanted symptoms don’t impact on your water feature or bring about a negative perception.

For more information on Otterbine aerators and aerating fountains, contact distributor Reesink Turfcare on 01480 226948, email info@reesinkturfcare.co.uk or visit www.reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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Toro’s 100 Years In Golf

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Toro’s 100 Years In Golf: It’s doesn’t seem like five minutes ago the occasion of Toro’s 100 years in business in 2014 was marked. But now it’s time to celebrate the company’s centennial milestone serving the golf industry, and what a century it’s been.

Starting as it meant to go on, The Toro Company made its entry into the golf sector with product innovation by developing the industry’s first motorised fairway mower for the Minikahda Club in Minneapolis.

Toro's 100 Years In Golf

By mounting five lawn mowers on the front of a farm tractor, Toro created the motorised golf course equipment industry and in doing so started a century of listening closely to its customers, developing innovative products based on feedback and available technology, long-standing customer relationships, and establishing a distribution network to deliver great local service and support.

Reesink Turfcare, or Lely Turfcare as it was, has been part of that journey as the sole Toro distributor in the UK for golf and sports fields equipment and irrigation products for almost half that time. And as Toro’s four pillars for success so closely match Reesink’s, it’s no wonder it’s been such a long-lasting and rewarding partnership for all these years.

But the biggest reason for marking the occasion is to say thank you.

Grant Young, general manager of Toro’s Commercial Business, says: “Without a doubt, we owe much of our success to the Toro employees who have helped shape the golf industry with countless innovations. But we wouldn’t be here today without the Toro customers across the globe who put their faith and trust in our products every day. As we celebrate a century in the golf industry, we simply want to say thank you to our customers and channel partners for continuing to put your trust in Toro people and products.”

David Cole, managing director of Reesink Turfcare, says: “The first Toro product to hit UK shores was the Toro Greensmaster 3 at the beginning of the 1970s. That innovative ride-on product was born from Toro’s established golf focus and projected the brand into the UK as a producer of high quality, innovative golf equipment in the UK.

“Since then a reputation has been built that centres on reliability, durability and support and a mutual trust has developed between our customers, us as distributor and Toro which can be truly viewed as a partnership. We’re extremely proud to have represented Toro and its product values for so many years and we also thank our UK golf customers for their long-standing loyalty, confidence and trust.”

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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Wassenaarse Choose Jacobsen

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Wassenaarse Choose Jacobsen: Perfection is the minimum requirement at Wassenaarse Golf Groendael in The Netherlands, and a new fleet of Jacobsen mowers will be contributing towards impeccable greens and immaculate fairways.

The exclusive nine-hole course is located between Wassenaar and The Hague and is known throughout The Netherlands for its fast greens and particular attention to detail, which have become prominent traits of the club.

Wassenaarse Choose Jacobsen

This new fleet of machines continues the association between head greenkeeper, Marco Wouters, Jacobsen and local dealer Pols Zuidland, and Marco considers his relationship with both to be a contributing factor behind his decision.

“Besides the reliability of the machines and the quality of cut, I would like to express that the continuous support of Pols Zuidland is equally important because without the right service we cannot do our job.

“The feeling of belonging to the Jacobsen family is also something to consider. I regularly visit the GCSAA Golf Show, and I meet a lot of Jacobsen staff who are always happy to talk through my questions. So, the support from both Jacobsen and Pols Zuidland was a reason to make another seven-year commitment and hopefully another seven after that.”

To meet the standards expected by the 350 members, Marco turned to Jacobsen’s renowned quality of cut and after-cut presentation. To achieve a daily stimp between 11 and 12 on the bent grass greens during the season, and around 10 during the off-season, he purchased two Eclipse 122 pedestrian mowers fitted with bi-directional groomer systems and one Eclipse 322 triplex with 15 blades.

For Marco, this combination of greens mowers met all of his requirements while offering that bit extra, as he explains. “One of the main reasons we chose the 122 is that we could install lithium batteries, which allows us to mow quietly in the mornings without disturbing the houses that surround the course. For presentation and practicality, the decision to choose the groomers was obvious because Jacobsen’s are known around the world for their ability to do a great job, for me, there is no other name/brand that’s doing it better.

“We aim to hand mow the greens seven days a week, but there are occasions when we can’t, and that’s why we got the Eclipse 322. Quality of cut was the main reason along with durability, but other features also helped us make the decision. Our course is situated in a drinking water reservoir and is environmentally prone to contamination, so being able to eliminate the use of hydraulic fluids and oil without having to sacrifice on cut quality is excellent for us.

“Another feature myself and my team love is the swing out centre reel. It makes the daily height of cut and bedknife adjustments much easier and saves a lot of time.”

A super light-weight SLF530 reel mower was selected for use on the fescue fairways for its exceptional after-cut presentation. At Wassenaarse, all fairways are cross-mowed and boxed off, with a clear definition between the fairways and rough at all times. Being able to adjust the units at the touch of a button has made achieving this definition easier along with the groomer system that is preventing the build-up of wet clippings and leaves falling into the grass sward.

Marco’s attention to detail doesn’t stop with the course and is applied to every machine that’s used on it. It is a common site to see golf buggies dressed in club colours and logos, but at Wassenaarse the machines get the same treatment because they are regularly seen on the course by members. All of the new mowers, three Cushman Hauler Pro’s, Smithco sprayer, bunker rake and XL roller have been sprayed black and had Groendael’s logo applied, and received a very positive reaction from members who have praised the uniform appearance.

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