Interesting BTME for Price Turfcare

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Interesting BTME for Price Turfcare: Price Turfcare enjoyed an interesting BTME with the announcement that Toro had purchased Venture Products Inc., the manufacturer of Ventrac all-terrain compact tractors.

“As the UK distributor of Ventrac, this came as quite a shock, so early on the first day of the show,” said managing director, Rupert Price. “There was so much speculation as to what the implications might be, but I was overwhelmed with the level of support and goodwill from everyone who came onto the stand.

Interesting BTME for Price Turfcare

Interesting BTME for Price Turfcare

“Tuesday, the day of the announcement, was a bit of a blur, but our small team rallied around and over the course of the next couple of days we spoke to a lot of end-users and potential customers, coming away with plenty of demonstration requests.

“As we spoke with our American colleagues over the following days, the picture became significantly clearer and a lot of the doomsday scenarios began to evaporate. Many people assumed that Toro would acquire the company, rebrand and paint the machines red, as they have done with previous acquisitions in the past. However, if you look at what they did with Exmark, Boss and Ditch Witch, this is not always the case and Ventrac will be operated on a similar basis.

“Rick Olson, CEO of Toro stated publicly via a YouTube video that there is no intention of moving production out of Orrville in Ohio and that they would continue to build the Ventrac brand. At the Golf Industries Show in Orlando recently, I had the opportunity to speak with representatives from both Ventrac and Toro and they confirmed this. So, I see this as an excellent opportunity for Price Turfcare. Although we are a small team, we have taken a virtually unknown brand in the UK from zero sales in 2016 to over 100 machines sold by the end of 2019. We know that this did not go unnoticed within the Toro organisation.

Interesting BTME for Price Turfcare

Interesting BTME for Price Turfcare

“So, from hereon in, its business as usual; you’ll see us out and about around the UK, redoubling our efforts and continuing to increase the footprint of a product that has impressed Rick Olson for its quality and one that complements the Toro brand.”

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BASF Pistol reclassification

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BASF Pistol reclassification: BASF’s Pistol herbicide brand is now tested and approved for use with Rotary Atomiser and Controlled Droplet Application (CDA) devices.

This means the popular and efficient RIVERLYNX Eradicator weed control system becomes the equipment-of-choice for local authorities and facilities maintenance professionals, with RIVERLYNX being specifically mentioned on BASF’s new product label.

BASF Pistol reclassification

BASF Pistol reclassification

James Wilson, Director of RIVERLYNX, comments: “This is great news for our clients. It means that, provided they use our RIVERLYNX CDA handlance system with our unique and easy-to-fill Ecomark carrier liquid for long lasting weed control, then they are now reassured that it is legally safe to do so. Using BASF Pistol means that operators are able to control active weeds as well as those yet to germinate. This gives RIVERLYNX users the option of a residual action herbicide, as well as translocated or contact herbicides.”

RIVERLYNX Ecomark is a biodegradable and non-hazardous carrier liquid designed for use with the company’s CDA lance applicators. Ecomark has been scientifically formulated to incorporate a white pigment to work in conjunction with BASF Pistol, providing a visible marker during use whilst ensuring the correct droplet size to reduce drift and aid plant adhesion. Ecomark is supplied in a turtle pack which functions as a comfortable backpack for use with RIVERLYNX’s robust Eradicator CDA handlance.

The RIVERLYNX system is a safe, cost effective and operator friendly method of weed control and would typically be used for weed control along mowing margins, around street furniture and in gravel areas. The key advantages include:

• Significant productivity and efficiency savings
• Reduction in labour force requirements
• Manual handling and back injury issues reduced
• Material/chemical cost per hectare is less when compared to alternatives in the marketplace
• Easy to use – no measuring or weighing. Simply fill BASF Pistol to a mark on the turtle pack
• No need to add extra Glyphosate to kill green growing weeds

RIVERLYNX products are backed by responsive after sales support including training, spare parts and servicing. Options available include both CDA Cleaner as well as Filling Stations. All RIVERLYNX products are designed and manufactured by the company at its Yorkshire facility. RIVERLYNX products are available from £396 ex-VAT.

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First Toro fleet for Cotswold Hills

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First Toro fleet for Cotswold Hills: When it comes to golf course machinery, time is money, and as such efficient machines are fast becoming a must have for golf courses across the country. Which is exactly the reason Cotswold Hills opted for the Groundsmaster 5900-D in its first Toro fleet deal.

“We have a team of six here to maintain a 157 acre course,” explains course manager Wayne Vincent. “Plus, with the course draining naturally because of its position on Limestone rock it’s playable year-round, which means there’s no let up on maintenance. That’s why it’s so important to have efficient machines that get the job done quickly to a high standard.”

First Toro fleet for Cotswold Hills

First Toro fleet for Cotswold Hills

The 18-hole, 6,800-yard course at Cotswold Hills is situated at the top a hill 850 feet above sea level. With the club’s impressive views and stunning tree-lined course, it’s attracted a membership of near 1000, with member expectations for the course as high as they are above sea level.

With that in mind, updating the club’s machinery fleet after years of replacing one machine at a time was of the utmost importance. And it’s the Groundsmaster 5900-D, capable of mowing 17 acres an hour, that heads up the new fleet of efficient Toro machinery.

“We have a lot of rough to cover on the course and previously we were spending three days each week cutting it,” says Wayne. “It was obvious we needed a larger machine to get the job done quicker. Although our fleet was already predominantly Toro and had served us well, we looked into other brands for due diligence. But there wasn’t another brand that had the size of machine we wanted available – no one could match the offering that Toro provided not only when it came to the spec of the GM5900-D, but the fleet too.

“The GM5900-D has cut our rough cutting time in half already,” Wayne says. “With the increase in cutting width and speed, alongside its excellent contour following, we can now get the whole course done in a day and a half and the finish of cut is brilliant.”

Joined by a new Reelmaster 3100-D Sidewinder, RM3575-D and a Greensmaster Flex 2120 pedestrian mower, the new Toro fleet has certainly made an impression.

“From experience I know that Toro machines are incredibly durable, which is why we’ve had a fleet of purchased Toro machines for so long. But having these four new machines with the latest upgrades and technological advancements has made a vast difference already.

“The Greensmaster Flex 2120 follows contours really well and is helping us extend the collar cut into the aprons and run offs and the Reelmaster 3100-D Sidewinder is giving us a better, cleaner cut, particularly in wet conditions.”

And going forward, this first lease deal with Toro is just the beginning of a longer term investment in the club’s machinery to help improve the course.

“Continuing an agreement plan with Toro will mean that we can consistently bring to the course the newest technology and upgrades, while simultaneously reducing machinery downtime. We’ve already seen the team’s productivity increase after only having these new machines for a few months, so it’s definitely proven to be the right move for the club” concludes Wayne.

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ECHO’s new low emission chainsaw

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ECHO’s new low emission chainsaw: ECHO has launched the CS-621SX heavy-duty rear handle chainsaw. The new saw is a reduced emissions version of their best-selling CS-620SX, yet it retains all the power and dependability of its predecessor.

This is a chainsaw built for arborists and landscaping professionals who use this type of saw daily for felling large trees.

ECHO's new low emission chainsaw

ECHO’s new low emission chainsaw

The CS-621SX boasts a new 59.8cc low emission, professional-grade 2-stroke ECHO engine, designed and manufactured in Japan. It is the latest chainsaw in the ECHO X-series of ‘Best in Class’ products which aim to be industry-leading in terms of power and performance. The saw is packed with advanced features to help the commercial operator power through their work. For a heavy-duty saw, it is surprisingly lightweight at only 6.3kg (dry weight) but that doesn’t take anything away from its cutting performance, which exceeds that of many higher capacity machines.  Its balance and ergonomic design offer manoeuvrability and precision, with dual bumper spikes enabling better control when sawing through stumps and thicker branches.

The CS-621SX is a superior saw in every respect, say ECHO, with its range of additional features designed to make the working day easier and more productive. There’s a decompression button for easy starting, a side-access chain tensioner and drop prevention nuts which can’t be lost during maintenance. A rotating plastic chain catcher is designed to help protect the user from potential injury while also preventing chain damage.   The heavy-duty aluminum handle has a secure rubber grip and reduces vibration in the hand. Fuel and oil caps are made larger for easier filling and the fuel tank is translucent to show the fuel level. The ‘G-FORCE’ air cleaner system features a large air filter to keep out debris.

It all adds up to a powerful, durable and heavy-duty chainsaw built to ECHO’s usual exacting specifications, which is borne out by a two-year professional or five-year domestic warranty. You can find out more from your local authorised ECHO dealer.

You can also visit www.echo-tools.co.uk or call 01844 278800 for more information.

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New drainage at Cleator Moor

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New drainage at Cleator Moor: Cleator Moor Celtic Football Club has employed Duncan Ross Ltd to complete the first of two stages of drainage work as the club aims to increase the usage of their stadium pitch.

The North West Counties Football League (NWCFL) Division One North side gained promotion to the league in the 2017/18 season and took the additional funding opportunities available to a Step 6 football team to improve their pitch.

New drainage at Cleator Moor

New drainage at Cleator Moor

In the past five seasons the club – like other teams in the area – struggled with postponements during the winter, limiting the opportunities for 14 teams outside their first team to play on the stadium pitch.

Promotion meant the money available to them from the Football Stadium Improvement Fund increased from £20k to £100k. This was combined with grants from the Copeland Enabling Fund, Copeland Community Fund, United Utilities Legacy Funding and money raised by the club, all of which has already begun to make a difference.

“Drainage has been a big issue for us because we’re in one of the wettest parts of the country you could be in,” Cleator Moor Celtic FC committee member, David Graham explained. “The pitch was predominately clay, so the drainage was really, really poor. Going back five years or so before we got involved with the pitch improvement programme, we could go weeks on end without playing games, particularly in the worst parts of the winter, so we could go three or four weeks at a time without playing a home game.

“Being able to get more of our teams playing on the main pitch is what we wanted. We’re also hoping to prevent fixture congestion like we’ve had in previous seasons where our first team would get to April and play Saturday, Monday, Wednesday and again on Saturday.

New drainage at Cleator Moor

New drainage at Cleator Moor

“We’ve wanted to improve the pitch for some time, and we’ve been working towards it for five years. Initially we sought advice from Craig Lewis at the Cumberland FA who put us in touch with Ian Mather-Brewster from the IOG, and he’s been a massive part of this project since getting us started on the Football Association’s Pitch Improvement Programme five seasons ago.

“He, along with Dale Firth from Professional Sportsturf Design and Duncan Ross, have been instrumental in putting the two-stage drainage plan together and we’re hoping to see a big improvement during this season after having the pitch levelled and the primary piped drainage installed. We’re 100% happy with the drainage and construction work Duncan and his team have done, and we’re looking forward to completing the project in the summer.”

Stage one was completed 10th July 2019 after 320 ton of sand, and 200 ton of soil were used to level the field in preparation for the primary piped drainage to be installed. A soakaway was also constructed by the Duncan Ross team as part of this stage before stage two commences in May 2020.

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