Etesia UK welcomes new dealer

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Etesia UK welcomes new dealer: Etesia UK is delighted to welcome Abrey Agricultural to its vast dealer network.

The Abrey’s are originally a farming family which went into the machinery trade, and son Toby started importing specialist agricultural machinery from Austria. He did so for twelve years, before starting a groundcare division in 2012. This side of the business quickly grew, and he now supplies a variety of leading groundcare brands.

Etesia UK welcomes new dealer

Etesia UK welcomes new dealer

Etesia is the latest brand to be added to the Abrey portfolio after Toby saw it as an opportunity to grow the business.

“I’m certainly hoping to reach new customers with the Etesia machines,” he said. “I want to progress and do more work with the Cambridge colleges, and you need good brands to offer them. If you haven’t got enough in your range, then you are limited. Etesia fits a treat in this respect.

“There are also many affluent areas around here and we have customers with big gardens. They all need something bigger, stronger, and better than what they are using, and this is where Etesia comes in.”

Etesia has been leading the way in building high quality grass cutting machinery for both the professional and domestic market since 1989. Over the years the company has grown rapidly and now offers a wide range of products that include a variety of walk-behind, ride-on mowers, green technology, the popular Attila range of brush cutters and the all-new award-winning ET Lander electric utility vehicle.

Toby added that his first experience of using an Etesia machine was hugely positive.

“I originally tried an Etesia Hydro 124 diesel ride-on mower, and it was raining at the time,” he said. “It wasn’t a problem though and it picked everything up in the wet – there was no doubt about it. I didn’t have to unblock it – it unblocks itself. It is a very impressive machine.

“Another big benefit of the Etesia machines is that you can take the grass box off and put a drop chute on the back in seconds. You can’t do that on many other machines.

“The Etesia brand has a great reputation; they are very versatile, strong machines that do the job.”

Abrey Agricultural, based in Saffron Walden, Essex, will be offering the full-range of Etesia products within an approximate 30 mile radius.

For further information, please contact Etesia UK on 01295 680120 or visit www.etesia.co.uk.

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

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A quasquicentennial celebration for Canmore

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A quasquicentennial celebration for Canmore: Canmore Golf Club is celebrating 125 years with delivery of the industry’s first and only fairway hybrid mower, the Reelmaster 5010-H from Toro.

It’s quite the achievement to reach your quasquicentennial milestone and Canmore Golf Club in Dunfermline, Fife decided to combine that with also making it the year they chose distributor Reesink Scotland to help address several problems it was experiencing, all of which were solved thanks to this brand-new budding relationship and one of Toro’s most revolutionary inventions: the Reelmaster 5010-H.

A quasquicentennial celebration for Canmore

A quasquicentennial celebration for Canmore

Golf course manager Graeme Holland, who has been overseeing operations at the club for over 30 years, explains the decision-making process: “It was time to make some changes. We needed to reduce fuel consumption and noise pollution and just felt the time was right to go the hybrid route for environmental reasons, and we needed a dealer we could rely on.”

Recognised as the industry’s first and only fairway mower with a true hybrid drive system, the Reelmaster 5010-H represents an absolute breakthrough in technology and is a big highlight in the turfcare machinery journey towards electric power. And now two are part of Canmore’s arsenal.

Graeme continues: “The reliability is there with Toro. They test the machines a lot more than the competition so they’re a lot more user-friendly and easier to work with. They have similar controls as the greens machines and that means we can swap machines with no issues. Sometimes we don’t even need to call in a mechanic because we can work out the problem ourselves as they’re so intuitive.

“The price of fuel is horrendous right now so any savings we could make and redistribute to other parts of the golf course were most welcome. We’re saving around 20 percent on fuel now and that works out to be quite a substantial figure on the total cost of ownership.

“Three quarters of the course is surrounded by houses, so noise was an issue when we started work in the mornings. Now we carry on with our routine as normal but with less disturbance. Pollution-wise, they’re a lot cleaner than diesel and of course there’s no risk of hydraulic oil spills.”

Graeme further comments on the performance of the Reelmaster and how he had some reservations at the start:

“We have a lot of slopes to cut so we needed a fairway machine that had four-wheel drive and enough power to get the job done,” he explains. “I was a bit sceptical as the 5010-H only has a 25hp engine but with the batteries also producing power, it’s more than enough and we can safely work in any conditions on the course. We’re getting a very consistent cut throughout and thus there’s a much better level of play on the fairways.”

The decision to change dealers came into play as the service the club was receiving from its previous dealer was not up to par with Graeme’s standards. He comments: “The overall experience is better with Toro and Reesink. The service department at Reesink Scotland, from the reps to the mechanics, is brilliant. Their back-up and knowledge of the machinery is fantastic – they know everything there is to know. Their service van holds maybe fifty common parts that we would use, so all it takes is a quick call and they’ll have whatever it is we need ready the next day.

“We’re always extremely busy as we’re a small club with just about one of every machine. So, if one goes down, we need that quick turn-around to allow us to keep things always moving. Reesink fits the bill for that, and we couldn’t be happier we made the switch especially in such a key year in our history.”

To talk to someone about Toro technology and how the Toro range could suit your course, call 01480 226800.

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Pro-Cast & Wiedenmann double improves efficiency

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Pro-Cast & Wiedenmann double improves efficiency: Greentech Sportsturf, based in Stirling, combines a construction company with a separate sales operation for specialist turf products, including quality seed and sand.

In May, their construction team pre-empted a busy summer of renovations with a timely purchase of a Pro-Cast PC 4 bulk top dresser and a Wiedenmann Terra Spike XD 8 deep aerator from dealer, Fairways GM’s Glasgow depot.

Pro-Cast & Wiedenmann double improves efficiency

Pro-Cast & Wiedenmann double improves efficiency

Contract Foremen Ryan Melling, left, and Gary Leonard, right, received the machines from Wiedenmann UK’s Scottish Sales Manager, Mike James, centre.

“The machines landed in the yard just as renovation season took off,” said Gary Leonard, “Pretty much, that’s the only time, they’ve been idle as they are now either on site or in transit.”

Greentech’s clients include professional and amateur clubs as well as a host of schools’ projects from full grow-in and establishment works to maintenance visits.

“When we chose the top dresser, we considered both the PC 3 and PC 4 versions. The PC 4 won because its 3,500-litre capacity brought more efficiency. We took the optional PTO pump and tank system so everything was self-contained. The twin spinners have a reach of about 16 m and spin sand consistently and evenly. It’s doing a great job,” said Gary.

“The XD 8 is our first Wiedenmann aerator and its strong and dependable. Reliability is important because when you are in the thick of a job you don’t want any breakdowns.

“In a typical renovation project, the Terra Spike comes into its own at the end of the sequence with a good deep spike and gives everything a final iron. Changing tines is a lot easier than before and they can get down 275 mm. Getting spare tines is easy and there’s plenty guidance available from the Fairways GM team.”

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New Verti-Drain at Rotherham GC

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New Verti-Drain at Rotherham GC: After delivering more than 25 years of reliable service, a Redexim Verti-Drain has been replaced by… another Redexim Verti-Drain at Rotherham Golf Club!

With ever-increasing restrictions on chemical usage impacting on plant growth and root development, Course Manager Andy Unwin cites an increase in the amount of aeration work taking place as the stimulus for the purchase of their new Verti-Drain 7316, delivered in March 2022.

New Verti-Drain at Rotherham GC

New Verti-Drain at Rotherham GC

Rotherham offers a true test for golfer and greenkeepers alike, as Andy and his team of five deal with thousands of mature trees and historic push-up greens across the 18-hole parkland course. “A lot of work has gone into the greens over the years, lots of aeration and topdressing which now means we’re in a good position with sandy, free-draining greens” explains Andy, who took over as Course Manager last year. “However, things are always changing and one of the biggest issues we now face is the changes in chemical legislation, making aeration more important than ever for retaining root strength and plant health.”

“With our Verti-Drain® 105-145 we would traditionally have two main ‘aeration weeks’ – one in March and one in August, with spot treatments as and where required. This machine was purchased in 1994 and gave us years of trouble-free and effective aeration, but with more work on the cards, the time was right for an upgrade. Redexim’s Andy O’Neill and Tony Dodson of Cheshire Turf Machinery brought in a 7316 and it ticked every box.”

With a 1.6m working width, the 7316 is one of the most versatile models in the Redexim Verti-Drain® range. Small enough to suit smaller chassis tractors, but weighty enough to handle compacted ground, it is available with a range of tine options to suit all sports turf applications and maintenance tasks throughout the calendar.

“Of course we’re all noticing the differences between the two machines. This one is smoother, with much less vibration during operation, and it’s all really user-friendly – adjustments to speed and depth are nice and straight forward.” Andy adds, “With the Verti-Drain® you know what you’re going to get and that’s reliability, which is going to be critical as we continue to undertake more aeration work around the course over the next few years.”

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MM and Designer terrific for Truro

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MM and Designer terrific for Truro: After experimenting with various seeds, Dominic Gibbard – Head Greenkeeper at Truro Golf Club, found that the market leading MM and Designer brands of grass seed produced the best results.

Dominic has been working at Truro Golf Club for four years. He spent three of those as the Deputy Head Greenkeeper but last year his hard work and dedication to the role was rewarded with a promotion.

MM and Designer terrific for Truro

MM and Designer terrific for Truro

He now oversees a team of three who work around the clock to maintain the stunning 18-hole, par 67 parkland course in Cornwall.

“It’s a great place to work,” said Dominic. “Truro is a short, tight and challenging course, which attracts a lot of golfers – in fact we are picking up members all the time.”

One look at the course will tell you why Truro is so popular – it is beautifully maintained by the team, and Dominic is considerably careful when it comes to selecting the correct products.

“Over the years I have experimented with lots of various seeds, but I haven’t found any particular benefits from using others compared to the MM and Designer brands,” he said.

MM is one of the most respected brands in the UK amenity industry, with over 40 years of experience and knowledge. The extensive product portfolio is second to none with performance proven mixtures that are used at many leading venues in the UK and Europe.

All the varieties have an excellent breeding pedigree and have been selected and bred for their ability to deliver a range of quality turf characteristics. The Designer range is also formulated specifically to meet the needs of landscapers, local authorities and sports clubs.

Investing in the Designer range offers true value for money as they combine high performance with competitive pricing.

At Truro Golf Club, Dominic relies on two specific mixtures from the MM and Designer brands which he purchases through David Bevan of Agrovista Amenity.

For the greens he uses Elite Green from the Designer range which is an excellent, all bent (70% Sefton Browntop bent and 30% Arletta Browntop bent) mixture that produces a fine, dense hard-wearing surface.

“It is a brilliant seed which gives us great germination,” he said. “We are really increasing the amount of bent and reducing the Poa in the greens and this mixture is helping us.

“I have found it is quite soil temperature dependent for us, so I don’t tend to overseed with Elite Green until mid-summer after our big golf week. I’ll follow up with another overseed towards the end of September, early October, and these two big hits work incredibly well for us. The greens are in a great condition and the seed has been integral.”

On the tees Dominic relies on MM50 which possesses exceptional shoot density along with tolerance to close mowing making. This superior mix contains the perennial ryegrass cultivars, Venice, Alison and Malibu, which are renowned for providing a great sward for golf use.

“It is great for repairing divots and worn areas,” he said. “We have even used MM50 really early in the season in February and we had germination in temperatures of 6-7 degrees Celsius, which it is not even meant to do. We couldn’t believe it.”

Both the Designer and MM seeds are treated with HEADSTART® GOLD – a unique seaweed-based seed treatment which helps to ensure rapid and even germination. This tried and tested grass seed treatment helps the seed get off to the best possible start.

“I’m really impressed with the products, and they are very good value for money,” said Dominic. “It is for these reasons why we keep choosing MM and Designer.”

For further information, please contact MM Sports Seed on 01386 791102 or visit the company’s new website www.mm-seeds.co.uk. You can also follow the company on Twitter: @MM_Seed

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