All applications covered with Kubota’s bigger zero-turn range

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All applications covered with Kubota’s bigger zero-turn range: The recent expansion of the Kubota zero-turn mower range has made the line-up one of the most comprehensive in the market – and one of many highlights in the Kubota groundcare portfolio. Responding to market demand, the range has increased from two to seven models offering a variety of working widths, discharge options and fuel types to suit all domestic and commercial applications.

Kubota’s zero-turn offering combines unbeatable manoeuvrability with accurate, quality cut performance making them a popular choice for local authorities and professional landscapers as well as residential users. With the addition of five new models in recent years, the range now offers more versatility than ever before.

All applications covered with Kubota’s bigger zero-turn range

All applications covered with Kubota’s bigger zero-turn range

Highlights of the established petrol models are the Z1-421 and Z2-481, which feature a 42” and 48” side discharge cutting deck respectively, with optional mulching kits available.

Launched in summer 2024 is the Z4-541 – a 54” petrol model which boasts a larger chassis to offer even greater productivity to the pro-consumer market. Hot on its heels was the rear discharge Z4-541RD model, introduced later in 2024, to meet customer requirements.

In the diesel range, the well established ZD-1211 provides comfort and fast working with excellent fuel efficiency, meeting all the needs of the professional operator.

Those looking to meet productivity requirements with a sustainable power source can find the answer in Kubota’s Ze electric zero-turn range. Offering new levels of user comfort through reduced noise and vibration during operation, the Ze-421 and larger Ze-481 are designed to exceed the expectations of environmentally conscious customers such as contractors and local authorities whilst still maintaining the performance expectations of conventional fuels.

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STIGA Wins Innovation Award at GroundsFest 2025

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STIGA Wins Innovation Award at GroundsFest 2025: The STIGA team is proud to announce that their Large Format Robot has been awarded the Innovation Award for Best Grass Cutting Equipment at GroundsFest 2025.

Designed for managing very large areas with efficiency and precision, the Large Format Robot combines advanced robotics with sustainable technology. Equipped with a full suite of object detection and proximity sensors, an integrated camera, and unlimited operational capacity, the robot sets a new standard for professional turf management.

STIGA Wins Innovation Award at GroundsFest 2025

STIGA Wins Innovation Award at GroundsFest 2025

Commenting on the award, Amanda Kincaid, UK Marketing Manager for STIGA, said:

“We’re absolutely thrilled to have received the Innovation Award for Best Grass Cutting Equipment at GroundsFest. Gardening is evolving rapidly—it’s no longer just about tools, but about creating smart, sustainable solutions that adapt to every need. At GroundsFest 2025, we showcased our vision for the future with groundbreaking robotics, forward-thinking innovation, and exciting new products.”

She added: “Stepping into the professional segment is a natural progression for us—a clear expression of both our ambition and our commitment to shaping the outdoor spaces of tomorrow.”

This milestone marks STIGA’s official entry into the professional market, building on the brand’s 90+ years of expertise and leadership in the transition to electric solutions for gardening. At GroundsFest, visitors experienced live demonstrations of STIGA’s professional innovations, including the award-winning Large Format Robot, the all-electric STIGA ePark Pro front mower, and the new ePowerBattery Pro.

Looking ahead, STIGA reaffirmed its commitment to advancing sustainable gardening through robotics and battery technology. Visitors were also given a preview of next-generation solutions currently in development, including new autonomous and battery-powered mowers powered by the ePowerPro system, set to launch in 2026.

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GKB Combitool delivers year round excellence

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GKB Combitool delivers year round excellence: A GKB Combitool has proven the solution to improving surface quality, and reducing reliance on hired equipment, at Norfolk’s Langley School.

Senior Groundsman Phil Cook leads a team of four in maintaining 19 hectares of school grounds – made that much easier with the versatility of the 4-in-1 implement which has taken presentation of the sports pitches to new heights.

GKB Combitool delivers year round excellence

GKB Combitool delivers year round excellence

When Phil joined the co-educational day and boarding school 18 months ago, most of the maintenance machinery was hired in. Notification followed shortly after that prices were due to increase so a change of tact was needed. “It made sense to look at what we were using most often, and as a versatile all-rounder, we knew something like the GKB Combitool would make a big difference across multiple areas of the site” Phil explains.

Working closely with Stuart Paterson at Ernest Doe & Sons, the school built a package of machines – including the GKB Combitool – for delivery in October 2024.

“I hadn’t had any previous experience of GKB, but when I saw the brochure and the build quality of the unit, it was an easy decision. In practice, it has more than lived up to expectations. It’s incredibly solid, reliable and easy to use enabling us to brush, rake, roll and spike our 10 winter sports pitches year-round and, in springtime, our cricket outfields on a weekly basis.” He adds, “Because of the size of the site, we sometimes used to struggle with moving clippings. Now, we can follow the mower with a single pass of the GKB Combitool, rake the clippings up and leave an immaculately presented surface in its wake.”

The delivery also couldn’t have been better planned for Phil and the team, with the Combitool landing just in time for Langley’s annual rugby festival which attracts teams from across the UK. “With so many spectators and matches in a condensed period, presentation really matters. Running the Combitool between games was a real eye-opener. It lifted the grass, left a brilliant finish and helped us retain superb surfaces for the duration of the event.”

The quality and value delivered by the GKB Combitool has certainly left a strong impression, leading Phil to look at other areas of their maintenance programme. “The Combitool has become our go-to implement, and is raising standards so much, we’d like to see about adding more GKB Machines to our armoury to bring other areas up to a similar level – ensuring the facilities continue to meet the high expectations of our students, visiting clubs and national tournaments alike.”

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First club in UK invests in Toro robotic mowing

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First club in UK invests in Toro robotic mowing: Thonock Park in Lincolnshire is the first club in the UK to invest in Toro’s Turf Pro autonomous mowers.

Having made the decision to move to autonomous mowing at the beginning of the year, the club was introduced to Toro’s new Turf Pro mowers at the BTME launch and has subsequently purchased five from local Toro dealer, Russells Groundcare.

First club in UK invests in Toro robotic mowing

First club in UK invests in Toro robotic mowing

The five Turf Pro 500 mowers are being used to cut both fairways and rough of 18 of the club’s 36 holes. According to General Manager Benjamin Hatch: “Our robot mowers are now cutting the fairways and rough for 18 holes on the Thonock Park course, and we are exceptionally pleased with their quality of cut and the definition between fairway and rough grasses.”

Thonock Park and Russells have had two comprehensive training sessions post-install from Lee Rowbotham, GeoLink and Digital Specialist at Reesink UK.

Lee explains the process: “We were there at the point of delivery to install the chargers and base station. The mowers are blind out of the box, so training involves telling them everything they need to know, like where the charging station is, the route to the fairways, what the safe areas, and not safe areas are. And of course, for the team to understand the operation and the terminology involved.”

Once set up, Course Manager Rob Acheson was shown how to control all five mowers through the Smart App. Operation is something Lee likens to how irrigation sprinklers are controlled.

“They are controlled individually, one at a time, and can be set up in advance,” he says. “Just like you can set a sprinkler to come on at 5am, you can set the Turf Pros to start mowing at 10pm once everyone has gone home if you wish.”

This provides a big advantage in getting course maintenance ahead of play. All fairway mowing can be completed before the course opens, supported by “the almost non-existent noise levels” as confirmed by Benjamin.

Another added benefit of these mowers comes from how the club has been able to redefine the job requirements of the team and can guarantee all-year round value.

“Very importantly, these mowers have enabled us to reassign some of our skilled greenkeeping team to other tasks on the course that require more specialist work,” Benjamin says. “During the wetter months, we expect to keep using these mowers, when ordinarily we would struggle to use the much heavier diesel machines. All in all, it has been a very positive investment for us and one that we believe we will continue to benefit from year after year.”

Just as Reesink sees the value in providing dedicated support for this new technology with the new digital specialist role created for Lee, so too do Russells who have recruited two dedicated employees to demonstrate and install Russells’ autonomous mowing offerings to customers, including private properties, estates, schools, golf courses and other sporting venues.

Mark Willerton, Groundcare Sales Manager at Russells, says: “Russells see autonomous mowers as an important part of our future business, it’s something we’re investing heavily in with dedicated specialist staff and demonstration machines.

“Working alongside Thonock Park and Reesink to understand this next generation of mowing and how to maximise the potential and efficiency of the mowers has been a great learning experience. We look forward to continuing working with the team at Thonock Park to ensure they always have the best turfcare options available.”

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Makita’s versatile rotary laser draws the line on accuracy

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Makita’s versatile rotary laser draws the line on accuracy: Makita has introduced its new SKR001 Rechargeable Rotary Laser that makes levelling and alignment simple. With impressive range diameter capabilities and flexible charging options, the Rotary Laser provides outstanding accuracy, enhanced visibility, and convenience for trade professionals undertaking levelling tasks.

The SKR001 delivers a measuring range of up to 800 meters in diameter when used with the laser receiver and provides horizontal and vertical accuracy of ±0.5mm and ±0.75mm per 10m respectively. With automatic self-levelling capabilities within ±5°, and manual slope adjustment, the new rotary laser allows for quick setup and consistent, high-precision layout work on large sites.

Makita's versatile rotary laser draws the line on accuracy

Makita’s versatile rotary laser draws the line on accuracy

Thanks to its green laser beam, visibility is significantly improved over red laser models, especially in bright daylight conditions. Users can select from static, or three rotation speeds: 150, 300, 600 rpm and three scan angles: 10°, 20°, 30° depending on application needs, adding to the tool’s adaptability and versatility.

The SKR001 is extremely flexible given it is compatible with three Makita battery platforms, CXT (12V), LXT (18V) and XGT (40V) can all be used to power the laser when fitted with the respective battery tray options. The Rotary Laser also comes equipped with a Bluetooth remote control (RC1) for operation up to 100 meters and features auto shut off and anti-drift systems to maintain laser integrity. Run time is equally impressive, with up to 160 hours of continuous use with a 40VMax 4.0Ah XGT battery, ensuring minimal downtime.

Built for real-world jobsite durability, this Rotary Laser features IP67-rated protection against dust and water, as well as shock-absorbing rubber bumpers to safeguard the unit from drops of up to 2 meters. Weighing only 4kg (without battery), it is a manageable weight yet sturdy enough for demanding and daily professional use.

“With a green beam to provide clear visibility and its multi-platform battery support, the SKR001 sets a new benchmark for cordless rotary lasers. It’s a must-have for professionals looking for flexibility and high performance,” commented Kevin Brannigan, Marketing Manager at Makita.

The SKR001 is supplied with an 18V LXT battery tray holder as standard.

For more information about the SKR001 and Makita’s full range of cordless machines, visit: www.makitauk.com.

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