New John Deere Mower At BTME

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New John Deere Mower At BTME: Boasting the same advanced technology as John Deere’s award-winning A Model family of fairway, rough and trim & surrounds mowers, the new 6000A Series PrecisionCut fairway machines will be launched at BTME 2019 in Harrogate next January and will be available from UK and Irish dealers in the spring.

Based on a three-wheel drive, smooth tyre configuration, the 6080A, 6500A and 6700A five-gang cylinder models have been introduced to meet a specific customer need for improved budget control, while still delivering a mower designed for the rigours of fairway applications.

New John Deere Mower At BTME 2019

“With tight operating budgets and increasing labour costs, many customers need a more cost-effective solution to get the job done,” says John Deere’s European turf sales & marketing manager Carlos Aragones. “With this in mind, we challenged ourselves to design a machine that can still boost productivity and maintain quality of cut while keeping costs down, and we’ve done that with these new 6000A Series mowers.”

All three models utilise a powerful 24.7hp (18.4kW) diesel engine, and boast several other premium performance and comfort features. Just like the existing John Deere A Model range, these latest mowers offer exceptional cut quality, even on slopes, thanks to the standard LoadMatch system, while the innovative eHydro transmission eliminates linkages between the foot pedals and the hydrostatic pump.

Cutting widths are 2.03m (80in) on the 6080A and 2.54m (100in) on the 6500A and 6700A, with a choice of 46 or 56cm (18 or 22in) QA5 5in or QA7 7in diameter cutting units depending on the model. In addition, the 8mph (12.9kph) mowing speed allows operators to cut larger areas in less time.

As with all A Model machines, the new fairway mowers also feature the innovative TechControl display with password-protected controls. TechControl allows course managers or technicians to enter a range of commands, including mowing, turning and transport speeds as well as service intervals, while also providing on-board service diagnostics, to give complete and consistent control over cutting performance and quality.

The established frame design provides strength and durability, and a high quality cut is maintained in undulating terrain thanks to a rear-attaching yoke on the cutting units. Combined with the standard GRIP all-wheel drive traction system, these features allow the mowers to climb hills more easily without slipping.

The new John Deere 6000A Series PrecisionCut fairway mowers also provide several features designed to increase machine and operator uptime. These include internal hydraulic wet disk brakes that eliminate the need for linkage adjustments and grease points in the braking system, along with the traction drive system that needs only one fluid type for regular maintenance. In addition, the comfortable operator station includes CommandArm mounted controls that move with the seat.

For more information, visit: www.JohnDeere.co.uk

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SALTEX Shapes The Future Of Groundscare

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SALTEX Shapes The Future Of Groundscare: From robotics to hybrid mowers and digital apps, ground-breaking ideas to thought provoking debates, career enhancing advice to limitless opportunities; the recent SALTEX 2018 at the NEC in Birmingham was a landscape packed with possibilities and prospects for the future of groundscare.

Europe’s largest annual groundscare event featured 300 exhibitors, many of which embraced new technologies through the launch of their latest products and services showcased at the event.

SALTEX Shapes The Future Of Groundscare

One visitor – Chris Wood, ECB pitch consultant, was certainly impressed with the machinery on show: “My job with the ECB is to gather as much information on all the new innovations and this is one tremendous outlet for that. I always think that we are one big family in this industry and SALTEX is the one occasion of the year where we can come together, network, and look at all the new machinery – it’s like a toyshop at Christmas.”

The vibrant show floor offered a fantastic opportunity to witness just how these latest technologies are having a positive impact in the groundscare industry – particularly in the all new Innovation Hub where visitors were free to attend live interviews with industry experts and trend setters at the forefront of new groundscare innovations.

This new Hub was also the ideal platform to showcase and celebrate the SALTEX 2018 Innovation Award. After making its successful debut at last year’s show, the SALTEX 2018 Innovation Award attracted even more entries from various exhibitors across the globe and included a wide variety of high-quality products, services and equipment. Judged by an independent panel of industry experts it was decided that the Toro Outcross 9060 from Reesink Turfcare, PrecisionPro from Sherriff Amenity and the ROBOCUT from McConnel were the stand out entries. Sherriff Amenity’s PrecisionPro was crowned as the winner.

Sherriff Amenity representatives however were not the only trophy winners at the show as Bridgewater & Taunton College saw off fierce competition to win the SALTEX College Cup and the winning students can now look forward to visiting the All England Lawn Tennis Club, in the run up to the Wimbledon tournament, to experience court preparation from Neil Stubley, head of courts and horticulture.

There were also an increased number of visitors looking to progress within the industry as Frank Newberry’s Job Clinic sessions were fully booked between 9am and 3pm on each day of this year’s show. The expert careers advisor offered some fantastic tips on: perfecting a CV and cover letter; how to succeed at job interviews; negotiating a package; proactive job searching and self-employment.

The many opportunities to gain expert advice prompted John Ryan, founder of Lawn Care Legends, to travel from Northern Ireland to SALTEX: “I found my visit extremely beneficial because there are a lot of industry people you can connect with that can help provide ideas on how to develop a business. It’s great to see people with such a passion for the industry and share it with others. For anyone who wants to know what’s going on in the industry, I would recommend that they visit SALTEX.”

Free advice was available at every turn throughout the three large halls at the NEC. Visitors had the opportunity to gather one-to-one sports turf management advice from IOG regional pitch advisors at the Ask the Expert feature and Pathology and Soil Science LIVE provided an opportunity to share soil samples which were magnified, displayed on a large screen and assessed.

Learning LIVE 2018, SALTEX’s all-encompassing education programme, featured more than 50 free-to-attend seminars. Visitors gained CPD points for attendance and got to hear from expert speakers from the UK and abroad who focussed on vital issues that affect the industry.

James Pope, grounds manager at St Paul’s School in London, said he visited SALTEX to explore new concepts: “I’ve gained more ideas just from coming to this one show than I have all year. SALTEX is the right time of year and it’s the busiest and most vibrant show around – everyone is always in high spirits.”

Echoing James, was Ted Mitchell from the RFU, who was pleased to see just how the world’s longest standing groundscare exhibition has transformed over the years. “I’ve been attending SALTEX for many years and to see the event as it is today is incredible – it takes your breath away. It offers such a unique opportunity to meet the range of people at SALTEX in five or six hours that would, in any other circumstance, take me a huge amount of time over a number of months. SALTEX brings the industry together all in one place.”

SALTEX does indeed unite every corner of the industry – the manufacturers and suppliers, the visitors and speakers, the governing bodies and associations; who contributed to the conversations, the learnings, the ideas, the debates, and actively played their part in shaping the future of groundscare and creating opportunity for all.

For more information visit www.iogsaltex.com

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Wiedenmann To Exhibit At BTME

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Wiedenmann To Exhibit At BTME: Wiedenmann UK’s popular rough management duo,  the Super 500 and the Terra Rake,  give Wiedenmann Terra Spikes a run for their money when it comes to  greenkeepers’ wish list kit.  Fortunately all three machines will be well represented on stand Red 218 at BTME 2019.

“For rough management, it’s the combination of time saved plus their unrivalled versatility that makes them so popular,” say Wiedenmann UK.

Wiedenmann To Exhibit At BTME

“If you have ‘traditional ridge and furrow’ undulations the Super 500 follows contours easily without scalping and produces a consistent height of cut, whether scarifying or flail mowing. It also is a very thorough leaf collector. The Terra Rake will work in tandem. It scarifies, pulls out thatch and can help us with a long list of other tasks.”

With 11 separate Terra Spikes it’s the class leading Terra Spike GXi8 HD that will get the nod for Harrogate.  Superfast, efficient and precise the 1.8 m wide GXi8 HD can potentially access all areas at depths to 250 mm.

Wiedenmann To Exhibit At BTME

Look out, too, for the Terra Float Air pneumatic seeder and the 230* swivelling Mega Twister blower. It’s a great opportunity to see these up close and appreciate the simplicity and excellence of their German engineering.

For more information, visit: www.wiedenmann.com

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Spider Show Slope Mower At SALTEX

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Spider Show Slope Mower At SALTEX: Visitors to the TH WHITE Machinery Imports stand at SALTEX in early November, were among the first in the UK groundscare industry to see an advanced protype of Dvorak-Spider’s new and compact slope mower, the Spider CROSSLINE.

With its innovative and compact design, it complements the current Spider ILD01 and Spider ILD02 remote-controlled mowers and features a terrain following mowing deck, integrated stabilising winch, a skid-steer option and is powered by a Honda GXV390, 4-stroke petrol engine.

Spider Show Slope Mower At SALTEX

Like the bigger machines it can mow slopes up to 40 degrees and then with the stabilising winch attached to a ground anchor it can mow at 55 degrees. No other dedicated slope mowers can match this degree of slope severity.

Robustly constructed for full commercial use, the Spider CROSSLINE provides the ideal cutting results on the steepest slopes with an emphasis on user friendliness and ease of use. It has a cutting width of 65 cm (25.6 inches) and a cutting height ranging from 4 – 12 cm (1.6 – 4.7 inches), while fuel consumption is between 1-2 litres per hour depending on the terrain with a maximum speed of 6 km/h.

Commenting on the new mower, Nick Penn, Spider’s UK Sales Manager said,

“We have been asked by end users for a smaller, but equally robust mower for some time and the XLINE as it will be denoted with decals on the body panels, is our response. It is slightly different from the larger models in that it has an articulated frame, which enables the mowing deck to follow ground contours more precisely. The proven technologies inherent in the other machines have been further developed and we feel we have ‘crossed the line’ in terms of our development strategy, hence the name.”

Pricing in the UK will be approximately £15,700 when the mower is launched next spring, compared to 19,700 for the Spider ILD01 and £31,400 for the flagship machine, the Spider ILD02.

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Sherriff Scoop Innovation Award

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Sherriff Scoop Innovation Award: On day one of SALTEX 2018 at the NEC, Sherriff Amenity’s ground-breaking new app, PrecisionPro, was announced as the winner of the second, annual SALTEX Innovation Award.

Established at the show in 2017, the SALTEX Innovation Award was created to encourage innovation excellence and celebrate the best products within the groundscare industry. The award is bestowed on projects that have a significant impact and ultimately make life easier for the person using them.

Sherriff Scoop Innovation Award

This year’s award received a record number of high quality entries from across the UK and beyond – spanning a wide variety of products, services and equipment. With the entries submitted and rigorously evaluated by an independent panel of judges, it was decided that there were three stand-out innovations – the Toro Outcross 9060 from Reesink Turfcare, PrecisionPro from Sherriff Amenity and the ROBOCUT from McConnel.

The three finalists were given a final opportunity to impress the judges as they took to the stage in the all new Innovation Hub. Representatives from each company delivered a product presentation in front of a packed audience causing the judges much deliberation before making their final decision.

Sherriff Amenity’s PrecisionPro was pronounced the overall winner. Second place went to the Toro Outcross 9060; a super-duty utility vehicle, designed specifically to simplify the groundsman’s day-to-day turf maintenance jobs. Third place went to the McConnel ROBOCUT; an all-terrain remote-control work platform that boosts safety, productivity and efficiency.

The winning innovation, PrecisionPro, is a dedicated app for sports turf to measure any area, guide the operator in calibrating a spreader for any granular product and also help apply fertilisers accurately.

According to Sherriff Amenity, PrecisionPro was created due to the common issue of turf managers misjudging green/sport surface size which often results in problems such as over applying or under applying fertilisers – both of which can have a negative effect on turf performance, disease and budget.

PrecisionPro allows turf managers to have an accurate measured area by simply opening the app and walking the perimeter of the area. Calibrating spreaders has always been a difficult task but with the Calibrate feature in the PrecisionPro app, users are guided through each step of the process. Furthermore, its advanced GPS functionality informs the user when to start and stop the calibration process.

The app also features a function to ensure that every operator walks at the same speed – if someone is walking too fast or too slow then they are alerted by colour coded screens. As well as calculating the g/m2 and the operator’s walking speed, the Apply feature ultimately ensures that the exact amount of nutrition is being applied to the turf.

Commenting on the award, Karl Parry, Sherriff Amenity’s PrecisionPro developer, said:

“We are really excited to win this award. PrecisionPro has been a long time in the making but it has all been made worthwhile now. SALTEX was the official launch of the app and after we won the award people kept coming onto the stand to find out more about it, so the word definitely got round at the show.

“I’m really proud of the whole team because it has been a big collaborative effort.”

For more information visit www.iogsaltex.com

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