Innovative Trimming with EGO

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Innovative Trimming with EGO: Outdoor battery-powered equipment specialist, EGO Power+, has unveiled the latest in its domestic range of line trimmers. Brand-new for 2025, the ST1510E-T showcases new design features which enhance usability, cutting quality and performance.

Featuring a 38cm cutting diameter to tackle everyday garden maintenance jobs, the line trimmer also has EGO’s innovative PowerLoadTM technology built in as standard. At the touch of a button, the technology automatically winds the new replacement line, removes the complexity of threading and significantly enhances usability.

Innovative Trimming with EGO

Innovative Trimming with EGO

Further enhancing user control and comfort, adjustable handles and a telescopic shaft allow for the tool to be adjusted to suit individual users. And, for the toughest jobs where extra support is needed, a single harness is included to provide greater stability, accuracy, and safety. Built around a brushless motor and powered by EGO’s leading battery technology, the line trimmer also allows users to switch between two speed modes to suit the task at hand.

Neil McGuinness, Product Manager for EGO, said: “We are delighted to be expanding our portfolio of line trimmers featuring our innovative PowerloadTM technology which we’ve designed to improve tool operation, safety, and performance. This innovative solution is a game-changer for garden lovers as it does away with the hassle and frustration of loading the line.

“Providing a 38cm cutting diameter, this new model means that we now have a well-rounded portfolio of line trimmers of every size to offer to our customers, ranging between 33 and 40cm.”

The new line trimmer is powered by EGO’s leading 56V ARC LithiumTM battery technology which, together with the brushless motor, provides reliable power and performance on every job. EGO batteries are also interchangeable across all EGO tools, making it possible to carry out a range of garden jobs on a single charge.

The 38cm ST1510E-T retails at £249. It is also available as a kit for £379, which includes a 2.5Ah battery and standard charger.

To learn more visit: https://egopowerplus.co.uk/products/line-trimmers-brush-cutters/st1510e-38cm-Line-Trimmer

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Record deal for Keys brothers in Northern Ireland

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Record deal for Keys brothers in Northern Ireland: The Kingfisher Country Estate in Northern Ireland has signed a five-year deal for a comprehensive 25-machine Toro fleet in what is Keys Brothers’ biggest agreement since becoming a Toro dealer.

Set on 220 acres of parkland just 20 minutes from Belfast, the only David Feherty and David Jones designed golf course in Ireland offers 18 holes over 7,000 yards of Championship USGA specification greens, tees and challenging fairways and is looked after by Head Greenkeeper Michael Loughran and his team of 12 staff.

Record deal for Keys brothers in Northern Ireland

Record deal for Keys brothers in Northern Ireland

“We’ve had lease deals with Toro before but usually for six or seven key pieces of machinery; this is the first time we’ve gone all-in on a full fleet,” says Michael.

So why now? “A couple of reasons,” Michael explains. “The Estate has recently been given the go ahead on a significant upgrade to the resort and it was important the course kept up with site improvements. There will be major developments on bunkers, a lot of tree work, and consistently maintaining the quality of the course is a big job as it’s fully playable all year round.”

The second reason comes down to the introduction of Keys Brothers as the country’s Toro dealer. “This was our first time working with Keys Brothers since the change in dealership and the support has been outstanding. It was evident early in the process that nothing would beat it especially as I fired over questions and issues and got solutions every time. This indication of the level of service and support we’d get was reassuring and sealed the deal especially as we were going with a full maintenance package too.”

Also contributing to the decision was having access to Toro distributor Reesink Turfcare’s National Accounts Manager David Timms: “David came to the venue a couple of times and his input was really valuable; we felt we had direct access to and the full support of Reesink and Toro.”

The deal includes pedestrian and riding mowers for all areas, five Workman utility vehicles, the ProPass topdresser, two ProForce blowers, the new TransPro for transporting the club’s existing ProCore 648 aerator, plus the installation of Toro’s myTurf Pro to optimise operation of the fleet. But are there any standout machines for Michael and the team?

“On the advice of Keys Brothers, we switched out the Reelmaster 5610-D for the Reelmaster 3575-D for the fairways. It was a simple tweak but suits the site much better. The topography of the site doesn’t have great elevation and we didn’t need all that power; in fact, what we needed is a lighter footprint and a mower that uses less fuel. The 3575 delivers us both of those things.”

The club chose four Greensmaster 1021 pedestrian mowers praised by Michael for being easy to demonstrate and use which is especially helpful when increasing staffing on projects: “It takes just half a green to master these machines” he says.

Andy Keys, Company Director at Keys Brothers, says: “While we believe this to be one of the biggest golf deals in Northern Ireland in 2024, the issues and requirements for Michael and the team were like many: they knew there were machinery tweaks they could make to address specific issues and be more efficient. This is applicable whether you’re buying one machine or a fleet.

“To bring the customer on board with maintenance too is testament to the team we’ve built which has doubled in size since last year such is the level of business we’re doing.”

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New Foley 642 to be showcased at Groundsfest

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New Foley 642 to be be showcased at Groundsfest: Foley Company’s UK and Ireland distributor, ProSport UK Ltd, will be on stand 46 demonstrating the unrivalled benefits of relief grinding and the new floor level Foley 642 Quick Spin Reel Grinder.

The prototype of Foley’s new floor level 642 Quick Spin Reel Grinder was revealed earlier this year. Now this new revolutionary grinder is ready for the market and will be on display at Groundsfest 2025. Designed to accommodate the widest of mower cylinders the 642 is a simple roll-on roll-off solution to grinding, with the machine sitting at floor level. The roll-on roll-off solution removes the need for heavy lifting facilities, revolutionising how equipment managers view touch-up spin grinding.

New Foley 642 to be showcased at Groundsfest

New Foley 642 to be showcased at Groundsfest

It offers a fast, easy-operated option for providing a quick touch-up spin between regular relief grinding schedules, and is a solution for sharpening the extra wide, heavy mowers used on sports fields/pitches. The Foley 642 Quick-Spin features simple to use controls, counter balanced spin drive, patented front and rear clamping system for pedestrian mowers, and power rear positioning levers for cylinders. It will accept up to 42-inch reel width and operates on 240v/15a power.

ProSport UK Ltd Managing Director Ian Robson will run demonstrations throughout both days of GroundsFest and be available to discuss any questions or requirements.

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Jacobsen AR 522 helps Taynuilt keep grounds match-ready

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Jacobsen AR 522 helps Taynuilt keep grounds match-ready: Taynuilt Sports Council in Argyll has bought a Jacobsen AR 522 rotary mower from Fairways GM to maintain the village’s large grass sports pitch.

As a charitable organisation, the Sports Council is committed to providing recreational facilities for the local community and the wider public through Taynuilt Sports Hub. The pitch is in use year-round for shinty, football, cricket, juvenile rugby, and hockey.

Jacobsen AR 522 helps Taynuilt keep grounds match-ready

Jacobsen AR 522 helps Taynuilt keep grounds match-ready

Ross Dunsmore, current Chair of Taynuilt Sports Council, said:

“Our previous machinery had reached the end of its life. We sought advice on the best replacement, then made successful funding applications to three sources: The Carraig Ghael Community Wind Farm Benefit Fund; The National Lottery Community Fund and Taynuilt Community Council. We’re incredibly grateful to all three for making this possible.

“We had heard good reports about Jacobsen equipment and Fairways GM.  At first, Stuart Cameron, Area Manager,  at Fairways didn’t have an AR 522 in stock. But two weeks later, he contacted us to say a unit was coming in from one of Scotland’s best known clubs, which could be refurbished and delivered with a three-month warranty.

“We took delivery in April, and it has definitely helped us produce a better pitch—we are delighted with the quality. In addition, the AR522 is better suited to the sometimes-wetter conditions we get here for cutting the pitch. The machine also deals with the excess grass on top well, leaving a good playing surface.

“On the service side, Fairways lead service engineer, Stuart Mulholland helped us resolve a small issue early on, and between the two Stuarts we’ve had exemplary support.”

The Jacobsen AR 522 is a five-gang wide-area rotary mower equipped with SureTrac™ four-wheel drive traction, weight transfer control, and TrimTek™ cutting decks, enabling it to manage uneven ground and slopes with ease as well as the flat.”

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Redexim Verti-Drain® Powers Performance

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Redexim Verti-Drain® Powers Performance: With a demanding sports schedule and a heavy clay soil profile, aeration at Bedford School is not a luxury – it’s a necessity. That’s why Head Groundsman George Mills wasted no time in bringing in a Redexim Verti-Drain® 2519 when he joined the team just over a year ago.

“The pitches hadn’t been aerated a great deal over recent years,” George explains. “There was an old machine on site, but it was out of action. On this type of ground, with the usage our pitches get, that just wasn’t sustainable.”

Redexim Verti-Drain® Powers Performance

Redexim Verti-Drain® Powers Performance

The Verti-Drain 2519 has quickly become one of the most relied-upon machines in the school’s fleet. It’s now in near-constant use throughout the winter season – from October through to March – helping to relieve compaction, encourage drainage, and support healthier root growth across the school’s extensive grounds.

“It’s an absolutely essential part of our maintenance programme,” George says. “The biggest difference is how much ground we can now cover in such a short space of time. With the 2519’s speed, in theory we could aerate the entire site in under a week. Of course, in practice we’ve got plenty of other work going on, but that capability makes a huge difference to us.”

Built for performance without compromising on manoeuvrability, the Verti-Drain 2519 is ideally suited to sensitive areas such as sports pitches, tees, and greens. Despite its compact design, it offers deep aeration down to 10 inches (25 cm) and can be run on lower horsepower tractors – an advantage George is keen to highlight.

“We’re using it on a 66hp tractor,” he says. “It’s 1.8m wide and it works so efficiently on that size of tractor. It doesn’t struggle – even when we’re going in 9 inches deep with ¾-inch tines. It flies through it.”

What also sets the Verti-Drain 2519 apart is its working speed. “With the larger tines, we run at around 3.2 km/h, and with the smaller ones around 2.8 km/h,” George explains. “That might not sound fast, but for us it’s huge. It means we can get onto pitches in the morning and have them fully aerated, marked and ready to play on in the afternoon – it’s even helped save fixtures.”

The build quality and user experience have also impressed. “It’s really solid and smooth to use,” George continues. “There’s no bouncing around like you’d expect with some machines. You drop it into the ground, and you barely feel it – it’s like going through butter.”

The machine also accepts a wide variety of tine options, giving George the flexibility to adapt throughout the season. “We mix up the size of the tines and the depth we’re going, to get different results each time. The adjustment side is simple and it’s all easy to manage, which helps when you’re trying to move quickly between jobs.”

At Bedford School, the demands on the grounds are intense. Rugby is played six days a week, with pitches often hosting both prep school and senior matches on the same day. On such a high-use site, aeration is not just part of the routine – it’s at the core of everything the grounds team does.

For George, turf care is more than a profession – it’s in his blood. “I grew up doing this with my dad and my brother,” he says. “It’s all we’ve ever known. I rolled my first cricket wicket when I was eight and I’ve been working in turf ever since.”

That experience means he knows quality when he sees it – and for George, the Redexim Verti-Drain 2519 delivers on every level. “It’s a seriously impressive bit of kit,” he concludes.

“We’re pushing it hard, and it just gets the job done. You want to be confident that you’re making the right investment – and with this, we absolutely have. The whole grounds team are seeing and enjoying the benefits of the machine as well.”

For more information, visit https://www.redexim.com/uk/

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