Ultimate productivity with ISEKI

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Ultimate productivity with ISEKI: Running a successful business and with a variety of customers, from caravan parks to councils, roadside work to churchyards and private estates is no easy task.

Based in the north east of England Chris Stamp and his team at CA Stamp Grounds & Agriculture know their clients expect an impeccable finish every time, so the need for a reliable, durable mower is of paramount importance.

Ultimate productivity with ISEKI

Chris explained; “our previous machine was due for renewal, so following a look around SALTEX at the products on offer, I contacted our local dealer Rickerby for a demonstration of the ISEKI SF224.   I knew as soon as I tried the machine it was perfect for what I needed.  Being located in the north of the country we get plenty of rainfall, the ISEKI mower really does cut and collect even in the wettest and harshest conditions whilst leaving the same brilliant finish every time with no blockages.  This ability is invaluable, it enables us to be flexible when we carry out jobs with no downtime due to weather conditions.

“Along with grass cutting the powerful collector system is fantastic for clearing up after scarifying or collection of fallen leaves, allowing us to get even more value from our machine and excellent service to our customers.

“The high tip collector with a clearance of over 2.1 metres enables us to tip all the waste straight into the back of a trailer saving us considerable man hours.  The large 950 litre hopper allows us to mow for longer, enabling us to be more efficient with our time – the SF224 really speeds everything up for us.

“We are all fight to jump on and use the machine, this says it all when it comes to ease of use and makes my life a lot easier when allocating the workload! The drive is very comfortable, even when mowing for long periods of time which is required on many of our contracts.”

Noticing a gap in what Chris was offering he then purchased an ISEKI SRA950F 4WD 24hp brushcutter which is being utilised for slope mowing up to 25 degrees and cutting of overgrown, out of control areas.  “We saw the machine on demonstration with our local dealer rep Rob.  I couldn’t believe how powerful and effective it was at tackling thick vegetation whilst leaving such a superb finish, it was a complete impulsive buy.  I even surprised myself on this quick decision which was slightly out of character for me!  The SRA950F has already been put to good use, I know it will be an invaluable machine for many years to come.

Ultimate productivity with ISEKI

“Our local dealer Rickerby is faultless, Rob and the service team’s knowledge of the machinery is second to none, if I ever have a problem they are out and sorting the problem so quickly.  As a contractor their brilliant back-up and service is invaluable.”

Chris Stamp started his grounds maintenance contractor business as a one-man band, quickly building up his customer base he now employ’s two other staff with additional help from other self-employed contacts during the busy months to keep up with the demand. With the addition of the ISEKI machines the business has grown from strength to strength.

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Woods Batwings help keep Stansted flying

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Woods Batwings help keep Stansted flying: Supplied through the Chelmsford based R C Boreham dealership Stansted airport has taken delivery of two Woods heavy duty BW240XHD batwing mowers.

Matt Boreham commented, “we demonstrated the machines and the Stansted staff were impressed with the combination of performance and competitive cost. They will be used to maintain huge areas of grass to prevent vermin and birds becoming a safety risk”

Woods Batwings help keep Stansted flying

Simon Richard UK Sales Agent for the woods range added, the Woods BW240 XHD Batwing is the largest in the range with a cutting width of 6.10 metres and is capable of cutting tall brush and trees up to 7.6 cm in diameter, making it ideal for maintaining both wide areas and roadsides. Features include a double deck built to handle a host of applications, easy to reach quick-change blade pins and a side frame depth of 33.7 cm which handles more material and distributes it evenly.  Greaseable pivot points are located on turnbuckle and axle arms to increase durability and reduce wear.

There are three duties, Standard, Heavy Duty and Extreme in the Woods range. This year has seen a big swing to the Heavy Duty model as many people are unhappy with the durability of competitor machines. Woods offer heavier duty machines with options of single spring, sprung axles or walking tandem axles”

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Mere Golf Resort opt for ProLine H800

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Mere Golf Resort opt for ProLine H800: Versatility is a long-cited reason for many Toro machinery purchases, and that’s certainly the reason for The Mere Golf Resort’s decision to opt for the ProLine H800 in its latest Toro fleet deal which sees the brand’s relationship with the club reach 30 years.

Course manager John Quinn explains: “We’ve stayed with Toro for so long because they provide the most versatile and robust machines on the market, and whatever the terrain, the performance is always excellent. That’s why we decided to look at the ProLine H800 to help tackle leaf collection across our busy parkland course.”

Mere Golf Resort opt for ProLine H800

The 18-hole, 6,882-yard, par 71 Championship course was created out of 150 acres of Cheshire parkland by James Braid in 1934. Now the surrounding mature trees provide not only considerable charm but a considerable amount of leaves to clear up!

Having been recommended the ProLine H800 and then seeing it in action, John requested a demonstration of the high-volume collector, which was organised by Cheshire Turf Machinery, and where the ProLine H800 certainly impressed.

“We have a tree lined course here, and as such we get a lot of leaves that need collecting. Particularly in winter when it’s wet, it can be a lot of work to clear up everything by hand,” says John. “We gave the ProLine the toughest test it will have here and organised the demo to take place in winter to see how it would cope in difficult conditions, and it really impressed us all.

“I’ve used a cut and collect machine before, but not one with enough capacity and power to pick up large piles of leaves, which was no issue for the ProLine. Plus, it will serve us well for core collecting after aerating and is agile enough to easily manoeuvre while cutting in and around the trees.”

The ProLine H800 is in good company in the club’s new fleet which includes five Workman GTX utility vehicles, three Reelmaster 3575-D mowers, and Greensmaster TriFlex Hybrid 3420. And the new fleet couldn’t have come at a better time with the club turning its focus this year to improving the playing surface and plant health.

“Last year was particularly trying with the weather,” says John. “This year we’re going to be doing everything we can to ensure the ultimate health and condition of the turf so no matter what conditions the weather throws at us, the turf is in the best position to cope and deliver the best play possible for our members. There was no doubt that in helping us do that would be Toro.”

And it’s not just versatility that appeals to The Mere in its enduring relationship with Toro, longevity of the machines is an attributing factor too. “We have some of our machines from the last fleet that we’re keeping,” says John. “They’re still in mint condition and working excellently, as a result we haven’t had to upgrade them which shows the value that Toro provides.”

It’s for those reasons that John “didn’t look anywhere else when renewing the fleet”. He concludes: “Obviously, I always have my eye on the market to see what’s out there, but in my heart, I knew it was always going to be Toro again to continue the good work at the club.”

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ECHO’s new chainsaw top of the class

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ECHO’s new chainsaw top of the class: ECHO has developed a rear handle version of its highly successful CS-2511TES top handle chainsaw. The result, the CS-2511WES, is ‘an exceptional chainsaw which will suit professionals across all sectors,’ say ECHO. There’s even a version designed specifically for carvers.

The CS-2511WES is part of ECHO’s X Series range. ECHO says: “these ‘best in class’ products are industry-leading in terms of performance and features. They are designed for professionals who rely on their tools day-in day-out. This is where the chainsaw excels.” Weighing just 2.6kg (dry weight) and producing 1.10kW of power, it has the best power-to-weight ratio in its class. This makes it both highly manoeuvrable and usable for long periods without fatigue. It is ideal for trimming, pruning, small logging and wood carving.

ECHO’s new chainsaw top of the class

“Every ECHO product is designed around the needs of the end-user,” say ECHO, “the CS-2511WES is no exception.” It features a palm rest for precise control, a tool-less air filter cover to allow easy access to the air filter, even when wearing gloves, and tool-less access to fuel and oil tanks. There’s a side access chain tensioner for easy chain adjustment and an anti-icing system to prevent the carburettor from freezing in colder months. Easy Start, ECHO’s patented system, ensures effortless starting, while the oiler adjustment on the top of the chainsaw gives the operator control of the oil flow for optimum operation.

Designed and manufactured in Japan, the CS-2511WES is powered by a 25.0cc professional-grade, Stage 2 low emissions compliant ECHO engine. It comes with a 0.050” gauge, 30cm (12”) cutting bar. For carvers, the CS-2511WESC has a 0.043” gauge, 25cm (10”) carving bar and chain. Both chainsaws come with 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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Finance package paying off for Seaton Carew

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Finance package paying off for Seaton Carew: Seaton Carew Golf Club near Hartlepool will be celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2024 and the club, which is the 10th oldest in England, is determined to make sure its course is in the best condition possible for those celebrations.

Since being established with 14 holes in 1874, not only has the golf course undergone numerous changes – today it offers an unusual total of 22 holes with five different layouts – so has the way in which it is maintained. In the early years even the club’s professional would have been expected to assist with cutting fairways, probably using a horse-drawn mower, and rolling greens.

Finance package paying off for Seaton Carew

Today a team of six well-trained greens staff led by acting head greenkeeper Ian Stewart work tirelessly to ensure these championship links are kept in the best condition, and the club has recently invested more than £200,000 in the latest advanced technology from John Deere to ensure they can achieve those goals.

A new John Deere Financial lease package arranged by local dealer Greenlay of Cramlington in Northumberland includes a ProGator utility vehicle with HD200 low-profile amenity sprayer, an HPX Gator utility vehicle, a 4049R compact tractor, three 220SL walk-behind greens mowers, a 2653B utility tees & surrounds mower and a 2500B triplex greens mower, plus ancillary equipment.

“With our previous lease arrangement coming to an end, we decided that a one-stop shop approach, with all the new kit, advice and back-up coming from one business, would potentially make a better deal for the club,” says greens chairman Jonathan Beaumont. “The equipment and finance package from Greenlay, who helped us to work out the deal based on a mix of new and ex-demonstration machines, proved to be just what we were looking for.

“Dealing with Alastair Briggs and Paul Hodgson of Greenlay was the best decision the club made. Their all-round service and communication throughout the process was first class, and we’ve established a very good relationship. Having worked in horticulture before, I knew John Deere’s reputation for quality equipment. When Ian and I made the recommendation to the golf club, they liked what they saw as well and the finance committee agreed the budget, so there was a proper consensus all round.”

Ian Stewart initially attended a BIGGA Section open day at Greenlay, which was the first time he had visited the dealership, and was very impressed by the facilities and the people he met. “I wanted to see the sprayer and Greenlay had one brought in,” he says.

“The sprayer has a much bigger capacity at 750 litres compared to our previous 300-litre mounted machine, and the controls are really good. The automatic rate controller is very accurate, so you can be confident everything’s being applied correctly. We certainly use a little less chemical now and there’s also been a massive saving on man hours doing the spraying job.

“We had the mowers on long-term demonstration and found them to be easy to operate, with a very good quality of cut. The latest cutting units on the walk-behind and ride-on greens mowers are equipped with brushes that lift the grass and provide a much better finish – it’s little details like this that mean a lot.

“A great deal of thought and effort went into this purchase over a long period of time, and we received lots of good advice from Greenlay – they were always available to answer our questions at any time. Some of their recommendations I didn’t think were right at the time, but they have been proved right since and it’s been a great deal all round.”

Alongside the work on the course, Seaton Carew Golf Club is building a new indoor coaching facility alongside a large practice area, and considering the development of a short-game area. The club also has a six-hole academy course which is used by its current PGA professional Clifford Jackson to encourage youngsters and adult beginners to take up the game.

Seaton Carew has already played host to a number of major amateur championships, including two Brabazon Trophies, a Carris Trophy and various other national and international events. It is now hoping, with the help of its new machinery fleet and the dedication of its greenkeeping team, that the course will be considered for yet another major championship to help mark its 150-year anniversary.

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