Customers Praise AMS Robots

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Customers Praise AMS Robots: AMS Robotics are the UK distributors of Belrobotics robot technology, they offer automated turf maintenance and ball management solutions for large green spaces such as golf driving ranges and sport facilities.

Golf clubs and sport pitches across the UK have immensely benefitted from the AMS’s robot technology. Clients both old and new have given their feedback on the significant differences and improvements it has made to their outfields and maintenance methods.

Customers Praise AMS Robots

First to give their input is one of AMS’s oldest customers the China Fleet Country Club, Dean Bennett the general manager had this to say;

“China Fleet Country Club installed the range robots over 5 years ago, in this time we have seen significant improvements in the efficiency in ball replenishment and service as well as a reduction in man hours required to collect balls. We have also seen great improvements in the condition of the outfield as heavy machinery isn’t required any longer.”

The positive assessment of the robotic system highlights how successfully it has integrated into their workforce and is the reason it continues to work perfectly for them and their outfield. As one of AMS’s initial customers China Fleet has been utilising the older Belrobotics Classic Line, this includes the robot ball collector BallPicker along with its sister the BigMow robotic mower. For ball washing and transportation back to the dispenser they are utilising AMS’s automated ball wash and return system.

Key benefits for golf facilities employing robot technology is better ball management resulting in time and cost savings. Improved turf health due to the robot’s lightweight design, minimising its impact on the outfield. Thus, eliminating the occurrence of soil compaction caused by traditional heavy ball collecting and mowing equipment.

Steve Tebbutt, the director at Fernie Fields Football Club was second to comment on how robotic mowing has been working for them;

“We have been highly delighted with the system since installation last August. Throughout the season it has performed beyond our expectation as a replacement for a traditional man and machine. The pitch is in much better condition and the support from Automated Managed Services has been absolutely brilliant.”

Fernie Fields were one of the first football pitches to take on the new Big Mow connected line as a mowing alternative and because it has worked so well for them, they are planning on taking on another BigMow for their training pitch.

AMS’s mowing maintenance packages includes either the Belrobotics BigMow or ParcMow robotic mowers and is designed for large green spaces such as sport pitches. The robotic mowers are a lightweight, quiet, cost and environmentally friendly alternative to conventional ride-on mowers. They constantly mow and finely mulch clippings to promote healthy turf, leaving no green waste to collect or remove.

Next to give their evaluation was Colin Jenkins from Grimsby Golf Club. They have had the system installed for several years.

“I am absolutely delighted with my automated range system. It allows my maintenance team to concentrate on the presentation of the range, rather than the messy expensive business of collecting range balls. The outfield is in much better condition than it was when we picked up using a traditional picker.”

The robots have been a great success for Grimbsy Golf Club and has allowed them to focus their efforts on other aspects of running the facility.

In conclusion, it is clear that the feedback regarding the condition of the outfield considerably favours the robots over the traditional man and machine. This coupled with the cost and time savings, means the AMS robotic system look set to continue to be the most efficient and sustainable choice for any forward-thinking modern facility.

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Campey’s New Uni-Scratch

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Campey’s New Uni-Scratch: Campey Turf Care Systems’ latest innovation, the Campey Uni-Scratch, is the ideal solution for those looking for a professional and effective maintenance of natural and synthetic grass surface.

The Campey Uni-Scratch can be used for organic matter removal on natural grass hybrid carpet pitches when carrying out annual renovations.

Campey's New Uni-Scratch

Regularly maintaining synthetic pitches is vital because it prevents infill compaction. When a synthetic surface is regularly used the infill can become lodged and cause uneven hard and soft areas that eventually leads to drainage issues and flattening of the artificial fibres.

To prevent this, the Uni-Scratch has been developed to provide essential maintenance by de-compacting and redistributing the infill. The machine can also be used to evenly distribute the infill in synthetic carpets during installation.

idverde UK who manage a growing portfolio of sports pitches and facilities on behalf of several local authorities, is the first company in the United Kingdom to purchase the Uni-Scratch and operations manager, Steve Tingley, explains why.

Campey's New Uni-Scratch

He said: “We install and maintain a lot of hybrid carpet surfaces and we are always looking at new machines and how they can improve our operation. We bought the Uni-Scratch specifically to speed up and improve our maintenance procedure and it has met the aims we had for it.”

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Edgbaston GC Extend Toro Link

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Edgbaston GC Extend Toro Link: Having been at Edgbaston Golf Club for 31 years, course manager Eddie Mills knows more than anyone what’s best for the club, which is why he recently signed a second five-year agreement plan with Toro.

Just one mile from the centre of Birmingham, the course provides golfers with 144 acres of stunning parkland, including a lake and woodland nature reserve, so keeping the maintenance up to a high level is no easy feat.

Edgbaston GC Extend Toro Link

“I’ll have been at the club for 32 years this August and course manager since 2007, so I know the course pretty well to say the least,” says Eddie. “Before we signed our first agreement, we had a real mix of things in the shed, but we always preferred Toro.”

Despite seeing early on the clear benefits of Toro, the club needed to wait for the right circumstances in order to sign an agreement deal. But it was only a matter of time, says Eddie.

“Since our first agreement we’ve had a great relationship with Jon Lewis at Reesink Turfcare and our back up service provider, Redtech Machinery. With the first agreement we saw a real improvement to the course, and I predict we’ll experience the same outcome with the updated fleet.”

The club’s comprehensive fleet is a mix of like for like renewals and some new additions, including three Greensmaster TriFlex 3420 mowers, one of which is set up for surrounds and approaches with universal groomers. Plus, three GR1600 hand mowers, a Reelmaster 3575-D fairway mower with groomer brushes, Groundsmaster 4000-D, Groundsmaster 3500, Reelmaster 3100 Sidewinder, Groundsmaster 7210 zero turn rotary mower, Multi Pro 5800-D sprayer and a new TYM T654 tractor to boot.

“We are constantly trying to improve the club and the course,” says Eddie. “So maintaining and updating the fleet on a regular basis is really important.

“I particularly like the Reelmaster 3100-D Sidewinder, it’s compact, really economical fuel wise and leaves an excellent finish. The new TYM T654 we have is another of our favourites, it’s versatile, robust and really comfortable to use.”

With the club’s 125th anniversary coming up in a couple of years, there are big plans in the works for the future, and it’s likely Toro will be a part of that.

“Now that we’re close to reaching such a milestone anniversary, we’re starting to look at what the next 125 years will look like for the club,” Eddie concludes. “If Toro continues to deliver on performance and price, that partnership has the potential to continue as we take that next step for the future of the club.”

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Wentworth’s New John Deere Partnership

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Wentworth’s New John Deere Partnership: Wentworth Club and John Deere Limited have announced a new, exclusive partnership for the supply of golf course maintenance equipment to the world famous West, East and Edinburgh Championship Courses at Virginia Water in Surrey, from spring 2019.

Wentworth Club has been the host venue since 1984 for the PGA Championship tournament, which is regarded as the flagship event on the European Tour. The 2019 BMW PGA Championship is being held on the West Course from September 19 to 22, with John Deere and its supplying dealer Farol Ltd providing additional technical and equipment support.

Wentworth's New John Deere Partnership

The new course maintenance fleet consists of over 140 machines including mowers for tees, surrounds and approaches, fairways, greens and rough, as well as compact and utility tractors, Gator utility vehicles and the latest state of the art GPS PrecisionSprayers.

“We are delighted to welcome the John Deere company to Wentworth as our exclusive partner in the supply of greenkeeping and grounds machinery through its regional dealer Farol,” said Wentworth Director of Golf & Greenkeeping Kenny Mackay.

“This agreement represents a significant investment to ensure our fleet is always at the leading edge of technology and innovation.”

John Deere has been a leader in GPS technology in the agricultural industry for many years and is now developing systems specifically for golf course maintenance use, with Wentworth Club being an early adopter. The new advanced technology sprayer delivers great environmental benefits by applying inputs far more accurately and only to predetermined target areas. This significantly reduces overall chemical usage and can potentially cut spray costs by up to 15 per cent.

Using AutoTrac, the sprayer steers itself automatically to an accuracy of 2.5cm using RTK (real-time kinetic) satellite guidance. It also features individual nozzle control and Wireless Data Transfer, which enables spray records and application maps to be sent from the machine to the John Deere Operations Centre website or mobile app, where they can be remotely accessed at any time.

The new machinery fleet has been purchased on a planned replacement cycle in line with Wentworth Club policy, using a John Deere Financial operating lease specifically tailored to reduce the lifelong cost of ownership.

“The world of course management and greenkeeping is changing fast and John Deere is at the forefront of these developments,” said Carlos Aragones, John Deere’s Turf & Golf Sales & Marketing Manager for Europe, CIS, North Africa and the Near & Middle East.

“John Deere equipment helps to maintain many of the world’s greatest golf courses, and we are honoured to now include Wentworth Club in that prestigious company. We look forward to building a long and productive partnership with the Wentworth team, and to the Club becoming one of our leading strategic partners in the golf industry across Europe and beyond.”

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Battery Power Vs Petrol Power

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Battery Power Vs Petrol Power: There was a time when it seemed petrol powered outdoor tools would always reign supreme. Battery powered tools were regarded by professionals and serious gardeners as no competition. They couldn’t match the power and uninterrupted operation of their two-stroke counterparts.

That time has passed. Today’s Lithium-ion batteries have revolutionised the way we work with battery powered tools. Now they can produce the power to equal petrol equipment while producing zero emissions at the point of work. Noise levels are also greatly reduced and the benefits don’t stop there. Vibration is minimised. The lower maintenance costs of battery powered motors lead to substantial long-term savings. Safety is improved by removing the need for fuel filling and on-site storage. There’s no tugging away with recoil starts, with batteries you just charge and go. Instant full power at the push of a button. In many cases one battery will fit a range of tools, interchangeable between a hedgetrimmer, brushcutter, power blower, chainsaw and even a lawn mower.

Battery Power Vs Petrol Power

The traditional argument in favour of petrol and two-stroke, apart from the question of power, was the uninterrupted operation. Batteries quickly ran down and took many hours to recharge. With petrol you just fill up and go. Batteries had a limited life and needed regular, costly replacement. To some extent, operators using outdoor power tools all day long may argue the need to remain with petrol two-stroke for the time being. Professionals arborists need to know their chainsaws are going to work for them all day. Groundcare maintenance contractors and landscapers rely on their petrol brushcutters, power blowers and hedgetrimmers to take the punishment the job demands and maintain productivity. But time is running out for fossil fuels, with legislation and Health and Safety putting the squeeze on the use of petrol power. So it’s good to know there’s an alternative.

Lithium-ion is highly efficient and brings longer battery life, quicker charging times and low self-discharge to the table. The power you need is there instantly, consistently and almost silently. Batteries do need charging but charge times have become greatly reduced using rapid chargers and most people will have a spare battery on charge in readiness. On the subject of replacement, that is easily weighed up against petrol and two-stroke engines needing regular servicing, with associated costs. Today’s brushless electric motor is maintenance-free, producing greener, cleaner energy. Emissions are managed by energy efficient motor controls for speed, power delivery and battery temperature, with the added benefits of improved performance and longer battery life. Using a rapid charger, quick charging also reduces downtime so more jobs can be completed in a day; and there is of course the option of using 4Ah batteries for longer run time.

Battery Power Vs Petrol Power

As professionals know, regular use of handheld petrol-powered tools carries the risk of Hand-arm Vibration (HAV), also known as vibration white finger. This painful condition can be avoided using low vibration tools, which is another benefit of battery powered tools, many of them operating well below the daily 2.5m/s² A(8) Exposure Action Value (EAV) limit.* Other considerations that make battery power a safer option are the fact the operator is not working with and storing flammable liquid. Much reduced noise levels are not only good for the environment in which the work is taking place, the operator is not exposed to high noise levels associated with two-stroke petrol powered machinery.

Taking the arguments in favour of battery power, with the benefits to the environment, the operator, and those in the vicinity, it’s easy to see why many professionals are turning to ‘charge and go’. All the power you need with low emissions, low noise, low vibrations, greater safety and reduced costs. Battery vs petrol? The ultimate choice remains in the hands of the operator and what best suits their needs and working environment.

To find out about ECHO’s range of petrol and battery powered outdoor power tools, speak to your local authorised ECHO dealer, visit www.echo-tools.co.uk or call 0800 597 7777 for more information.

*Daily exposure to vibration is measured by the formula known as an A(8) value. For hand-arm vibration (HAV), the daily ELV is 5 m/s2 A(8) and the daily EAV is 2.5 m/s2 A(8).

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