INFINICUT Launch SM34 Rotary

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INFINICUT Launch SM34 Rotary: At the first in a series of launch events, Groundsmen and Greenkeepers were invited to Tottenham Hotspur FC’s training facility to see the new INFINICUT® SM34 Rotary Mower.

Using the very latest design technology, MTD design engineers have produced a machine that has unsurpassed rotary cut quality to ensure the best possible results regardless of turf conditions.

The SM34 follows the same design philosophy as the rest of the INFINICUT® range, offering best in class performance with an emphasis on a modern, clean power source. It takes its mode of traction from the INFINICUT® reel mower, renowned for its durability, paired with a deck designed on the back of MTD’s considerable years of rotary experience. By utilizing expensive stamp tooling, users can be confident that airflow is optimal when compared to other fabricated decks. The culmination is a machine that ensures ‘fit-for-purpose’ application, but also necessary safety compliance that comes with rotary decks.

INFINICUT Launch SM34 Rotary Mower

Designed for professional users, the INFINICUT® SM34 can be used to mow grass in the traditional sense or used as a stand-alone vacuum. In cut mode, the new rotary offers a striping effect usually only achieved with a professional reel mower. The 34” cutting width combines better productivity and lightweight design, which negates the issues of tire rutting and wear of a larger ride on mower. The blades are made from premium-grade, high carbon steel for better performance and extended life, and come pre-balanced to exhibit less vibration.

As with the rest of the INFINICUT® fleet, the machine offers the operator a number of parameters which can be tailored to their particular requirements. With the extreme accuracy of HOC that users often work to in mind, the SM34 has paralleling and deck pitch adjustment features as standard. It can be specified with either an engine generator or lithium battery as a power source. In battery mode the SM34 is quieter in operation, environmentally friendly and can provide significant fuel cost saving when compared to other rotary mowers.

INFINICUT Launch SM34 Rotary Mower

Commenting on its launch John Coleman, Head of MTD Specialty Products UK, added, “The INFINICUT® Rotary was a natural product progression from our well recognised INFINICUT® cylinder mower range. The design of this machine is a combination of our own concepts and ideas but at the same time we’ve listened carefully to our customers feedback. The culmination is a machine that takes a known concept and places it firmly in the modern era by introducing wireless parameter adjustment via our proprietary InfiniApp®.”

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Hinckley Finds Finance Value

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Hinckley Finds Finance Value: Founded in 1894, Hinckley Golf Club is one of Leicestershire’s finest parkland courses and is now looking to build on its reputation as one of the ‘must play’ courses in the Midlands, after investing in a new John Deere course maintenance equipment fleet supplied by local dealer Farol Ltd.

General manager John Prior and course manager Adam Castle opted for a new approach to financing the package deal, which brought their first ever John Deere machines to the club. These include mowers for the tees, fairways, approaches and greens, an aerator and a compact tractor plus ancillary equipment. The deal was also the first by Farol’s newest golf & turf area sales manager Jacob Shellis, who worked as a greenkeeper at The Belfry before joining the dealership.

Hinckley Finds Finance Value

“A big selling point for us was that the John Deere Financial offer was very flexible, so we were able to structure the deal around what suited us best financially,” says John Prior. “We chose a mix of operating lease and hire purchase to deliver best value for the club, with machines that will still be in good condition at the end of the deal bought on HP, and going down the lease route for the kit that will run up longer hours.

“After an initial meeting to discuss the options, Adam and I were really impressed with the whole set-up at John Deere as well as the Farol dealership process. The fact that John Deere has its own bank for example proves it is a very robust business, and everyone involved worked really hard to put the deal together.

“Once we saw the overall levels of dealer service and back-up, the speed of parts delivery and efficiency of repairs and maintenance, it gave both Adam and I, and ultimately the club’s board, the confidence that this was the right approach. Then after having the machines on demonstration for a couple of months, we quickly saw improvements in the course condition and aesthetics and decided there was no reason to look elsewhere.

“We wanted to establish a foundation for the next deal and the one after that, giving us more consistency and productivity – if it’s successful, it provides the club with a blueprint going forward. Seeing the results was justification of the expenditure to the board, and I have no doubt this process has helped us to attract new members and retain existing ones.

“It’s not just about the machinery either, it’s the whole package of product support, training and the relationship that’s been established between the club and our new partners that’s making a big difference.”

Course manager Adam Castle put the package together with Jacob Shellis’ assistance and presented the deal together with John Prior to the club board for their approval. “The overall message was that we were looking for greater efficiency and cost savings, particularly by reducing the expensive downtime that we had been experiencing with our previous fleet.

Hinckley Finds Finance Value

“Since the new machines arrived we’ve become more efficient and productive, we’re getting jobs done more quickly and cost-effectively and we’re using less fuel – that’s all we could ask for. The three A Model mowers we have bought can be set using the advanced TechControl feature, so we get the speed settings we want and everything clearly and easily set up on the dashboard, for better, more consistent cutting across the course.

“You always get niggles with new machines, but the speed with which any service issues have been dealt with has been notable right from the start. We did have a problem with a greens mower early on, but the dealer sorted it out within four hours – this is one of the main reasons we chose Farol and John Deere. The greenkeeping team is enjoying using the new machines and you can clearly see the results of this out on the course, which is looking better than ever.”

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Campey’s New Iceland Distributor

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Campey’s New Iceland Distributor: Grastec ehf has been appointed as the new Campey Turf Care Systems distributor for Iceland.

The Icelandic company has strong relationships throughout the country and will be offering the full range of Campey products, including Imants, Vredo, Air2G2, Dakota and the Campey™ own brand lines.

Campey's New Iceland Distributor

Sport plays a significant part in Icelandic culture, and despite the obvious cold weather, as of 2018, the country had 148 outdoor natural grass football pitches and 184 outdoor artificial pitches of varying sizes. There are also more than 60 golf courses on the island with a short season from May to September, but due to 24-hour daylight, some courses are open for midnight golf, placing higher demands on the turf.

Campey product specialist, Richard Heywood, has represented the company in Iceland and has seen the demands placed on the country’s turf professionals and is looking forward to working with Grastec ehf managing director, Brynjar Sæmundsson, to offer maintenance solutions.

He said: “It is with great pleasure that we announce Grastec as our new distributor for Iceland. We are looking forward to developing a very strong and lasting relationship with Brynjar at Grastec with his unique and strong customer relationships built up over the years within the highly dynamic and robust Icelandic market.

“We know that both companies have a similar outlook within the professional turf care market, and we see this as a very positive direction for all parties. This is the start of a very exciting new working combination, and we look forward to meeting customers both old and new over the next few years in Iceland, helping them find maintenance solutions for their turf.”

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idverde Choose Reform Again

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idverde Choose Reform Again: Supplied by the Ilminster based Loxston Groundcare dealership, national landscaping and groundscare services provider idverde has taken delivery of a second Reform Metrac. Their recent acquisition is a H7RX, to be used primarily for highway maintenance work.

Simon Richard, the UK agent for the Reform specialist bank tractor range says, “the 4 speed hydrostatic drive 70hp Reform Metrac H7RX, is the spearhead of the companies mid-range, offering the professional and local authority user a compact power unit tailor-made for a wide range of municipal tasks, including safe operation on steep slopes up to 45 degree angles to directly address operator health and safety issues”

idverde Choose Reform Again

The H7RX’s low centre of gravity, combined with constant power hydrostatic drive provides maximum ground contact and the suspended front axle ensures that all four wheels have permanent ground contact even on uneven terrain. Additionally, an inching pedal means the operator can work around trees, shrubs etc, with confidence. Depending on task, selection can be made between four wheel, front wheel, rear wheel or continuously adjustable crab steering mode.

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SAS Institute Appreciate Ventrac

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SAS Institute Appreciate Ventrac: The SAS Institute, based at Medmenham, near Marlow in Buckinghamshire, is the latest organisation to purchase a Ventrac 4500 compact tractor and attachments. The leading global analytics company purchased the equipment from Aylesbury-based groundscare dealer, RT Machinery Ltd.

The 110-acre Medmenham estate is an amalgamation of two previous sites; Whittington House, a former mansion which is now used as the company’s meeting and conference centre and an old MOD premises, which was purchased and demolished to make way for the modern offices. It consists of formal gardens and lawns, a unique arboretum, a cricket pitch for staff use as well as the local village team, a 3-hole pitch-and-putt course, 5-a-side football pitch, wildflower meadow, river frontage to the Thames and staff allotments.

SAS Institute Appreciate Ventrac

Landscaping Manager George Reeder is the man tasked with the job of managing the estate. He heads a team of 5 and joined SAS as a gardener in 2005. He studied at Sparsholt College in Hampshire before joining Countrywide Grounds Maintenance as part of the team maintaining the green spaces of various hotels in the south of England.

“Our mid-mounted rotary mower was nearing the end of its working life,” he said, “and we were in the market for a replacement machine. We were considering an out-front flail, but then attended an RT Machinery open day and saw the Ventrac with its Contour deck. It looked to be a very innovative machine so we organised a demonstration on site. It worked exceptionally well, producing great stripes and has now replaced our cylinder mower as well. Rye stalks, which are problematic for a cylinder machine, are no longer an issue as it deals with them admirably. This versatility has enabled us to replace two machines with one.

“As well as the Contour deck we have also purchased a Finishing deck and ToughCut deck and there’s scope to purchase additional implements in the future. One of its prime benefits is that we can now access and maintain areas on banks where previously we could not get machines on. Its compact nature means we can get under branches and we have saved considerable man-hours on strimming due to its out-front design and manoeuvrability.

SAS Institute Appreciate Ventrac

“The Finishing deck, which mulches effectively and is rear discharge, works great in all conditions, be it long grass or in the wet. Height adjustment is simple and it does not scalp easily. It has a relatively small engine, minimal hydraulics and is good on fuel. The flip up decks are easy to clean and maintain and it provides a comfortable working platform for the operator. The ToughCut deck is equally impressive, especially in little maintained areas where it can cut through saplings and long brush with ease. All in all, a great addition to our fleet here at Medmenham.”

Founded in 1976 by current CEO James Goodnight and three other faculty members from North Carolina State University, SAS is the leader in analytics software and services with global headquarters in Cary, North Carolina. Its solutions help businesses to access, manage, analyse and interpret data to aid decision-making. The company is one of the world’s largest privately held software businesses and its customers include most of the Fortune 500 companies.

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