ECHO’s New 58V Hedgetrimmer

/in , , /by

ECHO’s New 58V Hedgetrimmer: ECHO’s new HT-58V2AH offers petrol performance from a battery powered hedgetrimmer. The 58V hedgetrimmer has the same professional build quality as ECHO’s petrol models and is both powerful and tough. The power the Lithium-ion battery powered motor produces is equal to a petrol model’s output.  No effort is required to get started. There’s no mixing of two-stroke, filling a power tool’s tank or storing fuel. It’s just a matter of charge and go! Low noise, no emissions at the point of use and low vibration make this hedgetrimmer ideal for working in areas such as schools and nursing homes, parks, nature reserves and organic gardens.

The hedgetrimmer is lightweight and yet boasts enough power to tackle tough hedge cutting jobs. There’s a run time of 90 minutes and it comes with a quick charger to help reduce down time. The standard 2Ah battery is fully charged in just thirty minutes. The battery powers a robust, brushless electric motor that promises to be long lasting and maintenance-free because only non-wearing parts are used.

ECHO's New 58V Hedgetrimmer

ECHO’s awareness of how their products will be used is reflected in the hedgetrimmer’s design, with its ergonomic front handle for greater manoeuvrability and user comfort. Vibration in this model is also exceptionally low compared to petrol powered machines.

The 610mm double reciprocating, precision cut blades make light work of trimming and cutting. They give a cleaner cut, regardless of the angle, and are self-sharpening due to the action of the double-sided cutting teeth. Anti-jam technology also ensures continuous cutting. The extended reach of the blades reduces user effort and the need for frequent repositioning, which means greater productivity for the operator.

The ECHO HT-58V2AH hedgetrimmer is part of the new 58V range which also comprises a lawnmower, chainsaw, power blower and trimmer, with two battery types: 2Ah or 4Ah for greater run time. The hedgetrimmer uses an interchangeable Lithium-ion battery system which enables one battery to fit multiple tools.

ECHO's New 58V Hedgetrimmer

ECHO offers a one-year professional use or two-year domestic warranty on the hedgetrimmer which shows they are extremely confident in their machines. This confidence extends to the batteries themselves which have two-year warranty. Find out more from your local authorised ECHO dealer, by visiting www.echo-tools.co.uk or by calling 0800 597 7777 for more information

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Graden CSI Key At Bransford GC

/in , , /by

Graden CSI Key At Bransford GC: With changes in pesticide legislation having an ever-deepening effect on Sportsturf quality, the drive for turf managers to shift their nutritional and mechanical maintenance to a proactive approach has never been more important. Graham Wallace, Golf Course Manager at the Bank House Hotel’s Bransford Golf Club, is doing just that and has recently invested in a Graden CSI from Charterhouse Turf Machinery to help them produce strong greens.

“The course has sand-based greens but, due to the poor quality of sand used during construction, are unfortunately susceptible to holding water” explains Graham, who is supported by a greenkeeping team of five. “With the upcoming changes in fungicide regulations it is becoming essential to keep the surfaces dry, and the plant healthy, as much as possible to prevent disease from taking hold.” To help improve drainage, Graham has conducted in-house drill ‘n’ fill across the 18 greens for many years, followed by passes with the Graden CSI to keep channels open.

Graden CSI Key At Bransford GC

“We were lucky enough to borrow a CSI from another course, but last year this was not possible, and we noticed a real difference on how wet the greens were compared to previous years.” Graham put a case to the owner and was successful in purchasing his own unit, from dealer Tallis Amos in February 2019. “Now we have our own machine, we can look to get out with the machine more frequently and can trial various depths and settings to achieve maximum impact with minimal surface disruption.”

Graham is hoping to employ the CSI at least twice a year, working at depths of up to 40mm to simultaneously scarify and backfill the grooves with better quality sand. “I made the decision last year to not spray any fungicides, with mixed results. I was hugely thankful that the members and club management understood it could be a challenging time to keep surfaces first-rate. These last few months certainly haven’t been easy however, by using our CSI in conjunction with overseeding and the correct fertiliser programme, we are in a great place to push ahead with our proactive approach and produce a strong plant in the on-going fight against disease.”

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Big Plans For TinyLineMarker

/in , , /by

Big Plans For TinyLineMarker: The extraordinary levels of savings in time, resources and therefore money forecast by the investment in Rigby Taylor’s robotic TinyLineMarker (TLM) line marking machine will not only see Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council’s Street Scene team achieve a return on investment measured in months, but the new-found efficiencies will also enable the operation to offer ultra-competitive line marking to sports facilities currently outside of the council’s remit.

With the maintenance of 92 pitches under their care, the Street Scene team – led by Operations Manager Darren Bisby – was formerly taking four man-hours (two men) to initial line mark each pitch (predominantly football) each week with the conventional 3/4/5 triangle method and string, using a total of eight men in four vehicles.

Big Plans For TinyLineMarker

Now, with TLM, one man is able to deliver the borough-wide service for line marking, taking just 20 minutes to mark a pitch – and Darren even suggests that a standard pitch can now be mowed and marked in less than an hour.

So, with 2,392 scheduled overmarkings across the pitches, 797 man-hours will effectively be put back into the Street Scene operation. With teammates released to perform other income-generating duties, the TLM operator can also now get on with other tasks during his visit – such as litter picking, goalpost strimming and divotting – while the robot is in action.

In addition, one vehicle has been removed from the fleet – saving several thousands of pounds on lease costs and around £900 on annual fuel plus any maintenance and repair costs.

Lightweight and easy to transport, TLM utilises the latest GPS technology with RTK receiver and antenna that connects with global satellites and mobile network connections. It takes the input of pitch line dimensions and multiple pitches via an App and re-positions them to best fit the site using Google Maps. Once stored, the lines are never lost, even if they disappear if a pitch is not used for any length of time.

Initial marking of a standard size football pitch ( by the Street Scene operator) takes less than 20 minutes, including all perimeter lines, penalty boxes, the ‘D’, centre circle, corner angles and penalty spot all with just one touch on the tablet control. Even pitches with fixed post sockets can be marked.

TLM is able to mark football pitches (any length/width), and rugby union and league pitches as well as multi-lane athletic tracks, tennis, lacrosse and American football pitches.

Today, each Street Scene pitch is marked every fortnight, with the paint being applied to grass rather than a burned-in line. “Because with TLM the lines will never be lost, a pitch can be rested or a line can be ‘mowed out’ without the need to re-string and measure and mark from scratch,” says Darren.

“To be confident of achieving the quality of line to fit our business model, we are now using a different paint dispensing nozzle (orange) to deliver 2.37 litres of paint per standard pitch based on 12 minutes spray time. This is more paint [approximately 25%] than before (using a red nozzle) which, depending on operator speed, used around 1.5 litres of paint.

“However, the red nozzle was applied when weekly marking burned-in lines – so, it is much more cost-effective to apply the paint at a higher rate to achieve a fortnightly schedule.

“We are continuing our use of Rigby Taylor’s ready-to-use Impact paint, which has proved that it produces bright white lines that last longer than other paints.”

After a three-year apprenticeship in groundsmanship, Darren joined the Council in 1985, continually progressing up the career ladder until his appointment last year as Operations Manager with a wide remit that includes street cleaning, playground repairs and graffiti removal as well as groundscare.

His investigations into the feasibility of using TLM mirrored the work he did when the council invested in iGO walk-behind line markers some years ago. This delivered tangible savings compared with conventional wheel transfer machines. This latest move, he adds, is a great example of how Street Scene and its operators have the willingness and flexibility to change – for the better.

“The move to TLM not only means huge efficiency and financial savings but it also generates more job satisfaction for the team; no longer are people required to monotonously line-mark every week.

“Another benefit of TLM is that we tick an environmental box by not having to burn-in lines (which do effectively create a ‘dent’ in the playing surface) and with one less van in the fleet have reduced our carbon footprint, too. Also, the robot does exactly what you ask it to do, without tea and lunch breaks!

“In the future,” Darren concludes, “TLM will likely also be applied to running tracks and for marking out our summer sports events (for example, javelin areas) and there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be offering line marking to other sites on a commercial basis.”

For more information, visit: www.rigbytaylor.com

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

INFINICUT Key For Duncan Toon

/in , /by

INFINICUT Key For Duncan Toon: As part of an on-going investment programme, Warwick Independent Schools Foundation have purchased two Cub Cadet INFINICUT® mowers, as well as a selection of TMSystem™ cassettes.  In a very short time Grounds Manager Duncan Toon says the vast improvement in the condition of the natural grass surfaces is down to these newest additions to his machinery fleet.

Four schools occupy the 8 hectare site of natural turf and sports facilities – Warwick School, Warwick Junior School, King’s High School and Warwick Preparatory School. Duncan and his grounds team of 6 are required to deliver top-quality surfaces for all. “I joined the school in June 2018 whilst it was in the midst of a significant investment programme and started sourcing machinery to help improve the quality of the grounds. I’d had a demonstration of the INFINI’s in my previous role at Birmingham FC and they’d been on my
wish-list ever since. I knew these would be key to achieving the quality we were striving for.”

INFINICUT Key For Duncan Toon

Duncan took delivery of an INFINICUT® 34” Fixed Head and an INFINICUT® 26” Floating Head mower, in quick succession. “Alongside the superior quality of cut, and striping ability, another big selling point for us working in a school environment is health and safety. With the INFINI’s being battery powered, we no longer have to spend time and money sourcing and safely storing fuel – and the noise emitted is all but eliminated meaning we can mow anytime including through the exam season. They’re also incredibly comfortable to operate, which is much more enjoyable for my guys while mowing large areas such as rugby pitches. In fact, they’re fighting to use them!”

The 34” unit, equipped with a 7 blade SmartCut reel, is predominately for use on the rugby pitch and cricket square, while the 26” floating head model will become their wicket mower. Duncan is also impressed with the cassettes from the TMSystem™ range that came with the machines – the PowerBrush™ and UltraGroomer™. “We’ve put the UltraGroomer™ across our cricket surface to thin out the sward and remove any unwanted Poa ingress and lateral growth. Compared to other
verti-cutters, this cassette is head and shoulders above anything I’ve ever used. When you think you’ve taken everything out, you go over again and it’s amazing how much more you get.”

“These machines have already made a noticeable difference to the health, presentation and quality of the swards” explains a delighted Duncan, who is looking forward to adding further units to his fleet in the not-too-distant future.

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Sprayer Unveils Green Credentials

/in , , /by

Sprayer Unveils Green Credentials: As part of a drive towards developing environmentally friendly and sustainable products Cambridgeshire based manufacturer Techneat Engineering offer the Acuspray, a pedestrian sprayer, aimed at the professional grounds-person and keen gardener.

“It’s a major step forward in design technology and one we are justifiably proud of “says Techneat’s Technical Support Manager James English.

Sprayer Unveils Green Credentials

“There’s no battery or engine so the application rate is controlled by a unique wheel driven pump that remains consistent throughout the day and produces zero carbon emissions. The machine’s plastic construction makes it lightweight, durable and completely recyclable.

For operator comfort the Acuspray is an extremely quiet machine with very low decibel noise emissions. Its lightweight construction means it is also very easy to push. Output varies according to forward speed ensuring the correct application rate is always achieved. The Acusprays’ 25l tank enables it to cover up to 625M2 before refilling is required.

For turf care professionals who require precision equipment, and who are also working towards a greener future, it’s the perfect sprayer” he confirms.

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.