Bobcat: A Benchmark In Olive Harvesting

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Bobcat: A Benchmark in Olive Harvesting: Six Bobcat T770 Track Loaders help Servicios Agrícolas La Pamparioma to complete its olive harvests. Beyond picking this valuable fruit, the company from Baena (Cordoba, Spain) uses its Bobcat machines for other tasks, such as earthmoving and maintaining plantations.

According to Francisco Bujalance, Manager of Servicios Agrícolas La Pamparioma, over 5,000,000 kilos of olives were picked in last year’s harvest using the Bobcat T770 loaders, which have been fitted with olive tree shaker attachments with umbrellas and vibrating clamps adapted to the size of olives in the area. Harvesting approximately 160,000 olive trees, covering 800 hectares of land, took 100 days (or around 6000 working hours) to complete.

Bobcat: A Benchmark in Olive Harvesting

Francisco Bujalance said: “In our increasingly competitive sector we need to innovate in order to stay productive – but without losing our roots and respect for the environment.

“The Bobcat T770 Compact Track Loaders are ideal for this type of work for a number of reasons. For one thing, we need less staff – the work is easier and progresses faster. They are also well suited for various, even difficult, terrains – whether flat or sloping, dry or muddy. Their performance and manoeuvrability are another big plus. For reasons of space, olive plantations are becoming increasingly packed. It takes a very compact machine such as the Bobcat T770 to move in these narrow lanes with speed and ease.”

He continued: “The Bobcat T770 with its umbrella and clamp gets much more done than any other olive harvester. Add to that reduced labour costs, and you get an excellent ROI in the medium term. What is more, we don’t need to move or handle the olives as much because the umbrella goes directly into the trailer, making the whole job cleaner and allowing us to harvest the product quickly, when it’s at its best.

“And last but not least, the Bobcat T770 does not require any modifications prior to harvesting, whereas other machines do. This speeds up the start-up phase, as there is no need for a mechanic, also saving costs.”

Francisco Bujalance added: “Having used the Bobcat T770 in previous harvests as well, we are by now well acquainted with it, familiar with its features and benefits. Our overall appreciation is very positive: the Bobcat T770 clearly has the hydraulic flow and power needed for this kind of work. Previously we were picking the olives manually, which naturally prolonged the harvest period. Now we are saving 70% in time, while a single loader performs the work of 15 olive pickers, according to our estimates.

“We also chose the Bobcat T770 Track Loaders for the renown of the Bobcat brand, which is well known the world over for reliability, as well as the support and aftersales service of GGM, our dealer, covering us for any unforeseen event. Once the harvest has begun, the machines must not fail. The fruit must be picked at the ideal moment, determined by the plantation owner according to the intended use. GGM gives us the peace of mind we need. As official Bobcat distributor in our area, they have considerable experience in our sector. Guillermo García Muñoz, their founder, invented the harvesting system for Bobcat loaders specifically for Andalusian olive groves – a testament to the company’s enduring commitment to and involvement with our market.

“The great number of attachments available for this loader is another point worth noting. In addition to the bucket, we have a Bobcat backhoe, which we use for various maintenance tasks.

“After many years of experience and after numerous harvests with these compact loaders, we can say with confidence: Bobcat has become a benchmark in the Andalusian olive tree sector,” Francisco Bujalance concluded.

2018 Andalusian olive harvest performed by 6 Bobcat loaders with olive tree shaker attachments:
160,000 olive trees
800 hectares
5,000 tonnes of olives
100 days
6000 hours
6 Bobcat loaders equipped with umbrellas and vibrating clamps

For more information about Bobcat and Bobcat products, visit www.bobcat.com

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Ardent Place Loadall Order

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Ardent Place Loadall Order: JCB has secured the biggest single order for Loadall telescopic handlers ever placed by a UK customer as part of a two-year deal worth more than £75 million.

Ardent Hire Solutions, one of the country’s leading plant hire companies, and the UK’s largest telehandler hirer, has invested in a fleet of 1,100 Loadalls ranging from the compact 525-60 through to the 550-80.

Ardent Place Loadall Order

The company is also investing in a fleet of 3CX backhoe loaders, rough terrain fork lifts and the flagship 7T Hi-Viz site dumpers that address key safety concerns experienced on construction sites today. By using a low-slung chassis design and revised skip, the 7T Hi-Viz operator benefits from huge improvements in front visibility with an improvement of 77% compared to conventional six-tonne dumpers when laden.

The machines are built at JCB’s Staffordshire factories, powered by JCB engines from JCB Power Systems factory in Derbyshire and with transmissions and axles from JCB Transmissions in Wrexham. They are also fitted with the latest JCB LiveLink telematics fleet management system giving real-time information on the machines’ operation and safe usage.

Group Managing Director Global Major Accounts, Yvette Henshall-Bell, said: “We are delighted to secure this major order from one of the UK’s leading plant hire companies.  It shows great confidence in JCB machinery and also in the wider construction sector which Ardent’s plant hire business supports.

“JCB has worked closely with Ardent for a number of years and it’s testament to the quality of our range of Loadalls and safety credentials of our site dumpers, as well as the world-class service back-up, that we’ve secured this valuable business.”

Ardent Hire Solutions Head of Marketing, Anuj Patel, said: “This latest acquisition further strengthens Ardent’s telehandler fleet which is the largest available in the UK today. The availability of advanced technology and telematics on the entire fleet was critical for us when specifying JCB machines.

“For Ardent clients, the knowledge that we are working closely with our supply chain to provide solutions that increase productivity, reduce their costs and, most importantly, reduce their on-site risk gives great reassurance. We are stepping away from the plant hire norm and offering a service that sparks real change in the market.”

Trading from 11 depots nationwide and specialising in providing plant hire to major housing, civil and construction clients, Ardent is constantly investing in the most technologically advanced machines and innovations on the market. It has a range of over 5,000 units for rent with an average age of less than two years.

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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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