What’s White, Green And Read?

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What’s White, Green And Read?: Noisy. Dirty. Uncomfortable. Polluting. Not words usually associated with gardening, but terms regularly connected with petrol. A new whitepaper from EGO looks at the benefits of lithium-ion battery versus petrol powered outdoor equipment.

Steve Roskell, marketing director (EMEA) of EGO comments: “In the world of professional landscaping and grounds maintenance, petrol has been the fuel of choice for over 100 years – mainly because there has been no viable challenger. Recently however, battery powered cordless equipment has begun to gain worldwide popularity and increased market share, signalling the most significant shift in the sector for decades.”

What's White, Green And Read?

There are four key factors driving this trend: health & safety, user comfort, the environment and economics, all outlined in a dedicated whitepaper commissioned by EGO, which looks at how to increase safety, productivity, sustainability and cost-effectiveness in commercial gardening.

The whitepaper provides extensive evidence of the potential risks posed by petrol to user health and the environment and the benefits of battery powered tools to company cashflow.

Steve continues: “In each of these areas, the benefits of lithium-ion batteries over petrol are overwhelming. Moreover, the emergence of new generation batteries and equipment by global manufacturers such as EGO means that lithium-ion batteries can now match or even surpass the performance of petrol, without any of the drawbacks.”

These were all considerations the brand had when designing its latest range of professional equipment, a range of tools that perform beyond the expectations of even the most challenging user. The new range consists of a hedge trimmer, blower, and grass strimmer – all using the unique EGO Power Plus Arc Lithium 56v battery or the new BAX1500 battery backpack.

Displaying the key attributes of battery powered tools, the new EGO professional range is simpler, cleaner, quieter and with less vibration than most of its petrol counterparts making it more comfortable to use. With lower running and maintenance costs, switching to EGO will lead to long term savings, without any down time or reduced productivity, making them ideal for facilities teams, and ground care professionals alike.

EGO has created a White Paper outlining the benefits of switching from petrol to battery garden tools. This is available to download via the EGO Power Plus website: egopowerplus.co.uk/whitepaper

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Innovation Through Renovation

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Innovation Through Renovation: When Toro developed its irrigation strategy, one of the first thoughts was longevity, so it should therefore be no surprise that Toro sprinklers dating all the way back to the 1960s are easily updated when clubs look to renovate their irrigation.

The existing sprinkler body is simply fitted with the latest Toro head technology not just replacing new for old, but for more precision, accuracy, efficiency and economy.

Innovation Through Renovation

In the case of Toro pop-up sprinklers, the company’s 600 series that launched in the US back in 1967, and 700 series first seen in the 1990s, can be easily interchanged with Toro sprinkler head conversion assemblies, in as little as 60 seconds! The same applies to the more recent DT series and 835 series, too.

And most of the time, says Reesink Turfcare, an official distributor of Toro Irrigation in the UK, these upgrades can be made without the need for mini-excavators and massive disruption. Infinity sprinklers for example have been designed to be upgraded from the top down with the Smart Access feature allowing future upgrades to be faster, easier and cheaper.

Plus, it’s not just the sprinklers that can be upgraded, Turf Guard in-ground moisture sensors and Lynx control system software can be integrated into existing irrigation systems. Some have credited Toro’s Lynx control system for example with bringing industry buzzwords ‘interchangeable’ and ‘future-proof’ irrigation to life.

Upgrading with Toro brings true innovation to your irrigation: every replacement sprinkler head brings with it design improvements – you aren’t just replacing the casing, but addressing specific irrigation needs, such as arc retention to achieve a strict start-stop without unwanted movement, eliminating dwell points and subsequent pooling, ensuring even distribution.

A classic example of this comes in the form of Premier League football club Manchester City which upgraded its Etihad Stadium irrigation system in 2015 with the installation of 16 Toro R Series conversion assemblies. These were installed with new artificial turf covers around the perimeter of the pitch, alongside changing some of the nozzles in existing bodies to boost overall efficiency and optimise water use. A key point is that the original piping system was kept intact and that this cost-effective upgrade concentrated on the sprinklers and their internals.

The benefits this upgrade brought was the fact that there is now no dwell point at the end of each sprinkler arc, and the adjustable trajectories, which are particularly beneficial on a windy day, can be set to minimise drift from the spray.

Robert Jackson, irrigation field manager for Reesink Turfcare, says: “It is tempting to regard the updating of an irrigation system as something that can only be carried out by specialists, with disruption to play and revenues for months on end. In some instances that will be the case. An aging irrigation system could well be beyond economic upgrading, extension or repair. But what about a more recent system that is now starting to show its age; is a bit of an upgrade possible and worthwhile? With Toro, the short answer has always been a qualified yes.”

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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Scarify Your Lawn To Good Health

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Scarify Your Lawn To Good Health: The simplest way to ensure that your garden lawn is sufficiently healthy to withstand the rigours of winter and be in good condition for the 2019 growing season, is to scarify the surface this autumn.

Mechanical scarifying using either a mains electric or petrol machine will remove the ‘thatch’ from the roots of the grass plants.  Thatch is dead material or rubbish and moss which builds up forming a spongy surface that prevents air, light, nutrients and, most importantly, moisture from reaching the roots to generate healthy new growth. It is amazing just how much thatch can be lifted from even a small lawn!

Scarify Your Lawn To Good Health

Cobra is the UK’s largest range of powered garden machinery and has four specialist scarifiers; two mains electric and two petrol powered machines.  All four have all been expertly designed in the UK to cater specifically for the changing conditions of the British lawn.

“With our rapidly changing weather, the need to scarify regularly is more important than ever,” says Peter Chaloner, managing director of Cobra.  “As we seem to swing from virtual drought to almost flood conditions throughout the year, the need for lawns to absorb rain and slowly release it to the sub-ground water courses helps reduce the risk of flash flooding.  Lawns that are not regularly scarified tend to hold water, forming more moss and further slowing down this vital role of absorbing rain and slowly releasing it back to nature.”

The two electric options are the SA32E and the S36E. The SA32E has a 1300W motor with a 13” working width, and can work depths from -9mm to +4mm. The S36E is slightly wider at 14” and has a 1800W motor, it offers 2mm more depth too. Both electric models have a 40-litre grass bag capacity.

There are also two petrol models, both with a 15” working width, 16 steel blades and 45 litre grass bag capacity. These models have the choice of a 127cc Briggs & Stratton 550 series engine (the S390B), or a 135 cc Honda GP160 engine (the S390H).

The recommended retail prices for the Cobra scarifiers are £119.99 (SA32E), £159.99 (S36E), £529.99 (S390B) and £579.99 (S390H).

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Palace Gardens Choose Ransomes

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Palace Gardens Choose Ransomes: Blenheim Palace, based in Oxfordshire, and the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill, has taken delivery of a Ransomes MP495 cylinder mower to maintain its prestigious gardens. Delivered by local dealer The Turney Group, this addition is a continuation of the long-standing relationship between Ransomes, The Turney Group and Blenheim Palace.

Blenheim Palace is the principal residence of the Dukes of Marlborough, and the only non-royal English country house to hold the title of ‘palace’. The Palace was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 and welcomes around 800,000 visitors every year.

Palace Gardens Choose Ransomes

Hilary Wood, Head of Gardens at Blenheim Palace, manages a team of 10 full-time and six part-time staff who are tasked with manicuring 120-acres of gardens, and some of the 2000-acres of parkland across the 12,000-acre estate.

“We have a lot of land to maintain at Blenheim Palace, and it’s important that we have the correct machinery for the job,” Hilary said. “We have been using Ransomes ever since I first arrived in 1981; so more than 37 years. We have had Ransomes Commander mowers in the past, which have been brilliant, and we have now opted for the new Ransomes MP495, which we have been using since April, and it has exceeded all expectations.

“We have a very happy relationship with our dealer; it’s a family-run business and we receive a very friendly, personalised service. We can always rely on them to be with us whenever we need them, which is something we haven’t had from other suppliers in the past. The Turney Group always let us demo a machine over a period so that we can try it in various conditions and make an informed decision. This gives us confidence in the purchase we make.”

Trevor Wood is an operator at Blenheim Palace. Commenting on the new machine, he said:

“It’s a great mower; it has a quiet cab, it’s easy and comfortable to drive, all of the controls are in the right place, and the air conditioning has been very handy with the hot temperatures!

“We use the MP495 to maintain garden areas; we know Ransomes is a reliable brand and has the ability to produce a pristine finish. People come from all around the world to visit Blenheim Palace, and they expect to be blown away; it is our job to produce the best possible presentation, and we know that the Ransomes mower and the back-up and support from The Turney Group will allow us to achieve this.”

For more information, visit: www.jacobsen.com

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Major Upgrades For Swift Roller Mowers

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Major Upgrades For Swift Roller Mowers: Already renowned for their low maintenance and durable machinery, Major Equipment has announced a series of upgrades to their tractor mounted Swift Roller Mowers. These mowers are available in working widths from 1.9m to 5.4m.

Built light to allow them to be used on smaller compact tractors, there is no compromise on strength with the use of Strenx™ 700 MC high-yield steel, which is stronger than steel traditionally used in machinery.

Major Upgrades For Swift Roller Mowers

Now the mower bodies are galvanised using zinc hot-dip galvanisation for added protection from harsh exterior conditions. Hot-dip coating of the metal doubles the life span compared with painting and, Major say, it will protect steel from corrosion in most atmospheric conditions for 25 to 30 years.

It’s no wonder then that Major has also introduced a three-year professional warranty for all models in their Swift Roller Mower range but they haven’t stopped there. The roller mowers’ custom designed gearbox has been upgraded for improved and consistent mowing, even in the toughest conditions. High speed blade tips on the Major roller mowers offer higher output with an enviably professional cylinder mower finish every time you cut.

Major Upgrades For Swift Roller Mowers

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