Kubota Helps Transform Pitches

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Kubota Helps Transform Pitches: Kubota, the market leading manufacturer of high performance groundcare solutions, has assisted a team of dedicated volunteers to transform the sporting facilities in one of the country’s most deprived areas.

72-year-old Philip Swann and his team of six volunteers have given up their time to dedicate countless hours to make huge improvements to the state of the grounds for Handsworth Old Boys FC and Handsworth Old Boys Cricket Club in Birmingham.

Kubota Helps Transform Pitches

Philip has been a Handsworth Old Boy member for over 55 years, started volunteering at the ground following his retirement as a sales director for a hardware manufacturer.  He said: “When I volunteered to be groundsman, I had absolutely no experience, it was more because I had a passion for the club and wanted to help in anyway I could.  However, I soon realised the magnitude of the issues I faced, which even experienced groundsman might have seen as a challenge!

“The main issue at the site is access.  The grounds are enclosed by railway lines on all sides, with only one access point over the tracks that also has a very steep and dangerous incline.  This makes it almost impossible for any larger machines to be able to access the site safely.  To compound this, the driveway down to the facilities is only 7ft in width, which means the maximum size of a vehicle that can fit down the drive is a transit van.  For bulk deliveries, HGVs or 3.5t trucks have to park over 250m away at the entrance to the grounds, adding serious workload to an already demanding job!”

“What’s more, when I first started, everything was done on the seven-and-a-half-acre site by hand, the cricket square was in terrible condition and too many football matches were being cancelled because of water logged pitches as a slitter was needed.”

Philip knew that he needed the right machine to help him start tackling these issues.  Due to budget restrictions of this amateur club, it needed to offer excellent value for money, be versatile and durable, but also be easy to operate for the volunteers that would be using it with limited to no machinery experience.  The final requirement was to ensure all the retired volunteers could carry out their work comfortably.

Kubota’s STa-30 (which has more recently been superceded by the STW30 model) was the ideal choice, with the ability to handle a range of tasks with quick and powerful performance, a large hydraulic pump capacity to operate a wide range of attachments and excellent comfort for operators.

Philip continued: “The Kubota machine has been invaluable in helping us carry out a wide range of jobs with ease.  During the summer months, the grass is cut twice a week (which takes roughly four and a half hours to complete each time) and it also allows us to use other key attachments for aeration and scarifying.  The tractor also enables us to move and transport all sorts of materials around the site, as well as load up the trailer when we are tending to the 160 trees around the perimeter.

“So much of the work on the playing fields is carried out by the tractor, that in the event of it breaking down, all work on the grounds would come to a standstill.  But it never does, it’s an absolute workhorse, clocking thousands of hours and it’s still going strong, a real testament to the reliability and durability of Kubota machinery.”

The result of all this hard work, commitment, and hours and hours of volunteering time by Philip and his friends – success on the pitch for Handsworth Old Boys.  This season, three out of the five football teams are top of their respective divisions and the cricket team has been promoted in three of the last four seasons.  The grounds are also now a valuable asset for the local community, with many local football and cricket teams using the facilities, providing vital additional funding for Handsworth Old Boys.

Philip concluded: “My aim over the years has been to gradually improve the sports pitches.  I’ve taken advice from turf specialists and also had advice from the groundsman Ian Allmark at Handsworth Grammar School for Girls to help us achieve this.  Today, the satisfaction the volunteers get seeing a beautiful sports ground being maximised to its potential makes me extremely proud and is a validation of all the hard work and effort that has been put in over the years.”

Following its partnership with Kubota, Philip is now looking to invest further in his machinery, with Kubota’s experts recommending its new L1361 compact tractor as the best model to suit the demands of the sporting facility.

For more information on Kubota and its extensive range of solutions for the groundcare sector, or to find your local dealer, visit www.kubota.co.uk or call 01844 268000.

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STIHL Expands Viking Range

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STIHL Expands Viking Range: STIHL has expanded its range of high-performance VIKING mowers with the introduction of the MB 655 RS rear roller mower, perfect for landscapers and lawn care professionals.

Designed with ease of use in mind, the powerful Briggs and Stratton engine is simple to start thanks to the auto-choke mechanism, meaning the recoil starter rope only needs to be pulled once.

STIHL Expands Viking Range

For further comfort, the latest offering from STIHL includes a single speed driven rear metal roller with robust drive mechanism for increased service life and minimal strain. The intuitive mono-comfort handlebar, with super soft grip, is adjustable to three different heights allowing users to find the most suitable setting.

Offering full flexibility, the desired cutting height can be precisely adjusted thanks to a sprung-loaded lever on the left-hand side of the housing, whilst the Blade Brake Clutch stops the blade when the mower is stationary. Meanwhile, the high-lift blades combined with the aerodynamic housing produce a strong air current that efficiently blows the grass cutting into the grass catcher box, even in wet conditions.

Thanks to the optimised design shape and air guide, the 70l box can be 100% filled, while the innovative two-part design ensures easy opening and emptying. Additionally, to reduce time between emptying, the catcher box features an integral level indicator to show when its full.

As well as being easy to use, STIHL has taken careful considerations when it comes to storage and maintenance, providing professionals with a durable and convenient solution. The body design for example allows for easy access and maintenance of working parts, such as drive cables, pulleys and the drive belt.

Designed with a foldable handlebar, the VIKING MB 655 RS lawn mower is easy to transport and convenient to store. The new petrol mower utilises large wheels with high quality ball bearings for easy running, while the tread pattern provides better traction, as well as allowing for easy cleaning. Additionally, the bumper strips offer additional protection when mowing next to walls and edges, and can be easily exchanged or replaced if they become marked or damaged to maintain a professional appearance at all times.

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N & J Tree Services Choose Först

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N & J Tree Services Choose Först: N & J Tree Services has expanded its fleet of Först woodchippers with the purchase of two XR8’s, after noticing the high-quality standards offered by the manufacturers’ range of robust machinery.

Recognised as a leading specialist arboricultural company, N & J Tree Services provides professional tree care services for motorways, councils and general arboriculture. The business, which now employs 30 staff, has grown year on year since being established in 2000 due to its role as an efficient solutions provider for a vast number of clients across the UK.

N & J Tree Services Choose Först

Nigel Owen, Managing Director at N & J Tree Services, said: “We have been working with Först since they first entered the market. Having seen the performance of many woodchippers over the years, it soon became apparent that the performance and robust nature of Först machines really made them stand out against other competitors.”

N & J Tree Services currently has seven machines on its fleet, comprising of two ST6P’s, three ST8’s and two newly added XR8 Traxion machines. The XR8 8” x 10” capacity woodchipper is designed with a tough and robust scissor-action parallel leg system, allowing for exceptional versatility to overcome difficult obstacles with strength, speed and stability.

Nigel continued: “Having Först machines on our fleet has been hugely beneficial to the business. Along with high-quality machinery, Först has supplied us with exceptional support to ensure that our woodchippers are kept safe and utilised to maximum capacity. If an issue appears, Först are able to fix the problem quickly, effectively and efficiently. Doing so has minimised our down time, meaning less time and money is spent fixing and purchasing machinery and more time is spent being out onsite getting the job done.

“The machines have kept us going for many years and pose remarkable capability in supporting us in our day-to-day work. We feel extremely confident every time we purchase a new Först machine because of the 3-year standard warranty each wood chipper comes with, providing us with the support and reassurance we need when making such investments into the business.

“It’s inevitable that Först will continue to offer nothing but high standards in both its products and services, and it is for this reason that we are more than likely to continue our strong working relationship purchasing from Först in the future as we go on to expand our business.”

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INFINICUT Enhances Plant Health

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INFINICUT Enhances Plant Health: While mowing appears simple in its application, it can have either positive or negative consequences for plant health depending on mower performance. Attainment of correct cutting performance on sports pitches will include, but isn’t limited to, sharpness of cut; attitude angle and behind centre distance (BCD) of the bedknife; frequency of clip and weight distribution. MTD Specialty Turf Products explores the importance of mowing on plant health and how quality of cut has been paramount to operations at Watford FC, seeing them crowned the Premier League Grounds Team of the Year for 2017/18.

Beginning with sharpness of cut – dull or poorly sharpened mowers tear and shred grass blades rather than cut them cleanly, increasing the plants vulnerability to disease. A dull cut can be caused by a mower that does not maintain cut quality for an acceptable length of time.  This may be down to either a poorly designed bedknife-reel adjustment mechanism; an imbalanced reel causing premature wear; or a poorly designed cutting unit that “oscillates” during rotation.

INFINICUT Enhances Plant Health

Attitude angle and behind centre distance (BCD) are interlinked and an improper set-up of these features will not only impact on after-cut appearance but can negatively affect plant health.  The greater the BCD, the more aggressive the cut because the grass blade will be “dragged” prior to it being trapped between the bedknife and reel.  An aggressive cut also means a shorter cut as the leaf blade is lifted “up and back” prior to shearing. For a less aggressive cut, the bedknife is positioned much closer to the reel.

Frequency of clip (FOC) is the distance between mower shear points, determined by the number of reel blades, rotational speed and the mowers forward speed.  FOC is important in ensuring the correct quality is achieved for the specific height of cut. One should also consider the leaf’s moisture content – a high clip rate on a less rigid leaf can cause mulching.  The ability to alter FOC is thus advantageous.

The Cub Cadet INFINICUT® has been specifically designed to handle the numerous variables that modern day sports venues encounter.  Its ingenuous ability to alter geometry and working parameters ensures sward consistency is attained regardless of the time of year or conditions encountered.  Plant health can only be augmented by choosing the correct equipment set-up for the circumstances that prevail at any given time.

Scott Tingley, Head Groundsman at Watford Football Club said, “The INFINICUT® has become a vital part of our maintenance programme. We have two machines which are used primarily for match preparation, however we have used them more regularly this season due to the added benefits we found during the week. The quality of cut has led to a better visual appearance, but more importantly a healthy grass plant that has suffered less from disease. There’s also the added benefit of the health and safety elements – my staff regularly comment on how much lighter, quieter and more comfortable they are to use than alternative machines.”

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Boughton GC Lease With Reesink

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Boughton GC Lease With Reesink: Boughton Golf Club in the Kentish North Downs, has become the most recent in a long line of clubs to see the value of a five-year lease deal with Reesink Turfcare and Toro.

Joining the 27-hole club is a fleet of Toro greens, tees, surrounds, fairways and rough mowers, a comprehensive selection to accommodate the club as it enters a period of expansion.

Boughton GC Lease With Reesink

Gary Debenham, course manager at Boughton for almost 25 years, says: “Investment from the owners Johnathan Callister, CEO, and James Tory is being made in the club that not only brings in the machinery, but expansion to the club and its offering.

“It made economic sense to go for a lease deal, the terms are better and it’s affordable. With that decided it only left which brand and distributor to go for, and that was an easy decision to make. Toro is the market leader, we’ve used them for years and have always been impressed with their value, longevity and reliability. I knew they were a safe bet.”

With these factors in mind, Gary opted for three Reelmaster 3100-D ride-ons to replace three older Toro models. Richard Wood, Reesink sales manager, says: “The three new Reelmasters replace three older Toros which were between 14 and 21 years old, and had accumulated 5000-6000 hours work. They were consistently reliable in front-line use, particularly because of the constant power to at least two wheels at all times providing unbeatable traction for the rolling countryside the club inhabits. There was no question of a different mower when you’ve experienced this level of reliability and longevity.”

Gary also chose two Reelmaster 5510-D fairway mowers for the first time. He was impressed with the way the machine performed in the demo: “The RM5510-D came with groomers attached. They’re something we haven’t had before at the club and they did so well on the finish, we didn’t hesitate to order them too.”

Gary is right about that. Groomers lift the turf and reduce the grain, help to knock off dew, disperse grass clippings and integrate clippings into the grass canopy to produce an improved quality of cut.

Completing the order for Boughton is a powerful Groundsmaster 4000-D, but also included for Boughton’s ‘sister’ club, Etchinghill Golf Club, part of Pentland Golf Group alongside Boughton, are another two Reelmaster 3100-D mowers and a TriFlex 3400-D greensmower.

Set amid 167 acres of rolling countryside in the Kentish North Downs, Boughton Golf Club is in the perfect scenic spot for weddings and events. Gary tells us a 40-bedroom boutique hotel is under construction. Due for completion in 2019, the hotel brings a pool, spa facilities, restaurants and a new outside area along with water features and fire pits to the club, and will surely see increased footfall and even more eyes on the grounds.

Gary says: “Every aspect of the course and grounds will need to be at their best, all the time,” says Gary. “Footfall will increase as hotel residents use the course and as the hotel hosts weddings and events. I have no doubt that Toro is the perfect partner for us to achieve the best with.”

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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