Surbiton Fast Forward With Toro

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Surbiton Fast Forward With Toro: When it comes to course machinery, Surbiton Golf Club has done things in the same manner for many years. But times are now changing, beginning with the delivery of its first full fleet. The lease deal with Toro and Reesink Turfcare is a statement of the club’s desire to deliver a golfing experience to members that will be the envy of other clubs in the Surrey area.

When Andrew Kerr joined the club in Chessington as head greenkeeper, he went straight to work with the Greens Committee to deliver a complete overhaul of the way the club acquired and replaced its machinery.

Surbiton Fast Forward With Toro

Clint Whittaker, club secretary, explains: “We used to purchase machines outright when required, as part of our capital investment plan. This meant we had machines of varying ages, some of which couldn’t provide Andrew with the performance he needed to deliver the course results we expect. So rather than just replace a few machines, we decided to acquire a whole new fleet that is optimised to meet the very high expectations of our members.”

Andrew, who is currently finalising his qualification as a master greenkeeper, says: “There’s a great deal of choice for players, so it’s imperative to be the best you can be on the budget you have. We’re not one of the biggest clubs, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have the best presented course around. I was determined to bring the best machinery to support our course maintenance regime. I wanted to show the membership what’s possible when you have the right equipment.”

As a club owned by its members, this change in policy had to not only win over the committee, but 700 members too. Andrew continues: “It only took one viewing of the latest Toros, brought in by Reesink, to convince everyone that Toro was the brand to go with to raise the bar. I’ve found the management and the members to be entirely supportive, and when it came to the benefits of a lease agreement they were in absolute agreement. Our Toro fleet is delivering what I believe it should. The new technology we have at our fingertips means the greenkeeping team is making a real difference to the playability and quality of the course.”

Clint agrees: “All in all, we could see this was an investment in the future of the club we had to go with.”

Included in the fleet are four Greensmaster 1000 and three Greensmaster 1600 pedestrian mowers, two Reelmaster 5510-D ride-ons, two TriFlex 3420 hybrids, one with an 11-blade set-up and one with an eight, a Groundsmaster 4700-D, two Groundsmaster 3500-D mowers and a Multi Pro 5800-D.

Mike Taylor from Reesink Turfcare says: “Andrew came to us with a clear vision of what he wanted the machinery to achieve.  It was a joint effort between Reesink and Surbiton Golf Club to make sure he got everything on that list to realise his vision. It was a big step forward for the club and provides real certainty that the greens team can meet member expectations.”

So, where there is a will there is a way. You don’t need the biggest budget to get the equipment you want, or the finish you feel your members deserve. Look at the options with your management committee and where relevant the membership. Find the best people in the dealer and distributor network to talk to about what you want to achieve and consider that, just like a picture, a demo is worth more than a thousand words.

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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New Striped Lawn Tradition

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New Striped Lawn Tradition: The key to the perfect striped lawn is a cylinder mower and for more than 50 years, cylinder lawnmowers from Allett have been creating quintessentially English lawns all over the world.

The key to this success has been Allett’s speciality in designing and manufacturing precision, single-cylinder, walk-behind mowers. Until now, Allett’s mowers have traditionally been powered by petrol, with some products also available as electric models. However, Allett has added lithium-ion models to its range with its Liberty battery powered mowers, allowing gardeners to create the perfect striped finish without the need for the noise and fumes of petrol.

New Striped Lawn Tradition

The Liberty lawnmower, which has already received rave reviews from both professional and domestic users, is available in three different models – the 30cm, the 35cm and the 43cm. All three feature a rear roller which creates the stripes, and are powered by Allett’s 40 volt 4Ah lithium-ion battery that can recharge from flat in 1 hour 45 minutes.

The Liberty 30 push mower is the entry level option  for small to medium gardens. It has a five blade carbon steel cylinder and a 32 litre grass box capacity. Also well suited for small to medium gardens, but offering more features, is the mid-range Liberty 35. The Liberty 35 is a self-propelled model to enhance the ease of use for the operator. It is compatible with the Allett Lawn Care cartridge range of the aerator, lawn brush, scarifier, dethatcher, verticutter and 10 bladed cutting cylinder for the complete lawn package.

The final mower is the Liberty 43 which is the top of the range model. With a self-propelled feature, steel front roller and double section rear roller with geared differential it gives the ultimate in cutting perfection. To compliment this, it has a vast 62 litre grass box collection. Like the Liberty 35, it is also compatible with the Allett Lawn Care cartridges.

Discussing the battery powered additions, managing director of Allett Lawnmowers, Austin Jarrett commented: “Here at Allett we are incredibly proud of our roots and the tradition associated with our lawnmowers, however that needn’t mean we don’t evolve our offering. Battery powered products have significant benefits – not just for the environment but also for users. They are incredibly convenient and offer significant power without compromising on the cut quality that our machines are famed for.”

For more information please visit www.allett.co.uk.

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New Tractor From John Deere

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New Tractor From John Deere: John Deere’s new 3038E compact tractor is an economical and versatile machine suitable for a wide range of customers, which includes landscape contractors, groundscare maintenance service providers, sports turf managers, rural property owners and equestrian operations.

The 3038E is equipped with a powerful, emissions-compliant Stage IV diesel engine developing 37.3hp. A hydrostatic transmission with Twin Touch foot pedals provides the operator with simple, comfortable controls to select exactly the right speed for the job at hand.

New Tractor From John Deere

Combined with power assisted steering, the Twin Touch pedals are intuitive and easy to use and enable the operator to maximise productivity. The tractor’s independent pto can be engaged on the go, eliminating the need to stop and use the clutch. The 3038E also features an easy-lift bonnet that provides wide-open access to the engine bay for maintenance.

A new 300E front loader has been designed to complement the 3038E and features a curved boom and durable components. Together with the tractor’s tight turning circle, this offers a highly manoeuvrable combination for materials handling, whether working indoors or outdoors. Four-wheel drive is available as standard for more demanding applications and difficult ground conditions.

The 3038E compact tractor also offers telescoping draft links as a factory or field installed option. This makes attaching and removing rear implements very easy and increases overall performance in the field. This option is compatible with a wide range of implements, including mowers, rear blades and posthole diggers.

“This new tractor is easy to operate, easy to maintain, easy to own and easy to buy,” says Carlos Aragones, John Deere’s European turf segment manager. “No matter what the task, the 3038E compact tractor delivers John Deere quality and reliability at a budget-friendly price.”

For more information, visit: www.johndeere.co.uk

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Woodchippers Bought After Trial

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Woodchippers Bought After Trial: Beechwood Trees and Landscapes Ltd has purchased three new Först Woodchippers, after a successful trial that saw the team of arboriculture experts thoroughly impressed with the high level of performance and robust nature of the machines.

Established in 1998, Beechwood is one of the country’s leading arboricultural, fencing and landscaping contractors, and is continuing to show sustainable growth and development. With a team of 30 staff members, the success of the business over the past 20 years has been vast and the company is now recognised as one of the most forward thinking, innovative businesses within the industry.

Woodchippers Bought After Trial

Simon Rotheram, who has been managing director of Beechwood since the company’s inception, explains why he chose to work closely with Först after using woodchippers for more than two decades.

He said: “The majority of our work consists of site clearances and sectional take downs with housing associations and local councils, so it’s vitally important that we utilise a woodchipper fleet that can tackle any job, whilst also keeping maintenance and service to a minimum. In our industry, time literally is money, so we can’t afford any machinery downtime or lack of performance.

“To make sure we maintain our high standards, we carry out a rigorous maintenance programme that sees us review all of our machinery fleet every 3-4 years to ensure we are utilising the best and latest equipment. Over the past 20 years we have generally stuck to what we know when it comes to woodchippers, but on this occasion Först kindly agreed to lend us an ST6 and ST8 machine for a week and we were curious to see how they matched up against our current fleet.

“We put both woodchippers straight to work and the feedback I received from my team of operators out in the field was great. In addition to the impressive productivity of the machines, the woodchippers are also light and mobile, which makes transportation and completion of jobs in difficult to reach locations very simple.

“Outside the operation of the woodchippers, the Först machines also come with a three year warranty, which is a great asset to our business as these woodchippers really are put through their paces. In addition, our local Först service partner is just down the road to cover any minor mishaps, so the service and aftersales care Först can offer is second to none. When you combine all of this, the decision to move across to Först really was a no brainer and we purchased three ST6 machines as soon as we could.”

With the investment in Först woodchippers made, Simon can only see the working relationship with the manufacturer growing stronger moving forward.

Simon concluded: “We are very excited about working with Först. Although it’s still early days, the service support we have received from the manufacturer in such a short period of time, as well as the performance of the woodchippers, is something I have been really impressed with and this enables the team and I to simply focus on the job at hand.”

For more information on Först’s high performance range of woodchippers, or to book a demonstration, visit www.forst-woodchippers.com or call 01264 721790.

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New Customer For Toro

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New Customer For Toro: St Enodoc Golf Club has an impressive roll call. It is the premier golf club based in Cornwall, sixth in the country according to Golf World, and ranked 99th in the world by Golf Digest. Adding to that, is the fact that it is now a new Toro customer.

Based on that roll call it’s easy to see that this links course, based on the North Cornwall coast overlooking the Camel Estuary, has high standards to maintain. Simon Greatorex, general manager, explains why he and course manager Scott Gibson turned to Toro to help with that.

New Customer For Toro

Simon says: ”As a general manager I have spent a lot of time with the greenkeepers, and time and time again the preferred machinery choice is Toro. This is almost always down to their opinion on the brand’s reliability, build quality and machine support from the supplier and dealer, in this case Reesink Turfcare and Devon Garden Machinery. I happen to agree with them on all of these points.”

And that’s why the club has opted for Toro this time, and is in receipt of two Greensmaster 3400 TriFlex mowers, a Reelmaster 5410 and a Reelmaster 3100-D with Sidewinder, to tend the club’s greens, surrounds and fairways.

Of these machines, Scott says it’s the Reelmaster 3100-D with Sidewinder which is standing out for the club’s greenkeeping team of eight. In particular for “its versatility, excellent stability, clean and superior cut, and immaculate presentation,” says Scott. He goes on to praise all four machines for their ergonomic design.

Plus, there’s the service and support of Reesink Turfcare and Devon Garden Machinery. Scott says: “We have a long-standing relationship with Devon Garden Machinery who distributes Toro in our area, the service and support we get from them is second to none. And Reesink has made the whole process very straight forward, from the advice on the type of equipment we needed to purchase, to the many options that were open to us to finance the fleet, it has been nothing but easy.”

So why has St Enodoc opted for Toro now? Simon explains: “The club has an ongoing course improvement plan, plus the drive to attract some additional events to Cornwall. We already host the South West Ladies Match Week in July for Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, and in 2019 we will be hosting the English Senior Women’s Amateur Strokeplay Championship. With Toro on board we feel we stand in good stead for expanding this roll-call even further.”

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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

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