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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New WOLF-Garten 72 Volt Range

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New WOLF-Garten 72 Volt Range: The WOLF-Garten 72 Volt Li-ion power battery garden tool range is an interchangeable battery system that delivers powerful garden tools without engine fumes, tangled cables, or short run times.

The 72 Volt range began life as three lawnmowers and was then expanded to include three handheld tools; a grass trimmer, a hedge cutter and a leaf blower. Each model is compatible with an interchangeable 72 Volt Li-ion power battery and charger system. These 2.5Ah high-performance batteries have 180 watt-hours and are fully charged in just 60 minutes. If you are particularly short of time, there is even a super quick charge option, which provides an 80% charge after just 45 minutes, making it one of the fastest chargers on the market.

New WOLF-Garten 72 Volt Range

In fact, the 72 Volt rechargeable batteries deliver immediate power and offer the longest charge time of all comparable battery-powered garden tools. An integrated cooling and ventilation system helps prevent overheating and guaranteeing longer service life with safe charging.

Every machine within the range is light, quiet to use and easy to handle, and requires almost no maintenance or upkeep.

The lawnmowers available include the LIONPOWER34, LIONPOWER37 and the LIONPOWER40, with each model being suitable for differing lawn sizes.

Each of these precision engineered lawnmowers feature the WOLF-Garten ACC system – Advanced Cut and Collect. This system generates a strong airflow to straighten grass stems before cutting and accelerating the cuttings into the grass bag.

In terms of operating, these lawnmowers have been designed to make cutting the lawn a real pleasure, not a chore. They all feature quick-release handles with soft grip, providing comfort and safety. In addition, the mowers only run when the safety key is turned, even if the battery is plugged in, offering real peace of mind, especially if there are children around.

The 30T Grass Trimmer is perfect for tidying edges, and is aided by a telescopic, adjustable tilting handle with edging function. For further ease of use and user comfort it has a cutting head cover to reduce mess from grass cuttings, as well as a shoulder strap and soft grips. The battery provides over an hour of running time.

The 55H Hedge Cutter also benefits from a 60 minute run time and an ergonomically designed handle with soft grips. This means that the machine can be operated continually without fatigue. The swivelling mechanism can be set to five angles (-95° / -45° / 0° / 45° / 90°) meaning your hands are always in the optimum cutting position. With a cutting length of 55cm, and a cutting blade spacing of 26mm, this machine tackles even the most unruly of hedges with ease!

The final machine within the range is the 24B Leaf Blower. This powerful piece of equipment benefits from an axial fan, which delivers maximum efficiency and effectiveness with speeds of 240 km/h and can run for up to 60 minutes. The short blower pipe ensures a wide airflow, while the longer pipe generates the maximum air speed. A turbo function generates greater power when needed at the touch of a button and combined with the wide blower pipe with integrated leaf scraper, can handle the garden tidy up with ease.

Mark Hewett, Divisional Sales Manager of WOLF-Garten, said: “This is the perfect lightweight cordless powered tool collection, offering a real cable-free alternative and a total modern day gardening solution.”

All of the 72 Volt Li-ion power machines carry a 3 year guarantee.

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Cobra’s Cordless Convenience

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Cobra’s Cordless Convenience: The last two years has seen significant growth in the garden product market for battery powered equipment. One brand which has fully embraced this technology is Cobra which has two lithium-ion battery options in its range with both a 40-volt and a 24-volt system.

The 40-volt range consists of six products – three mowers, a grass trimmer, a chainsaw and a hedgetrimmer. The 24 volt range has three products with a grass trimmer, blower and hedgetrimmer.

Cobra’s Cordless Convenience

Managing director of Cobra, Peter Chaloner, explains the difference: “Our ethos at Cobra is about offering something for every gardener and every garden, which is why we now have over 150 powered products in our range. We wanted to create products that deliver the exact amount of power required for each gardening task, particularly within our battery offering, so we introduced the 40-volt system as well as the 24-volt option for handheld products. 24-volts is ideal for domestic gardeners as it delivers the optimum amount of power without having a hefty price tag. In addition to that the products are light and easy to use so perfect for a quick bit of garden maintenance”.

The broader benefits of battery powered products have now been widely recognized by gardeners who are seeking convenience and a hassle-free alternative that is quick and easy to use and store. Each battery is transferable throughout its system.

Compared with traditional battery technology, Cobra lithium-ion batteries charge faster, last longer and have a higher power density for more battery life in a lighter package. The three mowers (a 16” hand-propelled, a 16” hand propelled rear roller and a 18” self-propelled) all utilise a 4ah battery to give 30 minutes usage from a 90 minute charge. The handheld 40-volt products also take 90 minutes to charge from flat and the grass trimmer has an 80 minute runtime, the hedgetrimmer is 85 minutes and the chainsaw is 50 minutes.

The 24-volt range is powered by 2ah batteries which charge in two hours. The run time varies depending on the task but the grass trimer will have an average usage of 30 minutes, the blower will be 20 minutes and the hedgetrimmer 50 minutes. Spare batteries and chargers are also available to guarantee continuous usage whilst one battery is charging.

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