AllGrass Put Trust In Campey

/in , , /by

AllGrass Put Trust In Campey: Scottish turf contractors AllGrass Turf Care, part of the Allstone Glasgow Group, wanted to invest in the latest technology when starting their business, so decided on multiple Campey Turf Care Systems machines.

This purchase included a new 5th generation Koro FIELDTOPMAKER (Koro FTM) fitted with a Terraplane rotor, Raycam Uni-Rake and Dakota spreader to name a few. The new 2.5m Koro FTM with Terraplane rotor provides total surface clean up and removes organic matter using carbide tipped blades and leaves a level surface to work on as part of a high-quality renovation.

AllGrass Put Trust in Campey

Although the machinery decisions were made based on decades worth of experience, AllGrass director John Rushforth also listened to the needs of groundsmen and sought advice from others in the industry, such as Premier Pitches owner Carl Pass and director Russell Latham.

For a new company, the importance of picking the correct machines for a first fleet is vital and it was the trust in Campey as well as John’s own experience and the advice from others in the industry that made it an easy decision.

“I’ve got a massive amount of confidence in Richard Heywood, Richard Campey and Campey as a company,” he said.

“Throughout my career, it’s always been Campey I’ve dealt with and I knew the Koro FTM  was a good machine. “The 5th generation Koro FTM 2.5 model is phenomenal. It’s a breath of fresh air when you take a machine on a park and it leaves it clean regardless if the conditions are dry or damp.

“We came from using the old one but the new one is easier to set, it’s a better-balanced machine because it has the weights on one side, so it reacts better to the tractor. I’ve got a smile on my face every time I see it work because the pitch is always spotless and then I know we’re onto a winner.

“The machines have all been exactly what we wanted, we’ve not been disappointed in one bit of kit, we’re actually looking to purchase another Dakota spreader and probably a ShockWave.”

A strong part of AllGrass’ ethos is to expand on existing maintenance practices and offer effective alternatives to customers who operate on a smaller budget. A machine that fits this aim perfectly is the Raycam UniRake, which offers high-intensity grooming that can be calibrated in its severity.

AllGrass Put Trust in Campey

“I’ve been especially impressed with the UniRake,” John said. “I think a lot of clubs will have one in the future. Not everyone can afford decent scarification or to take the pitches back to bare-bones, so we need to come up with different ways to renovate pitches.

“When we first started AllGrass we got a lot of support from Scottish groundsmen which we are very grateful for. I was fortunate to shadow a number of grounds teams on match days and I learnt more about how to maintain and renovate from ground staff because everything from training grounds to stadium builds are different. That’s why we have to constantly keep up with what’s on offer and make sure we’re using the best.”

The forward-thinking approach of AllGrass doesn’t stop there. The company are also conscious of the impact their work has on the environment and have taken steps to ensure that all the waste products from the pitches they work on is recycled rather being dumped at a landfill.

For more information, visit: www.campeyturfcare.com

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

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Fineturf A Fine Choice

/in , , /by

Fineturf A Fine Choice: Reesink Turfcare has welcomed Fineturf Machinery as its new appointed dealer for Toro golf and fine turf machinery, Toro grounds machinery, and TYM tractors in the Lincolnshire and North Nottinghamshire areas.

Having been carefully chosen by Reesink, Fineturf Machinery steps into the role of dealer for the area vacated by Chris Sellars Groundcare, as Nigel Lovatt, regional manager at Reesink, explains: “We looked no further than Fineturf Machinery to take on this role. It is a company that is well established with a fantastic reputation and has expanded significantly in recent years. It has the same goals and ambitions as we do for the area and has invested in new staff to ensure these are achieved.”

Fineturf A Fine Choice

Simon Hutton, managing director of Fineturf Machinery, says he is delighted to become an official Reesink dealer and service centre for Toro and TYM: “We’re looking forward to our association with Toro golf, groundscare and TYM products and hope our depth of knowledge across the golf, groundscare and sports turf industry will benefit new customers, with existing customers gaining direct access to more premium turfcare brands.”

Chris Sellars Groundcare will continue to work closely with Reesink to provide warranty support throughout the transition period, as Nigel confirms: “We enjoyed a good working relationship with Chris Sellars Groundcare for many years. But 2018 sees a change in direction for them, and us. Chris Sellars Groundcare, Reesink Turfcare and Fineturf Machinery will all work together to ensure a smooth transition period for customers, and we wish the greatest success to Chris Sellars with its future endeavours.”

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Dennis Prepare For The World Cup

/in , , /by

Dennis Prepare For The World Cup: The national football team won’t be the only team of professionals making the trip from England to Russia this summer. In fact, a whole fleet of Dennis G860 cylinder mowers will already be making their mark in Russia before the England squad is even announced.

Dennis Prepare For The World Cup

A staggering 88 Dennis mowers will have the task of preparing stadium and training complex pitches for the world’s greatest football players throughout the tournament while some venues will also utilise the Dennis Premier in conjunction with the G860 for matchday preparation.

7 of the 11 stadiums will use Dennis mowers, including those hosting the quarter finals, the semi-finals and the final, and 70% of the training camps will also be maintained by Dennis.

Steven Rienks – managing director of Queens Grass, who are the official Dennis dealer in Russia, has orchestrated proceedings and admits it is a proud moment for himself and his company.

“This is the greatest show on earth and is not just another contract.  Yes, it is fantastic to be a part of it but it is also a responsibility,” he says. “After all, the quality of play depends on the quality of the pitch. But this is why the G860 has been chosen – due to the quality and the presentation it offers. They all want that perfect stripe which the G860 provides because they know it will be watched by a worldwide audience.”

However, the task of preparing the pitches is made slightly more difficult by unfavourable weather conditions, as Steven remarks: “In Russia, the weather is not ideal – for instance, in one area we only have around 60 days of sunlight over the course of a year. The interchangeable cassette system really helps with maintenance procedures in a difficult climate. Also, the mowing height may differ and the sandy materials on the pitches are different.”

While the games will no doubt attract billions of viewers worldwide, many will be oblivious to actually what goes into ensuring the pitch is up to the standards expected for a tournament as prestigious as the World Cup. Even before the pitch is prepared, contracts must be concluded and signed and Steven admits that it can be somewhat of a rigorous process.

“Russia is a whole different ball game and one of the attractions of working with companies such as ourselves is the fact that we have been working with the groundsmen at the stadiums since 2001. Russian clubs prefer to be supported by local companies that supply European machines but quick, straightforward contracts are hard to make.”

“Every offer was made specifically for each stadium and training complex and all were tendered by the Russian Government. Then of course there are the complications of dealing with an eastern European country – let us say that the customs and borders in Russia are an interesting challenge.

“It is not easy but of course it is fantastic to work at such a tournament. We love our profession and it is a nice challenge to have!”

For further information or a no obligation demonstration, please contact Dennis 01332 824 777 or visit www.dennisuk.com

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

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Charterhouse Doubles Aeration Regime

/in , , /by

Charterhouse Doubles Aeration Regime: Set in an area of outstanding natural beauty in Berkshire, Goring and Streatley Golf Club offers a challenging 18 holes over a half downland and half parkland course. Despite the challenges this brings to Course Manager Matt Aplin and his team when it comes to maintenance, the greens are renowned for being fast, true and in great condition all year round. The combination of a Redexim Carrier and Verti-Drain 1513 from Charterhouse Turf Machinery is the latest weapon in Matt’s armoury to improve the greens, tees and approaches even further.

“Though we have quite a large machinery fleet, we only have one tractor” explains Matt, who heads up a team of six greenkeepers. “This meant when it came to greens maintenance, if we were using the tractor to hollow tine, we then couldn’t topdress on the same day as the tractor was tied up. Fundamentally this restricted us being able to conduct some operations, especially aeration, as much as we’d like to.” Matt spoke to his local dealer Lister Wilder, who demonstrated a number of power unit and aerator combinations. “With a lot of the competitor machines, the aerator was limited to 4” penetration depths, whereas the Verti-Drain could go down to 6”, making a big difference to root depths, along with creating heave.” They took delivery of the Carrier and Verti-Drain 1513 in combination early last year.

Charterhouse Doubles Aeration Regime

As well as easing the strain on the club’s tractor, another key factor for the purchase was to use a lighter weight unit on the greens. “It’s simple to use, safer being outside the cab and more efficient for the team than navigating the tractor with a heavy spiker on the back around the hills on our course.” Though a number of machines can be connected to the Carrier, for Matt it is being used solely for aeration, and has already conducted upwards of 220 hours of aeration at the club. “We used to pencil tine the greens four or five times a year, that’s now 10 or 12 times. Our tees and approaches were aerated very infrequently, they’re now being done six times a year. That equates to a 200% increase on our previous aeration programme.”

That increase isn’t unnoticed by members who are commenting on the knock-on improvements in green and tee conditions. “We have four greens that are built on pure clay and can lay very wet. The massive increase in aeration, and more frequent topdressing has meant these are drier than they’ve ever been. It shows us that our cultural practices are working, and that’ll hopefully only continue to improve as the years go on.”

For more information, visit: www.charterhouse-tm.co.uk

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

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

The purrfect roller mower?

/in , , /by

The purrfect roller mower?: Occasionally there is a breakthrough, an innovation that makes a real impact on the way we do things. Listening to what people say they need, taking a tried and tested concept, tailoring it to demand and making it a reality often creates a real leap forward. Such is the new Wessex CRX-320 golf course and sports turf roller mower. Well, it’s just a mower you might say, but look closely and you’ll find the most nimble, smooth, ground hugging Wessex machine so far. Wessex describe it as the machine you’ve been asking for and certainly when it was launched to dealers in February 2018 they were more than excited by the concept. Now it’s available for demonstrations from May onwards and it’s suggested you book your slot now to see it in action.

Manufactured in Wessex’ own factory in the UK the CRX-320 is an exceptional mowing experience. Full width rollers front and rear and 3.2m wide, it’s nothing short of a precision cut and outstanding stripe. Keeping the rollers as close as possible maximises ground contour following, with excellent floating capabilities to closely hug the undulations. The renowned CRX swing tip Gold Cut blades give you the superb cut and make for easy maintenance, while the wide-angle PTO gives you tight-turn capabilities for increased manoeuvrability. All you need is a 35hp tractor and only one spool valve, which makes it economical to operate with the simplest machinery. Simple too is the belt tension for quick and easy maintenance and the cutting height adjustment, between 10mm and 100mm, is equally straightforward. Minimal and easy access grease points and shrouded PTO’s equate to long service intervals.

The purrfect roller mower?

Consider all the options and it’s easy to see why the CRX-320 is the optimum preference for the golf course. You use your tractor and therefore potentially halve the price compared to a self-propelled machine. The wide cut width is a massive time saver and you don’t have to worry about tyre marks. The CRX-320 is also made road-going with an optional highway kit for road-legal towing, so you can easily move from place to place. And with a 3-year warranty, what more could you ask for? If you think of something Wessex are always listening. The testimony to that is in the build quality, with 5mm steel plate decks making this mower robust and durable, and the aforementioned features that make the CRX-320 the perfect choice for maintaining your golf course or sports turf. You could even say it purrs.

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

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.