Eden Project’s Robotic Gardener

/in , /by

Eden Project’s Robotic Gardener: The Eden Project, a popular visitor destination, has added a new member to its horticultural team this spring.

Husqvarna Automower®, a robotic lawnmower which works unassisted throughout the day and night, has been installed at the Cornwall site to maintain the grounds surrounding the famous iconic bubble-like Biomes.

Eden Project's Robotic Gardener

Nestled in a huge crater the size of 30 football pitches, the Eden Project Horticultural team have a job on their hands keeping the lawns in immaculate condition all year round. To help save time, the team turned to Husqvarna for an eco-friendly solution.

Kevin Ashmore, Husqvarna Professional UK Manager said: “With sustainability at the heart of the Eden Project it was important that whatever solution we provided was as eco-friendly as possible and Husqvarna Automower® fits the bill.”

With over one million visitors a year, the Eden Project was impressed with Husqvarna’s battery ranges and the low noise and zero-emission features of Husqvarna Automower®.

Kevin added: “One of the key decision makers for the Eden Project was that Automower® could be programmed to run through the night so as not to impact on any visitors during the day.”

Niki Hall, Specialist Horticulturist at the Eden Project said: “Husqvarna Automower® brings fantastic benefits to our team. The arena is now in top condition and this allows more time for the horticulture team to spend in other areas rather than cutting the lawns. It is quiet and unobtrusive, though very funky – like a Formula One mower. It has no emissions and low energy consumption. It can also be used in all weathers.”

How does it work?

Husqvarna Automower® works via the installation of an electrical boundary wire around the desired cutting area. With a range of models capable of managing lawn sizes up to 5,000m² in any weather, Husqvarna Automower® can tackle even the most complex of lawns, including those with rough terrain and slopes up to 45%. For areas above 5,000m² more than one machine can be used to increase area coverage.

Cutting just a few millimetres of grass at a time, Automower® keeps lawns neat and healthy by distributing small grass clippings back into the lawn to act as a natural fertiliser. This means there is no need for the collection and disposal of grass clippings.

Husqvarna has been the world leader in robotic lawnmowers since it pioneered the technology in 1995, constantly refining and improving its machines to fit the needs of consumers. Today’s Automower® can work in rain or shine, day or night. Its clever system allows it to cut the lawn in random directions, making sure that each square foot is covered. When the mower’s charge runs low, it returns to its charging bay unassisted, meaning lawns become a hassle-free environment, affording you spare time to do other things.

To learn more about the Husqvarna Automower® range, visit: http://www.husqvarna.com/uk/products/robotic-lawn-mowers/

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.

 

EGO Launch Cordless Tools

/in , /by

EGO Launch Cordless Tools: To meet the needs of groundcare professionals in terms of power, performance, convenience and wellbeing, EGO Power+ is releasing its first dedicated range of commercial cordless tools.

Powered by the patented design of the 56V Arc Lithium battery system, which delivers the power of petrol without the petrol, the range comprises three high-spec tools – a hedge trimmer, a commercial line trimmer, and a blower. All offer super tough, low maintenance construction to help groundcare professionals work harder all-day every day, even in the most challenging conditions.

EGO Launch Cordless Tools

EGO have spent a lot of time talking to professional users to better understand what is required from them of their tools. The result is a range of tools designed to perform beyond the expectations of even the most challenging user.

All three new tools are packed with innovation. The hedge trimmer, for example, has blades that are made from laser-cut steel with diamond-ground edges to ensure a sharpness and cleanness of cut. Unlike other manufacturers they are then laser-hardened to ensure they stay sharper for longer, even when cutting through the toughest hedge.

In an industry first, the brushcutter has a carbon fibre shaft which makes it more lightweight for ease of handling, but, even more importantly, it makes it extremely strong. Where standard aluminium shafts bend or get damaged, this shaft stays strong to meet the day-to-day routine of handling, transporting and storing.

EGO is already renowned for producing extremely powerful blowers but the new professional blower takes performance to a whole new level. At its maximum, the blower can blow at a rate of 1079m3/h with a speed of 212km/h and a force of 20 newtons. This level of performance is up there with the very best petrol backpack blowers. However, unlike petrol blowers, operational volume is incredibly low at just 80 decibels, meaning it can be used in even the most sensitive of areas without causing disruption.

Additional to these three tools, EGO will also launch a new backpack battery, which once again, takes cordless performance to a whole new level. With an IP rating of 56, this new battery is suitable for all weather conditions. There’s no need to stop and place a plastic cover over the top of it like some other manufacturers because its 1500 watt hour capacity will just keep on working.

“Reliability is a must for groundcare professionals, but comfort is also essential when people are working every day. The development of our battery technology is matched by a commitment to high-spec construction, giving users a suite of tools engineered for their needs,” explains Steve Roskell of EGO.

“The range is comfortable and convenient to use, delivers exceptional results and – backed by the EGO Arc Lithium battery – matches and even exceeds what can be achieved with conventional petrol-powered tools.”

The EGO Power+ Commercial Range is launched in Spring/Summer 2018. To find out more about EGO technology, please visit www.egopowerplus.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.

Jacobsen At AZ Alkmaar

/in , /by

Jacobsen At AZ Alkmaar: Currently third in the Eredivisie, Dutch football club AZ Alkmaar has purchased a Jacobsen Fairway 250 to maintain training ground pitches at the new 10-acre facility. The delivery was made by local Jacobsen dealer Voets Tractoren en Werktuigen BV.

René Schouten de Jel has worked at the club for five years and is part of the team that maintains the training ground pitches. Commenting on the new facility, he said:

Jacobsen At AZ Alkmaar

“We have four natural grass pitches and four artificial pitches. At the stadium, we have two Desso GrassMaster pitches. Two groundsmen, including myself, are based at the training centre, and we have three staff who maintain the stadium pitches. We recently purchased the Jacobsen Fairway 250 to replace our old machine which was very old and did not meet the standards required from a topflight Dutch football team.

“This is the first Jacobsen machine the club has purchased; we asked three companies to tender, and Jacobsen came out on top. The quality of the product is outstanding, and it was certainly the best value for money. We also received a very good reference from Rob Wilderom at Zaanse Golf Club, which is just around the corner from us. He mentioned how good the quality of cut and reliability was, so we couldn’t argue with that. Everything about the mower, from ease-of-maintenance to usability is perfect for us here.

“We have also received very good service from both of our dealers, Van der Pols and Voets Tractoren en Werktuigen BV. This is an important factor to consider when making any purchase; the after-sales support is just as crucial as the quality of the product. The representatives at the company have been very helpful; they always pop in to check on us and provide their knowledge and expertise when required. Overall, it has been a fantastic experience.”

The AZ Alkmaar training centre is located near to Amsterdam and opened in the autumn of 2016. The club has 15 teams, and the new training facility features offices, a gym, players’ rooms and a restaurant. Highly regarded manager Louis van Gaal, who managed the club from 2005 to 2009, lauded the standard of the facility:

“A real environment for top sports,” he said when he was asked for his opinion during the official opening. “It is inevitable that, with everything in place like a vision, people and facilities, things will only get better.”

AZ Alkmaar are hoping to be contenders for the domestic and international leagues in the years to come. They are currently five points behind Ajax and 12 points behind leaders PSV Eindhoven with six games left to play this season.

For more information, visit: www.jacobsen.com/europe

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.

Surbiton Fast Forward With Toro

/in , /by

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

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.

New Striped Lawn Tradition

/in , /by

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.

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.