Kubota parts redefined with Terrako

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Kubota parts redefined with Terrako: Kubota (UK) Ltd has introduced a digital marketplace for customers to streamline ordering of genuine parts using mobile or desktop devices.

It is called Terrako, and enables Kubota parts to be ordered through an online portal (http://uk.terrako.com) that also provides instant access to dealer stock levels.

Kubota parts redefined with Terrako

Kubota parts redefined with Terrako

“As an all-new digital marketplace, the development of Terrako has made it very easy and convenient for customers to order genuine parts for their Kubota equipment, even if they’re unsure of who their local Kubota dealer is,” explains Simon Chadbone, Kubota UK’s division manager for parts. “This is particularly useful for those who are working away from base, for example contractors, as it can save the customer a lot of time while also contributing to a reduction in downtime.”

Access to Terrako requires customers to create a free online account, which also highlights the location of their closest Kubota dealers. Doing so gives the customer direct access to view dealer stock levels and recommended retail pricing, when searching for parts. Terrako also provides access to schematic drawings and parts numbers, simplifying parts identification and ensuring customers order the correct parts for their equipment.

Payment is made at the point of ordering, using secure online payment processes, with customers receiving an email confirmation of their order. Customers can choose to collect parts from their nearest Kubota dealer, or request dealer delivery to site, or seek direct delivery from Kubota.

“It may be that the nearest dealer might be out of stock, but another Kubota dealer within easy reach may have those parts sat on the shelf,” says Simon. “Searching with Terrako will speed up the process of finding and buying the correct genuine parts. And it’s operational 24 hours/day, seven days/week.”

Terrako offers more than just genuine Kubota parts supply. It can also be used to buy service kits, oils and filters, and will enable Kubota dealers to highlight promotional offers and create bespoke promotions for their customers.

“The introduction of our Terrako digital marketplace has now made it much easier for Kubota customers to buy the correct genuine parts without having to take the required items to a dealership for identification,” says Simon. “With an online Terrako account, genuine Kubota parts can be ordered from anywhere, using any mobile device.”

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Brentwood Tree Surgery Reaches New Heights

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Brentwood Tree Surgery Reaches New Heights: When Adrian Strudwick, owner of Brentwood Tree Surgery, was weighing up whether to hire another employee or invest in a new machine, he made a game-changing decision — and hasn’t looked back since.

The purchase of an Avant 630 compact loader has not only accelerated operations across his tree surgery and firewood businesses, but it’s also unlocked new opportunities, turning the machine into what Adrian now calls “the centre of the firm.”

Brentwood Tree Surgery Reaches New Heights

Brentwood Tree Surgery Reaches New Heights

Adrian’s background is in engineering — he began in aircraft engineering before joining the forces in 1982. After leaving the military, he retrained in arboriculture, eventually gaining a degree in the subject and setting up Brentwood Tree Surgery. Over the years, his business has expanded to include firewood processing, site / estate management, and driveway installation — and the Avant 630 has been instrumental in driving that growth.

The Avant 630 isn’t just a forestry machine for Adrian — it’s a versatile workhorse. Used both on-site and at the yard, the compact loader handles everything from loading trucks and towing trailers to moving hay bales for horses and feeding timber into kilns.

“We use it for shifting machinery, unloading our Unimog, clearing the yard, moving crates of firewood — you name it,” says Adrian. “It’s sped up production so much. What used to take multiple people and hours of manual labour, we can now do faster, more efficiently, and with less fatigue.”

Its versatility comes from its size, agility, and the vast range of attachments available — Adrian currently uses forks, a loading bucket, a power rake, and a stone burier, with plans to add a stump grinder and flail mower to his kit.

On-site at Barrack Wood, a historic woodland near Warley and Thorndon Country Park, Adrian uses the Avant 630 to manage timber extraction with minimal impact on the environment.

“It’s relatively light on the ground, so you don’t get the damage you would with a 10-tonne forestry vehicle,” he explains. “You can trailer it in and out easily, and you don’t need to leave it on site overnight. It’s so versatile.”

Barrack Wood, steeped in history from the Napoleonic era, is a delicate environment. Adrian’s careful management and the Avant’s low ground pressure make it an ideal combination for sustainable woodland work.

Brentwood Tree Surgery also runs a kiln-dried firewood company — the only one in the area with a wood kiln capable of drying 15 tonnes of timber in just five days.

Brentwood Tree Surgery Reaches New Heights

Brentwood Tree Surgery Reaches New Heights

“All the waste wood is burnt in biomass boilers to fuel the kiln,” says Adrian. “The Avant loads the firewood processor, moves the crates into the kiln, and unloads them when they’re ready. It’s essential to how we work now.”

The high-quality firewood meets DEFRA and Woodsure standards — a key requirement in today’s market — and Adrian credits the Avant 630 for helping maintain this efficiency and quality.

“It ticks so many boxes for a machine of its size. You can do so many different types of work with it – it really is a super tool,” he says. “And the quick-release hydraulics make switching attachments a matter of seconds. No downtime.”

He’s been so impressed with the performance that after three years of ownership, he’s looking to add a second unit — or possibly upgrade and keep the original.

Adrian also praises the support he’s received from Avant’s dealer, Avant South East. “Chris and the team have been fantastic. They’re a family-run firm and really good to work with.”

For Brentwood Tree Surgery, the Avant 630 has become far more than a machine — it’s a business enabler.

“It really is the centre of the firm now,” says Adrian. “The amount of jobs it can do is endless.”

For more information, please visit www.avanttecno.com/uk

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Efficiency meets durability with GKB Sandspreader

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Efficiency meets durability with GKB Sandspreader: Maintaining top-tier playing conditions at North London’s Stanmore Golf Club is a constant balancing act – particularly with the ever-changing challenges posed by the climate.

After 31 years at the club, Course Manager Barry Neville know what it takes to keep the course in shape, which begins with the right machinery to deliver both efficiency and outstanding results. With a new SP100 from GKB Machines, the team now have a robust, versatile topdressing solution to support ongoing course renovation and drainage works.

Efficiency meets durability with GKB Sandspreader

Efficiency meets durability with GKB Sandspreader

Set on challenging London clay, the course — originally an inland links — has evolved into a mature parkland layout, now grappling like most with more prolonged periods of rainfall and the need for drainage improvements. Together with seeking to improve efficiency of routine topdressing, Barry explains that this multi-year programme drove the demand for a new, reliable solution. “Our previous dresser had served us well for close to two decades so the process of finding its replacement wasn’t taken lightly. We looked at a good few options, but the GKB Sandspreader really stood out. Seeing it at BTME 2025 then again at the Doe Show, the build quality was apparent immediately” he says.

“Not only could you tell the steel construction was robust, we also liked the fact the Sandspreader uses hydraulic controls rather than electric. A lot of modern kit is becoming more complex which is fine when it works, but in the real world with the weather and conditions in which we operate, things eventually go wrong” Barry says.

The SP100 was delivered by dealers Ernest Doe in June 2025 once the machine had been fully equipped to meet the club’s unique requirements. “Filling the trenches after the installation of the new drainage has been a labour-intensive task, with a lot of barrowing, tipping and backfilling by hand. This is manageable on greens but for fairways and larger areas, it just wasn’t efficient” he explains. “The ability to swap out the spinning discs of the SP100 for a cross conveyor has proved to be a gamechanger.”

Together with transforming the task of topping up trenches, the SP100 has also been impressing with the routine topdressing around the course. “We’ve dressed the greens twice with it and it’s gone faultlessly. If we get out first thing in the morning, the job is done by 9:00am and within a couple of hours the light dressing is brushed in so the golfers hardly even notice.”

“In addition, we’ve been using the conveyor system to top up bunkers which is already presenting a major time saving.”

Looking ahead, Barry foresees the versatility of the Sandspreader will pay dividends across the course. “Together with routine topdressing every couple of weeks, we’ll be looking to put 100 tonnes of material through it during our maintenance week in August. With the hopper slightly larger than our previous machine, we also have the potential to dress our fairways in the future. It’s a futureproofed purchase.”

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STIHL launches new battery-operated blower

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STIHL launches new battery-operated blower: STIHL’s BGA 160 battery-powered blower offers landscaping teams a convenient and quiet means of cleaning surfaces and paths, effortlessly tackling such tasks with a high air flow rate of up to 940 m3/h. When compared with the powerful BGA 250 hand-held blower, the BGA 160 offers longer working times and a lower blowing force.

A welcome support for removing leaves, grass cuttings and debris from paths, driveways, and green spaces, the BGA 160’s blowing force can be controlled using the trigger and locked into place with a built-in cruise control.

STIHL launches new battery-operated blower

STIHL launches new battery-operated blower

A boost mode can be activated by fully compressing the trigger for 21 newtons of blowing force, with the setting constantly available over the tool’s entire operating time, should it be required.

For ultimate ease-of-use, this new professional machine has a compact design and a curved blower tube, resulting in reduced wrist strain and excellent manoeuvrability.

In addition, thanks to STIHL’s Sound Engineering, the blower’s higher pitched frequencies and noise peaks have been eliminated, making it exceptionally quiet to operate, ideal for noise-sensitive areas.

As part of STIHL’s AP System, the BGA 160 meets the requirements for professional use, drawing power from a 36 V lithium-ion battery. Use with the AP 300 S is recommended, which provides sufficient energy for up to 110 minutes on the low power setting and up to 15 minutes in boost mode.

The battery-operated BGA 160 can also be used in the rain and is IPX4 certified, enabling it to meet the professional user’s needs all year round.

To find out more about the STIHL BGA 160, visit www.stihl.co.uk

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Broomieknowe gets instant drainage improvements

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Broomieknowe gets instant drainage improvements: Following a successful year-long trial, Broomieknowe Golf Club in Scotland made the decision to permanently add the Air2G2 336 from Campey Turf Care Systems to its turf maintenance fleet, after seeing significant improvements in drainage and root development across its greens.

Broomieknowe Golf Club, located in Bonnyrigg, just outside Edinburgh, is a picturesque parkland course that has been a staple of the Midlothian golfing scene since its establishment in 1905. With its mature tree-lined fairways and testing greens, the course presents a fine balance of challenge and playability for its members and visitors.

Broomieknowe gets instant drainage improvements

Broomieknowe gets instant drainage improvements

Whilst, under the care of Head Greenkeeper Billy Hudson, who joined the club just under a year ago, the challenge has been slow drainage in the 18 greens. Billy knew the half-sand, half-soil composition needed to be addressed to make progress, and he turned to STRI consultant Gary Smith during the club’s annual agronomy visit for advice.

Gary suggested a trial programme using the Air2G2, a machine Billy was already familiar with from his time at Ratho Park Golf Club, where he first purchased one in 2017.

“When Gary came to the club in June 2024, he suggested we use the Air2G2 once a month on the greens over five months to improve the rooting and drainage, and we noticed significant improvements,’ Billy explains.

“It was clear the greens needed attention, but after speaking with Gary, we agreed that simply applying more sand wasn’t the answer. Instead, we needed to explore alternative forms of aeration, and that’s when Gary suggested the Air2G2.

“For the trial, we got someone in to do the work for us, but the results were so impressive that we knew we needed to get a machine of our own to continue the progress.”

The impressive results observed at Broomieknowe are largely due to the innovative design of the Air2G2. The machine works by laterally injecting air into the root zone at three different depths using probes that penetrate the soil without surface disruption. This fractures compacted layers and increases pore space, promoting better water infiltration and oxygen flow to roots. It’s particularly effective on fine soil profiles, where traditional aeration might be less effective or more disruptive.

The club now uses the machine early in the mornings, rotating across six greens per week, allowing them to cover all 18 in three weeks. Because of the minimal impact on the surface, this is done without causing any disruption to golfers.

The relationship with Campey Turf Care Systems has also played a key role in the decision. Billy originally dealt with Campey’s Richard Heywood when buying the Air2G2 at Ratho Park and says the backup service has always been spot on, with support always there when it’s needed.

With the Air2G2 now an integral part of their maintenance programme, Billy is confident Broomieknowe’s greens will continue to thrive, especially during the wetter months, when drainage performance becomes critical.

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