Power Through Autumn With The ECHO PB-580

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Power through Autumn with the ECHO PB-580: The autumn clean-up, as every groundsman and landscape professional knows, calls for a powerful blower to deal swiftly and efficiently with leaves and litter.

All too often you’re shifting wet or damp materials, with leaves clinging together and hard to move. Not so with the PB-580 backpack blower. The PB-580 has all you need to power your way through the autumn with a premium grade Stage 2 compliant 58.2cc engine doing the work. What’s different as well about the ECHO blower is its excellent balance, and it’s light enough to be used throughout the day without causing excessive user fatigue. It has to be ECHO’s most comfortable backpack blower, with its ventilated backpack pad to keep the operator cool even with the machine on full power. Four anti-vibration springs support the operator’s back and the shoulder straps are fully padded.

Power Through Autumn With The ECHO PB-580

ECHO engineers take a very different approach in their design – it’s all about user experience and the environments where the blower will be used. Clearly, adding comfort enhancing features will increase operator productivity for a quicker result. The blower’s handle has been designed with a new palm rest and hand stop to reduce the chances of the operator’s hands slipping down and losing control of the machine. The trigger has also been made longer for more precise throttle control.

You can tell this is a machine that has been tested in everyday, real-life environments as everything feels easy and natural to use. What’s more, the PB-580 has been designed to be easier for the operator to maintain. The air filter cover is easily accessed with no need for tools. The pleated, automotive style air filter can be quickly replaced and the in-grip adjustment has been placed near the handle for easy access to tighten the throttle cable. There’s a leaf guard to eliminate any debris being potentially blown into the fan intake clogging the filter and fan. The metal ring at the end of the straight pipe reduces the pipe’s wear and tear.

Add to this the fact that ECHO products are manufactured by the Japanese Yamabiko Corporation, who have been leaders in professional outdoor power tools for over sixty years. The PB-580 also comes with a two-year professional warranty, giving you peace of mind to put autumn in its place. You can find out more from your local authorised ECHO dealer.

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FLEXBLADE Core Collector System from Groundsman Industries

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FLEXBLADE Core Collector System from Groundsman Industries: The original groundsman FLEXBLADE aeration soil collectors now available to fit all types of aerators and turf vehicles.

Save Time and Money when you fit a Groundsman FLEXBLADE Collector Attachment to your aerator to CORE and COLLECT in one pass. View the video on www.groundsmanindustries.com or on YouTube.
The original groundsman FLEXBLADE aeration soil collectors now available to fit all types of aerators and turf vehicles.

Attaches to any Aerator pedestrian or tractor mounted with swath widths from 60cm (24”) up to 210cm (83”)

The FLEXBLADE Core Collector System, the most efficient method of collecting cores soaking wet or powder dry. More than half are caught before they touch the ground, the remainder are scooped cleanly from the surface by the FLEXBLADE that follows undulations with precision for the cleanest possible collection.

Available for Compact Tractors & Turf Vehicles for Follow-up Collection of Cores and Linear Aeration Soil.

Contact Groundsman Industries to discuss your requirements: Groundsman Industries Ltd., Co Antrim, N. Ireland.
Tel: +44 (0)28 2766 7049 or Email: info@groundsmanindustries.com

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Toro Keeps The Green Flag Flying

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Toro Keeps The Green flag Flying: Nottingham Trent University invests in Toro to maintain Green Flag status

Green Flag status was granted to Nottingham Trent University’s Clifton and Brackenhurst campuses six years ago, and today each site boasts a brand new Toro CT2240 mower to maintain amenity areas and uphold this prestigious reputation.

The 20-year-old Green Flag Award Scheme recognises and rewards well-managed, publicly accessible green spaces, setting an international benchmark for their management. A Green Flag awarded site is a welcoming, well-maintained place, which draws people in.

Toro Keeps The Green Flag Flying

Landscape services coordinator Alan Horgan says: “We worked hard to achieve Green Flag status so we have to ensure we always equip our team with the best machines possible to continually meet this standard.”

So when those at Nottingham Trent chose Toro for the first time, it came down to one simple reason, explains Alan: “We invested in the Toros because we knew they would help us meet the high standards visitors and students have come to expect. This became clear when the CT2240s performed best during a demo, convincing me and my team that the machines would be the right investment for the future of our campuses.”

The CT2240 compact cylinder mower, which combines all the benefits of Toro’s CT2120 and 2140 in one machine, is equipped with Mk3 200mm cutting units in numerous blade configurations, while independent cutter head lift provides flexibility to suit the mowing environment and ensure productivity remains at an optimum.

Nottingham Trent’s two machines are playing a large role in the day-to-day maintenance of both of sites, says Alan: “Ever since they’ve been put to action, they’ve done exactly as promised by their specs and met the needs of the University.

“The operatives speak highly of the new Toros’ usability too. The comfort of my team is really important; the machines are used on a daily basis and happy operatives will always result in better productivity.”

Overall, Alan considers his first Toro purchase a positive one: “We bought the machines through [Toro dealer] PS Marsden, who we have worked with for many years, and they provided excellent customer service as always. Throughout the deal we also had the help of Reesink’s Stuart Jeffs, who was professional and very accommodating of any questions.”

He concludes: “We’ve had recommendations from other Toro users and now we can see why. Given how our machines have performed so far, combined with our hard-working grounds team, we are confident that our Green Flag status will fly high at Clifton and Brackenhurst Campus for years to come.”

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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Toro Improves Condition Of Turf At Grimsthorpe Castle

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Toro Improves Condition And Appearance Of Turf At Grimsthorpe Castle: First time Toro customer, Grimsthorpe Castle in Lincolnshire, has purchased a Groundsmaster 4300-D rotary mower to tend the formal gardens. An improvement in the condition and appearance of the turf within the gardens of the 3000-acre estate is already evident.

From Easter to September, the 65 acre gardens are open to the public and with footfall increasing so too are the horticultural standards.

Toro Improves Condition Of Turf At Grimsthorpe Castle

Jim Handley, head gardener, explains: “One of my main challenges after accepting the position at Grimsthorpe was to raise the horticultural standards of the gardens. Our expansive lawns are a major attraction for our visitors, especially those with young families, and it’s my responsibility to provide them with the best turf possible to enjoy their visit.

“Soon after arriving at Grimsthorpe I realised that with our heavy clay soil, time constraints and natural mix of turf species, our cylinder mower was struggling to keep the turf in good condition. With little to no seasonal lawn maintenance being carried out previously, I have been formulating plans to begin rejuvenating our turf over a number of years. The first step was to replace our cylinder with a rotary mower to help alleviate some of the problems we were having.”

With it established that a rotary mower was needed to help with the regeneration and improvement of the turf, why a Toro? Jim says: “This is our first Toro mower, chosen simply because out of all the machines we looked at, the Groundsmaster 4300-D was the most suited. Its performance and comfort was unsurpassed and the ease of height adjustment and back up service presented was very good and sealed the deal.”

A rotary mower is favoured for its ability to tackle longer, thicker grass and terrain with contours and undulations with ease. Jim says: “By switching to a rotary mower we have eliminated some of the previous issues we were having. It’s comfortable with the conditions of the ground and even if we miss a day cutting, it handles the longer grass easily, cutting it right back down again with no problem. Under those conditions the cylinder mower tended to roll the grass, which wasn’t helping the plant’s health or appearance. The rotary is helping regenerate our turf, ensuring a good quality cut, resulting with lush and green lawns.”

The GM4300-D is, says Reesink Turfcare’s Stewart Jeffs, incredibly productive with a mowing capacity of 5.4 acres an hour, but its lightweight design means less compaction. This is an especially important consideration for clay soil which is prone to compact.

Jim who has been working at the castle for five years and has a team of four gardeners and groundsman, says the job of raising the standard of the gardens has been made easier since the arrival of the Toro GM4300-D. “We have a lengthy programme of rejuvenation and ongoing maintenance to get our lawns to a good standard, the Toro is a fine addition to our armoury to help make this happen.”

And we’re delighted to hear it’s in good time for the castle which for the first time will be opening in October half-term for visitors to enjoy.

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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Modified Flail Raises Performance Levels

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Modified Flail Raises Performance Levels: Flail Manufacturer Muthing have launched a wheeled version of their out-front MU-FM flail. Simon Richard, UK Agent for the Muthing range says, “When compared with a cylinder mower alternative, the flail option’s ability to cut longer and wetter grass more efficiently has long been well established.

Manoeuvrability has always been the negative to using a flail mower but Muthing’s new development, where the conventional rear roller is replaced with four wheels, has taken performance to a new level. Client testing feedback confirms a marked increase in both manoeuvrability and also quality of cut, along verges and around flower beds and trees.

Modified flail raises performance levels:

Dougie Fox from East Lothian Council’s Landscape and Countryside Department says, “due to changes in the way certain areas have to be maintained, using a flail mower is the ideal solution. The Muthing MU-FM-4 wheel, on our John Deere’s allows us to cut longer, wetter growth. Manoeuvrability is superior to other products in the market and the end result is a more easily maintained area with a better visual finish”

Simon continues “Highway and embankment maintenance has been at the fore-front of public expenditure cuts and equipment suppliers need to react to these changes. Local authority ability to achieve the two objectives of delivering cut quality at less frequent intervals will be increased by raising the level of flails mowers, as a percentage of ground care machinery stock. Rotary and Flail mowers also generally cost less to purchase, and maintain”

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