Landini Compacts Have Proven Features For Turf And Groundscare Work

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New-look Landini compacts have proven features for turf and groundscare work – A stylish new appearance for the Landini compact tractor is combined with proven specifications and features to make an attractive choice of power units for all groundscare operations.Landini Compacts Have Proven Features For Turf And Groundscare Work

The new three-model Landini 2 Series, which has replaced the well-known Mistral, sports new family-look styling for the engine hood to match the rest of the comprehensive Landini range and an all-new roof panel housing the ventilation system on the cabbed version.

The new hood retains the clamshell format of the previous design, with a high-lifting upper section giving ready access to all routine service points, while detachable lower panels completely expose the engine and its ancillary equipment.

Standard open platform versions of the 2 Series have been joined by the ‘GE’ model, which has a new front axle and modifications that shave 94mm off the height of the tractor. That can be significant for work amongst trees with low-hanging branches and other situations where the lower height is an advantage.

The GE and Standard versions have the same choice of 30kph 12×12 or 16×16 creeper gearboxes with synchro shuttle selection of forward and reverse. Likewise, the two-speed independent rear power take-off, which provides one setting for ‘power’ and one for ‘economy’.

“With implements that don’t need a lot of power, the ‘economy’ pto gearing allows the engine to be run at a lower speed to reduce both noise output and fuel consumption,” points out Ray Spinks, sales director at Landini distributor AgriArgo UK.

“A ground-drive setting relates the speed of the pto to the forward speed of the tractor, which is useful for maintaining correct application rates with sand spreaders and similar machines.”

To ensure sufficient oil flow at all times, the tractors follow the Landini philosophy of installing two pumps. In this case, a 19.7-litre/min unit is dedicated to the steering system and a 28-litre/min pump supplies the 1200kg rear implement linkage (and optional 400kg front linkage if fitted), and up to three remote services valves.

Latest-specification Yanmar engines provide the power – 2.0-litre and 2.2-litre non-turbo units delivering 44hp and 47hp in the Landini 2-045 and 2-050, and a turbo version of the 2.0-litre engine generating 54hp for the 2-060 model.

Thanks to a 40-litre fuel tank, these economical engines ensure the new Landini 2 Series tractors work long hours between refills as they tackle all groundscare tasks from grass aeration and mowing to sweeping and trailer work.

Electro-hydraulic engagement of the rear axle differential lock for maximum traction and a generous 55deg steering lock on the front axle for maximum manoeuvrability ensure the Landini 2 Series tractors have the performance needed for all groundscare applications.

Once A Red Always A Red

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Once A Red Always A Red – Former Arsenal FC groundsman invests in Toro for lawn and turfcare management business

Once A Red Always A Red

It’s hard to imagine better credentials than those of ex-Arsenal Football Club groundsman, Mark Pettit, and IOG recognised young groundsman, Josef Farrow, when it comes to the management of your lawn or pitch. The two professionals are now partners in business, having transferred their skills to the domestic, commercial and professional market through their company Premiership Lawncare Limited.

Couple that level of expertise with the build-quality of Toro machinery, and it’s safe to say Premiership Lawncare has everything it needs to deliver a professional finish for its clients.

Based in Northamptonshire, Premiership Lawncare was established in 2015 to answer a need Mark and Josef identified for someone to provide top-flight lawncare, sports facility management, spraying services, aeration, commercial site management and renovations. Mark says: “We believe we can bring our professional experience to various facilities across the region as well as to the domestic market.”

When there are such high expectations to meet, Premiership Lawncare chooses only the best, hence the recent investment in a Toro ProCore 648 pedestrian aerator and Toro Z Master 7000 rotary mower.

Aeration is an essential part of professional turf maintenance. There are few single procedures than can produce as many benefits for the grass, creating a healthier plant and a better quality playing surface. So when Mark and Josef decided to invest in an aerator they “looked no further than Toro.”

“I’ve used the ProCore many times before as it was ever-present in Arsenal’s shed and it is, in my opinion, the best there is for professional spiking. Having this pedestrian machine means we can offer aeration services to a range of challenging facilities across the region. It also makes a great tool for the renovation services we offer to local cricket and bowls clubs,” says Mark.

Meanwhile rotary mowers are expected to cope with a variety of grueling mowing tasks, while always delivering a good finish with well-contained clippings, sometimes in far from ideal conditions. Therefore, it’s no wonder Mark and Josef trusted in the powerful and reliable Z Master 7000 that gets around with ease thanks to its zero-turn ability, so they can be assured of maximum productivity whatever the terrain and conditions. Mark says: “We decided to buy this mower to use for the commercial sites we look after, it’s a fantastic machine which helps us achieve a great finish and enables us to get the job done more efficiently.”

“We look forward to bringing in more red machines as we believe the best machinery will only strengthen our business and ensure we continue to offer premiership-level, professional services to our clients.”

For more information, please visit reesinkturfcare.co.uk or call 01480 226800.

The Trilo S3 Is A ‘Revelation’ To Robert Cleisham Of Northenden GC

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The Trilo S3 Is A ‘Revelation’ To Robert Cleisham Of Northenden GC –  The Trilo S3 vacuum sweeper is a versatile and adaptable machine to easily collect grass clippings, leaves and litter and finds a natural home on the golf course.

The Trilo S3 Is A ‘Revelation’ To Robert Cleisham Of Northenden GC

Suitable for year-round use, the S3 was designed in direct response to industry demands for a light-weight unit working at a respectable 1.5m width.  At only 1200kg it only needs a mid-range 30HP compact tractor, however, the full floating brush head, and low ground pressure, allows the machine to work under the heaviest of conditions where others may struggle.

The modular design of the Trilo S3 means users can tailor elements of the machine, including brakes and tyre options, to their specific requirements. It comes with the options of a scarifier, flail shaft and gulley brush rotor giving the operator the ability to conduct multiple turf maintenance tasks all with one unit. These heads are interchangeable and can be swapped in and out in under one hour resulting in less time spent in the workshop and more out in the field. The vacuums power is provided by a 700mm, 4-bladed fan which lifts and holds the grass vertically to deliver a higher quality of cut and finish.

The material is then removed and collected into a 3m3 hopper which can be emptied via the S3’s 1.6m high tip facility. Utilising a single ram lifting and tipping system is just one way that the Trilo machines are built with low maintenance in mind. The S3 also features a 5m long, 200mm diameter wander hose to allow for easy cleaning of confined or restricted areas such as bunkers, shrubberies or refuse bins.

Over at Northenden Golf Club, Course Manager Robert Cleisham calls their Trilo S3 a ‘revelation’, making the job of debris collection a task which his team now enjoy. “Seeing the improved course presentation once the leaves are collected is quite rewarding” says Robert. “The wander hose is particularly useful for getting down into the ditches, taking even wet leaves easily in its stride. Thanks to the S3, the job of clearing long stretches of ditch, which used to take the best part of a day now takes just an hour or two.”

Understanding The Role Of Bedknives

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Understanding The Role Of Bedknives. True or false – the fine finish from a cylinder mower is down to luck?

Understanding The Role Of Bedknives

It’s the time of year when advice on checking bedknives is regularly dispensed, and rightly so with high season fast approaching. However, it’s good to stop for a moment and understand how and why operating, adjustment and maintenance procedures are so important, especially when it comes to the critical end of the grass cutting process.

Michael Hampton at Reesink Turfcare, the UK distributor of all genuine Toro parts, explains here the important role bedknives play in the fine finish expected from a cylinder mower: “Along with the cylinder and the frame, the bedknife is one of the three main structural members in a cylinder cutting unit. The bedknife is attached to the bedbar and the assembly is mounted to the main frame in a manner that allows for paralleling and adjustment to the cylinder.

“A cylinder mower cuts grass with a scissor-like shearing action as the moving helix shaped blades pass over the stationary bedknife. The cutting action requires the bedknife and cylinder blades to be sharp, matched and in close relationship with each other and the bedknife sharpened to be flat and square so the sharp edge touches the cylinder blades across their entire length.

“If the bedknife is not perfectly flat it is impossible to get the bedknife to touch the entire length of the cylinder. This is an essential part of the construction, making cylinder mowers precision cutting tools. Adjust any part of the construction process with, for example, ‘will-fit’ parts and the fit, form and function are affected leaving a less attractive and less consistent after-cut appearance.

“To understand the cylinder cutting theory fully though, you need to understand the concept of the clip and shear point. A shear point is any single point of contact made between the cylinder blade and bedknife. The clip is the forward distance travelled between successive blade contacts at one shear point. As the cylinder moves forward it pushes the grass in front of it, while the cylinder blade gathers the grass as it moves toward the bedknife. The bedknife then pushes the grass toward the shear point, while the cylinder blade gathers it in front, creating a triangle.”

Michael concludes: “The fine finish expected from a cylinder mower is not down to luck, far from it. Understanding and appreciating that cylinder mowers are precision machines, requiring precision-engineered parts in order to achieve the best possible finish should help make the decision that ‘will-fit’ parts aren’t worth the negative impact on the turf.”

The quote: the bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten, rings true here. So our recommendation is: don’t fall foul to the temptation. Toro bedknifes are precision-engineered for a superior quality of cut. Every bedknife Toro manufactures is designed to meet strict Toro engineering specifications to ensure the best quality of cut and after-cut appearance, and to last as long as possible until replacement.

A true flatness of the knife extends their life and maximises the quality of cut. They’re made of high carbon steel for ultimate durability and longevity and retain their edge for longer meaning greenkeepers and groundsmen can mow longer without the need to adjust or replace frequently.

To avoid downtime and ensure a premium after-cut appearance for longer, contact distributor Reesink Turfcare’s Toro parts department on 01480 226800, email info@reesinkturfcare.co.uk or visit reesinkturfcare.co.uk.

Bolton Old Links GC Chooses Four Wiedenmann UK Machines

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Bolton Old Links GC Chooses Four Wiedenmann UK Machines. Bolton Old Links GC’s championship course is poised for some significant grooming after taking delivery of four Wiedenmann UK machines.  Delivered in March were a Whisper Twister blower, a Terra Spike GXi8 HD aerator, a 1.7m Terra Rake and a Super 500 three-in-one sweeper collector.Bolton Old Links GC Chooses Four Wiedenmann UK Machines

“The board is very supportive of our work,” said Head Greenkeeper, Steve Hemsley. “Since 2013, a particular focus has been regular aeration. Four years down the line all our fine turf is considerably firmer and consistent so we’ve achieved what we planned. Now, as a few key kit pieces have become tired, the board has opted not just to replace them but found scope to invest with additional machines. Aeration to tees and greens is still crucial but there’s a wider programme of rough management and improving our fairways to pursue.”

With the help of dealers, Balmers GM and groundscare specialist, Andrew Meeks in particular, Steve Hemsley and his team of four thoroughly reviewed all options before deciding upon the right machines for task.

“Easily the Super 500 will make the biggest impact,” continued Steve Hemsley. “Already you can see an instant difference to several vast areas of unplayable rough. Rough can be good for definition but at the moment ours is just too thick and harsh. We need it thinner – and in time wispier – to bring it back into play. It doesn’t matter that we have undulations, the Super 500 follows the ground so we’ll cut and collect at every opportunity, dragging the Terra Rake through to clean it, removing hidden debris.”

The Terra Rake, known industry-wide as an ace scarifier, is also earmarked to target thatchy areas on the fairways and roughs.

“The fairways need to be far more free-draining. Extra scarification will help but that’s also where the new aerator comes in… The GXi8 is not just for the tees and greens, it’s pretty much able to access all areas. In the few short weeks we’ve had it, we’ve found it unbelievably quick, so it’s just the matter of picking the right time and getting out there.”

Bolton Old Links’ final machine, the Whisper Twister blower is another purchase with lots to do.

“Our course is on quite an exposed site,” continued Steve Hemsley. “We’re not troubled so much by leaves as we have mostly pines, but collecting windfall is constant.  The blower will be able to round up debris and blow into the path of either the Terra Rake or the Super 500. What a difference that will make. Then it will be back on rough management duties or tidying up after we’ve scarified the fairways.”

“All our new Wiedenmanns are versatile and particularly efficient when working together. That’s in keeping with the spirit of our greenkeepers here. Job variety and rotation is important to us all. Everyone is being trained on all machines giving total flexibility for the work ahead.”

Andrew Meeks, Groundcare specialist at Balmers’ Burnley depot, Wiedenmann UK dealer for the area, who has a long standing relationship with the club said:

“We work with Steve and his team to maximise the productivity and lifespan of their machines. These new deliveries have come at the right time and their particular choices mean the course will instantly reap the benefit. Not only did they select Wiedenmann kit they signed preferred supplier agreement committing to a long term relationship between Balmers GM and Bolton Old Links GC. The addition of a new ProGator and HD200Select sprayer, John Deere 7700A Fairway Mower, John Deere 4049R Compact tractor and Lastec rough mower are testament to the club’s commitment to invest in the course both in the short and long term.”