ISEKI’s best year yet

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ISEKI’s best year yet: In what has been a turbulent year worldwide with the COVID-19 pandemic, ISEKI UK has been full steam ahead developing the dealer network further and with exciting new products released recently, plus more planned for 2021, things are certainly looking exciting for the compact tractor and mower manufacturer. 

Among some of the developments is the further increase of dealerships, two of these being; Gammies operating out of their Forfar depot in Angus Scotland, and Chandlers covering Befordshire up to North Lincolnshire.  Alongside these businesses Glyn Lloyd & Sons in Wales, Youngs Machinery also in Scotland at Kilmarnock and FISCO Farm & Garden Machinery, who’s depot is based in Wakefield, also joined the ISEKI dealer family.

ISEKI's best year yet

ISEKI’s best year yet

Commenting on the announcement David Withers Managing Director of ISEKI UK said; “we are really excited to have all these new dealers on board with us to help continue to grow our market share. All dealerships have a great following in their area’s and we expect to see significant growth from our partnerships together”.

The change has also delighted Les Gammie who shared; “we have been selling similar products for many years with a wide range of customer’s so we are really looking forward to working with ISEKI to build on this further.  In the short time we have been with ISEKI we have been really pleased with the focus on our core market, the build quality and innovative features of the products are clearly superior to all the other products on the market”.

Further down the British Isles, the large established agricultural and vehicle dealer with seven depots, Chandlers Farm Equipment has also joined the ISEKI family.  Commenting on the recent appointment Gavin Pell, managing director said; “Chandlers are very pleased to have been appointed Iseki dealers. This excellent quality range of compact tractors, and diesel powered ride-on mowers will complement our professional groundscare range, and be supplied by our team of Groundscare Specialists from Belton, Horncastle, Spilsby, Holbeach, Barnack, Lutterworth, Shefford & Southam. We look forward to working with the team at Iseki to support our customers with this excellent range. Our Groundscare Sales Manager – Les Butters will be stocking the full range of Iseki products across our depots, along with running demonstration equipment which will be available to see on your farm, site, garden, sports field or parkland – with a machine suitable for every application”.

2020 has certainly thrown some unexpected changes to the way we do business this year and one thing that proved hugely successful was the demonstration videos produced during the first lockdown, dealers were reporting many sales direct off the back of these with customers finding all the information invaluable when searching for new machinery.  Commenting further David Withers said; “due to more people working from home and spending more time at their properties customers were looking for quality built machinery to assist in these tasks, the sales of our sub compact tractor TXGS24 with all its attachments has proved incredibly popular, this alongside the renowned SXG range of cut and collect mowers has made for a busy year.

“Contractors and business have also been looking at more reliable and efficient ways of mowing, our range of SF outfront mowers has been further developed this year, offering not only the rotary cut but teaming up with Muething we can now offer the ultimate combination of flail cutting and superior collection, or scarify and collect.

“With a raft of new machines being launched in 2021 ISEKI is looking forward to an exciting and once again rather different year.”

For further information on the full ISEKI range of Mowers and Tractors please visit www.iseki.co.uk or call 01473 599266.

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Emirates Golf Club and the Air2G2

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Emirates Golf Club and the Air2G2: The Air2G2 from Campey Turf Care Systems is being used at Emirate’s Golf Club, Dubai, to keep the award-winning Majlis Course in prime condition.

As Dubai’s number one golf course, it is imperative that machinery manager and second assistant, Dónal Mulvey, and the 72 strong golf course maintenance department consisting of greenkeepers, mechanics, irrigation, landscape and spray technicians maintain the high standards expected by members and customers.

Emirates Golf Club and the Air2G2

Emirates Golf Club and the Air2G2

Dónal has worked for Emirates Golf Club since January 2017 having completed a Bachelor of Science in Horticulture, which included a 30-week placement at Royal Dublin Golf Club as a greenkeeper, where he stayed for a further five years training as a greenkeeper and mechanic. With almost four years of experience working on the Middle East’s first grass golf course, he is familiar with the issues faced in one of the driest and arid regions of the world, where reusing salt-rich treated sewage effluent (TSE) water is common practice.

After seeing the Air2G2 on various social media platforms and first-hand at GIS, the club thought the machine could be a huge asset to the Majlis’ 30-year-old push-up greens that host 45,000 rounds of golf a year as well as the Faldo Course, which takes 55,000.

“We purchased the Air2G2 for many different reasons,” Dónal explains. The main one being the Majlis greens are 30-year-old push-up greens with no drainage. Given the high volume of water we put out which is all TSE water, we have a constant issue with salt build-up and air exchange. We also have a high volume of golf throughout the year, and any aeration we can do with no disturbance to the greens is extremely beneficial.

“The machine does exactly what it claims to do providing deep aeration with no surface disturbance. We can run it at any time, and the golfers are none the wiser. We mainly tackle weak areas on the greens, and the machine is used three times a month on the entire green and four to six times on collars and affected areas.

“The more and more we use it, the less noticeable it is. When we first started the ground would move slightly due to compaction. Now that we run it regularly, there is no movement in the soil, and there is less compaction and more oxygen, and we can also see moisture and EC levels drop after using the machine.”

Nick Brown Product Specialist for Campey Turf Care is delighted to be working closely with The Emirates Golf Club to provide turf maintenance solutions. “Campey Turf Care always encourages best practice, and we like to work closely with our end users to ensure they have access to the right advice and equipment to suit their specific needs. Working closely with Dónal, we have examined all the options and helped provide the right solution. In this instance the Air2G2 has delivered the results and we are extremely pleased.”

The Air2G2 uses three probes to latterly inject pressurised air up to 12-inches beneath the surface of the soil to fracture the compacted layers that form because of footfall, mechanical traffic and daily wear and tear. Because the air is injected directly into the root zone, the surface of the turf is left undisturbed, allowing play to continue instantly.

For more information on the Air2G2 or any of Campey’s aeration machinery, please visit www.campeyturf.com

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Hayter launches landmark Harrier® GreenSeries®

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Hayter launches landmark Harrier® GreenSeries®: Hayter, makers of the finest mowers, announce the launch of the all new Hayter® Harrier® 60V GreenSeries® range. These battery powered mowers mark the first of the iconic Harrier range to make the jump to a greener focused future.

The cordless Harrier 41 and 48 will feature the same 60V battery power system used in the rest of the GreenSeries® range, as well as brother brand Toro’s® Flex-Force Power System®. The mower’s 41cm deck is perfect for those tending to smaller lawns, while the 48cm deck lends itself perfectly to mowing medium to large sized gardens.

Hayter launches landmark Harrier® GreenSeries®

Hayter launches landmark Harrier® GreenSeries®

As is a staple for the Harrier range, these mowers are equipped with the quintessential ribbed rear roller, to perfectly and effortlessly create those sharp striped lawns, which are loved by the British consumer. Both Harrier models feature the two piece, ribbed rear roller which allows for superior traction, manoeuvrability and helps to avoid any turf marking when turning the mower. The trim sides of the usual Harrier models are also a feature on these GreenSeries models, meaning users can still cut right to edge of the lawn – ideal for around borders, raised flower beds and retaining walls.

Craig Hoare, Sales and Marketing Manager for Hayter and Toro, said: “With Hayter set to celebrate it’s 75th Anniversary in 2021, it couldn’t come at a better time to update our flagship model. The GreenSeries Harrier comes with the same convenience as your petrol lawnmower but with no exhaust emissions from the lawnmower.”

The new 60V system is simple to operate with plug and play technology that is comfortable and easy to use. Using the latest in lithium-ion technology, with no self-discharge or memory effect, users will have power at their fingertips whenever they need it. Using the Power Boost technology, a feature available across all GreenSeries products, the battery is able to automatically increase or decrease the power output only when needed, maximising the overall run time of the battery.

Craig also went on to say: “’We’ve combined Hayter quality and design with 21st century technology, so users don’t have to sacrifice on performance or ease. With Hayter being such a traditional, British heritage brand, we wanted to make sure that all of the quality and class of the Harrier was preserved, while simultaneously looking ahead to the future by providing a battery-powered alternative for lovers of the Harrier.”

The 60V GreenSeries Harriers have been designed and engineered by the team at Hayter and will also be produced at Hayter’s Spellbrook factory in Hertfordshire alongside the petrol versions, so users can be rest assured that the premium quality of Hayter Harriers is also present in the electric range.

As part of the GreenSeries range and compatible with Toro’s Flex-Force range, the battery is compatible across any of the products in either of these ranges. The user can simply move the battery to whichever product from the range they need to use. If the user already owns a product from either range, there’s no need to purchase an additional battery.

The rapidly expanding GreenSeries range currently includes the Osprey 46 and has more models set for launch in 2021. On the Toro side of the Flex-Force range of garden tools, a string trimmer and leaf blower are both available, along with a hedge trimmer and chainsaw which have recently joined the range.

For more information please visit www.hayter.co.uk.

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Campey announce partnership with Staffordshire FA

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Campey announce partnership with Staffordshire FA: Campey Turf Care Systems and the Staffordshire Football Association have announced a formal partnership with the aim of improving the quality of grassroots pitches in the county.

Over the years as individual entities, both Campey and Staffordshire FA have championed the importance of quality pitches in grassroots football with a focus on increased participation in the game. Nationally, the Football Association aims to improve 20,000 grass pitches across England in the next decade, and whilst at the early stages of that journey, Staffordshire FA Partnerships and Communications Officer, Gareth Thomas, is confident the county can play their part with the help of Campey.

Campey announce partnership with Staffordshire FA

Campey announce partnership with Staffordshire FA

“Since 2012 we’ve been working on various initiatives to raise the standards of grassroots football pitches in our county, and at the beginning of that process our local pitch advisor, Stoke City FC Grounds Manager, Andy Jackson, recommended Campey. We were also aware of Campey from the branding on many of the machines we saw during those early visits, along with the positive feedback we received from clubs,” Gareth explains.

“We’ve had an informal relationship with Campey going back eight years, and we wanted to formalise that to continue to help more clubs across Staffordshire. With the support of Campey, we can keep developing our programme to make as big an impact as possible.”

“One of the reasons our clubs provide positive feedback on Campey is the training that they receive when they invest in machinery, along with the ongoing aftercare. If a new club volunteer comes on board, someone from Campey is at the end of a telephone to talk them through it and if required visit the site.”

“We’ve seen the benefit of that service already at local grassroots football facility sites such as Trubshaw Cross who took on a ten-pitch site from their local council in 2015 and have transformed the pitches with the help of advice and guidance from Campey.”

“They are just one example; we’ve got some excellent case studies across Staffordshire where our programme has been really beneficial to grassroots football. Having worked at the County FA for several years now, I think our grass pitch improvement programme has been one of our most positive and impactful programmes.”

Despite the difficult situation facing grassroots football clubs since Covid-19 disrupted the sport in March 2020, many clubs have used it as an opportunity to improve their pitches via the programme and funding support from the Football Foundation.

Ensuring that clubs invest in the right machinery that will be a real asset to them is a key part of the programme and one that Campey – who have run numerous grassroots education days across England over the last ten years – are pleased to help with.

“These grants provide a real opportunity unlike anything they’ve ever had before for grassroots club to acquire machinery and improve their pitches and receive first rate training,” Campey Director, John Campey, explains.

“We’ve worked with grassroots football clubs for a long time, so it’s nice to be recognised and have the affiliation with Staffordshire FA. It puts us in a good position to help the groundsmen and get the machines out there and have people looking at the kit that will do the best for them.”

“I think it’s important to use the right machinery and for them to see it in action and get involved with it that way. With grant support, clubs can access current machinery that’s easier to use and that encourages volunteers and ultimately improves their pitches.”

This partnership will see Campey support grassroots clubs on-site with training and machinery advice as well as contributions to the Staffordshire FA communication channels which will contain ongoing pitch maintenance advice throughout the season.

In the future, Campey aims to develop partnerships with more county football associations to strengthen their support of grassroots clubs in England.

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STIHL updates long-reach hedge trimmer range

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STIHL updates long-reach hedge trimmer range: STIHL has launched the new HLA 66 and HLA 86, updating its range of cordless long-reach hedge trimmers designed for landscaping professionals and groundskeepers.

Ideal for pruning taller hedges and shrubs as well as clearing ground cover plants, the new HLA 66 and 86 replace the popular HLA 65 and 85 models, and feature a series of upgrades to improve the user experience. Exceptionally well balanced thanks to the repositioned battery, the hedge trimmers are lightweight for easier handling and reduced fatigue when working over longer periods.

STIHL updates long-reach hedge trimmer range

STIHL updates long-reach hedge trimmer range

Thanks to the EC motor, rapid acceleration of the blades is achieved for optimum performance, and the tool can be used in wet conditions to minimise downtime. The 115º swivelling cutter bar allows user to achieve top, side and bottom cuts easily, whilst the blade is also sharpened on both sides for efficient cutting in any direction. Additionally, the cutter blade can be folded flat for improved user safety and space saving when transporting the tool.

Both of the models feature a new ergonomic control handle and a self-resetting locking lever in combination with the Ergo lever for an intuitive start-up process. This design also ensures that the tool is comfortable to use whether right-handed or left-handed and features anti-slip protection for further safety and comfort.

The HLA 66 is available with a loop handle and shaft grip for ergonomic working helping users trim closer to where they are standing, whilst the HLA 86 offers a telescopic alternative for a longer reach. With an adjustable length of 260cm – 330cm, users can easily find the best working position using the HLA 86, whilst the square shaft design prevents against twisting and deflection allowing for precise positioning even at full extension.

Both the HLA 66 and HLA 86 can be used with STIHL’s high-performance 36V AP battery system for professional use and are compatible with a number of accessories, including a mounting base, carrying system, clamp for the telescopic shaft and catcher plate for the cutting blade.

For more information on STIHL’s range of long-reach hedge trimmers, please visit www.stihl.co.uk

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