Ladyback Golf Club commit to Ventrac

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Ladyback Golf Club commit to Ventrac: Ladybank Golf Club, situated in wooded heathland 10 miles west of St Andrews in Fife, is the latest prestigious Scottish golf club to purchase Ventrac equipment to assist in the maintenance of their challenging heathland championship course.

Designed by Old Tom Morris, Ladybank is a rare course; although situated in Fife, it’s not one of the famous links courses that dots the coast. It measures almost 6,800 yards from the championship tees, making great use of its heathland terrain and has changed little over the years. It requires the golfer to display real precision to hit the small and contoured greens.

Ladyback Golf Club commit to Ventrac

Ladyback Golf Club commit to Ventrac

Grant Frogley is the Course Manager and is responsible for a team of 8 full-time greenkeepers, who maintain this beautiful and challenging course. During the winter of 2021-22, the club purchased an ex-demo Ventrac 4500 all-terrain compact tractor and two attachments to help maintain the course.

“I’m one of the many converts to the Ventrac compact tractor and attachments,” he said. “We had two rough mowers when I came in, each one for different areas of the course. We’re a relatively flat site in terms of elevation, but we do have quite a lot of subtle movement with some extreme hollows and bumps. The rough mowers weren’t the best at following contours, so we found ourselves doing a lot more hand work.

“I’d seen the Ventrac at a demonstration at Gwest and knew it would be the perfect piece of kit here; a versatile machine that could do more than one task. We got it in on demo and sure enough it flew round, coped with every contour out there, without a problem.

“We’ve got the Contour deck and the Tough Cut deck. We use the Tough deck a lot during the winter to clean up the woodlands and remove the gorse and broom. We basically cut everything that’s not on the maintained grass areas. We cut every blade of grass during the winter, so it’s very versatile and mobile for getting in amongst the trees. As I said previously, it’s very good at removing brash, gorse and broom.

“It came with a rear three-point linkage kit, which is brilliant. We bought a small sprayer with hand lance that hooks up on the back of it and we also have a terra rake, which we use a lot during winter projects, especially if we’ve got soil that just needs a tilth-up before we re-turf. It’s brilliant and such a light footprint, it just glides over the surface.

“The options are endless; we’ve demoed the stump grinder and blower. We’ve got a rear-mounted blower on a tractor, and perhaps it’s just my age, but I find looking out the back for a period of time is very uncomfortable. The seating position on the Ventrac is very comfortable and the out-front blower makes it much more user-friendly. We’ve had nothing in the way of breakdowns, servicing has been fine, one little repair on the deck and it’s hardly missed a beat.”

Grant began his career at Gleneagles in 1999, working under Peter Pattenden, and six years later went to New Zealand for a year, before returning to Gleneagles at a time when the renovations for the Ryder Cup were taking place, remodelling the PGA Centenary course. This led to construction work at Dun Laoghaire Golf Club near Dublin followed by a spell in Sweden constructing the PGA of Sweden National Golf Course near Malmo.

Returning to the UK, he was appointed deputy course manager at Gwest, where a new championship course was being built next door to Gleneagles. Gwest never materialised into the great golf course and property that it could have been, so he took up his first course manager’s job at The Roxburghe in the Scottish Borders. Three and half years later he returned to Gwest as course manager, with a commitment from the owners that it would be completed. Covid struck and, and unfortunately, progress with the development stalled, so in 2021 he applied for, and was successful in securing, the vacant course manager’s position at Ladybank.

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GKB Leaf-Blower promises more airflow with less load

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GKB Leaf-Blower promises more airflow with less load: Visitors to BTME 2025 were the first to see a brand new addition to the GKB machinery portfolio, as the Leaf-Blower (LB100) made its global debut. Delivering more airflow with less power demand on your tractor, the LB100 promises greater efficiency and fast, effective clearance of leaves and other debris.

In development for a number of years, the GKB Leaf-Blower has been designed to meet the exacting requirements of modern golf course and sports turf management. With low power requirements of under 40hp and a PTO-driven fan, the blower offers powerful performance with limited load on your tractor.

GKB Leaf-Blower promises more airflow with less load

GKB Leaf-Blower promises more airflow with less load

As is now expected with GKB, the new machine incorporates the very best of robust, precision engineering for durable, long-lasting reliability. It features solid tyres, an anti-scalp roller and a lightweight, yet study, 875mm diameter metal fan. With an air capacity of 380 m³/min, the Leaf-Blower provides outstanding productivity for the fast and effective clearance of leaves, pine needles and other debris.

The hydraulically operated rear chute allows you to swiftly change speed or direction of airflow, saving time on the job. The freewheel PTO and gearbox transmission ensure smooth operation and long ma­chine life, while attaching the unit and setting the working height is quick and simple.

Its compact dimensions, weight of 360kg and a noise level of only 97 decibels make the GKB Leaf-Blower suitable for daily use on golf courses and other amenity spaces in close proximity to the public.

Commenting on its introduction, UK Operations Manager Tom Shinkins said, “It was great to finally be able to introduce the Leaf-Blower into the GKB range, and what better place to get it in front of thousands of turf professionals than at BTME! We had an incredibly positive reaction from visitor and dealers alike, all excited to get out and get hands-on with the machine in the field ahead of the busy autumn season. Sitting alongside sustainable solutions like the GKB Leaf Reducer, we now offer the full complement of machinery for leaf clearance to suit all sports, situations and settings.”

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TMS invest in six Iseki mowers

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TMS invest in six Iseki mowers: Iseki mowers’ exceptional cut-and-collect features has made them the go to choice for Team Maintenance Services Ltd over the last 15 years, with the company getting their fleet replaced for the third time, as they continue enhancing their green waste recycling.

The Cornwall-based company covers the whole of Cornwall http://tmscornwall.co.uk/ and provides comprehensive grounds maintenance to retail parks, local authorities, industrial estates and schools, making the high-quality cut and reliable collection of the Iseki SXG327 crucial.

TMS invest in six Iseki mowers

TMS invest in six Iseki mowers

The latest six new mowers were again supplied by Devon Garden Machinery, a local Machinery dealer with forty years’ experience and a long-standing relationship with TMS, providing a consistent on-going supply of Iseki mowers with an excellent back-up and replacement parts service.

In use across various sites, John Julyan, Managing Director of TMS, clarifies the role the Iseki machines play in their environmental efforts.

“As a company, we want to reduce our carbon footprint, and the perfect way for us to do that is by recycling our green waste,” John explains.

“At many of our sites, removing grass clippings is important both aesthetically and practically. Schools don’t want students walking grass into buildings, and businesses don’t want their staff doing it either, so for us, being able to provide that service using the SXG327s is really important.

“The mowers leave the grass with a really clean finish and very little debris, and that consistent performance has kept us using Iseki machines over the last 15 years.”

Renowned for its exceptional cut-and-collect abilities, the SXG327 has several attributes that allow the machine to cut and collect with no blockages and leave a superior finish every time.

The rear axle is mounted high under the seat out of the way with chain drive to each of the rear wheels, this allows the grass to flow straight through from the deck to the collector with no obstructions to avoid unwanted blockages. For maximum airflow from the decks to the collector, the air vents on top of the mower deck can be opened or closed to allow as much grass and debris as possible to be picked up and passed through to the collector. This is especially useful when collecting heavier, wetter grass. In the summer, these can be closed to avoid excess dust and debris being kicked up when cutting dry areas.

One SRA550F joins the five new SXG327s in the TMS fleet, which is a perfectly balanced brushcutter capable of cutting anything it can drive over. With that combination, the company’s 20 staff are able to tackle a majority of the landscapes they face.

TMS pride themselves on their professionalism and reliability, and those values have seen the family run company grow since it began in 1998. For the past 15 years, Iseki machinery has been a part of that journey, John believes the reliability of the mowers has played a part in their own development.

“With this selection of machines, we know we can deliver every day,” he said. “Besides the performance of the machines, the other factor is the excellent quality of build. We rarely have to change the parts of the Iseki’s, and when we do, Devon Garden Machinery are always very responsive and send the parts directly to us.”

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Dundee FC’s Infinicut SM34 brings quality and ease-of-use

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Dundee FC’s Infinicut SM34 brings quality and ease-of-use: Scottish Premiership team, Dundee FC’s new Infinicut SM 34 rotary mower, which arrived in October, has considerably upgraded their mowing processes.

Speaking after a particularly hectic three-week period where the Dens Park side hosted five games, including both Rangers FC and Celtic FC, and neighbours Dundee United FC, twice, Paul Murray, head groundsperson, said:

Dundee FC’s Infinicut SM34 brings quality and ease-of-use

Dundee FC’s Infinicut SM34 brings quality and ease-of-use

“Our Inifinicut has been transformative in so many ways.

“If we start with the way I use it, the design focusses on ergonomics: handlebars are narrower, your arms are positioned more naturally, elbows tucked in so there’s less strain on your muscles, especially on turning. Operator experience is a priority, and it just feels much kinder.

“The quality of cut is exceptional; it’s almost as good as a cylinder mower, just a little bit to go. A rotary is used traditionally for clean-up but the quality of cut on this machine means you can use it up until match day -1 and just put the cylinder out for the final cut before the game.

With other rotaries, it would be usual to bring the cylinder mower out three or four times before match day, to get the desired quality, but the Infinicut cuts so well we can use it far more on the lead up. The cut is so clean and precise that there’s less chance for disease, which is another huge plus.”

“The third really crucial factor is transportation, and the dedicated transport wheels, so no strain on the back roller, you just engage the separate wheels.  This brings me the luxury of parking on the stadium concourse, putting it on charge as needed. I couldn’t do that with a heavier, less manoeuvrable mower, just on the back roller

“Finally, the app technology is on a different level. You can set traction speed, cutting speed, a boost mode and all your cutting parameters from an app on your phone, which is blue toothed to the machine. I can revise things according to the conditions, so if its dry you go a bit faster, wet then more slowly, and you can boost if its wet and there’s lot of debris, you ask for more revs and increased airflow so you can pick it up a little better. The height of cut is still manual- that’s just one spanner and one lock-in nut, but having everything else on your phone is just so professional.”

The lithium- powered 34-inch model chosen by Paul is specifically aimed at those managing pitches.

Fairways GM’s, Area Sales Manager, Mike Lindsay, based nearby at Kinross, and exclusive Scottish dealer for Infinicut, helped facilitate the demo and the installation with Infinicut National Sales Manager, Alan Jack, on hand, too.

Alan Jack said:

“Paul was genuinely enthusiastic for his new rotary. The demo went exceptionally well, and he had high expectations. Five months down the line, it’s great to know that he feels entirely the same way, that it really does do what he was promised, and the flawless finish he asked for, is now part of his routine.”

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Makita nails it with latest launch

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Makita nails it with latest launch: Makita has added a new 18V LXT Framing Nailer to its range of high-performance cordless tools. The new DBN900 offers significant advantages over pneumatic and gas nailers including improved ease of use and greater working flexibility.

The DBN900 18V LXT Framing Nailer, designed specifically for first fix framing applications, can be used in the same way as a pneumatic nailer but without the additional setup time, complication and restriction of a compressor and air lines. In addition, unlike gas nailers, the DBN900 has no additional consumables, reducing the cost and inconvenience of replacing the cartridges.

Makita nails it with latest launch

Makita nails it with latest launch

The latest addition to Makita’s range of cordless nailers, the DBN900 is compatible with clipped head nails between 50 mm and 90 mm and nail gauges between 2.9 mm and 3.3 mm. Its magazine will accommodate up to 58 collated nails and incorporates a quick and easy reloading mechanism. The inspection window makes it simple to check the number of nails remaining. It also features a variable drive depth, with the required adjustment made using the easy-to-use dial on the nose of the tool.

Furthermore, the DBN900 features two operation modes. In sequential actuation mode, it drives a nail each time the trigger is pressed, while the contact actuation mode allows continuous nailing, with a nail driven every time the tip is pressed to the material for as long as the trigger is held. Using a Makita 6.0Ah LXT battery (BL1860B), it can drive up to 1000 nails on a full battery charge at a rate of up to two nails per second.

The DBN900 has been designed for both convenience and enhanced safety. The anti-slip nose of the tool makes working on angled materials easier and more accurate, while the LED job light with pre-glow and after-glow function improves visibility of the work surface. It features both a rafter hook and belt hook, allowing it to be hung on ladders, scaffolding and timbers or clipped to the user, keeping it close at hand. The DBN900 also includes both an anti-dry-firing mechanism, which activates before the last nails in the magazine are driven to prevent missed nails, and an anti-restart function to prevent accidental activation.

Kevin Brannigan, Marketing Manager at Makita UK said: “Our new, long awaited DBN900 18V LXT framing nailer is an excellent alternative to the conventional pneumatic or gas nailers and has been engineered to streamline framing tasks and similar first fix work. It is easy to use, even in restricted spaces and offers far greater flexibility when compared to traditional pneumatic tools.”

To find out more about the DBN900 and Makita’s wide range of 18V LXT tools and equipment, visit www.makitauk.com.

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