Toro Teams Up with Commonwealth War Graves Commission

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Toro Teams Up with Commonwealth War Graves Commission: The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) has recently upgraded its grounds maintenance equipment with the acquisition of a Toro® Z Master® 8000 Series direct collect ride-on mower, supplied by Mowers & More.

The latest development in a decades-long relationship between Toro and the CWGC, this addition is set to enhance the upkeep of the Brookwood Military Cemetery near Woking, the largest Commonwealth war cemetery in the United Kingdom, covering 37 acres.

Toro Teams Up with Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Toro Teams Up with Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Matthew Coleman, Sales Manager Professional Landscape Contractor & Site Works Equipment at Toro U.K., commented: “The Commonwealth War Graves Commission has chosen the Toro Z Master 8000 Series for its advanced features, which are well-suited to the maintenance needs of their cemeteries. The 37-acre grounds at Brookwood Military Cemetery are meticulously maintained by the CWGC’s grounds team, and this machine’s features will make their job simpler and quicker than ever.”

The Toro Z Master 8000 Series is designed to provide efficient and effective maintenance, ensuring the cemetery grounds remain in pristine condition. The mower delivers low ground pressure, minimising turf damage, while the outfront mower deck allows for precise cutting in tight spaces. A high-capacity hopper reduces the need for frequent emptying, while zero-turn manoeuvrability is perfect for the cemetery’s varied terrain.

Reinforcing the relationship between the two partners, Toro UK invited the CWGC to spend a day at their Spellbrook facility. The day provided an opportunity to experience Toro’s broad portfolio, learn more about Toro and Hayter’s groundscare innovation and share further feedback and information.

The CWGC’s commitment to maintaining the highest standards of care for its cemeteries is evident in its choice of equipment. The Toro 8000 Series is designed to provide efficient and effective maintenance, ensuring that the grounds remain in pristine condition for visitors and to honour the memory of those who served.

For more information about the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and their work, visit www.cwgc.org. For details on the Toro Z Master 8000 Series and other products, visit www.toro.com/en-gb.

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It’s Baroness from tee to green at Ilkley GC

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It’s Baroness from tee to green at Ilkley GC: What started as just one hand mower purchased close to 30 years ago has blossomed into a full fleet of mowing equipment from Baroness for the team at Ilkley Golf Club.

Today, the 18-hole parkland course is mown from tee to green with 11 machines from the Baroness precision fine turf range, bringing not just cut quality but outstanding reliability to operations at the third oldest club in Yorkshire.

It’s Baroness from tee to green at Ilkley GC

It’s Baroness from tee to green at Ilkley GC

It isn’t only the Baroness brand that has been a stalwart to proceedings, Head Greenkeeper Duncan Campbell has chalked up over 43 years of loyal service – today supported by a team of six. “Our approach has always favoured hand mowing the greens most mornings which was why we purchased our first Baroness (formally Saxon) back in the mid 1990’s” explains Duncan. “From the off, the build quality of these machines was evident and the team enjoyed using them so one quickly became two, before becoming five which is what we continue to run today on a turnover programme.”

Alongside the five Baroness LM56 pedestrian greens mowers are an LM66 hand mower for tees, an LM315 greens mower, an LM331 for surrounds and approaches, an LM2700 and LM551B for the fairways and a GM2810A semi-rough mower – the latest purchases delivered by local dealers GGM in early April.

“There’s a lot to like about the Baroness machines starting with the build quality and simplicity of operation.” He emphasises, “We have a highly skilled team that don’t need to rely on fancy gadgets or a computer to do an incredibly good job. Then there’s the cut quality which is consistent throughout the range, both rotary and cylinder. With fewer chemical controls we get a lot of worms and wormcasts here at Ilkley which is, unfortunately, another thing to bear in mind with mowing equipment. The Baroness cylinders deal with this incredibly well, retaining sharpness for a quality cut.”

Duncan goes on to further note the support from GGM and Baroness’ own Andrew Darley. “While we’ve barely had any issues over the years, the back up support and advice we’ve had from Andy and the team at GGM has been brilliant. It helps to make Baroness the ‘complete package’.”

The recent delivery of the GM2810 five-deck rotary mower, together with Duncan’s LM551B are also equipped with the optional Baroness weather cabs. Providing a cost-effective alternative to a full cab, the windscreen and wiper utilise the existing roof, while the soft back and sides provide protection from the elements when needed or can be simply rolled up to optimise airflow in the warmer weather.

For more information on the Baroness range, or to find your local dealer, visit www.baronessuk.com

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Kubota LX401 pairing pull their weight at AFCB

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Kubota LX401 pairing pull their weight at AFCB: Continued investment in the facilities at AFC Bournemouth has seen the purchase of two new LX401 compact tractors from Kubota.

With a Kubota ST401 already based at the club’s Vitality Stadium, the two new additions will be shared between the existing training ground and brand-new state-of-the-art training complex – where they’ll be key to executing the year-round maintenance on the four sand-based, desso pitch constructions.

Kubota LX401 pairing pull their weight at AFCB

Kubota LX401 pairing pull their weight at AFCB

The investment off the pitch appears to be paying dividends on it with the club, nicknamed ‘The Cherries’, at the end of one of the most successful seasons in Bournemouth’s history. In charge of facilities is Head of Grounds Ian Lucas who is, currently, maintaining four sites assisted by a team of 11. In equipping the new 24-hectare training ground with its own machinery fleet, Ian explored all the options when it came to compact tractors – with Kubota proving more ‘compact’ than others…

“No groundsman wants to be putting more weight on their pitches than they need to – it’s critical to find the balance of retaining a low footprint but having enough lift capacity for all the implements we use” Ian explains. “We compared a number of options in the mid-compact arena and found that not only was the Kubota specification better, it had a slightly higher lift capacity and was half a tonne lighter. When the competition indicated it was down to build quality, I told them I’d never had a Kubota break down on me!”

“Just like our ST401 at the stadium, the new LXs are incredibly comfortable to operate and have demonstrated their capability on a range of maintenance tasks at the two training grounds including aeration and regular drag-brushing.”

With time a precious commodity for the team, and the cost of materials ever-increasing, Ian made the decision to have all three tractors equipped with GPS systems. “Initially we thought this would be useful for seeding, where it can be difficult to monitor accuracy when passing on bare sand. However, we now utilise the technology to optimise our spraying and fertiliser programmes and improve efficiency on tasks that can otherwise be quite monotonous.”

The adaptations on the tractor fleet, together with all sales, support and service, is delivered by local Kubota dealer E G Coles. “We’ve always had fantastic back up from the team at E G Coles, particularly Andy Frost who always goes out of his way to help us out when we need information or assistance.”

Ian adds, “It feels like an incredibly exciting period for AFC Bournemouth. With the three Kubota compact tractors at our disposal, we’re in a much better position to deliver surfaces not just fit for the first team, but for players of all ages and abilities across the club, putting us in great stead for the future.”

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A Trilo proves multipurpose in name and nature

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A Trilo proves multipurpose in name and nature: A Trilo Multipurpose is proving to be exactly that, by name and by nature, for the team at Highfield and Brookham School.

Delivered in February 2025, the M3 was brought in to replace an existing Trilo S3 vacuum sweeper enabling Grounds Manager Jasper Marks and the team to not only conduct leaf clearance, but also scarification and cut and collect tasks around the 500 acres of school grounds and estate.

A Trilo proves multipurpose in name and nature

A Trilo proves multipurpose in name and nature

Jasper took over the head role in 2022, having worked at the co-educational school as a groundsman since 2019, and is currently supported by a team of three grounds staff and a part-time gardener. On the border of West Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire, the site is densely tree-populated which meant that the Trilo machine had always been a firm favourite on the fleet. This opinion looks set to stay with their latest purchase, bringing new-found versatility and productivity to maintenance tasks around the calendar.

He explains, “The S3 was a fantastic machine, robust and efficient, which would be used for leaf collection, road sweeping and general clearance of clippings and debris over the autumn and winter months. I then discovered the Multipurpose M3, which was capable of doing everything the S3 could, with the addition of flail and scarifying shafts to cut or scarify and collect all with one unit. It’s transformed the Trilo into a machine that we can fully utilise all year round.”

While only a matter of months since the M3 was installed by dealers Lister Wilder and Trilo’s Jeremy Vincent, it is already demonstrating its key trait – versatility! “We have a 9-hole golf course on the estate where the Trilo has been used to assist with cut and collect of the roughs. The large 3m3 hopper means we can cut for longer without having to make as many trips to our green waste area to empty. It’s keeping us productive, for longer.” Jasper continues, “After that, we equipped it with the scarifier shaft for use on our sports pitches. We previously hired a machine for this which often meant we were scarifying in less than idea conditions. Now we can do it ourselves whenever the weather or play schedule allows which will bring huge improvements to pitch quality.”

“What also really impressed me was the service we received from Jeremy. While the machine, in principle, is not wildly different from the S3 we were using before, no corners were cut with the handover & installation to ensure the team were confident and would get the very best out of the machine.”

“We traded in one machine and gained three in return, but needed to find no extra space in the shed as the footprint is near enough identical” he added. “It’s going to become a pivotal part of the team as we continue to drive up standards for our students and wider community to enjoy.”

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GKB Machines delivers top class artificial surfaces

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GKB Machines delivers top class artificial surfaces: A suite of equipment from GKB Machines has been entrusted with prolonging the longevity and boosting the performance of five artificial playing surfaces at Ipswich School.

Installed by dealers Ernest Doe in September 2024, a Quick Brush, Rotobrush and GKB Deep Clean are bringing new-found time-savings and efficiency to both routine and more intensive maintenance.

GKB Machines delivers top class artificial surfaces

GKB Machines delivers top class artificial surfaces

Rated the number one independent school in Suffolk and Norfolk, sport forms a major part of the curriculum for the students at Ipswich School. Keeping an array of natural and all-weather surfaces in top-flight condition for cricket, hockey and winter sports is a team of eight headed up by Grounds Maintenance Manager Syd Townsend. “The all-weather pitches across our Westwood campus and Rushmere Sports Centre have been installed over a number of years and the time was now right to invest in equipment to optimise their performance and protect our investment” he explains.

“We previously didn’t have any mechanised attachments or equipment, so we were drag brushing the surfaces manually which was labour intensive and restricted us from being able to conduct operations as often as we’d like.” For a solution, Syd spoke with local dealers Ernest Doe who brought in a selection of machines from the GKB synthetic portfolio for the team to trial on their facilities. “It was important that anything we purchased would work with our existing tractors. Of the four machines we demoed, we purchased three of them and in a short period of time, they have already proven their worth.”

“The Quick Brush and Rotobrush are in use regularly, standing up the fibres and redistributing the sand dressing. The Rotobrush does a fantastic job of the perimeter areas, in particular, agitating any moss and bringing it to the surface for collection with the Deep Clean.” Syd continues, “We’ll be using the Deep Clean during school holidays to give the pitches a more intensive renovation, on top of the more routine collection of leaves and other detritus.”

“A large proportion of our synthetic pitches are surrounded by overhanging trees. The days of using a blower or manually raking up leaves have gone, and we can now quickly and effectively collect these and other smaller particulates in a more sustainable way.”

While each machine has been well received, Syd considers the combination of equipment to be the golden ticket to perfecting the performance of the playing surfaces. “Not only has the kit delivered exactly what we hoped, the service and training we received from Ernest Does and GKB was outstanding. Despite having to reschedule our training day due to unpredictable weather and staff holidays, both companies were incredibly flexible. On the day all eight operatives had the opportunity to ask any questions and undergo full training to ensure they were confident with the equipment which will all help us to achieve the very best results.”

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