Toro stands up to tough terrain

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Toro stands up to tough terrain: In a theme of fives, Calcot Park Golf Club has received five new Toro machines on a five-year lease. Headlining the fleet is the Reelmaster 5410 with five cutting units for tackling the challenging terrain of the course with unrelenting ease for years.

The club, situated on the Berkshire border, is no stranger to Toro. In fact, according, to Course Manager Tom Jennings, 100 percent of its machinery fleet is red and that’s as much for its longevity as it is its performance.

Toro stands up to tough terrain

Toro stands up to tough terrain

“Toro machinery is bulletproof when it comes to longevity. We have fairway mowers here that are up to 13 years old, which is impressive for the amount of work they do,” says Tom.

It’s no surprise then that when the time came to upgrade its machines with a five-year lease deal, Toro was the only option considered. And one machine in particular that has made its mark is the Reelmaster 5410 with five cylinders.

“The topography at our course is very up and down, and being a heavy clay site, we need a machine that can handle that, especially in the winter,” says Tom. “As a parkland course, we’ve got thicker grasses and lots of them and the sheer quantity and the coarser texture can be tough to get through, but it presents no problem for Toro and in particular the five-cylinder mower.”

In a fleet deal that also includes two new Greensmaster 3400 mowers, a Reelmaster 3100 sidewinder, and Groundsmaster 4000 – all provided by Reesink Turfcare, Tom says all the mowers work hand in hand to navigate the Harry Colt designed course and also singles out the Reelmaster 3100 for commendation.

“We’ve got the 3100 coming in on the lease as well. It’s a smaller machine which is why we chose it. Our course was built in 1930 and a lot of the complexes are quite small and tight; this sidewinder is flexible enough to get around them, whereas others on the market tend to be too bulky for the job.”

The club benefits from Reesink’s lease deal which allows it to renew its range of machines every five years. “Opting into a lease deal works well for the club,” says Tom. “I know that if we get a five-year lease, in five years from now I’m not only going to get the machines and the brand that performs best on the course; but benefit from the latest technology and the latest machines that could also benefit the course.”

And Tom and his team have their sights set on electric power next. “We’ll be considering some of the electric machines next time. We’re in an urban area and I think this will be helpful with our mowing routines,” he concludes.

Learn more about Toro’s technology and how it could benefit your course, by calling distributor Reesink at 01480 226800, emailing info@reesinkturfcare.co.uk or visiting reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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Nothing beats the ProFlex 120

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Nothing beats the ProFlex 120: Following more than 12 years of reliable service, a ProFlex 120 at Mid Herts Golf Club has been joined by… well, another ProFlex 120!

Delivered by Vanmac’s James Boyle in April 2024, the five floating rotary decks on the Progressive unit conform to the peaks and troughs of the terrain at the Hertfordshire club making the like for like purchase a straight forward one for Course Manager Jody Wilson.

Nothing beats the ProFlex 120

Nothing beats the ProFlex 120

One of the oldest golf clubs in the country, Mid Herts offers a classic heathland terrain with rippled fairways and quick greens, nestled within traditional grassy hollows. While the picturesque countryside undulations pose a challenge for players, they make no match for the contour following ability of the ProFlex! “12 years ago we tried and tested a range of rough mowers and found the ProFlex 120 was the best suited to our conditions. Fast forward to this year and we went through the same process again, only to find there’s still nothing in the market better than this machine!”

The Progressive ProFlex 120 delivers a uniform cut on both flat and uneven ground, the five floating decks covering an area of 3.0m in a single pass and evenly dispersing clippings for an immaculate finish. The ability to quickly and easily adjust the HOC on each individual deck makes the mower incredibly versatile, and the ideal choice for stepped or transition cutting.

“The build quality has always been exceptional, and our new ProFlex is no different” Jody explains. “We’ve kept hold of our older machine for the weekly cutting of the practice ground. It still cuts exceptionally well and, with a good jet-wash, would still clean up a treat. Besides the expected wear and tear, we’ve rarely had any downtime or costly repair bills, and with the sealed blade spindle bearings on the new ProFlex, the routine maintenance will be even easier.”

The recent delivery complements a range of other equipment from Vanmac already in the Mid Herts shed. “For the summer, we’re now set for mowing the roughs and practice ground with our pair of ProFlex’s, then in the winter we’re big Trilo users – with two blowers and an S4 vacuum collector helping us to keep on top of playability and presentation.” He added, “The service from Vanmac is always first-class. It’s great product with great back-up.”

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Zero blade costs until 2027

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Zero blade costs until 2027: GreenMech have announced the launch of a special summer promotion which will present not just cost savings, but increased peace of mind, to customers purchasing a new woodchipper.

Between 1st June and the end of August, all machines will be supplied with a second set of GreenMech’s revolutionary disc blades free of charge, all-but eliminating additional blade expenditure for the duration of the 3-year warranty or average 3-year finance deal.

Zero blade costs until 2027

Zero blade costs until 2027

Launched in 1995, GreenMech’s unique disc-blade chipping technology means that, in operation, only 30% of the blade’s circumference comes into contact with the waste material. This not only reduces the blades vulnerability to damage caused when contaminants such as soil and stones are inadvertently introduced into the chipper, it enables the blade to be turned to a new sharp section when these edges get worn. In the field, this equates to 600% more blade life and significantly more hours of chipping before the need to re-sharpen.

In addition to improved longevity, the disc-blades ‘slicing’ action is 1.5dB quieter than conventional straight blades – reducing the noise emissions of every operation.

With the purchase of a GreenMech chipper and the completion of the warranty form, the new promotion will see customers receiving a second set of disc blades absolutely free – giving you two complete sets of blades at no extra cost. By rotating and replacing these sets, up to 360 hours of use can be expected without the need to sharpen, resulting in savings of over £600.

“At a time when costs are increasing across the board, this promotion is a great way of giving customers real savings on their maintenance costs over their first few years of ownership” adds GreenMech Sales Director Martin Lucas. “Together with reduced expenditure and less machinery downtime, the additional blade sets give all customers the peace of mind that their GreenMech chipper will remain in top working order.”

Terms and conditions apply. Further information is available by visiting the GreenMech website – www.greenmech.co.uk – or by speaking with your local approved GreenMech dealer.

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Braehead’s new mowers proves Toro is built to last

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Braehead’s new mowers proves Toro is built to last: With Reesink Turfcare’s Ree.Own scheme, Braehead Golf Club located in Alloa Scotland has taken ownership of two new – or rather used – Toro machines as a cost-effective solution to updating machinery.

Harvey Harrower, the club’s head greenkeeper who has been at the club for 38 years, says when it comes to Toro, going second-hand isn’t a worry: “One of the things we like about using Toro is that they’re built to last.

Braehead’s new mowers proves Toro is built to last

Braehead’s new mowers proves Toro is built to last

“Like most other clubs, we look at buying new machines every five years, but unlike the bigger clubs we tend to look in the second-hand market. The fact that the new ones could already be six or seven years old doesn’t concern us. The machines we’re replacing are 15 years old, and we have other Toro machines that have been going for over 20 years.”

The machines – a Groundsmaster 4300 and hybrid Greensmaster TriFlex 3420 – came to the club via Reesink’s Ree.Own scheme, a dealer network that provides access to all the best quality, Toro turfcare machinery in the UK and Ireland.

Machines rehomed with Ree.Own are guaranteed to have less than 3500 hours use on the clock, used for less than seven years and been through a rigorous multipoint check by Reesink’s expert turfcare technicians.

The scheme is one that works well for the club. “This isn’t the first time we’ve sourced second-hand machines and it certainly won’t be the last,” says Harvey. “Because of the club’s finances, it’s the option that works best for us, and the machines still perform at a really high level. They go through the workshop and are refurbished before they get to us – ours also came with a 12-month warranty.”

Both machines were replacements for mowers the club had used before, but the Greensmaster has one key difference.

“We decided to go with the hybrid model of the Greensmaster 3420. You can slow the speed down and it just gives a better finish,” says Harvey. Something that can be appreciated by the very youngest of the club’s members.

“We have a very active junior section that has taken off recently. The club has put a lot of effort into that, building new tees and reserving tee times every Sunday throughout the year allowing them to play. Being able to play on a course maintained by Toro machinery means they’re able to play and learn on the best quality surfaces from the outset.”

The club’s new-used machinery came through Reesink’s Scottish branch in Livingston, who according to Harvey, made the whole process easy. “Working with Reesink has been great, they were really good at keeping me informed throughout. I just told them what machines I was after and when the machines became available they emailed me pictures with their age and condition, etc.”

Discover more about how your course can benefit from the UK’s only used Toro professional turf machinery network by visiting reeown.co.uk or contact Reesink Scotland by calling 01480 226800 or by email at info@reesinkturfcare.co.uk.

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INFINICUT® mowers enter Home Park two by two

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INFINICUT® mowers enter Home Park two by two: A recent upgrade to the mower fleet at Plymouth Argyle Football Club has seen the delivery of two INFINICUT® 34” FX cylinders and two SM34 rotary mowers to the club’s stadium pitch at Home Park.

Together with outstanding quality of cut and first-class presentation, Head Groundsman Chris Ralph also cites the improvements in consistency achieved with their mowing operations thanks to the industry-leading INFINIApp™.

INFINICUT® mowers enter Home Park two by two

INFINICUT® mowers enter Home Park two by two

The investment has been on the cards for the last 18 months, which gave Chris and his team of five ample time to compare and contrast the options available. “We’d been using two INFINICUT® fixed head cylinders and were always happy with those – they’re reliable and comfortable to use, with minimal noise and vibrations. We found nothing that could better those” he explains. “On the rotary front, we demonstrated various models and were impressed with the performance and finish of the SM34’s, the ease of height adjustment compared to competitor machines and the side placement of the grass bucket which means it’s not hitting your legs all the time!”

With the decision made, the fleet was delivered by Andy White and Paul Curgenven of Shinners Bridge Garden Machinery and INFINICUT’s Mark Clifford-Kennedy in February 2024. “Andy, Paul and Mark left no stone unturned when they dropped the machines off. They went through every detail of the machines, guided us through set-up and demonstrated the full functionality of the INFINIApp™.” Chris continues, “The Bluetooth control is a great feature. We can quickly and easily set reel speed, clip rates and more, and share settings between machines to give us greater consistency than we’ve ever achieved before.”

In addition to the cylinder and rotary mowers, the club also purchased a pair of ThatchMasterTM cassettes from the TMSystem™. “I’ve been looking at these for a while! Our ProPitch reports were identifying an increase in thatch levels over the last 12 months and our only way of trying to combat that previously was with a tractor and rake. We equipped our 34” machines with the ThatchMasterTM cassettes for a first pass in mid-March and the results were outstanding! We each removed three or four boxes of unwanted organic matter, and the pitch looked healthier immediately.”

“The whole team have been really impressed, with not just the INFINICUT® machines themselves but the support and service we’ve had from Shinners Bridge along the way. We’re now well placed to further drive up the standards of our stadium pitch, along with our neighbouring first-team training surfaces too.”

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