Hampden Park chooses Toro lithium machines

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Hampden Park chooses Toro lithium machines: Electric mowing has arrived at Hampden Park, Scotland’s national stadium, bringing everything Stephen Bache, Head Groundsman, could want from the next generation of turfcare technology.

It was a case of when not if this new way of mowing would arrive at Scotland’s national stadium in Glasgow, and as a long-term Toro machinery and irrigation customer, it’s no surprise the brand trusted to deliver the cutting-edge technology is Toro.

Reducing emissions is a key part of almost all sustainability strategies and with the industry being encouraged to unite in a bid to reduce environmental impact, choosing battery-powered or hybrid machines is one small but significant step now that can result in a huge impact later.

The Toro Greensmaster eTriFlex 3370 lithium-ion battery powered ride-on greensmower is the quietest mower there is and there are no emissions, pollution, or hydraulic leaks. Stephen says: “We want to provide the best possible surface for our players in the most sustainable way, but also, we are keen to play our part in the collective effort to make a credible contribution to the sustainable future for the next generations of football players and fans.

“This latest machinery order sees us continue doing that as we welcome battery powered mowers to our stadium for the first time and that is quite a milestone, but to us it was simply the next logical step and I hope we pave the way for others by demonstrating the capabilities and benefits electric mowing brings to responsible pitch management.”

Despite its new status at the stadium, the benefits are already being widely noticed says Stephen: “Toro quality is second to none. I’ve relied on it for 20 years. I know with Toro we’re going to get everything done right, meet the UEFA standards and conform to the rules reliably, first time around. So, I expected the quality of the cut from the eTriFlex to be outstanding and it is, but what’s stands out is just how convenient this method of mowing is.

“We’re an urban site southside of Glasgow with flats and houses neighbouring the stadium. Residents have been known to complain about mowing noise. The quietness of the eTriFlex almost takes you by surprise, a bit like an electric car when you don’t hear it coming up behind you, you genuinely can’t believe how quiet it is.”

Continuing with the benefits of noiseless mowing, Stephen can confirm how much easier it makes time management on match days: “There’s no rush with filming, interviews and broadcaster set up now, they can take as long as they need, and we work around them if needs be.”

Next up, Stephen can alleviate infrastructure concerns: “It wasn’t a problem for us and unless you’re buying a fleet of them, I can’t imagine it would be for anyone else. They use a standard socket and charge overnight, it’s very straightforward.”

The eTriFlex 3370 is part of a wider order from Toro distributor Reesink Scotland that includes electric utility vehicles, pedestrian mowers, a sprayer and the ProStripe known for its famous sports pitch striping effect.

With Stephen’s term in post at Hampden Park stretching back to 2002, he’s overseen many changes to the famous turf and now he’s presiding over a new era of new technology and mowing practises, and one that will undoubtedly leave a lasting legacy.

To make a start on the journey towards reduced emissions, visit Reesink Turfcare at reesinkturfcare.co.uk.

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Jacobsen SLF530 tames tricky ‘rig and furrow’ with ease

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Jacobsen SLF530 tames tricky ‘rig and furrow’ with ease: For golfers, ‘ridge and furrow’ adds both visual impact and added challenge to a course. The previous plough lines with their raised ridges and sunken furrows, bring a little more theatre to the game and give a historic nod to the past.

Strathaven Golf Club, in South Lanarkshire, has three fairways – the 6th, 10th and 11th– all of which boast deep and dramatic undulations.

After finding some mowers less than successful at dealing with their rise and fall, Steve Hunter, Head Greenkeeper, has purchased a Jacobsen SLF530 from Scottish dealer, Fairways GM at Renfrew.

“This machine is all about extra care for tees and aprons and undulating fairways. It follows the line down into them so much better and doesn’t leave any missed bits. The smaller cutting heads, the way it floats and pivots, just help give it a cleaner cut and all-over smooth finish.

“Other machines are a little faster but the benefit of the SLF530 is the quality and definition to the surfaces. It’s out once a week now, but twice a week minimum in the summer,” he said.

Stuart Cameron, Area Sales Manager from Fairways GM was on hand to advise, deliver and install the machine.

The team at Strathaven GC, comprises five qualified greenkeepers and two apprentices. In 2023, the team won the BIGGA Greenkeeping Project of the Year award.

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Meldrum House equipped to withstand wetter winters

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Meldrum House equipped to withstand wetter winters: Meldrum House have become the latest golf course in a rapidly growing list to praise the versatility and effective aeration delivered by a Carrier and Verti-Drain® 1513 from Redexim.

Delivered in June 2024 by HRN Tractors, the combination has already been put through its paces, hollow coring the greens and handling the undulations of the site with ease, as Golf Course and Grounds Manager Kenny Harper looks to increase aeration to better withstand increasingly wetter winters.

Meldrum House equipped to withstand wetter winters

Meldrum House equipped to withstand wetter winters

This latest purchase is part of major ongoing investment by the new owners of Meldrum House, Apex Hotels Ltd, as they look to build on the course’s reputation as one of the finest facilities in Scotland – nestled into the parkland surroundings of Oldmeldrum, Aberdeenshire. That claim means that client expectations are high when it comes to course condition, with Kenny supported by a team of ten on the year-round maintenance. “Last winter was one of the wettest on record which is making most elements of our job more difficult and means operations like aeration are more important than ever” Kenny explains.

“We tried all makes and models of tractor mounted aerator then contacted HRN Tractors, who we know quite well, about the Redexim Carrier and Verti-Drain®. HRN’s Wilson Morrison, together with Allen Whellans from Redexim, were both on the ball from the very first phone call. They arrived on time and the demonstration was impressive – the build quality in particular filled us all with the confidence that the machines are going to last. Ticking all the boxes, we took delivery in June and are so happy with our decision.”

He continues, “The variation in working depth, together with the range of tine options available, is something we really like and gives us much greater versatility and flexibility than our previous aeration set-up. We’ve already hollow cored with 8mm tines and can swap these for solid tines and work down to depths of six inches which we’ve not been able to do before and will significantly improve our greens drainage.”

The Verti-Drain® 1513 offers high-speed, low disturbance aeration. Paired up with the Redexim Carrier, the combination offers a lightweight solution for annual maintenance on sensitive turf areas such as golf greens. “The Carrier is powered by a 31hp engine so we’ve effectively gained a power unit which we can use with a range of implements. It’s also fantastic and easy to control over the contours on our site.”

“This was our first experience of Redexim and we went into it with a ‘nothing ventured’ attitude but we’ve definitely ‘gained’ an incredibly versatile set-up and hopefully the course and the members will all gain too as a result” he concludes.

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Makita adds to formidable XGT range

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Makita adds to formidable XGT range: Leading power tools manufacturer Makita has added two new impressive disc cutters to its range.

The 40VMax CE003G XGT Disc Cutter and 40VMax CE004G XGT Disc Cutter are both powered by Makita’s advanced XGT 40VMax battery system to deliver massive cutting depths and rapid cutting speeds to make light work of any high-demand application.

Makita adds to formidable XGT range

Makita adds to formidable XGT range

The CE003G delivers a maximum cutting depth of 88mm at 6,600rpm and the CE004G offers a maximum cutting depth of 121mm at 5,000rpm. With a 230mm and 305mm blade diameter respectively, and both designed to be extremely lightweight, these brand new compact XGT disc cutters offer a powerful package to tackle any application with ease and comfort.

The machines also feature a rotating wheel guard which can be positioned to suit working posture. This, paired with a light body weight (The CE003G body weighing just 7.4kg when fitted with a BL4080F 8.0Ah battery and the CE004G at 7.7kg when fitted with a BL4080F 8.0Ah battery) and a double handle design, makes both models comfortable and easy to manoeuvre. Furthermore, the anti-vibration housing with built-in damper spring helps to achieve an extremely low vibration rate for each at 3.0 m/s2 (CE003G) and 3.8 m/s2 (CE004G) at the left handle – far less than their petrol-powered counterparts.

Furthermore, unlike petrol engine models, these cordless solutions start reliably, even in oxygen-deficient conditions, without any emissions or exhaust gases, making them suitable for use in any location – including indoors and underground.

To improve user safety, the machines feature active feedback sensors to shut down the tool in the event of kickback or a sudden slowing down of the blade rotation. They also have a safety lock-off button to prevent accidental start up and operators can also choose to connect a water supply to aid dust suppression.

Kevin Brannigan, Marketing Manager at Makita UK said: “The new additions from Makita are set to revolutionise cutting work on site. Both are powerful, yet easy to handle and designed with excellent safety features, to provide high speed, precise cutting suitable for a wide range of applications.”

To find out more about Makita and its range of products visit: www.makitauk.com.

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Baroness comes to the rescue at Calcot Park

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Baroness comes to the rescue at Calcot Park: A trio of pedestrian mowers from Baroness are coming to the rescue at Calcot Park, as the club seek to maintain course standards through the ever-more challenging winter months.

The venue, like many, struggled to get ride-on equipment out over the winter of 23/24 due to increased rainfall and softer ground conditions. However, this problem will be a thing of the past with three LM66 cylinder mowers now ready to take up the task of retaining presentation on the tees and approaches.

Baroness comes to the rescue at Calcot Park

Baroness comes to the rescue at Calcot Park

Located on the Berkshire border, Calcot Park delivers a picturesque 18-holes in a parkland setting. Course Manager for the last six years Tom Jennings explains how, even outside of the ‘playing season’, the expectations of the players are high and the standards of the greenkeeping team are even higher! “We’re always striving for that next level of definition and the rain has really been hampering what we can deliver on areas that aren’t hand cut. That’s why we decided to invest in a fleet of pedestrian mowers specifically for the tees and factored the time to deliver this attention to detail into our programme.”

After a comprehensive search, and fantastic advice and service from both Lister Wilder and Luke Collins from Baroness, they decided on three LM66 mowers from the Baroness pedestrian range – delivered in June 2024.

Tom continues, “In my opinion, the cut quality with these LM66’s is the best on the market and, not only that, they stay on cut for much longer. We’ve done some topdressing over the summer and are now starting to see worm casts emerging yet, despite this, the Baroness mowers remain sharp giving us outstanding consistency and a clean, precise cut. The tees and approaches have never presented better.”

Along with the slightly smaller LM56 model, the Baroness pedestrian mower design incorporates traditional all-gear drive – delivering 100% transmission rate with no slippage or lag between the drive to reel rotation ratio. In addition, the durability of this system compared to belt or chain drive is extremely high, providing additional peace of mind that a balanced cut will be achieved with every operation. The renowned cylinder is manufactured from Nickel-Chrome-Molybdenum alloy steel which retains the sharpest cutting edge, helping to promote healthy growth and contributing to surfaces that are less vulnerable to disease. Both the Baroness LM56/66 models also include a 5-year warranty as standard.

“The good thing is that we’ve all had chance to get used to them and get a real feeling for what can be achieved with these machines.” He adds, “We now feel confident going into the wetter months that we can deliver the tees and approaches to the same standard we’re delivering in other areas of the course… if not better!”

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