ECHO launches largest professional chainsaw

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ECHO launches largest professional chainsaw: ECHO has introduced a new professional chainsaw, the CS-7310SX, which is the largest in the current range and features a low emission, premium-grade 73.5cc engine with an output of 4.1kW.

A heavy-duty, rear handle chainsaw the CS-7310SX is part of the ECHO X Series which designates it as a best-in-class product and as such it’s packed with features designed to increase the productivity of the professional user. ECHO says they have built this for the many arborists and landscapers using these types of saws regularly to fell large trees. They add that the professional-grade ECHO 2-stroke engine is designed and manufactured in Japan to the highest possible standards, delivering powerful cutting with low emissions and noise levels. There is no question it generates massive torque and provides exceptional cutting performance for heavy-duty felling. And yet it is a lightweight and well-balanced saw, weighing in at only 6.8kg (dry weight) and featuring an ergonomic and robust construction to meet the challenges of professional felling and forestry work.

ECHO launches largest professional chainsaw

ECHO launches largest professional chainsaw

ECHO X Series products are often industry-leading in terms of power and performance and the CS-7310SX lives up to this reputation with a tradition of testing in the most extreme conditions to ensure flawless operation. For the professional who relies on their tools day in and day out the saw is packed with beneficial features. A magnesium starter housing more efficiently disperses heat generated by the engine and the G-Force air pre-cleaner reduces its exposure to dirt and debris. Together with the centrifugal separation dust-free system that means less maintenance and longer life. Starting is easy with the decompression valve and the heavy-duty aluminium handle has a secure rubber grip offering reduced vibration in the hand. Drop prevention nuts to the side casing mean the nuts can’t be lost during maintenance. Dual bumper spikes give you better control when sawing through stumps and thicker branches, while a rotating plastic chain catcher protects the user from potential injury and prevents chain damage. Fuel level is easily monitored with the translucent fuel tank.

Weighing up the CS-7310SX you can say it is a true professionals’ saw backed by the ECHO reputation for durability built-up over 70-years of manufacturing. The saw comes with a 2-year professional or 5-year domestic warranty. Find out more from your local authorised ECHO dealer.

You can also visit www.echo-tools.co.uk or call 01844 278800 for more information

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JCB updates 55KW 3CX Backhoe Loader

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JCB updates 55KW 3CX Backhoe Loader: JCB, the world’s number one backhoe loader manufacturer, has launched a new 55kW 3CX backhoe loader with EU Stage V compliant engine. The machine delivers improved operator comfort and ease of use, increased productivity and performance, combined with reduced total cost of ownership.

Features include:

·        Revised Command Plus Cab
·        Enhanced safety including integrated LED beacons and step lighting
·        Efficiency boost – a 3.0-litre Stage V engine delivers 10% torque increase and 7% fuel saving
·        Increased productivity with auto-levelling, auto seat select and auto-2WD

JCB updates 55KW 3CX Backhoe Loader

JCB updates 55KW 3CX Backhoe Loader

This latest JCB 3CX takes the backhoe loader into a new decade, with a smart new look that features a revised Command Plus cab. There are four LED beacons integrated into the cab roof as standard, removing the need for magnetic beacons or drilling of the machine. The beacons can be clearly seen from all angles, improving site safety, while there is no requirement for the operator to have to climb up in the cold and wet to install beacons at the start of the day.

The Command Plus cab features yellow grab handles, for a clear touch point and there are larger mirrors for an improved view behind the machine when manoeuvring around site or when roading. Revised square work lights offer increased adjustment and the LED option now includes up to 10 lights, providing maximum illumination of the working area.

The cab interior provides a new level of comfort and usability. It features a split colour line, with darker grey used for the lower half and a lighter grey in the upper half of the cabin. This adds to the airy, spacious feel, providing the operator with a calm, comfortable working environment. There is a new seat, with a dark fabric and yellow stitching and a headrest is available on the Advanced Easy Control (AEC) model.

A revised three-spoke steering wheel provides an improved view of the new front display screen, which comes as standard on the latest 3CX. The screen shows the speedometer, all warning lights and the selected gear on Powershift models. For the first time JCB will also supply a factory-fit radio with Bluetooth telephone compatibility and USB, AUX and SD card capabilities. The radio is integrated into the headliner, but can be controlled by a rotary switch in the side console. Audio and telephone functions are also displayed in the new 7” side display screen.

This side screen provides the operator with increased functionality and increased information. The display is controlled by an automotive-style rotary switch, that provides quick access to the various operating menus.

Increased Productivity

The 55kW Stage V 3CX introduces a range of advanced automation features, designed to reduce operator fatigue and to boost productivity. This includes Auto Stop, which automatically detects when the machine is no longer in use and shuts down the engine. Auto Stop eliminates engine idling, reducing fuel consumption and cutting emissions. The shut-down delay can be pre-set or adjusted by the operator through the side screen in the cab.
Auto Seat Select is available on machines equipped with servo lever control and automatically recognises which direction the seat is facing, eliminating the need to select functions as the operator changes from front to rear facing positions. Also available on servo models, automatic stabilisers now offer not just an auto-raise function, but also an automatic extend setting, stopping as the feet make contact with the ground. Automatic levelling lets the machine rapidly find a horizontal operating position on uneven ground.
Auto Drive has been improved, allowing the operator to automatically select a chosen engine speed when travelling on the road. Operation has been made easier with a new lever mounted beneath the direction selection control.
To reduce unnecessary tyre wear and fuel consumption, the 3CX now comes with Auto 2WD. This switches the transmission from 4WD to 2WD when the additional traction is no longer required. It allows the operator to select 4WD to dig into a pile or a face, where maximum tractive effort is required. Then, when the machine backs away and starts to travel at speed, the transmission automatically changes to 2WD. The speed at which this change occurs can be set by the operator through the side screen menus.
Additional lighting has been added to illuminate the cab on both sides of the machine around the step area, making it easier for the operator to access and leave the machine in the dark. A timer can be set to automatically dim the lighting when the machine is switched off, or once the door has been closed. The 3CX also benefits from a host of standard features, including rear light guards, a return-to-dig system, front shovel clam cylinder guards, loader pipework and the loader Smooth Ride System.

Stage V Power

The 55kW 3CX is powered by JCB’s latest EU Stage V compliant 3.0-litre diesel engine, replacing the previous generation 4.4-litre. The compact engine delivers 55kW of power and 440Nm of torque, an increase of 10% over the previous model. Its smaller capacity and increased efficiency result in up to a 7% fuel saving over the Stage IV 55kW engine in general use. The 3.0-litre JCB engine achieves EU Stage V emissions standards without the need for a Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) or any form of exhaust additive.
The engine is equipped with a combined Diesel Oxidation Catalyst (DOC) and Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF), with an 8,000-hour operating life. Regeneration is automatically controlled and can be monitored through JCB’s standard LiveLink telematics system. The engine benefits from a sealed for life crankcase ventilation module and hydraulic tappets, removing the need for manual adjustment. This contributes to lower service and maintenance costs and a cut in total cost of ownership for the customer.

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Kubota upgrades G-Series line-up

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Kubota upgrades G-Series line-up: Building on its reputation for developing innovative solutions for customers in the Groundcare market, Kubota is pleased to announce the launch of its newly updated and popular G-Series range of mowers.

These mowers have been specially developed to meet the professional groundcare needs of key customer segments such as councils, contractors and large property owners.

Kubota upgrades G-Series line-up

Kubota upgrades G-Series line-up

There are two models in the new G-Series line-up, G231 and G261, both available with low and high dump grass collectors. These models have eye-catching developments such as a new hydrostatic transmission (HST) designed to increase traction and grip. The mowers are also equipped with powerful Kubota engines offering 23hp and 26hp, as well as an electromagnetic PTO clutch which replaces the hydraulic PTO, offering a more positive drive for consistent cutting performance.

Additionally, users of these new cutting-edge models will benefit from improved output, increased speed and greater comfort. G-Series mowers have been engineered to run faster and deliver improved mowing performance; saving time, money and effort for customers. The enhanced performance and adaptability of Kubota’s new G-Series also enables operators to work more efficiently across various types of terrain which can pose a multitude of challenges.

With a top speed of 19.0km/h, the highest in the industry, G-Series mowers enable users to cut grass at higher speeds and ultimately finish the job quicker. Enhanced driver comfort is also offered by the new tilting steering wheel.

An improved collecting system features a wider and taller chute with a shorter travel distance between the deck and the grass collector enabling impeccable grass flow and reduced clumping. More grass can be handled with ease and efficiency.

The new G-Series will be on display and available for sale at Kubota dealerships this autumn.

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Henderson Grass Machinery helps Charleton rise from the ashes

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Henderson Grass Machinery helps Charleton rise from the ashes: When fire destroyed the clubhouse of Charleton Golf Club, near Leven, in January, the club must have thought they’d used up all their bad luck for the year in one fell swoop …. then came Covid 19, and the work, and plans, to get back on their feet were stopped in their tracks

Now, however, in a scene straight from the Phoenix from the Ashes play book, the club is fighting back. A new clubhouse is rising from the foundations of the original and, thanks to local machinery dealer, Henderson Grass Machinery, Head Greenkeeper Brian Heggie has the tools to get on with the job of maintaining the course.

Henderson Grass Machinery helps Charleton rise from the ashes

Henderson Grass Machinery helps Charleton rise from the ashes

“After the fire, and when lockdown made it possible I sat down with Scott McNeil, of Hendersons, we looked at the older machinery in our sheds and established how much of money it would raise for a deposit on some good quality second hand machinery,” explained Brian, as he sat aboard a Toro 45100, one of the results of the negotiations.

“We had a limited budget, so if what we have bought takes us through the next three years we might then be in the market to buy slightly newer machines. Had we committed ourselves to a fleet of brand new machines the lockdown and pandemic would have meant that we would have struggled to pay for it,” explained Brian, who having maintained the course singled-handed during lockdown, has recently appointed a Deputy and taken on two apprentices.

In the end, the club purchased a new 60hp Kubota tractor with a Vertidrain; the Toro 4500 rough mower; a Toro 3100 tees mower; a Toro 3400 greens mower; a SISIS scarifier, with more pieces of kit due to arrive over the next few months.

“We tried to take the used machinery from some of the bigger golf clubs and resorts because they had the full maintenance packages so the machines were well maintained and within their hours – and with it being Toro kit, you knew it was going to last.”

Henderson Grass Machinery has had a longstanding relationship with the Charleton Estate and Brian is delighted to have the company on his side.

“I can’t fault them. If I ever need a machine, like a seeder for example, they will lend it to me while Scott (McNeil) being an ex Head Greenkeeper himself knows what it is like to run a golf course on a limited budget and tries to help as much as he can,” said Brian.

Charleton Golf Club is just the type of golf club that Hendersons are keen to support and their pre-owned machines are perfect for a golf club with tight budgets.

“The clubhouse fire was a huge blow to the golf club and we immediately felt that we should help as much as we could to get them back on their feet,” explained Scott, who was Head Greenkeeper at Brechin Golf Club in Angus, and another Fife club in St Michaels Golf Club, near St Andrews, before joining the sales team at Hendersons.

“My aim is always to try and find exactly the right machinery to fit the needs of the golf club, rather than try to give them something that is perhaps close to what is required but not exactly right,” he explained.

“Brian and I both knew what was needed to bring the course on to the next level and we worked closely together initially  to generate the funds for the deposit and then secure the machines that were needed.

“We want to continue to work with Charleton to help them overcome both the fire and the consequences of Covid 19 and then kick on to the next level,” said Scott.

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Strong summer sales for Engcon

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Strong summer sales for Engcon: The effects of Covid-19 are not over yet, but this summer’s sales figures have provided Engcon with a positive outlook. The unexpected increase in sales during the months of June and July mean that Engcon is now overseeing extra efforts to produce and fulfil the delivery of additional orders.

Engcon like many companies was affected when Covid-19 struck with full force in the spring. As well as impacting sales, Engcon was forced to cancel and return early from this year’s largest construction trade show CONEXPO, in Las Vegas. Engcon is known for its good financial management and immediately acted with a package of measures, that included cost savings, budget adjustments and prioritising efforts to streamline processes and working practices. However, this summer’s sales figures were better than expected, which meant ramping up production to meet the increase in customer orders.

Strong summer sales for Engcon

Strong summer sales for Engcon

”For us, it is of the utmost importance to run the company in a serious and long-term way. In uncertain times, we do what we can to minimise the effects if it should be a worst case scenario,” says Krister Blomgren, CEO of Engcon Holding, and continues:

“But it turned out pretty soon that despite the pandemic, many excavator operators around the world continued their work with maintenance of railways, highways, forestry and building structures. We know that our products contribute to socially beneficial activities and these priorities around the world have therefore of course been favourable for us as a company. This is a strong contributing factor to our positive sales figures”.

In total, Engcon Group sales dropped by approximately 14 percent from January to July 2020, compared with the same period last year, while sales increased by 18 percent in the non-Nordic markets.

“What you have to remember is that it is the other markets that are growing at a higher rate right now, meanwhile sales remain sluggish in our normally stronger markets here in the Nordic region”.

However, Engcon has seen greater caution around larger investments, but at the same time can see that many excavator operators barely have time available for all their assignments right now. Those who can afford it are thus making the smart move to invest in an economic downturn in order to prepare for the upturn.

”Investing in a tiltrotator makes digging considerably more efficient, which means extra capacity to catch up with more jobs in hectic times. It is wise to equip the business, regardless of whether you are a local excavation company or a large global corporation,” says Krister Blomgren.

Engcon has a number of activities prioritised to further develop the business and come out stronger on the other side of the pandemic.

“For example, we have just chosen a supplier for a new business system, as part of a decision we made over a year ago. Our strategy is to streamline our processes and make smart investments to become even better. This summer’s sales have been good, and we are cautiously optimistic, even though we have not heard the latest about Covid-19 yet,” Krister Blomgren concludes.

The markets where sales rose significantly during the year were North America (USA and Canada), Denmark, the United Kingdom and Australia.

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