Cobra continues to expand its lawnmower range

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Cobra continues to expand its lawnmower range: Cobra has once again expanded its range of lawnmowers with the introduction of the new MX534SPCE mower.

It is a 21” petrol powered mower that combines many top-of-range features. It is self-propelled, has four speeds and also has the option for both mulching and side discharge to dispose of cuttings.

This multi-feature mower is the ultimate in power, style and reliability in the garden.

With four speeds, a generous 21” cutting width and a grassbag with a 65-litre capacity, it is designed for medium to large gardens, up to approximately 600 m2.

It features a quiet yet powerful 4-stroke Cobra petrol engine that utilises the latest technology to ensure optimal torque and efficiency. It also features an electric starting system to ease starting the petrol engine. The electric button replaces the need to pull the recoil and makes starting even easier.

Cobra products are available to buy online at www.cobragarden.co.uk or via a network of expert dealers across the UK.

RRP: £400.00

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Etesia Hydro 124 DL is part of the family

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Etesia Hydro 124 DL is part of the family: After using their previous Etesia Hydro 124 D for eighteen years, the Malpas family felt it was time for an upgrade. When it came to choosing a new ride-on mower, there was only one choice – a new Hydro 124 DL.

The Malpas family, based in Hertfordshire, have three sites to attend to which includes a vast orchard, paddocks and three beautiful gardens. Up until very recently, there has only ever been allowed one person to cut the grass – as Clare Malpas explains.

Etesia Hydro 124 DL is part of the family

Etesia Hydro 124 DL is part of the family

“We had the Etesia Hydro 124 D for such a long time and my father was the only driver – none of us were ever allowed near it because it was his pride and joy. The mower had served him so well over the years, but it was about time for an upgrade.

“He absolutely loved that mower and refused to even look at any other brands. Quite simply, he was adamant that he wanted the new Hydro 124 DL.”

Unfortunately, Clare’s father has recently been hospitalised and has not been able to try his brand-new Hydro 124 DL yet. In the meantime, Clare has been cutting the grass with the new machine and is confident that her father will be delighted when he returns to action.

“He fully intends on continuing to cut the grass when he gets out of hospital and he will have a nice, shiny new mower waiting for him,” continued Clare. “He is going to be over the moon because this mower really is something special.”

The Etesia Hydro 124 DL is the first mower that combines direct rear-ejection, integrated collection and high-lift emptying (patented). All features that make it one of the most highly efficient machines on the market, designed to mow up to 19,000 square metres per hour.

Clare’s father may well have adored his old Hydro 124 D but he is sure to notice an improved finish: Equipped with two counter-rotating 65 cm blades that are mounted at right-angles, the Hydro 124 ensures perfect mowing thanks to its powerful inhalation raising the grass before cutting. It also features a cutting deck with rear ejection and 2 counter-rotating blades, offering excellent mowing and collection even in long and wet grass. The grass box is also filled to capacity every time, enabling a huge load of 600L / 100kg.

“I was nervous at first because I had never used a mower like this, but it is incredibly easy to use,” said Clare. “It was supplied to us by local Etesia dealer Scamblers, and Ian Collington (Area Sales Manager for Etesia UK) came along as well. They were both extremely helpful and they didn’t leave until I knew exactly what I was doing and knew where everything was.

“I’ve been using it for a while now and it is a brilliant mower. It is not completely flat here and there are a few slopes but the Hydro 124 DL copes with absolutely everything.

“The mower is very quick as well, so I can get the mowing finished nice and early and then concentrate on other jobs needed. Changing the cutting height is a very simple process and is certainly very beneficial because we adjust the height of cut in various places.

“It was sad to see the old machine go but after eighteen years, I think it was time for an upgrade. In eighteen years, we never had one single issue, so it goes to show just how reliable and well-built these machines are.

“With this new model I can tell just how much it has been improved and I’m looking forward to seeing my father’s face when he uses it for the first time.”

For further information, please contact Etesia UK on 01295 680120 or visit www.etesia.co.uk.

You can also follow Etesia on Twitter @EtesiaUK for much more news, reviews and insightful views.

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Reesink finance provides peace of mind

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Reesink finance provides peace of mind: Thanks to the flexibility of Toro’s UK distributor Reesink Turfcare’s finance options, Dean Wood Golf Club signed its second Toro fleet lease agreement despite being in the midst of the lockdown.

With golf clubs across the country temporarily closing their doors earlier this year, you’d be forgiven for thinking that investment in their courses would stop. But for Dean Wood Golf Club this wasn’t the case, as the club has invested in more Toro.

Reesink finance provides peace of mind

Reesink finance provides peace of mind

Chris Halkerd, who has been at the club for 24 years and course manager for 15, explains: “We’d come to the end of our first lease deal with Toro in March, just as the lockdown came into force. This threw the club into a state of uncertainty, but luckily with help from Reesink and Cheshire Turf Machinery, we were able to continue our investment in the club.”

With the range of flexible finance options that Reesink provides, the club was able to reduce costs while bringing in a fleet of brand new and upgraded machinery.

“The finance offering from Reesink couldn’t be matched by anyone else,” continues Chris. “And while we’d had other brands demonstrated, it was clear to us that Toro was the way to go. The course has steep gradients in places, and other brands just couldn’t get up there. It was this combination that sealed the deal.

“The board was in immediate agreement with the plan, but we put it to the members to vote as well. It was almost unanimous. Despite the uncertainty of the market, it was clear to everyone this deal presented the best opportunity to save money and greatly improve the course.”

The deal means the club now has the bulk of its payments scheduled for next year which Chris says has given the club “real peace of mind that the financial risk for this year has been reduced, without compromising on the service for our customers.”

And the excellence the club strives to provide has certainly been noticed. With the greenkeeping team posting on social media throughout lockdown showing them hard at work with their Toro machines, interest has boomed. The club has gained around 100 new members (and counting) in the last four weeks alone, with some even joining before the course had reopened.

But whether old or new members, they’ve all noticed the quality Toro has brought to the course, says Chris: “We’ve had so much feedback from members saying that the course looks exceptional. Thanks to the new and upgraded machines, I’ve even had someone say it’s never looked better in the 40 years they’d been coming to the club!”

“The new machines are fantastic,” continues Chris. “I’ve been particularly impressed by the Reelmaster 3575-D which has reduced our fairway cutting time by 45 minutes, and the Greensmaster TriFlex Hybrid 3420 is not only great for the environment, but it takes away any worries about hydraulic leaks as well as reducing noise. I actually had to check it was cutting when we first got it on the course – it was so quiet I didn’t believe it was turned on!

“The ProCore 648 aerator is another game changer, and we’ve got a new TYM 503 tractor which is a great workhorse. My thinking is that after five years we’ll purchase them both, as it’s clear they’ll provide huge benefits as permanent investments.”

So with the member count continuing to grow, and the course the best it’s ever been, it’s safe to say that Dean Wood Golf Club is a COVID-19 era success story.

“We are really lucky and grateful to be in the position we’re in now, but we wouldn’t have been able to do it without the forward thinking board and members we have here at the club. Not to mention the excellent support from both Cheshire Turf Machinery and Reesink who’ve been instrumental in navigating us through the best possible course of action during this time.”

To talk to someone about the finance options available and how the Toro range would suit your course, call 01480 226800.

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Dennis PRO 34R a time saver

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Dennis PRO 34R a time saver: Michael Watson, Turf Manager at the Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin, New Zealand, claims that his two recently purchased Dennis PRO 34R rotary mowers are saving the grounds team an incredible four hours of maintenance work compared to the previous mowers they were using.

The Forsyth Barr Stadium is New Zealand’s largest and most versatile events arena. Sitting proudly as an innovative Dunedin icon, it hosts a wide variety of sports, concerts, events and conferences.

Dennis PRO 34R a time saver

Dennis PRO 34R a time saver

Dunedin Venues Management is the company responsible for the upkeep and operations of the stadium and Michael oversees the maintenance of the pitch.

Since the stadium’s opening in 2011, the number of events taking place on the pitch has rapidly increased. With an old set of rotary mowers, Michael felt that it was time to invest in something new to keep the turf clean and healthy and to help combat such heavy usage.

“We used to have two small rotary mowers, but they took such a long time as they were small and slow,” he said. “The machines didn’t pick up much debris either and perhaps worst of all they did not have a roller on them.

“I felt that we needed something bigger which would pick up debris more effectively after training and certain events while maintaining a visually appealing field.”

With this in mind Michael began his research and was recommended the Dennis PRO 34R by Power-Turf – a Dennis and SISIS dealer in New Zealand. It immediately caught Michael’s attention.

“I know that Dennis supplies some of the world’s best turf maintenance machinery for many different sports and maintenance tasks,” he said. “I had also seen the Dennis G860 cylinder mower in action, so I was keen to find out more.”

The Dennis PRO 34R is a 34” (860mm) rotary mower which has been designed to help groundsmen achieve an aesthetically pleasing appearance and desired playing surface. It is ideal for sports pitches and lawns producing the enviable ‘Dennis Stripes’ while a powerful vacuum flow collects debris quickly and efficiently.

Many operators of the PRO 34R have praised the size and speed of the machines, claiming that they save a huge amount of time and resources.

“The time saving efficiency was a huge part of the decision to get these mowers,” said Michael. “They cut mowing hours down from 7 individual hours to between 2.5 and 3 hours so we therefore now save about 4 individual hours when using these mowers.

“Everything just works so well together on the PRO 34R. Starting at the front with the brush, through to the two rotary blades and the smooth rear roller.

“With the huge amount and wide range of events experienced on the Forsyth Barr Stadium field, having a machine to pick up debris quickly and effectively while maintaining a visually appealing pitch was crucial. Due to the busy events calendar with sports training sessions/events most weeks throughout the year and televised games from February until October, keeping the pitch clean from organic material with this machinery is a significant bonus.

“The ability to use them on game days shows how good these mowers are, considering the cut is from a rotary blade instead of your typical cylinder cut. The roller on the back also leaves a nice visual appearance on the turf.”

For further information or a no obligation demonstration, please contact Dennis 01332 824 777 or visit www.dennisuk.com

For more news, reviews and insightful views, you can follow Dennis on Twitter and Instagram @DennisMowers and like the company’s Facebook page – www.facebook.com/DennisMowersUK. You can also view the latest Dennis videos by visiting www.youtube.com/DennisMowers

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Weather it with Countax

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Weather it with Countax: A sizeable garden with a large area of lawn calls for a ride-on mower or garden tractor to enable you to make short work of cutting the grass. But it’s not as simple as that, says AriensCo, the manufacturers of Countax, the British built garden tractor that has been with us for over thirty years.

You need a machine that’s built to manage all the British climate throws at you and works for you all year round. Countax tractor mowers are built for British gardens and have evolved around the experience and feedback of customers, together with the Countax dealers who work closely with the company. So, it comes as no surprise how versatile the latest models can be, starting with the ability to cut and collect grass at virtually any time and laying a high quality striped lawn finish.

Weather it with Countax

Weather it with Countax

While most ride-on lawnmowers rely on the air from their spinning blades to blow the grass through a chute and into a hopper, the Countax cut and collect system works in a different way utilising a clever brush system to physically sweep even wet cuttings into a collector.  There’s no clogging and the action of the sweeper also removes dead grass and debris, helping to reduce thatch for a healthier lawn. In the autumn the system can be used effectively to sweep up leaves as well. The grass collector is powered by the tractor’s engine and driven by the Power Take Off (PTO) that is also used to drive a range of accessories and powered attachments, including a broadcast spreader for spreading rock salt on ice in the winter.

The latest addition to the Countax range of accessories is the PGC+. Driven by the PTO it’s a cassette system which allows you to quickly switch accessories and transform a Countax C or B Series garden tractor into an all-year-round workhorse. The grass sweeper cassette comes as standard with the PGC+ and there’s an optional scarifier cassette to make removing thatch and moss easier come early spring or autumn. Even better is the fact it scarifies and collects the debris simultaneously.

Now, a garden tractor that’s going to be working all year, and not just in fine summer months, needs to be tough and substantially built. In tests, each painted component in a Countax is exposed to 500 hours of continuous salt spray without showing any corrosion. The cutter decks are made from high-grade steel, while the front axle is cast iron. Equally important, all the electrical components in a Countax are fully waterproof. Weigh it all up and you have the investment in a durable machine that will go on working for you throughout the seasons – year in, year out, whatever the British weather throws at you. Find out more by contacting Countax on 01844 278800 or visit www.countax.co.uk/dealers to find your local dealer.

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