INFINICUT® & TMSystem™ the perfect match

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INFINICUT® & TMSystem™ the perfect match: Having played the sport from the age of 10, in 2012 Dean Gibbons combined his passion for bowls with his interest in turf maintenance, becoming Greenkeeper at Wantage Bowling Club.

At just 28, Dean brings youthful enthusiasm to improve standards whilst exploring new, greener alternatives for the club. On Dean’s recommendation, the club purchased a 22” INFINICUT® FX and a selection of TMSystem™ cassettes last year, meaning he can now mow, aerate and verti-cut the green, all with one battery-powered unit.

INFINICUT® & TMSystem™ the perfect match

INFINICUT® & TMSystem™ the perfect match

“I’d always had an interest in gardening at home so used that to assist the former greenkeeper at the bowls club, where I gained knowledge and invaluable hands-on experience. After taking over and familiarising myself with the programme, I then began to look at new machinery to make the tasks easier.” Over the last few years Dean has gradually taken on all of the maintenance work, meaning the club no longer require the service of external contractors – the savings from which went towards purchasing the INFINICUT® in July 2019.

“I’d had my eye on the INFINICUT® for a few years. The fact it is battery powered makes it greener, cleaner and quieter to operate and in addition, the versatile range of cassette options available meant we only needed to fund, and subsequently store, a single machine. When they introduced the Fixed Head model it offered all of the above benefits, wrapped up in a more affordable package for us.”

During a regular season, Dean and his team of volunteers would mow the green up to four times a week, adding that the “simplicity of use and well-balanced manoeuvrability of the INFINICUT® has taken the strain off the maintenance.” Their TMSystem™ cassettes – the SarelRoller and UltraGroomer – are then passed over the green on a bi-weekly basis. Preventing surface sealing, the SarelRoller helps to improve filtration rates and gaseous exchange into the upper rootzone, while the 80+ tungsten carbide tipped blades of the UltraGroomer minimise puffiness and effectively remove thatch and lateral growth.

“The multi-functionality of the INFINICUT® is excellent – the flexibility I have to conduct those three tasks, exactly when we need to means our green is now in better shape than ever. Not only that, but the quality and cleanliness of cut has helped to boost overall plant health, helping me to fulfil my organic approach to greenkeeping.” Enjoying the fruits of his labour, Dean remains a keen player and hopes that the quality of the bowling surface may encourage new, and perhaps younger, players to the club.

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New Doosan excavator excels in Spain

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New Doosan excavator excels in Spain: Excavaciones Rafael Gómez, based at Cos in Cantabria in Spain, has purchased a new Doosan DX235LCR-5 reduced radius excavator. The machine was supplied by Adal Exclusivas Generales, the local Authorised Dealer for the Doosan range in the area.

Excavaciones Rafael Gómez works mainly in the forestry sector but also in public works, earthmoving and constructing breakwaters. The company regularly carries out work for a large local forestry company that supplies wood to pulp, mining and sawmill companies from fast-growing woodland stands, including eucalyptus and pine along the Cantabrian coast. Excavaciones Rafael Gómez also works locally for various official departments of the Cantabrian government as well as contracts in neighbouring communities such as Asturias or the Basque Country, and even in Castilla León.

New Doosan excavator excels in Spain

New Doosan excavator excels in Spain

“My company is specialized in the forestry sector, in land preparation, cleaning, clearing and access to forest plantations. Once the trees in the mountains are cut down, their remains must be cleared out, with the debris stacked for removal or for crushing,” says owner, Rafael Gómez Rivero.

He added: “In the mountains, a machine cannot fail on you – it is not the same as when you work in the centre of a city. I need a reliable machine and what made me opt for Doosan was, first, the service; I have the dealer, Adal Exclusivas Generales, right next to me – they provide excellent service, they are real specialists. They offer a complete management, advice and service solution. The second reason, of course, was the performance of the DX235LCR-5 and its reduced fuel consumption.”

The 24 tonne Doosan DX235LCR-5 reduced radius excavator offers superior digging performance together with flexibility, convenience and low operating costs in a compact design with a minimum swing radius of 2310 mm. The DX235LCR-5 meets the growing demand for reduced radius machines for work in confined areas.

Increased Power and Fuel Efficiency

The DX235LCR-5 is powered by the well-proven 6-cylinder, turbocharged Doosan DL06P water-cooled diesel engine which offers convenience and lower costs by meeting emission regulations without the need for a diesel particulate filter (DPF), through the use of cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and selective catalyst reduction (SCR) after-treatment technologies. The DL06P engine provides an output of 180 kW (242 HP) at 1900 rpm, an increase of 9% in engine power.

As well as the DL06P engine, which is one of the most reliable and fuel efficient ever produced by Doosan, innovative and exclusive features have been introduced providing an overall 8% increase in fuel efficiency compared to the DX235LCR-3.

According to Rafael Gómez Rivero, he chose this specific model because of its short turning radius, which makes it a perfect excavator for working in tight places. He has used other machines that did not allow him to travel or work as easily. The Doosan DX235LCR-5 excavator does much more in confined spaces, and with the dozer blade, the operator can also do the work of a small bulldozer. The articulated arm on the DX235LCR-5 allows the boom and bucket to be brought very close to the machine, which is a key feature for the forestry sector and also provides the digging force to work in stony ground.

Rafael Gómez Rivero added: “In the Doosan DX235LCR-5 excavator, I would highlight the turning force it has – the turning torque and turning force are very high. It means that travelling on slopes with a loaded bucket and turning the stones on the breakwaters with a bucket are no problem for this model. There is a lot of strength and stability in the tracks – it climbs all kinds of terrain without problem.

“Colleagues and friends who are using Doosan machines have recommended them to me for their reliability. They have Doosan machines in this area that have worked for over 20,000 hours with no problems. And that is essential for me and for other contractors in the sector. Avoiding downtime is very important, since it translates into productivity and profit.

“I have been working with machines for over 40 years, so I know them very well and I can say that the Doosan DX235LCR-5 excavator has a very good quality/price ratio. The hydraulic system that comes standard with this model is very appropriate for this class of machine – the smoothness of the movements is much better than that in machines from other brands. It is faster and more comfortable to operate with a system that allows attachments to be operated from the joystick or a two-way pedal.”

For more on Doosan construction equipment, please visit the website: www.eu.doosanequipment.com

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Fleet paint VE Day rainbow

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Fleet paint VE Day rainbow: About 4 weeks ago, we were asked by Julie Wills, the Head Teacher of Upton Upon Severn Primary School, if we could paint a large rainbow on their playing field in support of all the Key Workers. We of course said “Yes, it’ll be a pleasure!”.  So my colleague, Chris Bridges, and I set about creating a beautiful rainbow on their playing field.

The end result was amazing and was reported by BBC Hereford & Worcester and appeared on BBC Midlands Today TV at tea time.

Fleet paint VE Day rainbow

Fleet paint VE Day rainbow

A couple of weeks later, Malvern Community Hospital asked if we could paint another outside the reception of the Hospital, on grass. So again Chris and I set about creating a smaller rainbow outside the Hospital. This is still bringing smiles to the faces of staff as they enter and leave the hospital.

Whilst being interviewed by Justyn Surrall of BBC Hereford & Worcester after the second rainbow, Justyn jokingly said to me “maybe we’ll have a competition to see who can do the biggest rainbow”. This stuck in my mind for a couple of weeks. I then called Malvern Rugby Club to check they would be ok with us (Fleet) painting a rainbow, the full length of the 1st XV PITCH from try line to try line …. 100 metres in length! The Club were extremely excited about the whole idea.

This rainbow needed to be different to the other two, which it certainly would be due to its size! My colleague Chris reminded me about VE DAY on the 08th May, so with this is mind, we thought we’d make it a tribute to all the Key Workers as well as remembering VE DAY.  The end result has been particularly well received. It has made the National News channels, as well as Regional News. It has appeared as far afield as New Zealand on their National News as well as many countries across Europe. As well as being 100 metres from one end to the other, below the net arc of the rainbow, we painted the VE DAY logo set on top of a Union Jack Flag. Our MAQA GNSS system was used to plot the Flag, our BeamRider Laser System was used for the VE DAY logo and it was back to basics using a tape measure and straight edges to do the lettering etc. The 7 & 5 on the VE DAY logo were 6 metres in height, the VE DAY letters were 4 metres high and the rest of the text at about 1.3 metres. Each colour of the rainbow was 2.5 metres in width. If you walked around  the red arc of the rainbow, the distance would be around 157 metres!  It took about 2.5/3 days for Chris, Ali S, Adam and myself to get this “small project“ painted in ( plus I roped in my son for half a day and Ali M who flew the drone for videos and pics was roped in for a few hours as well! All socially distancing of course) A massive thanks and pat on the back to everyone involved.

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New irrigation controller from Rain Bird

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New irrigation controller from Rain Bird: Rain Bird has introduced the new smart ESP- LXIVM two wire irrigation controller with a smart solenoid Integrated Valve Module (IVM).

This innovation represents a major step forward in landscape and sports turf irrigation control through real-time communication and providing the user with immediate feedback and diagnostics as well as highly reliabile, closely controlled irrigation.

New irrigation controller from Rain Bird

New irrigation controller from Rain Bird

Installers and their customers can take advantage of ESP-LXIVM’s powerful features including the fact that the controller and the irrigation valve speak the same language. It can be used for a spectrum of irrigation control application from landscaped housing developments, schools and sports training grounds to public parks and larger industrial or commercial sites.The Standard version has a 60 station capability whilst the Pro offers 240 stations which can be split across 10 flow zones.16 stations can be run simultaneously and up to 40 irrigation programs can be set.

With the integrated IVM-SOL control station the need for a decoder is eliminated and 50% fewer connectors are required in the field. This means simplified installation, saving time and money, as well as lowering future maintenance requirements and potential field repairs.

The ESP- LXIVM can communicate wirelessly and be used in conjunction with the Rain Bird’s IQ Platform, including the new IQ4 100% browser based irrigation management system. This gives users convenient remote internet control from a smartphone, tablet or desktop PC. The controller’s display panel has a simple user interface with a large backlit screen, an easy to operate programming dial and additional buttons for extra functions. In conjunction with the real-time diagnostics feature, users can access historical electrical data and other operational information through the screen and react quickly to any potential problems in the field.

The controller’s IVM-SEN interface allows real-time flow management tools such as Rain Bird’s FloWatch and FlowManager to be employed and guard against high or low flow conditions. Water can also be conserved and total watering times reduced by interfacing with weather sensors.

For more information, contact Peter Longman, Northern Landscape Area Manager, Rain Bird Europe. plongman@rainbird.eu  www.rainbird.eu

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G860 integral for Notts County FC

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G860 integral for Notts County FC: Matthew Hallam, head groundsman at Notts County FC, claims that the versatile Dennis G860 cylinder mower has been a saving grace after they were unable to carry out end of season renovations.

Matthew, who started life in the industry as a greenkeeper, has been the head groundsman at Notts County FC for just over 18 months. Previously, he spent ten years working at the nearby Nottinghamshire Golf and Country Club before taking the head groundsman position at Ilkeston Town FC. It was here that Matthew quickly impressed showing huge ability as a football groundsman and it wasn’t long before he was offered the top job at Notts County FC.

G860 integral for Notts County FC

G860 integral for Notts County FC

It is safe to say that Matthew had somewhat of a baptism of fire upon starting his new role – the club were on the verge of relegation, and a change of ownership was looming. This, along with other unforeseen circumstances, resulted in no end of season renovations being carried out.

Despite being unable to strip the top off the surface and remove vegetation, Matthew has done a remarkable job in keeping the pitch in a superb condition all season. With the odds stacked against him, regular maintenance has been key and Matthew claims that the Dennis G860 has been integral to the cause.

“With us not being able to carry out the work, the Dennis G860 has really helped us,” he says. “We have the Spring Tine Rake, the Verti-Cutter, the Brush, and the 8 Bladed Cylinder – so it is like a four-in-one maintenance machine. In the summer, we were verticutting as much as we could because we knew we had a thatch issue, and since then we have constantly brushed the pitch and raked the algae off the top of the surface. It has been a brilliant bit of kit for us and if we didn’t have the G860 then these problems would only have intensified.”

As Matthew says, the Dennis G860 features an interchangeable cassette system to assist with a wide range of tasks such as including scarifying, verticutting, brushing, spiking, and slitting. Lightweight at just 166kg; it is easy to manoeuvre and comfortable to operate. The handlebar console houses the controls for – throttle, parking brake, roller drive and cutting cylinder drive.

The mower also features a large diameter front roller with an adjustable scraper which has been designed for a precise height of cut control, giving an excellent finish on every occasion.

“The finish it provides is nothing short of excellent,” he continues. “With the G860 we cut to 25mm in the summer and from October time we will raise it to 26mm-27mm. When winter arrives, we will raise it to 28mm and will stay at that cutting height until April – depending on the weather.

“It’s very easy to use and it takes no time at all to take the cassettes in and out. We have tried other machines and we just feel that the Dennis G860 is the best on the market.”

With a first full season nearly completed at Notts County FC, Matthew is looking forward to finally being able to carry out end of season renovations. While being relatively new to football groundsmanship, it is safe to say that Matthew has already found his calling but admits that every day offers a new experience.

“I have found that you are always learning in this industry,” he says. “There is not one day where you do not learn something new and you are constantly getting new ideas and sharing experiences with other groundsmen.

“So, I will continue to learn and progress, and in the future choose to use Dennis Mowers due to their reliability, versatlility and the quality of cut.”

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 @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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