Toro Stays At Yeovil GC

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Toro Stays At Yeovil GC: Yeovil Golf Club in Dorset has been a long-term Toro customer and that remains the case with the arrival of new course manager Jason Connaughton who, within days of his arrival, placed an order for a Toro Groundsmaster 4000-D.

Jason says it was an exciting time to join the 27-hole parkland course as the club was undergoing a management restructure. He says: “The club is in a very exciting position. There has been a management restructure and we are working together to move the club forward in a positive way. Plans to buy in new machinery are well supported, and we are all in agreement that investment should focus on our number one asset: the course.”

As mentioned, first up is a Toro Groundsmaster 4000-D, which Jason had the pleasure of using extensively at his previous club, Saffron Walden Golf Club in Essex: “I have experience with most machinery brands and for me the Toro GM4000-D is the number one rough mower. We had just replaced like-for-like at Saffron Walden, so when I arrived at Yeovil and spotted the gap for a roughs mower I turned straight to Toro and the GM4000-D again.”

Jason didn’t have to wait long, Elliot Wellman from local Toro dealer, Devon Garden Machinery, was on site by Jason’s second day to discuss what was needed. Elliot says: “Over the last six years Yeovil Golf Club had gradually been filling the shed with Toro, and there is quite a comprehensive fleet now in place. Jason needed a roughs mower, and it’s no surprise his first order is a Toro GM4000-D, as he was already very familiar with its capabilities.”

Next, comes a bigger and more detailed decision to make: a five-year machinery replacement plan. Jason explains: “While the shed is looking good, the time comes when replacements need to be made. The board trusts us to pick the right machines for the right jobs, and we think a five-year plan will best serve the club and the results we want to achieve.”

In the meantime, we leave Jason and his greenkeeping team of eight continuing to move the club forward with the help of two Toro TriFlex 3400 mowers, a Groundsmaster 3500-D, two Workman MDX-D UTVs, a Workman with ProPass 200 sprayer, a Workman with ProPass spreader, a Reelmaster 5610, and last but not least a Reelmaster 3100-D.

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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GKB Combinator Does What It Says

GKB Combinator Does What It Says

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GKB Combinator Does What It Says: Landscape and sports surface contractors Mumby Landscapes have taken delivery of a new GKB Combinator. Based at Deeping Gate just north of Peterborough, the company undertakes projects over a wide geographical area and initially purchased the Combinator for a project in Wales. Working with grass seeding, natural and artificial turf, Mumby Landscapes Ltd. regard the GKB machine as an essential addition to their range of specialised landscaping equipment.

“We tried the Combinator last year and were immediately impressed. It’s very well made and does everything it says. It’s an easy machine to work with and matches all our expectations.” Says Mumby’s Director, Mark Dew. The Combinator is a multifunctional fraise mowing machine with the option of three types of blade or chisel used in conjunction with the CombiRotor. It offers the capability of fraise mowing the surface layer of a natural sports pitch, or the natural grass and surface layer of a hybrid grass pitch without damaging the remaining synthetic fibres. You can also use the rotor shaft for scarifying and there is also a special brush for synthetic turf which enables you to remove sand, cork and rubber infill. Material removal is by way of conveyor belts and the working depth of the Combinator is easily controlled with the pendulum system of the conveyor rollers.

GKB Combinator Does What It Says

“The Combinator is such an all-round machine it’s ideal for our type of landscaping and sports pitch contracting,” says Mark. “We currently have plans for a joint venture in artificial pitch maintenance and the Combinator will be used for rubber and sand surface work. We’re confident the machine will stand the rigours of what’s ahead.”

For more information, visit: www.gkbmachines.com

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Groundsman Recommends TM1000

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Groundsman Recommends TM1000: David Hodgson, groundsman and president at the Kirkstall Educational Cricket Club in Headingley, Leeds, believes that a lot more local cricket clubs would see significant improvements if they used a SISIS Rotorake TM1000 tractor mounted scarifier on their pitches.

Established in 1853, Kirkstall Educational Cricket Club is one of the oldest cricket clubs in the country. The club, which is based at the Field of Dreams on Queenswood Drive in Leeds, boasts two Saturday league teams, a Sunday 3rd team and a range of junior teams from under 9’s to under 17’s.

David, or ‘Hodgy’ as he is more commonly known in the local area, has been looking after the facilities for the past twenty years and president of the club for the past twelve. The compact ground surrounded by trees, hosts on average, between 85 and 100 fixtures per annum and David leaves no stone unturned when it comes to preparation.

‘Hodgy’ is passionate about sports turf and particularly cricket – he is a previous winner of a Yorkshire Cricket Board OSCA (Outstanding Service to Cricket Award) and was also commended by the West Yorkshire and Leeds branch of the Institute of Groundsmanship for his work in developing and presenting “Understanding of Groundsmanship” courses to Yorkshire’s cricket development groups and raising the profile of groundsmanship in the region.

When he is not tending to the pitch at Kirkstall Educational Cricket Club, David has his own groundcare business and applies his expertise at a number of sports clubs throughout Yorkshire. With his workload increasing, he felt it was time to invest in new machinery and specifically something that would make his end of season renovations easier.

“I’m getting no younger and I thought that instead of operating pedestrian machines it might make sense to have a tractor mounted machine. I have colleagues who have the Rotorake TM1000 and they gave me very good reports on it. I have known of SISIS for years and own a SISIS Variseeder (tractor mounted seeder), which has served me incredibly well for over twelve years now.

“As my business developed I made the decision to increase my machinery stock to make my life easier – hence the purchase of the SISIS TM1000.”

The SISIS Rotorake TM1000 is a tractor mounted heavy duty scarifier and linear aerator and is un-rivalled when it comes to removing and controlling thatch. It includes a collector box and floating unit to follow ground contours and its contra-rotating reel throws debris forward ensuring a clean, consistent groove resulting in an excellent finish. With interchangeable blades and a quick, simple depth setting without tools, it seemed to be the perfect machine for David.

“I’m highly delighted with the purchase – the strength of the machine and the durability is excellent. I’ve used it for all of my recent autumn/winter renovations at around 25 venues throughout Yorkshire already.

“It’s great for ease of use and I like the fact I can adjust the depth setting depending on the site and the level of thatch that is in the profile. It’s a great feature to have and you can adjust it very easily without any tools.

“I have the scarification reel and the fraze mowing reel – which I think is absolutely brilliant. I’m also now looking at purchasing the brush for cleaning the squares during the playing season.

“Personally, I think that a lot of local cricket clubs would benefit from using the SISIS Rotorake TM1000.”

For further information or a no obligation demonstration, please contact SISIS on 01332 824 777 or visit www.sisis.com

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Rink Scores Perfect Ten In Russia

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Rink Scores Perfect Ten In Russia: With groundwork well underway for this years summer of football in Russia, over 80 pitches (including stadia and training facilities) are in the final stages of preparation. The 2018 tournament has seen a change to previous years in that each facility was made responsible for their own maintenance programmes.  This allowed the head groundsman at each facility, along with their sub-contractors, to choose what equipment they wanted to use to perfect their playing surfaces – when it came to Topdressers most turned to Redexim and their Rink 1010.

Head Groundsman Vitaly Belonenko at Kaliningrad Stadium has regularly been using the ultra-light and accurate Rink 1010.  The stadium, which was built specifically for the Russia 2018 World Cup, is based on the design and concept of the Allianz Arena in Munich and, amongst other matches, is due to stage a crucial group game between England and Belgium.

Rink Scores Perfect Ten In Russia

The Rink 1010 offers a spreading width of up to 1.5m, at a thickness of up to 10mm. the combination of its light weight build and floatation tyres mean ground pressure is minimised. Regular topdressings are taking place at the stadium to firm up the surface, including 10 tonnes spread the week before the inauguration of the stadium in April. It is being used in combination with a Redexim Verti-Drain 7215 aerator to work the sand down deeper into the soil profile.

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Toro At Blairgowrie Golf Club

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Toro At Blairgowrie Golf Club: Managing secretary Steven Morgan says every day is tournament day at Blairgowrie Golf Club, and for that reason the club has invested in a partnership agreement with Toro.

As the latest Toro machinery delivery arrives at the club in Perthshire in Scotland, Steven explains: “We decided to invest in Toro to ensure we constantly improve the playability of our courses. We believe that every day at Blairgowrie Golf Club is a tournament day and the time, effort and attention to detail when setting up the courses reflects this belief, as do the machinery choices we make.”

Toro At Blairgowrie Golf Club

Three Greensmaster 1000 pedestrian mowers, two Reelmaster 5410-D ride-on mowers, a Greensmaster TriFlex 3400 and a Multi Pro 5800-D sprayer join the fleet, which Steven calls “very good and very versatile”, and which the team of 16 say they “love, because it is easy to set, maintain and use, and leaves a fine finish to give great job satisfaction.”

The new additions join a fleet which already includes three Toro Groundsmaster 3500-D mowers and ProCore 648 aerator, and the performance of these machines is yet another reason as to why Blairgowrie continues to choose Toro. Steven says the ProCore in particular is “flawless”: “The design of the ProCore allows us to aerate any part of the course in a clean and tidy manner with ease no matter the terrain. We’ve had it for a long time, and it still performs flawlessly.”

Blairgowrie hosts a large number events and in 2018 sees the Scottish Amateur Championship, European Amateur Golf Tour and the PGA Lombard Pro Am arrive at the three course, 45-hole club.

Steven says: “We’ve a lot of golfers and competitors who expect the highest of standards. We knew that by choosing Toro and Reesink, we were ensuring a proactive relationship to consistently provide great course conditions while managing costs at all times.

“Plus, it was the right time to invest. We have recently spent a great deal of money on our greenkeeping sheds to allow us to maintain our assets much more professionally, making sure we get the best from them for longer.”

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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Charterhouse Gains BLEC Experience

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Charterhouse Gains BLEC Experience: Newly appointed BLEC dealer, Acorn Tractors from Derbyshire, recently joined forces with staff from Charterhouse Turf Machinery (CTM) for an in-depth training session on the BLEC range of specialist landscaping and turfcare equipment.

BLEC was purchased by Redexim almost two years ago and is now a division within CTM.  In that time the range of specialised landscaping and turfcare equipment has been streamlined and re-engineered by the Redexim team to feature a wealth of features.

Chaterhouse Gains BLEC Experience

The day was the Brainchild of Division Manager Curtis Allen to allow the combined staff to trial and test the range in the field to better assist and advise current and future customers. The day featured a broad spectrum of BLEC machinery including the BLEC Cultipack Seeder, the BLECavator 145 compact stoneburier, Power Box Rake and Laser Grader 1500TPP.

The Charterhouse team gained valuable time and field experience with machines for a variety of applications under the guidance of Acorn Tractors staff who have been involved with BLEC products for many years.

Of the event Curtis Allen said, “This was a great opportunity for the whole Charterhouse team to gain a thorough understanding of the products and this market sector. It was a day that all involved found very helpful and we’d like to pass our thanks onto Acorn Tractors Owner Julian Simpson and his team for not only hosting, but also supporting the day.”

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Makita’s Powered Wheelbarrow Leads To Medals

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Makita’s Powered Wheelbarrow Leads To Medals: The Makita 18v LXT Brushless power-assisted wheelbarrow has taken some of the back-breaking labour out of Landform Consultants inspirational garden builds at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2018.

Mark Gregory, managing director of award winning Landform Consultants Limited, together with his talented team, designed The Welcome to Yorkshire Garden in Main Avenue.  It was justifiably awarded the Gold & Best Construction medals as well as winning the People’s Choice Award.  Landform also designed and constructed The Seedlip Garden in the Space to Grow area of the Show which was awarded a cosseted Gold medal.

Makita's Powered Wheelbarrow Leads To Medals

“Chelsea garden show builds are always an enjoyable challenge and we take them extremely seriously so any help from Makita is very welcome,” says Mark Gregory, now a twentyone-time Gold medal winner.  “This labour-saving powered wheelbarrow has helped to reduce much of the pushing of a fully laden wheelbarrow.  This is a very impressive piece of kit and a fine match for the greatest flower show anywhere in the world.”

Designed principally to reduce the physical demands in the construction industry the new Makita DCU180Z is proving popular in many operating fields including commercial gardens.  Capable of carrying 130kg of blocks on the tubular frame, or similar amount of ballast in the barrow bin option, this power-assisted wheelbarrow has the Brushless motor integrated into the front wheel to ensure the maximum possible traction to the heavily ribbed agri-tyre.  This barrow has two forward speeds: Hi up to 3.5 km/h, Lo 1.5 km/h; powered reverse of 1.0 km/h and will climb a 12° maximum incline.  Main braking is provided by the front disc brake controlled by the hand lever on the steering handles. The wheelbarrow weighs just 32.5kg, is ready to work with handles that can be adjusted to three height levels for operator comfort and also fold for easy storage.  The detachable rear trailing wheels with kick down brake can be adjusted from a width of 480mm to 760mm which further improves stability and reduces operator effort.

The Welcome to Yorkshire Garden, sponsored by Welcome to Yorkshire, is inspired by the picturesque Yorkshire Dales, world famous for its dry stone walls, buttercup meadows, wild woodland, tumbling becks and artisan Wensleydale cheeses.  The Landform team made cheese in the stone dairy during the show and served it in the traditional Yorkshire way – on fruit bread.  “This is a celebration of Yorkshire’s stunning scenery and it is hoped that the garden will inspire visitors to experience Yorkshire’s captivating and serene beauty first hand,” continues Mark.  “And we are proud to have been awarded Best Construction too.  After breakdown everything in the garden will either go to charity, be recycled or reinstated, and even taken back to Yorkshire.”

The Seedlip Garden, designed by Landform’s senior designer Dr Catherine Macdonald, is sponsored by Seedlip, the world’s first distilled non-alcoholic spirit.  Inspired by the humble pea the garden was a first for Chelsea Flower Show as all the plants were from just one family – the pea family. “It’s a wonderful feeling to be awarded Gold for something I thoroughly love doing, and it’s even more special when you think the design is centred around the humble pea,” comments Catherine.

Compatible with any of the Makita 18v LXT Lithium-Ion batteries used to power Britain’s number 1 professional power tool range, the new Makita DCU180Z power-assisted wheelbarrow has soft start to ease the load away; constant speed control; twin LED driving lights and locking brake lever for maximum site safety.  For site security an individual ignition lock key is provided.  Previous walk-behind powered site platforms can cost several thousand pounds but the new Makita powered wheelbarrow will prove particularly attractive in relation to price competitiveness and rugged performance.

The DCU180Z is a body only machine which is available with a choice of optional accessories which can include the pipe frame set or bucket frame option.

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New Pellenc Battery & Harness

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New Pellenc Battery & Harness: The new Pellenc ULiB 1200 battery and harness has entered the UK market with battery life increased by 20% in comparison to the ULiB1100 battery. Pellenc is exclusively distributed in the UK and Ireland by Etesia UK.

The ULiB 1200 battery meets all of the professional requirements in terms of performance, comfort and technology, and offers increased autonomy of up to 20% – up to five hours of work with the most energy-consuming Pellenc tools in the range.

New Pellenc Battery & Harness

The new harness associated with the ULiB 1200 battery reduces the risk of musculoskeletal disorders considerably by a better distribution of the weight and leaves the user free of their movements. The battery is also waterproof to IP54 standards.

The new battery has the highest capacity on the market and is equivalent to 5640 litres of petrol. Pellenc engineers have worked on the balance and ergonomics to ensure power, precision and comfort. This major innovation allows an extended life of 40% and is in line with Pellenc’s desire to reduce direct CO2 emissions and guarantee recycling at 80% of the product.

With more than twelve years’ experience, Pellenc is the pioneer of professional battery-powered tools and this new battery guarantees performance, ergonomics and battery life that will revolutionise the use of professional battery-powered tools.

The ergonomics and lightness of the new Pellenc harness offer an optimal level of comfort in use. Its weight is perfectly distributed on the essential axes of back support. 70% of the mass rests on the hips and only 30% on the shoulders. The intuitive adjustment of the entire carrying system, from the straps to the backbone, adapts to any working habits of the user. The battery is also reversible on its harness to facilitate work closer to the ground with the Airion blower.

An HMI display managed by an intelligent processor optimises the use of the battery. It indicates a lot of information such as working time per tool, maximum power delivered by the battery or any fault alerts. In addition, the blinking mode of the screen and reflex reflectors allow the operator to view the display at all times even in dim light.

Technical Specifications of the Pellenc ULiB 1200 battery:

Energy:                      1221 W/h

Weight:                      6.3kgs

Water Resistance:   IP54 rated

Autonomy:                 up to 5 hours

Guarantee:                three year commercial warranty

All Pellenc batteries and tools come with a three-year commercial warranty and are distributed in the UK and Ireland exclusively by Etesia UK.

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

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Murray Hire Expands Först Fleet

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Murray Hire Expands Först Fleet: Bristol-based equipment and tool hire business Murray Hire Centres is expanding its long-standing fleet of Först woodchipper machines, after consistently being impressed by the superiority and reliability of the machinery.

Established since 1982, Murray Hire Centres is a close-knit family run business, now employing a total of 15 staff. With 600 account customers, the business has built itself a reputation as the best one-stop shop for equipment and tool hire in Bristol and the surrounding areas.

Murray Hire Expands Först Fleet

Mandy Taylor, Managing Director of Murray Hire Centres, explains why the business has worked closely with Först since its inception and has chosen to maintain the relationship ever since.

“There are numerous factors that make the Först machinery stand out to other machines available on the market”, said Mandy. “We’ve always felt that, paired with the consistent reliability and efficiency of the machines, their smart appearance also makes them far superior against other competitors.”

At present, Murray Hire Centres has two TR6’s, one ST6 and one TR8 machine, with another TR8 currently on order. Ideal for remote locations, the TR6 is a compact and manoeuvrable chipper which comes complete with Först’s unique ForstGrip feed-roller system, allowing for even the toughest forks and limbs to be broken.

Mandy continued: “We have reaped nothing but benefits from having Först machines on our fleet. For the business as a whole, it’s allowed us to offer a full circle of products to our customers. The robust machines have been utilised in a variety of scenarios over time, from general arboriculture work through to site clearances for large company extensions, as well as housing estates.

“Despite it being a rarity to face an issue with the machines, the warranty and after-sales support offered by Först is superb, which really gives us faith in the products and provides us with the assurance we need as a business.”

Going forward, Mandy is confident that the relationship with Först will continue to strengthen.

“Since day one, we have always had a fantastic relationship with Först, and we firmly believe that the machines are the best chippers available on the market.”

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Allett Scores At World Cup Venues

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Allett Scores At World Cup Venues: British manufactured Allett Mowers are the choice of the majority of the FIFA World Cup football venues in Russia. Allett is by far the top selling pedestrian mower brand for the very prestigious competition, supplying a total of over one hundred and eighty-five units of mowers and accessories across eight stadiums and thirteen official training grounds.

The process of taking Britain to Russia and winning the mower business for the World Cup venues started about two years ago when Allett’s Export Sales Manager, Dave Allett, made a series of presentations at two seminars and demonstration days. Allett’s Russian distributor Unisaw followed this up by investing in demonstration machinery and carried out more demonstrations at the stadiums and training grounds. Unisaw are a particularly strong dealer and it was the combination of Allett products and Unisaw’s supply and support that resulted in success.

Allett Scores At World Cup Venues

“I recently participated at a wonderfully well-run and attended seminar in Moscow, all organised by Unisaw” says Dave, “and took the opportunity to present Alexander Markin, the CEO of Unisaw Group, with two awards, one for outstanding sales achievement – Russia was our biggest single export market last year – and the second for service excellence.”

Dave attributes this great British success story to the products being chosen for their ease of use and high performance, which makes them ideal for sports turf surfaces, coupled with the exceptional sales efforts of Unisaw. “We offer a comprehensive solution: high-quality equipment for the care of football fields and constant service support, and our partnership with Allett is a very important part of this. Our company has all the necessary skills and takes great responsibility. We are ready and willing to share this with the stadiums, both before and after the games. Our specialists will work very hard on a special schedule, travelling to the facilities to assist at any time.” Says Alexander Markin, CEO of Unisaw Group. The main mowers supplied to the stadiums and training grounds are the Allett C34, together with cartridge accessories, the Regal 36, Buffalo 34 and RM34 models. The Allett C34, in the Allett professional mower range and powered by the Honda GX200 engine, offers in one machine the capability of performing up to eight different turf tasks. The cartridge head options include a six or eight blade cutting cylinder, powered scarifier, verticutter, brush, sorrel roller, turf rake and scarifier.

The Regal is regarded by groundsmen around the world as the ultimate large area dedicated mower for sports grounds, cricket pitches and other large grass areas. Hydrostatic forward and reverse drive with infinitely variable mowing speeds, power steering and compatibility with an optional trailing seat, combine to make it the prime choice for precision mowing with sharp, defined stripes on the turf.

The RM34 is a rotary stadium mower, which was designed around feedback from stadium groundsmen, with a full width rear roller to produce perfect pitch stripes. The twin contra-rotating blades and high lift system vacuum speedily and efficiently lifting debris, providing busy grounds staff with greater capability in the post match clear up, and for mowing higher when grass is being grown in.

Most of the eight Russian stadiums such as Kaliningrad, Rostov-on-don, Ekaterinburg and Saransk, to name but a few, ordered three Allett C34’s and two Regals each. Sochi Fisht stadium has four Allett C34’s, two Allett Buffalos and four Allett RM34 mowers. The Unisaw supplied training fields took thirty C34’s and fourteen RM34’s between them. In all, a major British export coup for Allett Mowers. 01889 271503 www.allett.co.uk

FIFA World Cup 2018 Stadiums Supplied by Allett Mowers

  • Rostov-on-don
  • Kaliningrad
  • Saransk
  • Ekaterinburg
  • Samara
  • Volgograd
  • Sochi Fisht

For more information, visit: www.allett.co.uk

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