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GreenMech QuadChip Lightens The Load

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GreenMech QuadChip Lightens The Load: Housing association Karbon Homes is responsible for the management and maintenance of almost 30,000 properties, making it one of the largest organisations of its kind in the North East and Yorkshire. As part of a business partnership with the Byker Community Trust (BCT), Karbon Homes provide BCT with a dedicated Grounds Maintenance Team, responsible for the upkeep of the Grade II* Listed Byker Estate. Helping Grounds Maintenance Officer Dan Thompson and his team of five with the woodland maintenance is a QuadChip 160 from GreenMech.

The summer sees the majority of the Byker team’s time taken up with grass cutting but in the winter the maintenance programme switches over to include leaf clearance, tree work and shrub maintenance. “As well as over 2,500 trees, there are lots of hedgerows and open spaces that all require upkeep” explains Dan, who has been with Karbon Homes for two and a half years. “As the estate was constructed in the 1970’s, it’s quite complex in nature with tight spaces in which to manoeuvre any equipment we purchase.”

GreenMech QuadChip Lightens The Load

“My manager suggested we looked at the QuadChip because of its turntable, giving the operator discretion over the direction of the chip and improving manoeuvrability and safety. Peter Bagguley from GreenMech came in to do the demo and there were a number of factors that confirmed it was going to be the right machine for the estate. Firstly, and importantly, it’s under 750kg meaning all the guys can tow and operate it without an additional licence. The hopper is a generous size meaning it can handle larger timber than similar models, and it was also quieter than other chippers we’ve used which is great for working earlier in urban areas.” Following the successful demonstration, Dan took delivery of his GreenMech QuadChip 160 in March 2018, from their local dealer Lloyd Ltd.

Prior to its purchase, Dan and the team were borrowing a chipper from another Karbon Grounds Maintenance Team. “Having our own machine means it’s there and ready for any response jobs through the summer, and then in use daily for all of the winter maintenance. My team really have their work cut out and having the QuadChip has made the busy winter period that much easier.”

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STIHL To Debut At BTME

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STIHL To Debut At BTME: STIHL will be heading to Harrogate to attend BTME 2019 for the first time and showcase its full range of grounds care products, including its new range of high performance professional lawn mowers.   

The full range of STIHL’s new professional lawn mowers will be on display, including the RM 756 GC, the RM 655 RS rear roller mower and the RM 4 RTP mulching mower. All created for professional use on larger areas, each mower within the collection is built for maximum durability and comfort for prolonged use.

STIHL To Debut At BTME

The RM 756 GC professional lawn mower comes packed with plenty of features to tackle the toughest grass cuttings jobs. Features include a solid mono handlebar that makes emptying the 80-litre grass box simple, whilst low vibration figures allow the mower to be used in comfort for a full working day.

In addition, the RM 756 GC comes with a 3-speed gearbox and a brake blade clutch mechanism to increase working speed and reduce machine down time. The deck housing is made from high quality magnesium to maintain durability and reduce weight, where as the full size polymer deck insert offers impact protection, further improving durability.

With a stainless steel driven metal roller, the RM 655 RS offers no compromise between convenience and lawn quality. Fitted with a mono-comfort handle as standard, the body design of the new professional mower allows for easy access and maintenance of working parts such as drive cables, pulleys and the drive belt. The optimised rear deflector flap works perfectly with the mono-comfort handle, improving access to the grass box and making emptying much easier. The RM 655 RS also features Blade Brake Clutch (BBC), which will stop the movement of the blade when the lawn mower is stationary.

The RM 4 RTP is a 1-speed drive mulching lawn mower that is ideal for professionals who require great mulching results. The self-propelled machine features optimised design, robustness and high quality equipment such as anti-vibration elements, skirt protectors and a powerful engine. Features such as SmartChoke, double ball-bearing wheels and excellent grip make operation easy while front and rear carrying handles aid transportation.

For more information on STIHL’s grounds care range and its new professional lawn mowers, be sure to visit stand 108 in the Blue Zone at BTME on 22nd – 24th January 2019, or visit www.stihl.co.uk.

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“Toro The Future” At Mid Kent GC

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“Toro The Future” At Mid Kent GC: Darryl Manion, the newly appointed course manager at Mid Kent Golf Club, has committed to increasing the club’s Toro fleet with a renewal agreement and four new machinery purchases in his first three months at the club in Gravesend. 

Darryl arrived at Mid Kent Golf in 2000 and has worked his way up the club through senior and deputy roles before taking on the course manager position. He is dedicated to renewing the current Toro fleet and expanding it further.

"Toro The Future" At Mid Kent GC

He explains: “I’m not interested in changing a system that works. I want to make the club better, not take a step backwards. The service we get from Toro is second to none and to be honest I can’t think of anything better to suit the course’s needs. Our team works hard to keep standards high, but it would be useless if we didn’t have the right equipment behind us, which is why I want to continue with Toro.”

With Toro already front and centre at the club, Darryl explains why expanding is the right choice for Mid Kent: “The design of Toro machinery has always impressed me, they get the job done quickly which saves fuel and their durability in particular is better than any other brand I’ve used. The quality is undeniable really. I’ve only been in this role three months, but I’m already looking to the future and to what we can achieve. By renewing machines each year and updating the fleet, I know the quality of the course will only improve. The way I see it, Toro is the future for Mid Kent Golf Club.”

Mid Kent Golf Club, which is over a century old, is regularly referred to as a course of classic design and has long enjoyed glowing praise for the fact that the challenge and aesthetic layout of the course Willie Park Jr took great care in creating has never been diluted. This is a situation Darryl is keen to maintain.

“I’ve had experience with Toro for many years and there’s nothing else that meets the same standard. I’m lucky enough to be in a position to make investments to maintain the club’s charm and make improvements that mean we stay with the times – I want to take that opportunity and ensure the future of Mid Kent is the best it can be and going forward, that means Toro.”

The club currently boasts a comprehensive collection of Toro machines and utility vehicles plus two TYM tractors so there’s no question the club has long recognised the value they bring. With a Workman MDX-D and Groundsmaster 4700-D purchased this year, and a Reelmaster 3100-D and Greensmaster Triflex Hybrid 3420 on order, the fleet is expanding and with Darryl in charge there have been no delays in making that happen.

“The new machines are going to be a great addition to the fleet we have already,” says Darryl. “Each machine we get from Toro always works perfectly for the job it’s intended for, which is what makes them different to other brands. I think my favourite machine is the Reelmaster 3100-D Sidewinder, because I know it’s going to be a job well done before I even start. It gives good definition around the greens which is really important and, of course, very satisfying.”

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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Charterhouse Return To BTME

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Charterhouse Return To BTME: A range of machines, in both green and red can be found in the purple zone at BTME in Harrogate, as Charterhouse Turf Machinery showcase their natural turf management portfolio on stand 432. Particular highlights will include a selection of machines from the Graden range, including the Z2R turf roller, which will be found beside a variety of units from both Redexim and Rink.

The Graden Z2R (Zero to Roll) turf iron is a self-contained unit that requires no trailer and no unhooking – eliminating any health & safety issues caused by the hitching, lifting and positioning of a traditional roller.  It is fitted with 4 wheels which can be raised and lowered as required, delivering an 8.5mph rolling speed on the greens and quick, convenient transportation around the course. The Graden FLEX system also provides a constant positive pressure across all rollers, conforming to any contours on the greens, whilst keeping a low overall PSI.

Charterhouse Return To BTME

The flagship Graden machine, the Contour Sand Injection (CSI) unit, will also be on show. It has the ability to scarify to any depth between 1mm-40mm whilst simultaneously backfilling the grooves with either sand or a combination of sand and seed. Powered by a 20hp V-Twin Honda engine, the CSI has a hydrostatic transmission and a 100kg sand hopper. Its multi-functionality saves the operator time and reduces play downtime, without causing any detrimental effect to ground firmness.

Complementing the Graden machinery, products from Redexim will also be on show. Visitors will be able to see a selection of machines including the iconic Verti-Drain® and the Pedestrain Carrier, as well as the DS800 topdresser from Rink. Available in both trailed and mounted formats, the DS800 has a 0.8m3 hopper and offers a spreading width of up to 12m and a thickness of up to 15mm.

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Greenkeeper Sets Up Mental Health Support Page

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Greenkeeper Sets Up Mental Health Support Page: The head greenkeeper of Hazel Grove Golf Club in Cheshire has set up a successful Facebook page that offers mental health support to greenkeepers in the industry.

Mike Davie created the page after observing “the increase of expectations of the golfer with increased personal abuse aimed at, and stress among, the greenkeeping community”.

He added that he’s known greenkeepers who have left the industry due to this, and therefore set up the page ‘Greenkeepers mental health support group’ earlier this year.

It already has more than 250 members.

“Mental health issues are more apparent nowadays as more seek medical help,” he said.

“Yet little support is offered from many golf clubs and duty of care is apparently not seen as a necessity.

“One of the problems is that clubs are run by well-meaning volunteers, which means when they need to discipline members for acts against the club’s staff, they don’t want a confrontation with their ‘friends‘ and would rather brush the matter under the table and resolve the issue by providing a polite pat on the head of the greenkeeper. This all creates a feeling of isolation within the industry.

“Any sign of acknowledging a problem by oneself is deemed as thought of being weak, so we tend to bottle it up, causing greater problems.

“In late 2017 I attended a stress awareness seminar by BIGGA at Sale Golf Club and realised that, by the number who had attended, and the fact that many are highly respected within the industry, we had a problem with mental welfare.

“I started a local support group in south Manchester for greenkeepers who wished to attend and talk out their problems. The realisation that we are not alone made a huge difference. The feedback I got was positive so the Facebook page was started in late July.

“This group does not always need people to comment but, as I have been told, the fact there is a page that can be accessed gives strength to someone feeling down.

“A big problem with our industry is that it is a high percentage negative industry. For example, you lie in bed listening to the rain, wondering how the course is affected. Will there be breakdowns, will all the staff turn up? The first thought of seeing a committee member is ‘what’s their complaint?’ and so on.

“These sites help to promote the fact we are not alone and in fact are a strong community we just need to tap in to, build bridges and connect more.

“In the long term I hope that the governing bodies will take on the challenge of promoting, supporting and giving help to the welfare of greenkeepers.”

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