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Nottingham Gun Club credits Husqvarna

Nottingham Gun Club credits Husqvarna: Nestled in the heart of Sherwood Forest lies Nottingham & District Gun Club, established for over 55 years, the club has turned its attention to robotic mowing, crediting Husqvarna Automower® for maintaining the club’s immaculate grounds.

Directing their attention to innovative mowing in 2019, the Club chose Husqvarna Automower® 550 to maintain four of its shooting layouts. Covering up to an acre of land, the robotic mower has enabled the grounds team to free up hours of time, previously spent mowing.

Nottingham Gun Club credits Husqvarna

Nottingham Gun Club credits Husqvarna

Offering lessons, shooting memberships, events, and stag and hen parties, the Gun Club requires picture-perfect grounds, all year round. With a restricted amount of time to mow, fears of theft, and the limitations of shared equipment, the Club turned to B&B Tractors and Husqvarna Automower®, to help assist with their challenges.

Carl Smith, Owner at Nottingham & District Gun Club, discussed the switch to Automower®: “For many years we’ve worked with the team at B&B Tractors as their service has always been fantastic. When we discussed the idea of turning to robotic mowing, it quickly became evident that it would be the smart thing to do, and Husqvarna Automower® stood out as the obvious choice.

“The Club has always had the challenge of maintaining the grounds when clients are there, which means limited hours in which to do so. Time is the most precious thing that the ground staff has, but with limited hours to work in, it’s never something we’ve had surplus of.

“Trying to keep the layout tidy has always been a challenge we’ve faced, with dandelions and daisies becoming a particular issue in the past. As quick as we’d be at removing them, the quicker they’d be at growing. We knew we needed an innovative solution, and so purchased Automower® 550.

Ever since the first Automower® was introduced in 1995, Husqvarna has been known as the world leader in robotic mowing. With over 2 million sold worldwide, Automower® is renowned for its low energy consumption, zero emissions, low noise and high productivity. Covering everything from smaller urban gardens to challenging areas up to 5,000m2, Automower® can also handle difficult inclines up to 70%.

Carl continued: “Shortly after our Automower® was installed, it wasn’t long until we were seeing the fruits of its labour. Being able to mow day or night, in rain or shine, our layouts looked better than ever. The dandelions and daisies were also no longer an issue, as Automower® keeps the grass at a short length. Just as we need it.”

One of the biggest issues the Gun Club faced was the breakage of garden machinery while being swapped between the grounds team, and the threat of theft while being stored overnight. Carl discussed: “Storing expensive equipment has always been a worry in case of break-in’s, and when tools are being swapped between many different team members, breakages are inevitable, and so it became a conscious decision to stop buying expensive equipment.

“Using lower-quality equipment was okay in the short-term, but eventually we decided it was time to invest in Automower®, thanks to its abilities to avoid these issues.”

Featuring GPS theft tracking which registers the mower’s GPS position every 30 seconds, as well as a high-pitch alarm which starts when moved and can only be deactivated with the mower’s unique pin code, extra security is provided with the Automower® models.

“One of the best things about Automower® is that it never gets ill, doesn’t need any holidays, and can work day or night, in any weather condition. With minimal input needed, the risk of damage is minimal, which has eased my worries about breakages significantly. In addition, the amount of time it has saved our team is incredible and allows us to spend more hours on tasks that require more skill and precision.”

“With the Automower® Connect app, we’ve been able to remotely control the mower through our phones and tablets. We’re able to change its settings, track its movements, and check its status, at any time, wherever we are, it’s really remarkable.”

“I have to admit, I was initially sceptical whether the Automower® would be able to deliver all that it promised, but it has certainly proved its worth. In the future we look forward to expanding our Automower® range and taking further advantage of Husqvarna’s innovation.”

For more information on Husqvarna Automower®, visit: https://www.husqvarna.com/uk/products/robotic-lawn-mowers/

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ECHO glove promotion

ECHO glove promotion: Chainsaw gloves are not only an essential piece of PPE equipment, but they are also functional clothing that can help you maintain grip on the saw for maximum control and precision.

For a limited time offer (and whilst stocks last), ECHO are giving away a pair of professional-grade, high-performance chainsaw gloves (SRP £46.04 inc VAT) with every new ECHO chainsaw purchased*.

ECHO glove promotion

ECHO glove promotion

ECHO chainsaw gloves offer the perfect balance of cut resistance (on the left glove) and flexibility. Their unique design allows your skin to breath, maintaining your grip and position whilst operating a chainsaw. Tough and durable, they offer Class 1, type A rated protection whilst being comfortable enough to wear all-day. These gloves are approved to EN 381 Class 1 (20m/s) standard and offer a protective surface of 110 mm wide and 120 mm high at the highest point (without the fingers).

When you purchase a new ECHO Chainsaw between 21 June 2021 and 31 August 2021, you can claim a pair of ECHO chainsaw gloves free – whilst stocks last. Terms and conditions apply*

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JCB’s recruitment drive

JCB’s recruitment drive: JCB has today started a fresh recruitment drive for 500 new shop floor employees as demand for its machinery continues to soar.

The company is setting on the additional agency employees at its 11 plants in Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Wrexham – on top of the 850 shop floor jobs already created so far in 2021.

JCB's recruitment drive

JCB’s recruitment drive

JCB is also offering an additional 300 agency employees permanent JCB contracts – which will bring the total number of agency shop floor employees given permanent jobs this year to 1,000.

The moves follow record demand for JCB’s construction and agricultural products, with most new machines already sold out until next year. Pay for shop floor roles has also risen once already this year to £11.35 an hour.

JCB CEO Graeme Macdonald said today. “The recovery continues to gather momentum and we have tens of thousands of new machine orders sitting on our books stretching well into next year. We have never seen anything like this in the 75-year history of JCB. As well as earning a competitive salary with the opportunity for overtime and enhanced shift allowances, there is great potential for new recruits to progress to permanent roles with JCB.”

To apply for the jobs visit https://jobs.guidantglobal.com/clients/jcb or text JCB to 82228.

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Makita tools create new gardens

Makita tools create new gardens: Landscape and garden specialist, Landform Consultants has used a wide range of Makita tools on the creation of three new gardens at RHS Garden Wisley, which surround the new state-of-the-art RHS Hilltop – The Home of Gardening Science, the UK’s first dedicated horticultural scientific centre of excellence.

The new Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) facility, RHS Hilltop, is the UK’s first scientific centre of excellence dedicated to horticulture. The three gardens, which form an integral part of the new centre, have been developed by leading and award winning garden designers Matt Keightley and Ann-Marie Powell.

Makita tools create new gardens

Makita tools create new gardens

The ‘Wellbeing Garden’ designed by Matt Keightley was the first to be built. It consists of a series of garden rooms that showcase the role of gardens in health and wellbeing including how they can provide physical and psychological therapy as well as natural healthcare. This area also aims to inform young people about the importance of plants in health.

The Wildlife Garden, designed by Ann-Marie Powell, demonstrates the link between gardens and nature in the British Isles and highlights the importance of plant diversity in supporting wildlife, especially declining species. Also designed by Ann-Marie, the World Food Garden aims to provide a ‘plot to plate’ experience for visitors. Adding a contemporary and innovative angle to a traditional kitchen garden, it aims to inspire and educate with features such as an outdoor demonstration kitchen and ‘edible maze’.

Mark Gregory, Managing Director at Landform Consultants, who began his career at RHS Garden Wisley, explained: “This multi-million pound project spans all the disciplines we offer as a business and encompasses a wide range of different elements. The task of bringing these inspirational garden concepts to life required everything from preparing the nearly four acre site to creating paths, ponds, walkways and seating in addition to the extensive planting and landscaping.

“Having the right tools for the job was essential and the Makita range of both mains-powered and cordless machines provided exactly what we needed. On this highly demanding project we have used everything from drills, impact wrenches and impact drivers to breakers, angle grinders, masonry cutters, wood saws and multi-tools.”

By removing the need for cables, cordless tools offer improved safety by eliminating a potential trip and snagging hazard. Cordless power also provides greater flexibility and freedom for users – something that was important on this project. To minimise disruption to the team on site and help boost productivity, Landform Consultants utilised Makita’s PDC01 Pack Battery power units. The pack, which can be free-standing or backpack-mounted, contains four Makita 18V LXT batteries to provide two to four times longer runtimes for cordless tools. The batteries in the pack can also be changed quickly when the charge levels are low to further minimise lost time.

Mark Gregory added: “One of the big advantages of Makita cordless machines is the ability to use the same 18V batteries across a wide variety of tools and other cordless products. This includes the Twin 18V machines that offer 36v power for the tasks that need it.”

All Makita cordless power tools are driven by one of three battery platforms: the 12VMax CXT, 18V LXT or 40VMax XGT. The LXT batteries can be used on more than 270 different products, which includes lights and job-site radios as well as power tools and garden machinery.

“Having worked at RHS Garden Wisley at the start of my career I understand its horticultural and educational importance, especially with the creation of the new research and learning facilities.” Mark commented. “It has been a privilege to have worked on such a high profile and prestigious project as this. The Makita tools, as well as the support from the Makita team, have really contributed to our success on this project.”

Mark Earles, Business Development Manager for Outdoor Power Equipment at Makita said: “We have worked with Mark and the Landform team for many years now and we are always keen to help them find the right tools for any job. The RHS Garden Wisley project truly demonstrates the strength and versatility of cordless technology. I’m proud to say our tools played a part in creating these remarkable gardens.”

To find out more about the Makita range of power tools, garden machinery and accessories visit www.makitauk.com.

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John Deere mowers excel at The K Club

John Deere mowers excel at The K Club: One of Ireland’s top golf resorts has taken delivery of two new John Deere 9009A TerrainCut rotary rough mowers to keep its courses in pristine condition. The famous K Club 5-star golfing resort in Kildare, just half an hour’s drive from Dublin, hosted the Ryder Cup in 2006 as well as the Irish Open in 2016 and 13 European Opens.

When the need arose for new rough mowers at the resort, thorough research was carried out by the greens staff to investigate what each brand had to offer. In the end the top cutting quality and reliability of the John Deere models trumped the competition, and two 9009A mowers were ordered from local golf & turf dealer Dublin Grass Machinery.

John Deere mowers excel at The K Club

John Deere mowers excel at The K Club

Powered by a 55hp engine, the John Deere 9009A is a five-gang 68.6cm (27in) independent rotary deck mower with a cutting width of 2.7m (9ft), providing the all-day productivity needed for golf course rough mowing.

Gerry Byrne has been Resort Superintendent at The K Club for the past 24 years and is well pleased with the machines’ performance. “We recently bought the two new John Deere rotary mowers as we wanted to improve the overall presentation of the rough areas on both the Palmer North and Palmer South courses,” he says. “We carried out extensive research into all the main brands and decided that the 9009A suited our needs best of all.

“I have used John Deere mowers in the past but not that recently, just the company’s tractors. It’s been good to reconnect with Dublin Grass Machinery, as I have known Stan Mitchell and the dealership team since I was a trainee many years ago.

“We have operated other makes of rough mower here, and they carried out a good job of overall course maintenance. However, we felt the more versatile John Deere 9009A mowers would give us a better quality of cut. Both mowers not only provide a premium, precision cut but importantly they are also able to cope with our intricate dune style mounds, particularly around sensitive areas of the courses. I find them to be very proficient and user friendly,” he adds.

Most of the servicing and maintenance of the machinery at The K Club is carried out by the resort’s staff mechanic. A good parts and backup service from Dublin Grass Machinery was another influential factor in the purchasing decision for Gerry Byrne and the greenkeeping team.

“Our mechanic Pat Freany has been with us for over 25 years,” he says. “Pat carries out all the servicing and repairs and has a very good working relationship with the dealership. The quick turnaround on parts delivery and service kits is a unique selling point for John Deere, which Pat really appreciates.”

As for future investments in new machinery at The K Club, Gerry Byrne is confident that John Deere will feature again. “The K Club has significant investment plans for the whole estate, and John Deere mowing equipment will certainly be part of our continuing strategy to enhance the overall presentation standards for our members and guests.”

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