Toro’s New Quieter Mower

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Toro’s New Quieter Mower: Toro’s new hydraulics-free Greensmaster eTriFlex with Lithium-ion battery cuts noise by 50 percent for quiet, leak-free, clean cutting and is being launched in the UK by Reesink Turfcare at BTME 2019.

The eTriFlex is a classic example of Toro responding to customer demand by creating a machine which significantly reduces noise. The big benefits to this are that it allows work to start earlier and may circumvent noise regulations. It will help avoid complaints from area residents and prevent having to delay mowing certain green early in the morning or during the day. Plus, with greens ready earlier, it could enhance revenue by allowing earlier tee times.

Toro's New Quieter Mower

Alongside the Lithium-ion battery is a proven Kawasaki twin cylinder 14hp air-cooled engine with a reduced speed of 2400rpm, shrouded in venting. It’s this design that ensures perceived bystander noise level is reduced by half.

Jeff Anguige, national sales manager, at Reesink, says: “The eTriFlex is a mower you could talk about all day. It’s quiet, and with no hydraulics it delivers clean and leak-free cutting. It ticks the green credentials box with its all-electric components and brings an estimated 22 percent saving in fuel, in comparison to say the Greensmaster 3320, thanks to its efficient power supply.”

As you’d expect from Toro, cutting capabilities are only ever improved upon, and the Greensmaster eTriFlex is no exception. The company is calling it the most advanced riding greensmower ever-bringing a new standard in mowing greens. Plus, the cut is consistent from the first to the last green as it’s no longer dependent on changing oil temperatures.

Jeff concludes: “With the familiar feel of its series counterparts such as the Greensmaster 3320 we have no doubt the eTriFlex will create a great deal of interest with UK greenkeepers and course managers at BTME keen to lower noise pollution and up their green credentials.”

See this – and more – on stand 420 in the Purple Zone.

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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Makita’s New Factory Service Centre

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Makita’s New Factory Service Centre: Makita UK has opened a third regional Factory Service Centre (FSC) in the busy London borough of Hounslow.  This new FSC joins Makita’s HQ facility in Milton Keynes, which serves the whole of the country, as well as Glasgow, which supports the rapidly expanding market penetration of the brand in Scotland and northern England.  The London FSC will primarily service the essential London and South East region.  In order to offer the best service levels in the industry Makita is committed to offering improved national coverage for the benefit of end user customers, as well as the network of Makita distributors, by building these dedicated FSC’s.

While these facilities satisfy a vital role in providing technical repairs and maintenance services for all mains and cordless construction machines, and the rapidly expanding range of grounds care tools, including 2-stroke and 4-stroke petrol engine products, training remains the cornerstone of Makita’s marketing success.  It ensures that both authorised distributors and operators are fully conversant with the power tools they own, or may purchase in the future; how to obtain the best and safest performance from these machines, and how to maintain them for efficiency and productivity.

Makita's New Factory Service Centre

The first FSC to be opened is based at South Street, Glasgow, which offers Makita product training across the complete range of products; product servicing courses, as well as accredited courses such as the successful and certificated City & Guilds Correct & Safe Use of Handheld Power Tools.  A user or instructor certificate is issued upon successful completion.  Courses are available to meet individual needs and bespoke power tool training can be designed to meet specific requirements.

At each location the theory elements of courses are held in a lecture theatre, followed by essential hands-on practical work which is carried out in specially adapted and fully equipped training demonstration rooms.  Courses are of 1 or 2 day duration or tailored to specific needs.  The CITB certificated course, which can include a combination of in-house and on-site training, relates to abrasive wheel training, and both instructor or user courses are available.  Gas nailer user training, chainsaw cross cutting and service courses are also available.

Tony Coleman, Technical Manager, Makita UK, says: “We are already receiving a very warm welcome from all sectors of the power tool industry in this heavily populated area of west London.  If demand becomes similar to that we’ve established in Glasgow and Milton Keynes we will be looking for additional training personnel.  Both employers and operators will benefit from this convenient location offering improved local services to all customers.”

Makita's New Factory Service Centre

Makita has great experience in supporting worthwhile challenges as WorldSkills UK, APL Apprenticeships and Hire Association Europe Apprenticeship schemes to help support customers of the future with product and training support.  Employees and employers can benefit from Makita’s outstanding training courses, which compliment high quality power tools used by professional trades’ people, raising ambitions and abilities for many.

The Makita range is supported with an equally comprehensive range of over 4,500 accessories and consumables products.

For more news and product information about Makita UK please visit www.makitauk.com.  Follow us on Twitter @MakitaUK, Facebook.com/makitauk and google.com/+makitauk

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Germinal Showcase ForeFront Mixture

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Germinal Showcase ForeFront Mixture: Germinal will be at BTME in Harrogate to showcase its ForeFront Greens grass seed mixture from 22nd to 24th January 2019.

Containing a unique blend of three top-ranking bentgrass varieties, ForeFront Greens delivers the highest levels of disease and stress resistance.  It is rated for cutting heights down to 3mm and, with excellent shoot density, fineness of leaf and unrivalled summer and winter greenness, is the mixture for better golf greens.

Germinal Showcase ForeFront Mixture

ForeFront Greens contains 35% Aber®Regal (browntop bent), 35% Aber®Royal (browntop bent) and 30% 007 DSB (creeping bent).

AberRegal and AberRoyal were both bred at IBERS (the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences in Aberystwyth) from parent material originally sourced in the UK.  As well as superb disease resistance they also offer excellent shoot density, good fineness of leaf and unrivalled winter and summer greenness.

007 DSB was bred in the US using 24 parent plants to produce a single cultivar with a prostrate growth habit, high shoot density and good wear tolerance in a wide range of climatic conditions.  007 DSB has won plaudits wherever it has been used including at Ryder Cup and US Open courses and at the PGA Masters at Wentworth.  Unlike older creeping bent varieties, 007 DSB has a lower requirement for water and nutrients thereby making it ideal for inclusion in a low input seed mixture.

The recommended sowing rate for Forefront Greens is 8 to 12g/m2 (80 to 120kgs/ha).  The recommended overseeding rate is 5 to 8g/m2 (50 to 80kgs/ha).

To discuss how ForeFront Greens could benefit your course visit Germinal on Stand 257 in  the Red Zone at BTME.  Alternatively go to www.germinalamenity.com

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IOG’s Rallying Cry

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IOG’s Rallying Cry: No-one involved in club cricket will be particularly surprised that the evolution of volunteers in key roles is an ongoing concern. Struggles to recruit enough umpires and shortages of scorers is as old as the hills.

Is it as bad as it ever was? I’ll leave that to you to ponder but the relatively small pocket of volunteers propping up tens of thousands of players across Yorkshire isn’t germinating, if I can put it like that.

IOG's Rallying Cry

In his first article for Cricket Yorkshire below, former Telegraph & Argus journalist Bill Marshall looks at the issue of where the cricket groundsmen of tomorrow are going to come from.

Rod Heyhoe, secretary of the Yorkshire branch of the Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG), has issued a rallying call in order to attract younger members.

In his report to their annual meeting at Cleckheaton Sports Club, he wrote: “We again published and circulated to all members our programme of events, giving details of speakers and meeting dates.”

“Attendances at meetings are still very good – long may this continue into the future. We must be doing something right?”

“But we seem to have peaked on numbers attending this year and we cannot be complacent in moving forward. We need more younger people involved in branch matters. Where are you?”

Heyhoe added: “Your committee believe that we are here to help all the groundsmen – from professionals to amateur volunteers – to raise their profile and improve their knowledge and the playing surfaces in their respective sports and pastimes.

“Just over four years after the appointments of Jason Booth and his regional advisers running GaNTIP (Grounds and Natural Turf Improvement Programme), a lot of their time has been spent helping local county FAs, county cricket boards and rugby league clubs improve their pitches.

“With the young directors and your branch officials working hard for the cause, I think we are moving forward and also encouraging the younger end into the business with apprenticeships and training schemes.

“This raises the profile of groundsmanship along the way, and it is good to see younger people attending our branch meetings, but there are not as many as we would like.”

Meanwhile, deputy chairman David Robinson wrote of the four pillars that hold the Yorkshire branch together.

He said that there were “the willingness of excellent industry speakers and sponsors who support the meetings, the sterling effort put in by Keith Johnstone and John Hawksworth at Cleckheaton Sports Club, all members and friends who regularly attend the meetings and contribute to the camaraderie, raffle prizes, cakes and overall ambience, and the small band of committee members who tie it all together.”

Robinson added: “Should any of these pillars begin to creak, the other three may begin to lean, despite all the goodwill generated to bind them.”

He also said that it was a great pleasure to listen to branch president Keith Boyce, the former groundsman at Headingley, at the ordinary meeting in December, even though he brought news of his impending retirement.

Robinson added: “Keith, you are inspirational and the reason that so many are committed to excellence in groundsmanship.”

Many Yorkshire County Cricket Club fans will remember Keith Boyce but he then transferred his knowledge to transforming the Richmond Oval, New Rover Cricket Club’s home.

Thanks to Bill for that contribution, he has had his ear to the ground on local cricket across West Yorkshire for many years and we hope to have more club features from him in the months to come.

Of course, the groundsmen may be out there already, just not necessarily members of the IOG, but the general point stands around the sustainability of cricket clubs and the key part that groundsmen play in that, along with ongoing training and knowledge transfer.

Click here to read the original article

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Pitchmark Announce Launch Of Turfix

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Pitchmark Announce Launch Of Turfix: Pitchmark announces at BTME the exciting launch of Turfix, a newly formed subsidiary of The Pitchmark Group. Turfix will act as Pitchmark’s sole UK distribution arm, offering premium pitch solutions to the professional sports turf sector. This will include bespoke advice, education and the supply of a wide range of products from manufacturers including Pitchmark, ICL, Harrod Sport, Tildenet and BMS.

“We have developed very good relationships with other manufacturers in the sports turf industry worldwide,” says The Pitchmark Group’s Chairman, Mark Rodman, who has over thirty years of experience in the horticultural and amenity sector. “We have a highly experienced team with years of knowledge of a wide variety of products. Pitchmark is a line marking specialist brand, and to in order to offer complimentary product ranges we felt creating a new structure was the best approach.”

Pitchmark Announce Launch Of Turfix

What makes Turfix different, Mark says, is the quality of service, with the facility to spend more time with groundsmen and implement specifically tailored solutions for all their requirements. Every turf support manager has been a groundsman or greenkeeper in their career, adding a unique level of understanding. Turfix customers nationwide will also have access to a unique GPS pitch-marking service using Pitchmark’s LineMaster system.

The introduction of Turfix is another landmark in The Pitchmark Group’s development that has led to rapid expansion and the appointment of three new directors. The company supplied all stadia at FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 and Euro 2016 France, and Pitchmark paint was also used to mark the pitch at the Principality Stadium for the Champions League Final 2017.

“Breaking new ground has been the hallmark of our business,” adds Mark. “Turfix brings together our experience and our understanding of what groundsmen need. It provides the ideal platform for sharing our knowledge and premium products.” Turfix officially opens for business on the 22nd January 2019 at BTME Stand 137, Blue Zone.

Turfix 03333 580505.

www.turfix.co.uk

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