John Deere At Flower Show

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John Deere At Flower Show: As well as a show garden celebrating 100 years since the company entered the tractor business, John Deere has a trade stand at RHS Chatsworth showing its latest range of ride-on, robotic and walk behind lawn mowers and a Gator utility vehicle.

The new X100 Series of lawn tractors features six models designed for lawns of 3,000 to 6000m2. This range of robust and versatile mowers offers a choice of deck widths from 92 to 122cm and either side discharge or rear discharge and collection. A high capacity 300-litre collector means fewer stops and faster work and the new Side-by-Side pedals allow the operator to control direction and speed without raising a foot. Adjusting the height of cut is easy: simply move the lever that’s conveniently located alongside the seat. Prices for the X100 Series start at £2329 incl VAT.

John Deere At Flower Show

New ZTrak ride-on mowers

Three new models join the line-up for 2018: the Z345M and the Z345R both come with a 107cm deck and the Z535M has a larger 122cm deck. The Z345M is suitable for areas of grass up to 8000m2 (about 2 acres); the more powerful Z345R and Z535M are for larger areas. ZTrak zero-turn mowers deliver fast efficient mowing and exceptional manoeuvrability using easy to operate control levers. Prices start at £3977 incl VAT.

Walk-behind mowers

John Deere’s extensive line-up of walk-behind mowers offers a wide selection of size, power and type, all designed for top performance and reliability. Cutting widths range from 40cm up to 54cm with a choice of petrol, electric and battery powered models plus the option to collect clippings or to mulch. Prices start at £314 incl VAT.

TANGO E5 Series II robotic mower

John Deere’s TANGO E5 Series II robotic mower features a big display screen and
smart navigation technology; it’s simple to set up and produces consistently excellent
results. TANGO’s powerful Lithium-Ion battery enables it to cover grass areas up to 2200m2 (about half an acre), mowing in a random pattern within an easily installed concealed boundary wire. There’s no noise and no mess – just an effortlessly perfect lawn. Price £2130 incl VAT.

XUV 865M Gator utility vehicle

Fun to drive and practical to use, John Deere Gators have earned a reputation as dependable and reliable work vehicles. The latest additions to the Gator family are the brand new petrol XUV 835M and diesel XUV 865M models. The 54hp XUV 835M and 23hp 865M offer power steering, a CVT transmission and a top speed of 37 or 31mph (60 or 50kph) respectively, plus a tight turning circle and optimal weight distribution for superior off-road performance.

The versatile and durable cargo box has a load capacity of 454kg, while towing capacity has been increased by a third to 907kg and total payload capacity is 680kg.
There’s ample room for both driver and passengers. An enclosed cab and efficient heating system maximise year-round comfort and productivity. For extra versatility, these Gators can be fitted with a wide range of over 90 attachments from snow blades to winches, and feature a large 42-litre fuel tank to keep the vehicle running longer between fill-ups.

100 years of tractors

Blacksmith John Deere founded the company that bears his name in 1837 in Illinois USA but it was 1918 when the company entered the tractor business with the 25hp Waterloo Boy. A century of tractor innovation has followed, including the launch in 1963 of the company’s first lawn tractor, the 7hp 110, drawing on the experience and technology of its larger agricultural cousins. John Deere has grown to become one of the world’s leading manufacturers of agricultural, turf and lawn and garden equipment with an outstanding reputation for quality and reliability.

For more information, visit: www.JohnDeere.com

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Accies Splash £750k On New Pitch

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Accies Splash £750k On New Pitch: Hamilton have splashed out £750,000 to ensure their plastic pitch does not come out bottom of the pile again in the new season.

The news comes 24 hours after the artificial turf at New Douglas Park was rated the worst surface among Scotland’s 42 senior clubs following a survey of players.

A study organised jointly by PFA Scotland, Sports Labs and the Scottish Football Association found top-flight professionals gave the 3G turf an average score of just 1.18 out of five – worse even than the rutted patch found at League Two minnows Albion Rovers’ Cliftonhill home.

That led PFA Scotland chief Fraser Wishart to renew calls for such pitches to be banned in the Ladbrokes Premiership.

But Accies say they are investing in a new Greenfields MX pitch to ensure they do not find themselves embroiled in another turf controversy.

The club stated on their website: “The hard work continues at New Douglas Park over the summer with the installation of a new FIFA-approved, state-of-the-art, 3G pitch in preparation for our 5th consecutive season in the top flight of Scottish Football.

“The club have made a significant investment of £750,000 on the pitch project, signalling a continued commitment to both our first team and well renowned youth academy in ensuring they are afforded the very best playing surface available.

“The 2018-19 season will see the New Douglas Park surface tailored to the same specifications as the Scottish FA’s 3G pitch at the Oriam, Scotland’s National Performance Centre – a facility the governing body itself describes as ‘world class’.

“The project is being completed in partnership with a number of the leading companies within the sports grounds industry to ensure the pitch is installed to the highest standards.”

Accies head groundsman William Watson added: “We have left no stone unturned in our drive to bring the best playing surface available to Hamilton Accies. Over the past 18 months we have gone through a thorough process of data collection and club visits.

“Greenfields MX is widely used in elite sport across Europe. It is used in Holland by various top tier clubs including Vitesse, by English Premier League side Arsenal at their state-of-the-art London Colney training centre and, in Scotland, by Alloa Athletic.”

Alloa’s Recreation Park was rated 10th overall of the 42 clubs in the SPFL.

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Brechin Pitch Vandalism Anger

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Brechin Pitch Vandalism Anger: Vandals have targeted an all-weather football pitch in Brechin, ruining the good work of local volunteers.

The fence around the the synthetic pitch and enclosure at the town’s Inch Park was cut open and a set of goalposts were torn down.

The attack comes after the Inch Maintenance and Preservation Society (Imps) took over caring for the site in September and raised £5,000 to bring it back up to standard.

The vandalism that happened in Brechin.Members of the community and local businesses got involved in the campaign and helped get the football ground back in shape with the help of Angus Council.

It is one of a series of environmental projects across the town which the group has taken on.

Imps chairman George Garden said members were disheartened and frustrated by the weekend attack.

“There was a lot of community backing and we are disappointed that the park has been the subject of vandalism,” he said.

“It’s extremely disheartening because there was a lot of hard work undertaken and it really knocks you back – it’s incredibly frustrating.”

The pitch is rented out to local clubs most week nights and opens for community use at the weekends.

Mr Garden said the public had access from Saturday morning until Monday morning so there was no need for anyone to cut the fence to get inside.

The charity has also recently taken over ownership of the public toilets at Inch Park and has been working on bringing them up to scratch so they can be re-opened.

However, Mr Garden said the vandalism at the synthetic pitch had left him questioning whether it was worth going ahead with the plan in case the toilets are targeted too.

The Imps group was created following a successful effort to bring Brechin’s paddling pool back into use after it was set to close due to high maintenance costs.

North Angus and Mearns SNP MSP Mairi Gougeon said the damage at the astro pitch was extremely disappointing.

“Imps are a hugely active community group who have done a tremendous amount of work in the past few years to fundraise and carry out improvements to facilities in and around the Inch Park area in Brechin,” she said.

“They also took on the toilets and paddling pool and I know they have ambitions to do even more for Brechin so I desperately hope they don’t become disheartened by this appalling incident.

“Vandalism is a mindless and selfish act and it’s appalling to see an act like this happen when so much work has been done by the community to keep these facilities going.”

Police are appealing for information on the incident. Anyone with information is urged to call 101 or speak to any officer.

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Versatile Battery Irrigation Controller

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Versatile Battery Irrigation Controller: In many situations a standard mains powered irrigation controller cannot be used or is impractical. This includes applications where power is unavailable or hard landscaping make it is impossible or too costly to run mains cable. Alternatively, there may be instances where only a temporary solution is needed. Rain Bird’s new 9v WPX battery operated irrigation controller is ideal for all such situations and the company says it is a more versatile and user friendly solution than many other similar battery or mains controllers.

IP 68 compliant, 100 per cent water and dust proof, the WPX is fully submersible and ideal for installation in a valve box. With its solenoid mounting bracket, it locates easily on top of a solenoid valve. It can be used anywhere, including wet or muddy conditions. A tightly sealed dual battery chamber and waterproof case keeps water out, even in the harshest outdoor conditions. The use of Rain Bird’s DC series highly waterproof connectors will also ensure that connections do not deteriorate. A rubber cap protects the WPX’s LCD screen from dust and the effects of UV.

Versatile Battery Irrigation Controller

The highly versatile WPX can perform the same functions as a wired controller and available models can provide irrigation over 1,2,4 or 6 zones. They can offer multiple run times by zone with all common programming functions accessed on one  larger than average LCD screen with easy to read icons. The mode button is used for quick programming of start times, watering days of the week and run times for each zone. For fast initial set-up, Contractor Rapid Programming™ automatically copies the start times and watering days from the first zone to all other zones.

The automatic zone-stacking feature ensures that only one valve irrigates at a time. If zones are scheduled to water at the same time, the lower number zone will be automatically irrigated first. A dedicated manual watering button can be used by the owner to start an irrigation cycle manually and a separate button enables all or single zones to be watered on demand.

Dependent upon usage, the WPX will operate for about one year, using a single 9 volt battery, or up to two years with two. When the batteries are changed, all stored programming information is retained in the memory of the controller thanks to the Contractor Default™ save/restore feature. A detailed manual provides comprehensive programming and installation instructions for the contractor and user.

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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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