New tractor mowers from EGO

/in , /by

New tractor mowers from EGO: Following the ground-breaking success of EGO’s zero-turn ride-on mowers, leading battery-powered outdoor power equipment specialist, EGO Power Plus, is expanding its ride-on range with two new tractor mowers.

The twin-blade tractor mowers utilise up to six EGO ARC Lithium™ 56V portable batteries, providing the same power and performance as the equivalent petrol machines. Using EGO’s portable batteries enables the user to tailor the amount of capacity they use, giving them flexibility with run-time, cost, and usage in other EGO tools in the range.

New tractor mowers from EGO

New tractor mowers from EGO

Vince Brauns, Group Product Director at EGO, said: “Following the success of our zero-turn Z6 range, we wanted to introduce more mowers to ensure we could deliver a product for every user’s needs. The new EGO ride-on tractors set the standard in battery-powered collection and side-discharge mowers. Users can now cut substantially sized lawns in comfort and with complete confidence in battery longevity.”

The new range includes the TR3800E-B 98cm ride-on collection tractor mower and the TR4200E 107cm ride-on side discharge version. Both come with powerful twin blades and pressed steel decks to ensure that the mowers combine power and performance with robust durability.

The mowers feature a front mounting that can house up to six EGO batteries and features the company’s Peak Power technology, enabling the machine to draw on the power from all batteries at once. Both models come with the CHV1600E, a 1600W fast charger that fully charges six 10Ah EGO 56V ARC Lithium™ batteries in as little as three hours.

For improved operability there is an LCD control display centrally mounted on the dashboard, enabling quick and easy adjustments to both travel and blade speeds as well as providing real time data on battery capacity. A spring-assisted adjuster with 8 pre-sets provide cutting heights of 25mm to 100mm. In addition, Bluetooth connectivity enables the user to remotely monitor machine performance and ensure that batteries are charged and ready for cutting.

Driver comfort includes an adjustable spring suspension seat and large, wide tyres which ensure both a smoother ride, added grip and better weight distribution to protect lawn integrity. LED headlights enable safe use in low-light conditions while a front bumper helps protect the chassis from potential impact damage.

The TR3800E-B 98cm ride-on collection tractor mower has collection or mulch capabilities, with a substantial 300-litre collection box to maximise cutting times. Large handles make removing and replacing the box ergonomic and easy, while a single level makes emptying the collection box quick and simple.

The TR4200E ride-on side discharge tractor mower offers even greater productivity when grass collection is not required. It can cover up to 2 acres on a single charge and has an enhanced 107cm cutting width.

The ride-on mower range is part of a series of exciting product launches from EGO in 2024. This includes the new Pro X series of hard wearing and powerful tools for professionals, which features a lawn mower, hedge trimmers, line trimmers, brush cutters, and chainsaw.

For more information on the latest products from EGO, visit; www.egopowerplus.co.uk.

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Trilo M3 cleans up at Ombersley GC

/in , , /by

Trilo M3 cleans up at Ombersley GC: Over the 35 years that Andrew Halfpenny has been Course Manager at Ombersley Golf Club, things have changed dramatically – including the site itself, where the 18 hole parkland course has matured, creating an ever-increasing problem with leaf-fall.

With mulching no longer providing a viable solution, the team took delivery of a Trilo M3 vacuum collector in October 2023, which has proved more than capable of keeping the course clean and tidy over a busy autumn and winter season.

Trilo M3 cleans up at Ombersley GC

Trilo M3 cleans up at Ombersley GC

Andrew has clocked up an impressive 47 years with the company, and currently leads the maintenance of the Worcestershire course supported by a team of five. “Leaves weren’t really too much of a problem traditionally, but as the course has matured, mulching them with a mower became unfeasible time-wise and playability-wise for the golfers” he explains. “We’ve established a fantastic relationship over the years with Tallis Amos Group so approached them to see what they could recommend to collect the leaves. They brought us the Trilo M3, we gave it a thorough test and we bought it – simple as that!”

The M3 Multipurpose from Trilo is capable of a range of operations including scarification, cut and collection and debris clearance depending on the attachment equipped. The 1.5m working width and 3m3 hopper capacity makes it compact yet capable of year-round maintenance tasks in a variety of golf and sports turf applications.

“It was delivered in October and was out on a weekly basis. It coped brilliantly with both the volume of leaves we had and the very wet ground. The wanderhose is a brilliant feature, great for manoeuvring around hedgerows and clearing leaves and other litter around perimeter and fence lines. We used the vacuum in conjunction with our blower, quickly removing everything we wanted to and leaving a really clean finish.” Andrew continues, “The players noticed the difference and loved it!”

While the M3 was predominately purchased for leaf clearance Andrew foresees that, with the climatic changes he has observed during his tenure, it will find other uses. “We see more rain, and notably more wind, which blows litter and tree-debris around the course. The M3 is our new go-to machine for keeping the course tidy.”

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Hadlow College hosts horticulture regional finals

/in , /by

Hadlow College hosts horticulture regional finals: Excitement blossomed at Hadlow College recently as green-fingered enthusiasts from across the South-East battled it out to advance to the national finals of a prestigious competition.

The College hosted the regional finals of the Young Horticulturist of the Year competition. Run by the Chartered Institute of Horticulture, the competition offers a platform for budding horticulturalists to showcase their expertise and connect with fellow enthusiasts from the UK and Ireland

Hadlow College hosts horticulture regional finals

Hadlow College hosts horticulture regional finals

The South-East Regional Final is the second stage of the competition. The eight competitors taking part had already made it through the first heat, an online test with 40 questions on topics covering areas such as plant identification, soils, plant maintenance, turf, propagation and garden history.

The Regional Final saw the competitors being asked questions by an adjudication panel, before a plant identification and pest round took place with the fastest person to buzz in getting the chance to answer and score points.

The winning contestant went through to the Grand Final, which is being held in May. Here the overall winner receives the £2,500 Percy Thrower Travel Bursary, provided by the Shropshire Horticultural Society & the Percy Thrower Trust, to fund a horticultural trip anywhere in the world. Second place goes home with £950, third place with £550 and the rest of the runners up all receive £200.

Each of the finalists is also awarded membership to the Chartered Institute of Horticulture.

Previous winners have visited Borneo, China, New Zealand, South Africa, the Himalayas, and the Galapagos Islands to name just a few!

During the event the College’s cutting-edge glasshouse, where a tomato crop is being grown in partnership with Thanet Earth, was showcased. The crop is fully installed for the season ahead and contestants and supporters on the night were able to learn more about the growing requirements, hydroponics, nutrient feeds as well as light levels and biosecurity.

Hadlow College Senior Horticulture Skills Trainer Gareth Batts, who was on the adjudication panel, was delighted with how the evening went, saying: “I am pleased that Hadlow were able to support this competition in holding the regional finals. We were due to hold it in 2020 but due to COVID this had to be postponed. During the event it was great to showcase the horticulture opportunities that we offer at Hadlow and to give tours to the wider industry showing the collaborative projects that we are undertaking. The gardens were open for visitors to explore and discussions regarding our new orchard took place.

As a trainer I was able to showcase what our horticulture students do at Hadlow and I was able to network and create further links with the industry to benefit the students, visits to other gardens and speakers to the college are in the pipeline because of the event.”

“The apprenticeship students were involved with the setting up of the event as well as creating information posters for the visitors to see. It has helped build their industry knowledge, team working and communication skills, all essential parts of the apprenticeship. We look forward to having the opportunity again in the future to hold this event and hopefully next year a Hadlow student will make it through to the regionals.”

Hadlow College offers a number of horticulture courses, with students benefitting from first class facilities such as the glasshouses and also a ‘robotic orchard and vineyard’ which demonstrates the latest technology including automated AI management systems, a state-of-the-art irrigation, fertigation and frost protection system and automated fruit picking.

If you are interested in studying the subject at Hadlow College, visit the Horticulture subject page of the College website.

You can find out more about the Young Horticulturist of the Year competition on the Chartered Institute of Horticulture website.

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Tubex Supports Greenway Training’s Tree Planting Courses

/in , /by

Tubex Supports Greenway Training’s Tree Planting Courses: Greenway Training has achieved substantial success in the uptake of its tree planting courses, with the aim of providing practical training to prevent failed tree planting projects. Partnering with leading tree shelter manufacturer, Tubex and renowned distributor Green-tech, the training provider received a donation of 450 recyclable and biodegradable tree shelters for its courses.

The Lantra Tree Planting and Establishing Woodlands course was initially funded by The Forestry Commission’s Forestry and Arboriculture Training Fund, which enabled Greenway Training to offer free courses and expand the access to this important practical learning for new entrants to the sector and those seeking to build on existing skills.

Tubex Supports Greenway Training’s Tree Planting Courses

Tubex Supports Greenway Training’s Tree Planting Courses

 

Due to the increasing demand for properly trained and certified personnel in the forestry and arb sectors, the requirement for professional training has never been higher. Greenway’s courses have therefore garnered immense popularity, with numerous companies now opting to enrol their employees alongside many others who are making career transitions into environmental sectors or simply want to learn more about tree planting.

Tubex’s donation of 450 tree shelters, as part of its Grow Together Programme, combined with shelter location guidance and support has played an important role in the course – saving the company the expenses associated with acquiring the essential tree planting resources.

Grow Together is Tubex’s charitable initiative launched in 2022, which offers a scheme where charity or community projects across the UK are able to receive a donation of tree shelters to protect their saplings.  The company selects a certain number of projects yearly to receive a supply of shelters, considering the environment and type of trees being planted.

Charlotte Boole, Director at Greenway Training, said: “We are delighted with the overwhelming interest that our forestry courses have generated.

“Tubex tree shelters have proven to be ideal choice for our training programmes due to their durability and resilience, outperforming some of the other brands we’ve used in the past.

“The donation of 450 tree shelters has significantly enhanced the learning experience for our trainees, providing them with ample materials for hands-on learning, which we see as such a crucial part of our training for proper tree establishment.”

“We look forward to expanding our forestry training offerings in the near future and look forward to working with Tubex and Green-tech again.”

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Landscape services level up with Toro Grandstand

/in , /by

Landscape services level up with Toro Grandstand: Last year Landscape Services, providers of commercial grounds maintenance services across Kent and the Southeast of England, added the Toro GrandStand mower to its Toro fleet to deliver speedy operations in even the most awkward areas.

The USP of the GrandStand is in its name, literally. It’s a stand-on mower meaning it’s smaller and more compact, allowing greater access to smaller areas than a ride-on.

Landscape services level up with Toro Grandstand

Landscape services level up with Toro Grandstand

And it’s this that was the selling point for Mike Harris, head of operations at Landscape Services. He says: “With the addition of the Toro Grandstand we were able to quickly service larger areas regardless of whether they had small points of access. This meant more efficient mowing and better use of staff time, which has proven the machine popular with both management and our operational teams.”

In addition, this mower combines the speed and comfort of a zero-turn rider with the on-and-off ease of a wide area walk-behind creating a fast, manoeuvrable and more productive alternative.

All this complemented Landscape Services’ existing fleet of Toro TM7490 gang units and CT triple cylinder mowers, which have long delivered the high level of customer satisfaction the company has strived for over its 80-plus years in business.

“It’s good to have a combination of mowers to cover all surface requirements. The cylinder mowers give a finer cut, which works well for cricket outfields and customers who prefer the more aesthetic appeal,” says Mike. “The additional access benefits of the GrandStand means quicker work and less disruption to the customer, resulting in improved overall customer satisfaction.”

When it comes to groundscare machinery, trusting in Toro and Reesink Turfcare’s South East Sheffield Park branch has proven to be a well-founded decision.

“At the time of purchase Toro offered the best value for money and the best backup service. On top of that, from our experience working with Reesink, the staff have always been helpful and knowledgeable, offering advice and guidance whenever needed, which is a big plus for us,” says Mike.

Choosing the GrandStand isn’t where investing in technology stops for the company either.  Mike says, “Over the next couple of years we will be looking to innovate via our fleet of machines, to reduce maintenance costs, support a positive carbon footprint and diversify our portfolio with mixed specialist technology.”

Discover how Toro technology and Reesink can help you to tackle every terrain, get in touch with Reesink Turfcare, call 01480 226800, email info@reesinkturfcare.co.uk or visit reesinkturfcare.co.uk

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.