Dennis FT510 is a breeze at Prees

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Dennis FT510 is a breeze at Prees: Duncan Austin, Head Groundsman at Prees Cricket and Recreation Club in Shropshire, needed to upgrade the Club’s trusty old Dennis FT510 cylinder mower – and there was only one machine he had in mind.

Duncan Austin has been working at Prees Cricket and Recreation Club for the past six years. He is responsible for maintaining three grass football pitches, two artificial football pitches, a cricket square and two bowling greens.

Dennis FT510 is a breeze at Prees

Dennis FT510 is a breeze at Prees

For the bowling greens, Duncan has long relied on the Dennis FT510 cylinder mower.

“I had a Dennis FT510 which was well over 20 years old,” he said. “Unfortunately, it was coming to the end of its days and the cost of repairing it was similar to the price of buying a brand new one. I didn’t even need to look at other brands of mowers. The FT510 was so good, I was adamant that I wanted another one. The treasurer backed me, and we went ahead and bought one.”

The Dennis FT510 has become the ‘must have’ piece of turf maintenance machinery at bowling clubs around the country and it’s easy to see why. With a 51cm working width, the FT510 provides its user with comfort, flexibility and excellent performance. A true sense of control is obtained through the unique roller clutch drive for a smooth take-up and a variable clip rate helping to create the desired finish.

Available with five-bladed and ten-bladed cutting cylinders the machine can be matched to any situation and the interchangeable cassettes can be changed without the requirement of any tools. The range of 11 different heads mean that one machine can be used for several key maintenance tasks including scarifying, verticutting or brushing.

Duncan explained how he uses the Dennis FT510 on a regular basis to maintain the greens.

“I cut the greens with it 2-3 times a week depending on what games are on and it provides a perfect finish every time. In the winter we normally leave the greens at a length of 10mm, but we maintain them at 5mm during the season. I will also verticut with the FT510 every three weeks and try to rotate that with a sarel roll or a brush.

“The interchangeable cassettes on the FT510 are the best feature – they are so quick and simple to change,” continued Duncan. “If I need a new bottom blade or need it sharpened, I have only got to take the cassette with me rather than take the whole machine.

“Another good feature about the Dennis FT510 is the click height adjuster – it is a very user-friendly mower. I wouldn’t want any other machine for our greens.”

For further information or a no obligation demonstration, please contact Dennis 01332 824 777 or visit www.dennisuk.com

For more news, reviews and insightful views, you can follow Dennis on Twitter and Instagram @DennisMowers and like the company’s Facebook page – www.facebook.com/DennisMowersUK. You can also view the latest Dennis videos by visiting www.youtube.com/DennisMowers

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SALTEX registration now open

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SALTEX registration now open: Visitor registration for SALTEX 2023, Europe’s largest free sports turf, amenities, and landscaping trade exhibition, is now open. And with it the chance to win a one-night stay at the Moxy Birmingham NEC on the first night of the show.

The theme for 2023 SALTEX is ‘boost your game’ which will see SALTEX focus on providing visitors and exhibitors with all the key tools needed to be successful in the groundscare sector.

SALTEX registration now open

SALTEX registration now open

Sarah Cunningham, director of commercial and events at the Grounds Management Association, the leading not-for-profit organisation organising the show, explains: “At this year’s show, attendees will be supported in boosting their knowledge, career, skills, sales, surface, and network – all of which will result in an industry that is better connected, holds more expertise, and continues to be at the forefront of turfcare around the world.”

Last year’s show brought together over 8,300 visitors from 50 plus countries with the biggest names in the groundscare industry.

Sarah continues: “SALTEX was set up by the industry for the industry, keeping the many different reasons that people attend in mind, at all times. For example, boosting sales is much easier when over 60 percent of visitors attending play a role in the purchasing decision.”

In addition, Sarah confirms, “Visitors can hear from the industry’s leading experts, as well as groundscare professionals from the country’s top sports grounds, covering burning topics in the Learning LIVE seminar programme.

“There will be opportunities to speak to grassroots pitch advisors from the GMA and representatives from the National Governing Bodies to receive technical advice as well guidance on accessing much-needed funding and ways to upskill through the Grounds Management Framework,” she says. “All this is in addition to the unrivalled opportunities to network, earn CPD points and speak to experts offering career advice.”

With soon-to-be-announced exciting new show features making their first appearance at the show, Geoff Webb, CEO of the Grounds Management Association is keen to ensure that SALTEX continues to adapt and cater to the industry’s needs as it has done numerous times over its 76 exhibitions: “All income generated by the show is ploughed back into the industry securing its future for generations to come.

“By attending SALTEX, visitors are supporting the vital year-round work that enables the GMA to invest in important resources for the sector, as well as developing closer and more collaborative relationships with sports bodies that can help create inward investment back into the sector. Registering for your free ticket doesn’t just benefit you, it benefits the industry too.”

Registering now comes with the bonus of being entered into a free prize draw with the first 1,000 people to register as visitors in with a chance to win a one-night stay at the Moxy Birmingham NEC on the first night of the show.

SALTEX takes place at Birmingham NEC on 1-2 November 2023. To secure a free ticket to Europe’s largest and leading sports turf, amenities, and landscaping trade exhibition, register online at https://www.saltex.org.uk/ Competition details and T&Cs can be found at https://bit.ly/3PkITZU

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Tewkesbury Park get the break they need

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Tewkesbury Park get the break they need: Protruding roots on fairways and approaches were causing mower damage and affecting play at Tewkesbury Park, but the Imants RootPruner supplied by Campey Turf Care Systems, provided a clean and easy solution.

Removing roots meant excavating around the area, which would cause disruption and look unsightly. For Course Manager Paul Hathaway this was unacceptable because it was at odds with his standards.

Tewkesbury Park get the break they need

Tewkesbury Park get the break they need

The golf resort was recently voted number 50 in the Todays Golfer best golf resorts in Great Britain and Ireland. Keeping these standards on the 6554 yard, par 72 Deerpark course meant finding a solution, and Paul found it in the RootPruner.

“We noticed the roots protruding through the surface of a few approaches and fairways, and these kept being caught by the mower, damaging the blades and putting the mower ‘off-cut’,” Paul explained.

“This was more noticeable during the drought we had last year. We tried to dig and cut them out, but the mess looked unsightly and didn’t stop the roots from coming back. I always feel prevention is better than cure, so I decided to search for a machine to cut the roots near the canopy of the trees so we wouldn’t damage the health of the trees but stop the roots from encroaching into play.

“In the past, I have used an excavator to create a root break, but the disruption this caused wasn’t suitable to the standards we expect the course to be in, so we needed a machine that would create a root break but be efficient, neat and tidy.

“With the RootPruner, we were able to get around the entire course with ease and were very surprised how quick it was. The roots we went over have been removed, so we don’t have any protruding the surface, and so far, we don’t have any new roots coming through, so I am hopeful this will continue.”

The RootPruner cuts roots up to 100mm in diameter with no clean-up, making it useable on the course with no worries of shutting holes through surface damage. It also has the ability to decompact tight, narrow areas with ease and includes a unique patented triple-reduction planetary gearbox for smooth, maximum torque drive to the rotor shaft. The RootPruner also features a factory set, torque limiting PTO shaft eliminating all shear bolts and spring clutches.

For a parkland course, it can be an invaluable machine. Paul heard about it from a club in the local area who have shared similar results, and seeing it on his property once was enough to convince him to purchase his own unit.

“Once we had the demo, we were very impressed with the smoothness, cleanness and size of the roots it would cut,” he said.

“I would definitely recommend the RootPruner for any parkland golf course. It’s a machine that is so quick and easy to use, it will save you downtime and money on repairing mowers which are damaged from hitting tree roots, and also make the surface better from not having roots protruding through the surface.”

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RHS Wisley calls on Otterbine

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RHS Wisley calls on Otterbine: RHS Garden Wisley has chosen Otterbine to provide its flagship garden with sustainable irrigation.

Otterbine’s 25HP Polaris Giant Fountain was installed at RHS Garden Wisley in Woking as part of the Royal Horticultural Society’s project to create a new rainwater capture lake, providing great quality irrigation to one of the largest plant collections in the world.

RHS Wisley calls on Otterbine

RHS Wisley calls on Otterbine

In today’s climate, water can be a scarcity and harvesting rainwater supports the conservation of this vital resource. The water has to be good enough quality to use though which is where Otterbine’s 25HP Giant Polaris fountain steps in.

Matthew Pottage, curator of RHS Garden Wisley, explains: “The Giant fountain is installed in our new lake which is connected to our garden irrigation system. The lake collects winter rainwater for summer irrigation and the Otterbine aerating fountain makes the water good enough to use.”

Otterbine’s fountains have the highest oxygen transfer rates in the industry and the Polaris is the brand’s largest floating fountain. The geyser-like spray of the Polaris throws water droplets into the air where they attach to oxygen molecules that can then be absorbed into the lakewater.

Matthew, who oversaw the aesthetic of the new landscape and horticulture around the lake, explains there were additional reasons for choosing the Otterbine Giant Fountain: “The Wisley is one of the UK’s most visited and best-loved gardens, attracting around a million visitors each year and we wanted to use the opportunity to create a new atmosphere and beautiful place for visitors to enjoy and relax at Wisley.

“The lake is designed in an ornamental fashion and the fountain’s visual beauty and the fact that it muffles noise disruption from a nearby road helps bring a sense of theatre and peace to the space,” says Matthew.

Another benefit of the Otterbine Polaris Giant fountain is its unique launching system that eliminates the need for cranes during installation in most applications, despite its size. Miles Water Engineering was responsible for the build of the lake and the subsequent fitting of the fountain. “The whole thing was easy and efficient. We are very grateful for that,” Matthew comments.

Installing the new rainwater capture lake is not the only change to the grounds that RHS Wisley is undertaking. Matthew says: “We are planning a massive new landscape of grasses and perennials with Piet Oudolf, a world-renowned planting designer.”

To find out more about how the Otterbine range of aerators and fountains can help your lakes and ponds, contact Reesink on 01480 226800, email info@reesinkturfcare.co.uk or visit reesinkturfcare.co.uk.

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Aspen delivers clean and convenient power

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Aspen delivers clean and convenient power: More than a decade since he first started using Aspen Alkylate fuel in his tree surgery business, The Arborist Ltd, Owner Tony Gascoyne says he’s never looked back.

Having originally switched for the health & safety benefits for him and his team of operatives, he notes the reduction in mechanical failures and simplicity of bulk delivery and invoicing has brought a new efficiency and convenience to his operation.

Aspen delivers clean and convenient power

Aspen delivers clean and convenient power

Tony founded the Mansfield-based business 23 years ago after a period spent working in Stockholm, with the majority of his day-to-day workload made up of domestic tree and hedge maintenance. “Everyone in this industry knows the unpleasantries of working with 2-stroke fuel – the haze, the smell and the overarching health concerns of breathing in those hazardous emissions everyday” he explains. “Despite it being a Swedish brand, I didn’t actually come across Aspen during my time in Sweden, but instead got into conversation with them at a trade show roughly 10 years ago.”

“It was really the health benefits for the operator that appealed to me, but based on the other claimed USP’s such as reduced engine component failure and the extended shelf life I gave it a go and it has really delivered on every front.” Being free from ethanol and most of the other hazardous hydrocarbons traditionally found in unleaded petrol from the pump, Aspen Alkylate fuel burns cleaner, reducing the negative impact on the operator, machinery and surrounding environment.

“One thing that became apparent very early on was the reduction in problems we were having with carburettors. And with Aspen being pre-mixed, you eliminate the variability of having to mix in 2-stroke oil so you get guaranteed consistency in every can.”

Tony explains that Aspen is used in all their 2-stroke engine equipment, primarily chainsaws – some of which, at the larger end of the scale, are used fairly infrequently. “Our 088 chainsaw for example might only come out once a month, and it doesn’t seem to matter how long it’s been sitting in storage, it’ll always start first time with Aspen.”

Further labour savings are also found with the safe and simple bulk delivery of Aspen to site. “We get one delivery and one bill a year which keeps everything simple and means we’re not repeatedly making trips to the forecourt. The fireproof Transbank storage container holds 60 five litre cans so we pop one in the truck, and a spare, and off you go.” He concludes, “When you start to add up the savings from fewer servicing bills combined with the convenience angle, it starts to stack up in a commercial sense as well as a safety one.”

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