Farmtrac tractor wins Innovation Award

/in , /by

Farmtrac tractor wins Innovation Award: Farmtrac’s all-electric FT25G tractor has won the SALTEX Innovation Award in the Environmental and Sustainability category.

The award celebrates some of the most ground-breaking, innovative products and services within the groundscare industry and this year received over 33 entries in 12 categories.

Farmtrac tractor wins Innovation Award

Farmtrac tractor wins Innovation Award

This win for Farmtrac’s all-electric tractor is a big step forward on the path towards fully sustainable machinery in the industry. Steven Haynes, tractor sales manager at Farmtrac distributor Reesink Agriculture, accepted the award at the winners’ ceremony on the first day of the show, commenting:

“We are incredibly proud to have received this award from GMA and its judging panel. As the first company to enter the market with an all-electric compact tractor, Farmtrac wanted to ensure that this tractor could perform as well as any diesel compact without any major drawbacks for those choosing to go electric.

“A lot of time has been spent on the design and test phase to ensure that it could meet or exceed the performance levels of the diesel machines with the added benefits that come from being battery-powered. We feel this is something that we have been able to achieve with the FT25G, so to be recognised for this by the GMA is a great accolade for us.”

Featuring a 72V lithium-ion battery and onboard charger, the FT25G can be charged from any domestic socket to 100 percent in eight hours for up to seven hours operation. It was on the Reesink e-Vehicles stand at the show which welcomed more participants than ever before at the exhibition taking place in Birmingham on 3-4 November 2021.

The fully sustainable tractor attracted huge interest from attendees keen to see the winning machine which so impressed the award’s independent panel of industry experts with its clean energy offering that doesn’t compromise on performance or reliability.

For the first time this year, the GMA announced there would be additional innovation categories, including Environmental and Sustainability – the one that made it possible for Farmtrac to reach new heights. GMA CEO Geoff Webb said: “We launched the SALTEX Innovation Award to celebrate the very best in new groundscare technology. The competition has significantly grown year on year, and the Innovation Award has helped to put a wide number of products on the map.”

To talk to someone about Farmtrac tractors or becoming a Farmtrac dealer, call 01480 226800, email info@reesinkagriculture.co.uk or check online at reesinkagriculture.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.

Successful SALTEX for Ventrac

/in , /by

Successful SALTEX for Ventrac: Returning from a very successful SALTEX show, Rupert Price, managing director of UK importer Price Turfcare, says that Ventrac has now been accepted as a relevant brand in the UK groundscare sector.

“At the end of the first day at the show, we were returning to the hotel and reflecting on the high level of business and number of visitors that we had seen. Honestly, we were sceptical about the possible visitor numbers prior to the show, but were very pleased with the footfall across the stand and the number of demonstration requests received. The discussion with the first visitor set the tone for the day with a demonstration arranged for late November.

Successful SALTEX for Ventrac

Successful SALTEX for Ventrac

“It occurred to us that we were being perceived in a different way than at previous events; we had become an accepted and credible brand in the sector. Instead of having to explain who we were and what the machine could do, we were talking to an audience who had seen it on social media, in the trade press and at events and now understood the benefits that it could bring to their business.

“For me, this change of perception was a very pleasing and a testament to the efforts of the small team here at the company. They have worked tirelessly to promote and demonstrate the machine across the UK for the past six years. We have come from nowhere in 2017, when we launched at BTME and with the incredible support of the manufacturer, Venture Products Inc, we have gone from a presence of zero machines to over 200 today. The forward order book is healthy, we are getting regular shipments of machines and are now looking at larger premises for the new year.

“The atmosphere at SALTEX was very positive; people were really pleased to be meeting up with the industry again. It was just a good feeling to see customers, prospects and former colleagues in a positive environment. There were many discussions about supply chain issues, the inevitable price rises that we are all experiencing and the state of the sector, but all-in-all, it demonstrated the robustness of UK groundscare. For us, a great show!”

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.

Football Foundation to power up grass pitches

/in , /by

Football Foundation to power up grass pitches: The Premier League, The FA and Government’s Football Foundation has today announced the launch of its ‘Power Up Your Grass Pitch’ campaign, which will revolutionise the state of grass football pitches in England.

The country’s biggest sports charity is on a mission to improve over 7,000 grass pitches by 2024 and 20,000 by 2030, to ensure the 12 million grassroots football players across the country have great places to play.

Football Foundation to power up grass pitches

Football Foundation to power up grass pitches

Around 87% of affiliated football is played on grass pitches, and with over 150,000 matches cancelled due to poor pitch quality during the last football season alone, play is often brought to a halt. The improvements brought about thanks to the Football Foundations work will make these cancellations a thing of the past. Further more if the improvements are achieved, by 2030 grassroots football pitches in England will be able to facilitate an additional 30,000 matches per week.

Improving facilities means that more people across England will get to enjoy playing the nation’s favourite sport, transforming people’s physical and mental wellbeing, as well as supporting local communities and economies.

To help make this ambition a reality, the Football Foundation has developed an app which is now being rolled out across the country. ‘PitchPower’ is an online tool that gives every community football club and organisation in the country the ability to carry out their own grass pitch inspections, providing fast and accurate data which is less time intensive and more efficient than in person inspections. Once an inspection is submitted, Regional Pitch Advisers at the Grounds Management Association produce an assessment report with bespoke advice and recommendations to improve the grass pitch quality at a site.

By using this tool more widely, the Football Foundation anticipates it will be able to carry out as many as 20,000 inspections a year, five times as many as in the past. In its trial phase, PitchPower has helped to inspect almost 5,000 pitches. These inspections have led to 446 grants being issued worth £8.6m, all of which has gone towards improving 1,564 pitches.

Once inspections have been completed via the PitchPower app – clubs and facilities are then eligible to apply for funding from the Football Foundation to support pitch improvements identified through the app.

Along with PitchPower unlocking funding, clubs and organisations will also be encouraged to upskill their workforce by having access to a range of free courses from the Grounds Management Association and join a community of professional and amateur groundskeepers on the free Football Foundation Groundskeeping Community App.

Robert Sullivan, Football Foundation Chief Executive Officer, said:

“Millions of players are left disappointed every year when their matches are cancelled due to poor quality pitches, something the Football Foundation and its partners are working tirelessly to prevent. We have made some ambitious targets when it comes to improving grass pitches – we want to get 20,000 pitches to ‘good’ quality by 2030 – to ensure no games are called off because of a poor quality pitch.

“Thanks to funding from the Premier League, The FA and Government our dedicated teams will be working hard to ensure clubs and facilities across the country have the support and resource they need to power up their grass pitches.”

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.

ET Lander wins SALTEX Innovation Award

/in , /by

ET Lander wins SALTEX Innovation Award: The Etesia ET Lander utility vehicle has won the SALTEX 2021 Innovation award within the vehicle category, while also finishing second within the environmentally friendly category.

The SALTEX innovation awards were introduced to reward companies launching innovative and technologically advanced equipment within the grounds management sector. Since its launch in 2018, the awards have grown year on year, with 2021 now boasting several different categories for exhibitors to enter.

ET Lander wins SALTEX Innovation Award

ET Lander wins SALTEX Innovation Award

A panel of expert judges chose the Etesia ET Lander as the standout product within the vehicle category, which also made its first UK appearance at the NEC, Birmingham on 3 and 4 November.

Built for use on road and off road in both the town and countryside, the ET Lander is 100% electric, spacious, well-equipped and user-friendly. It is built on a robust chassis and has an array of options including a three-way tipper bed with dual control from the fully-fitted two-seater cab or by remote control when outside the vehicle.

With a length of just 3.72 meters, the ET Lander is very compact. Thanks to the power steering, the short turning radius of 4.40 meters and 360 ° visibility, it goes anywhere. Fitted with lead acid batteries (72V 220 Ah – producing 15.8Kw), the autonomy of the vehicle lasts for a full working day – without noise pollution.

The ET Lander can transport loads of up to 940kgs and can also tow up to 750kgs. With its all-road tires and powerful transmission, it is a real all-terrain vehicle for use in a variety of conditions on slopes and difficult terrain. Furthermore, life is made easier for its users through the integrated loading ramps – which allow for the transport of materials, ride-on mowers and other grounds maintenance equipment.

For more information, please visit www.etlander.co.uk

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

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.

Agrimetal debuts at SALTEX

/in , /by

Agrimetal debuts at SALTEX: AgriMetal makes its debut at SALTEX 2021. The range of debris blowers and collectors will be represented by the tractor-mounted BW3500 blower, alongside TYM tractors, on stand M080.

The BW3500 attachment, for tractors with more than 35hp at the PTO, completes debris management tasks effectively and with little noise disturbance.

Agrimetal debuts at SALTEX

Agrimetal debuts at SALTEX

Steven Haynes, tractor sales manager at Reesink, says: “As the leaves start to fall, maintenance work increases significantly, and this is work that can be made easy with the three low decibel three-point linkage mounted leaf and debris blower from AgriMetal.

“Having an impellor made of aluminium requires less energy at full throttle, delivering a quieter, smoother and vibration-free operation whilst also increasing airflow CFM by around 25 percent compared to other products on the market. This will have sure-fire appeal to golf courses and urban sports ground, for example, where it is important to keep noise pollution to a minimum.”

Steven continues: “The lightweight construction reduces the sudden loading on the driveline and helps reduce belt wear as the PTO is engaged. The large roller on which the blower rides lets you work in the worst conditions without marking or compacting the turf, particularly useful for sports surfaces, especially on turns. In fact, in contrast to the competition, the roller will often smooth out imperfections on the turf.”

This low decibel series of tractor-drawn blowers has been designed for maximum productivity and minimum maintenance and the option to fit caster wheels, which allows the machine to switch to hard surface application, makes them a good option for public schools, colleges, universities and large estates for driveway clearing too.

Steven concludes: “The BW3500 is efficient and reliable in a range of settings and the high cubic feet per minute output means it’s really productive, making light work of what can be a laborious task.”

To find out more about the AgriMetal range, which also includes high-capacity collectors, visit stand M080 at SALTEX, where customers can see the BW3500 with the T395 tractor to demonstrate the perfect partnership for easy autumn/winter maintenance.

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.