Hassle-free winter maintenance

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Hassle-free winter maintenance: While it’s hard to predict what 2021 will bring, what we know with certainty is that the early year cold weather is already upon us and machinery maintenance is a constant. What is also definite is that Toro parts and distributor Reesink Turfcare continue to have all you need to make this essential job as hassle-free as possible.

Keeping surfaces in play and maintained properly throughout winter is tough enough, but good maintenance will ensure your machines are functioning to their full capabilities whatever the elements throw at you. And there are simple cold-weather tips that can mean when it’s time to bring your machine out of storage, it should be as easy as adding fuel and checking the oil to quickly get up and running.

Hassle-free winter maintenance

Hassle-free winter maintenance

Check the manual

In an ideal world maintenance should always be done as per the machinery manufacturer’s instructions in order to keep standards high. If perhaps there wasn’t the time to do this throughout the year, now’s the time to rectify that. Toro includes a recommended maintenance guide inside the owner’s manual for every piece of equipment which will provide machine specifics.

Change the oil

Many people think, “I’ll change the oil in the spring.” But allowing contaminated and diluted oil to sit in the engine during months of storage can cause sludge that leads to corrosion and rust. When it comes to the start of a new year, always think “out with the old, in with the new.”

Drain the fuel tank

Modern fuel contains ethanol that begins to break down after about 30 days, leaving a varnish that can eat away at any aluminium it comes in contact with. Protect your fuel system by draining the fuel tank and running the engine to empty the carburettor. If you can’t drain the fuel tank, add in a good fuel stabiliser and then top off the tank. Run the engine for five minutes to circulate the stabiliser throughout the fuel system.

Clean inside and out

Dirt lowers performance, grass can cause rust. It’s time for a deep clean. Always remember to clean or replace the air filter before storing your equipment. If possible, cover the machine to keep out dust and damp.

Keep the battery charged

If your machine is equipped with a battery, check its electrolyte level and top off with distilled water if needed. Place the battery on a float type charger to maintain a full charge until the next season.

Sharpen cutting units

Sharp blades are essential for a quality finish all year, but cutting turf in wet conditions makes it more difficult to get a perfect finish, so in winter this job is even more important. With a blade for all seasons, choosing Toro guarantees not only a perfect fit but one carefully crafted to suit specific turf needs. For example, the ‘Atomic’ blades are best in the wetter winter months, perfect for mulching up leaves or for use with a recycling deck to mulch the grass.

Change tyres and check stock

Switching to new tyres to ensure you have improved grip in the face of unforgiving ground conditions as well as keeping a stock of replacement parts will ensure productivity remains high. Think about your high use performance parts and carry enough in stock to minimise downtime later.

Michael Hampton, Reesink’s parts manager, says: “Clubs may well not have the budget they thought they would for new and replacement machinery at the moment, but take good care of your machine and make sure all the parts are performing as they should be, and that shouldn’t be a problem.

“Reesink has a constant supply of all Toro Genuine Parts from the great value MVP kits, to blades, tines, filters and everything else you may need. With our supply system constant and consistent in its fast delivery, it means customers don’t need to worry about downtime and a drop in productivity. Even in lockdown we were still able to safely have orders ready for dispatch in ample time for delivery within 24 hours to our customers.”

To stock up on Toro parts or for winter machinery maintenance advice, customers can get in touch with their local Toro Genuine Parts dealer or service centre or contact Reesink via reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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Thomas Turf Services simplifies soil testing

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Thomas Turf Services simplifies soil testing: Thomas Turf Services (TTS) has taken its mission to aid the building and maintaining of the best possible quality turf facilities to another level by simplifying the testing of soils.

The new Golf Green Health Indexing service delivers results without disturbing the surface and represents a new tool for turf managers to use.

Thomas Turf Services simplifies soil testing

Thomas Turf Services simplifies soil testing

For the new service, TTS provides greenkeepers, superintendents and field managers with a bespoke sampling kit and easy to understand instructions for the collecting, packaging and sending of the samples.

“Our latest equipment is so sensitive that it only requires small quantities to establish the soil condition and to determine the presence of unwanted organisms or materials. It only takes four easy steps to collect and courier the samples to our laboratory in Texas.  Here we prepare a report within 7-10 working days,” explains Jim Thomas.

Reports can provide full elemental analysis (including pH, P, K, Mg, Ca, Mn, Cu, Zn, Fe, & Na), an organic matter profile, saturated hydraulic conductivity, total porosity, air-filled porosity, water-filled porosity and water retention, as well as the bulk density.

“The new approach makes it possible to collect samples without major disturbance to the current soil conditions. The fear that sample extraction will contribute to the vulnerability of the surface, is now something of the past,” Thomas adds.

Golf courses and venue operators can use the service to establish a benchmark or to monitor the grass conditions continuously. “We advise to have the soils tested on an ongoing basis, preferably once a year, to monitor the developments and progress made. When using this diagnostic tool, problems and trends can be caught early which will help with arresting or managing them.”

TTS offers the Golf Green Indexing service to all golf courses and sports venues in the Americas, as well as the Asia-Pacific region. “We have Spanish speaking agronomists employed. This makes it easier to liaise with clients in the Central- and South-American region directly.”

Earlier this year, The R&A, the European counterpart of the U.S. Golf Association, adopted the method to ensure the venues used are maintained optimally and provide first-class surfaces for member and championship golf. The service for The R&A is provided by European Turfgrass Laboratories, based in Scotland. Like TTS, ETL is also part of the Labosport group of companies.

Worldwide only 8 companies are accredited to conduct soil testing services.  The fact that both TTS and ETL are both accredited and part of the Labosport group of companies allows them to continuously benchmark their performance through inter-company knowledge exchange.

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GGM Group celebrate charity success

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GGM Group celebrate charity success: A Lancashire based business is ending the year on a high and celebrating raising over £10,000 for charity over the past two years – despite the restrictions caused by the global pandemic.

Colne-based GGM Group selected three charities to support, pledging to raise over £10k through an intensive programme of activity. After a great start in 2019, the business was determined not to be hampered by lockdown restrictions in 2020 and came up with their own ingenious ways to fundraise.

GGM Group celebrate charity success

GGM Group celebrate charity success

The businesses annual charity walking event was rethought with MD Chris Gibson travelling from his home town of Lancaster to the businesses’ head office in Colne and then back again covering a distance of 104 miles –  through a combination of cycling and walking. He was joined at different points on his journey by different members of staff undertaking different legs in pairs, to enable social distancing.

The business has thought further outside of the box in it’s fundraising efforts with a team of staff pledging to lose weight in aid of charity.

The fundraising has raised money for charities who are finding themselves cash-strapped during these difficult times. Greenfingers is the company charity for the second year running,  dedicated to supporting children who spend time in hospices around the UK, along with their families, by creating inspiring gardens for them to relax in. In addition, funds have also been raised for St John’s Hospice in Lancaster and Pendleside Hospice in Burnley.

Chris Gibson explains more:

“It’s a key part of our ethos at The GGM Group to give something back to the community and we are delighted to have been able to achieve our charity target, despite these difficult times. Now, more than ever, charities need our support and we are delighted to have still been able to help”.

The GGM Group has worked hard to find ways to keep the business operating this year, and  throughout the pandemic has worked hard to keep the whole team together, maintain its commitment to excellent customer service, and, where it was safe to do so, keep machines operational for professional and domestic customers throughout the season.

The company has also started recruiting again and are aiming to help some of the younger members of the local community with apprenticeship opportunities.

In addition, the business made a pledge during lockdown to become an eco-friendly organisation and strive to improve its green credentials even further, through a range of initiatives including electric vehicles, a wildlife wellbeing oasis at the Haydock branch and the recent installation of solar panels.

The GGM Group consists of two businesses across two depots. PSD Groundscare is the national distributor of specialist landscaping equipment, including AS Motor and Eliet, Koppl and TS Industrie. GGM Groundscare is a specialist supplier of tractors and high-quality professional land-based equipment for commercial and domestic use. Servicing the North West and Yorkshire, it supplies a range of products from leading franchises including Kubota, Baroness and Amazone.

Chris Gibson concluded:

“There is no dispute that this has been an incredibly challenging year for most businesses. I’m incredibly proud of how our team has pulled together and hitting our charity target really is the icing on the cake. Like most people, we can finally see light at the end of the tunnel and I’m confident of a bright 2021.

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CleanShield – a peace of mind

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CleanShield – a peace of mind: Amega Science’s CleanShield – an alcohol-free, multi-surface cleaner, offers peace of mind at a time when it is most needed according to Martin Ford, UK Sales Manager for Agrigem.

It is widely documented that the most common way that microorganisms, particularly bacteria, are spread and cause infection is on hard surfaces and carried on people’s hands. Preventing infection and managing the spread of germs from hands and surfaces is therefore important in all environments.

CleanShield – a peace of mind

CleanShield – a peace of mind

CleanShield is designed to bring broad spectrum pathogen protection and biological cleanliness to large areas in an instant. This high-performance sanitising solution has been independently proven to be effective against a wide variety of germs including Norovirus, Ebola, MERS, Swine-Flu, Covid-19 and many more.

Martin from Agrigem claims that he has seen an increasing demand for CleanShield, particularly over recent months. He also had no hesitation in using the product at his local football club (Rastrick Junior FC in Yorkshire) where he is also manager and chairman.

“Since the pandemic we have obviously had to put many safety measures in place. When we were able to restart after the initial lockdown, we were told by the FA that we needed to disinfect all of our equipment after every session – our goal posts, the footballs, the bibs, the cones – pretty much everything.

“At our club, there are over 350 players and 70 coaches – so it was essential that we carried out the necessary measures. When CleanShield was released we knew it was going to be a reputable product and it was going to do exactly what it claimed to do.”

CleanShield is alcohol free which has many advantages over alcohol-based products: it kills spores or non-enveloped viruses unlike alcohol-based products; alcohol hand gels and surface wipes can dry the skin causing hands to crack and bleed – but with no alcohol content, CleanShield will not irritate the skin at all and is proven to be effective for up to 45 minutes on hands and 3 days on surfaces after its application.

Furthermore, it can be mopped, sprayed or wiped onto floors, walls, surfaces and equipment providing easy instant protection to any environment where the transfer of germs is a concern. It is ready to use immediately with no preparation or mixing – something which Martin is particularly impressed with.

“CleanShield can be used straight out of the bottle which is great,” he said. “This makes it easy for the coaches at the end of each of the sessions just to spray everything down. It also goes an exceptionally long way which a huge benefit because it is so cost effective.

“In this day and age, you need to take the necessary precautions and keep everyone safe. You need something that will work effectively and not give you any problems further down the line – CleanShield gives you peace of mind because it does exactly what it claims to do.

“I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending this to anyone, and I have already. My wife is the Operations & Welfare Manager for Leeds United Sports College and even she has bought some CleanShield. This proves how good the product is, because if I can sell it to my wife – then I can sell it to anybody!”

Please contact Agrigem:

Web – Agrigem.co.uk

Phone – 01522 246491.

Twitter – @AgrigemLtd

Facebook – Agrigem-Ltd

Linked IN – Agrigem-Ltd

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WINSTONgolf deploys Soil Scout sensors

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WINSTONgolf deploys Soil Scout sensors: WINSTONgolf, Germany’s number one golf venue in 2019, has announced a new partnership with wireless underground soil monitoring solution Soil Scout to further its vision of becoming Europe’s forerunner in greenkeeping technology.

After an initial pilot using 27 sensors in one green at three different depths to find an optimal all-round wetting agent, WINSTONgolf will deploy Soil Scout’s sensors to its Open and Links course greens.

WINSTONgolf deploys Soil Scout sensors

WINSTONgolf deploys Soil Scout sensors

WINSTONgolf in Vorbeck, Germany, home to the WINSTONgolf Senior Open, is well known for its unique topography. Often nicknamed the “moonscape” course after its unusual hills and crater-like bunkers, the course presents moisture retention challenges for Head Greenkeeper Erwan Le Cocq.

“Soil Scout has been a game-changer for us in our search for the perfect wetting agent, which are notoriously difficult to program. Our main aim was to find the perfect wetting agent that holds enough moisture at high points but also drains enough moisture lower down. The only way to efficiently understand the physics of the green and moisture penetration was to measure at 6.5 cm, 15 cm, and 25 cm depths using Soil Scout’s underground soil monitoring solution,” says Erwan Le Cocq, Head Greenkeeper at WINSTONgolf.

Unlike above-ground solutions, Soil Scout’s sensor is the only system capable of transmitting moisture, temperature, and salinity data in near real-time from up to 2 meters below the surface, for up to 20 years, maintenance-free.

“Because we’ve had so much rainfall recently, it would be impossible to accurately sample and measure moisture levels without Soil Scout – by the time you start taking samples and the time you finish, your data is redundant. With the sensors in place, I can get an accurate near real-time snapshot on my phone while I’m in the office or at home,” continues Le Cocq.

Using soil data to find the perfect wetting agent is just one method WINSTONgolf utilizes that fits in their technology program to become one of Europe’s leading tech leaders in golf agronomy.

“In addition to overseeing a truly aesthetically outstanding course, Erwan has grasped the importance of data-driven technology with both hands – from understanding how healthy the grass is on the fairway by cutting it with Autocut’s solar-powered autonomous robots to controlling moisture flow through the green’s soil with our sensors. There are very few people in the world right now with the ability to collate data effectively and make insight-driven decisions,” says Adam Sedgwick, VP of International Sales at Soil Scout.

Using the wrong wetting agent and holding moisture in the wrong layers can change the uniformity of the playing surface, and need reactive maintenance changes.

“When a product is this expensive, it is important to get the application right and assisted by the Soil Scout data I knew I was applying it at the most effective times by using it at the correct soil moisture instead of guessing or sampling and guaranteeing a greatly improved effect,” concludes Erwan Le Cocq.

Recently backed by Husqvarna last year’s seed funding round, Soil Scout was co-founded by Finnish agrotechnology Ph.D. and 19th generation farmer Johannes Tiusanen and electronics expert M.Sc.Eng Jussi Sirkiä with a mission of giving soil experts the information they need to effectively manage their lands. Erwan Le Cocq is the head greenkeeper at WINSTONgolf, overseeing the implementation of data collection and technology installation, under the direction of course manager Jordan Tschimperle.

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