Cobra continues to expand its lawnmower range

/in , , /by

Cobra continues to expand its lawnmower range: Cobra has once again expanded its range of lawnmowers with the introduction of the new MX534SPCE mower.

It is a 21” petrol powered mower that combines many top-of-range features. It is self-propelled, has four speeds and also has the option for both mulching and side discharge to dispose of cuttings.

This multi-feature mower is the ultimate in power, style and reliability in the garden.

With four speeds, a generous 21” cutting width and a grassbag with a 65-litre capacity, it is designed for medium to large gardens, up to approximately 600 m2.

It features a quiet yet powerful 4-stroke Cobra petrol engine that utilises the latest technology to ensure optimal torque and efficiency. It also features an electric starting system to ease starting the petrol engine. The electric button replaces the need to pull the recoil and makes starting even easier.

Cobra products are available to buy online at www.cobragarden.co.uk or via a network of expert dealers across the UK.

RRP: £400.00

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.

Etesia Hydro 124 DL is part of the family

/in , , /by

Etesia Hydro 124 DL is part of the family: After using their previous Etesia Hydro 124 D for eighteen years, the Malpas family felt it was time for an upgrade. When it came to choosing a new ride-on mower, there was only one choice – a new Hydro 124 DL.

The Malpas family, based in Hertfordshire, have three sites to attend to which includes a vast orchard, paddocks and three beautiful gardens. Up until very recently, there has only ever been allowed one person to cut the grass – as Clare Malpas explains.

Etesia Hydro 124 DL is part of the family

Etesia Hydro 124 DL is part of the family

“We had the Etesia Hydro 124 D for such a long time and my father was the only driver – none of us were ever allowed near it because it was his pride and joy. The mower had served him so well over the years, but it was about time for an upgrade.

“He absolutely loved that mower and refused to even look at any other brands. Quite simply, he was adamant that he wanted the new Hydro 124 DL.”

Unfortunately, Clare’s father has recently been hospitalised and has not been able to try his brand-new Hydro 124 DL yet. In the meantime, Clare has been cutting the grass with the new machine and is confident that her father will be delighted when he returns to action.

“He fully intends on continuing to cut the grass when he gets out of hospital and he will have a nice, shiny new mower waiting for him,” continued Clare. “He is going to be over the moon because this mower really is something special.”

The Etesia Hydro 124 DL is the first mower that combines direct rear-ejection, integrated collection and high-lift emptying (patented). All features that make it one of the most highly efficient machines on the market, designed to mow up to 19,000 square metres per hour.

Clare’s father may well have adored his old Hydro 124 D but he is sure to notice an improved finish: Equipped with two counter-rotating 65 cm blades that are mounted at right-angles, the Hydro 124 ensures perfect mowing thanks to its powerful inhalation raising the grass before cutting. It also features a cutting deck with rear ejection and 2 counter-rotating blades, offering excellent mowing and collection even in long and wet grass. The grass box is also filled to capacity every time, enabling a huge load of 600L / 100kg.

“I was nervous at first because I had never used a mower like this, but it is incredibly easy to use,” said Clare. “It was supplied to us by local Etesia dealer Scamblers, and Ian Collington (Area Sales Manager for Etesia UK) came along as well. They were both extremely helpful and they didn’t leave until I knew exactly what I was doing and knew where everything was.

“I’ve been using it for a while now and it is a brilliant mower. It is not completely flat here and there are a few slopes but the Hydro 124 DL copes with absolutely everything.

“The mower is very quick as well, so I can get the mowing finished nice and early and then concentrate on other jobs needed. Changing the cutting height is a very simple process and is certainly very beneficial because we adjust the height of cut in various places.

“It was sad to see the old machine go but after eighteen years, I think it was time for an upgrade. In eighteen years, we never had one single issue, so it goes to show just how reliable and well-built these machines are.

“With this new model I can tell just how much it has been improved and I’m looking forward to seeing my father’s face when he uses it for the first time.”

For further information, please contact Etesia UK on 01295 680120 or visit www.etesia.co.uk.

You can also follow Etesia on Twitter @EtesiaUK for much more news, reviews and insightful views.

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.

Hunter system makes instant impact

/in , /by

Hunter system makes instant impact: Mat Edwards, Course Manager at Looe Golf Club in Cornwall, claims that his new Hunter Irrigation system, supplied by KAR UK and installed by Full Circle Irrigation Ltd, has signalled instant improvements on the greens and approaches.

Designed by six times Open champion, Harry Vardon, Looe Golf Club is set in an area of breath-taking beauty. The panoramic views from the course are stunning; to the east are the peaks of Dartmoor and the Tamar estuary, to the south, Looe Island and the channel, to the west and north, glorious countryside and Cornish moors. The 18-hole course measuring 5,940 yards provides an excellent test of golf for all abilities.

Hunter system makes instant impact

Hunter system makes instant impact

Mat Edwards has been working at the club for six years, three of which have been as the Course Manager. Along with his three full-time greenkeepers, Mat has worked tirelessly to bring about some huge improvements to the course – which has not been unrecognised by the club’s members.

However, he claims that perhaps the biggest impact has been the result of the new Hunter Irrigation system which was recently installed. Which was much needed according to Mat.

“I knew that the previous system was just not up to scratch,” he said. “Some sprinklers wouldn’t work, there were a few leaks and I could not rely on it at all. Considering the prolonged periods of drought we have been experiencing over the past couple of years, it was imperative that we had a good irrigation system.

“Therefore, an appraisal on the system was carried out by Irritech Limited, and they basically condemned it.  I then showed the report to the club’s owner and he gave me the green light to push ahead with a new system.”

It was at this point that Mat met with Wesley Henshaw from KAR UK – distributors of Hunter Golf Irrigation who was introduced to the club by David Bevan of Agrovista Amenity. After being impressed by Wesley’s product knowledge, Looe Golf Club purchased a new system consisting of Hunter G885 Decoder-In-Head sprinklers to be controlled by the Hunter Pilot CCS PC-based central control system.

The G885 sprinklers boast one of the highest torque outputs on the market. With this, the gear drive will push through anything that gets in its way. With such a powerful core, an array of efficient nozzles, and true full/part circle capabilities, the G885 is relied on by many turf managers. Throw in the convenient serviceability of Total Top Service (TTS) and Decoder-In Head (DIH) technology, and you don’t just have the most powerful choice in rotors, you’ve got the most intelligent choice as well.

The Pilot CCS PC-based central control system is a PC-based software package that makes central control of large-scale irrigation systems affordable, usable, and comprehensible.

A new system was designed by Irritech Limited, who also compiled a materials specification and bill of quantities. This allowed a number of irrigation contractors to tender for the project.

After a competitive tender process, the installation contract was awarded to Full Circle Irrigation Ltd. All of the greens and six approaches were installed with the G885 sprinklers with pipe work installed to Tees as part of the on-going project.

“The system has had an instant impact and is already making a difference,” said Mat. “Within two weeks the grass on the greens had grown and lushed up more than I could have expected – and this was in a period where we didn’t have any rainfall for six weeks.

Hunter system makes instant impact

Hunter system makes instant impact

“These sprinklers really are powerful,” he continued. “The course here is very exposed because we are situated so high up, so I was worried about drift. But these sprinklers are not affected by the wind – the nozzles ensure that the water goes exactly where you want it to.

Furthermore, I can control the system through my phone so I can even operate it at home.

“One of the main reasons for purchasing this Hunter system was to try and improve the greens and now they will be stronger through the summer and healthier going into winter.

“It has been worth every penny as far as I’m concerned.”

As a part of this project, a Kasco 1HP 4400EAF Surface Aerator has also been installed to the back-up irrigation lake to improve the quality of the water.

The Kasco high performance surface aerator pushes high volumes of water into the air which increases the overall health of the water and keeps it thoroughly mixed. These self-contained units deliver up to 3.0 lbs of O2 per horsepower per hour of operation, making Kasco surface aerators the most dependable and efficient units on the market.

For more information, contact Wesley on wesley@karuk.com or visit www.karuk.com.

You can also follow KAR UK on Twitter @KARUK_LTD for more news, reviews and insights.

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.

Nearly 100 new Bobcat machines sold

/in , /by

Nearly 100 new Bobcat machines sold: Kristianstad-based Bobcat Sverige AB, the Authorised Bobcat Dealer for Sweden, has secured orders for around 100 new Bobcat machines from Ramirent AB and Renta Sverige AB, two of the country’s leading rental companies. The order for Ramirent is believed to be the largest ever won by Bobcat in the Swedish market.

Comprising Bobcat mini-excavators from 1 to 8.5 tonne and a range of Bobcat compact loaders, the new machines are being delivered to Ramirent and Renta on a continuous basis. They join the substantial fleets of existing Bobcat machines at both Ramirent and Renta, which have established an excellent track record with both companies and laid the groundwork for the new orders won by Bobcat Sverige.

Nearly 100 new Bobcat machines sold

Nearly 100 new Bobcat machines sold

Bobcat Equipment Ideal for Rental

Göran Andersson, CEO at Bobcat Sverige, said: “Deliveries of the new Bobcat machines started in the second quarter and are taking place at rental depots throughout the country. The Swedish market is looking relatively bright – even in coronavirus times – with many cautiously looking forward again. The recent uncertainty in the market has been good for rental businesses as companies tend to hire more equipment under these circumstances.”

Johan Bursell, District Manager for the Nordics & Baltics region for Doosan Bobcat EMEA, said: “This is a tremendous achievement for Bobcat Sverige and is a testament to their success as our dealer in Sweden and to the quality of the Bobcat compact range. The excellent performance of the Bobcat equipment already in the rental fleets at Ramirent and Renta was an important factor in winning these orders.”

Rental Outlets throughout Sweden

Ramirent AB has many outlets throughout Sweden from Trelleborg in the very south of the country to Kiruna in the north. In addition to Bobcat mini-excavators and loaders, there is a wide product portfolio available to rent from Ramirent. The Swedish operations are part of a major network run by Ramirent in nine countries in Northern and Eastern Europe, employing around 3200 staff and comprising 300 customer centres. Ramirent is owned by the Loxam Group, the third largest equipment rental company in the world.

Renta Sverige AB also operates throughout Sweden with around 70 depots across the country.

It is part of the Finnish rental business, Renta Group Oy, and is a full-service construction machinery and equipment rental company. Renta also offers modern site facilities, scaffolding and weather protection services as well as site services such as temporary plumbing and HVAC installations and planning.

For more information about Bobcat and Bobcat products, visit the website www.bobcat.com

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.

Groundsman of the Year praises Headland

/in , /by

Groundsman of the Year praises Headland: With 12 years of greenkeeping experience under his belt, Carel Fourie has been turning his hand to the maintenance at Holwell Sports FC.

And he’s made quite the impression, scooping the United Counties League Groundsman of the Year title for 2019/20. Assisting Carel with the transition from fine turf to sports turf has been Alex Hawkes of Headland Amenity, who has overseen the construction of a nutritional programme that has boosted the health, appearance and playability of the Welby Road pitch.

Groundsman of the Year praises Headland

Groundsman of the Year praises Headland

“What started out as an advisory role, and carrying out the occasional spot treatments, turned into me being appointed as the club’s first permanent groundsman three years ago” explains Carel. “While I have done a lot of spraying and built up knowledge on a range of Headland products for golf, getting to know what would work for football was a real learning curve.” Following soil sampling and analysis by Alex, a programme was introduced based around Multigreen® temperature-controlled release fertiliser.

With field longevity of five to six months, Carel applies Multigreen® 28-3-15 in early summer and follows this up with an application of the 15-0-22 formulation in September. “Despite our heavy clay profile, Multigreen® gives us a long-lasting source of Nitrogen, that can be supplemented with other products for targeted treatments.” While Carel uses a range of Headland products in his nutritional programme, worth particular note are a tank mix of Elevate Fe®, Xtend® and Clipless NT® which is applied every six weeks through the summer to boost the visual qualities, together with a combination of Turfcomplex® and TriCure AD™ which has proven to successfully nurse the pitch through periods of dry weather and drought.

“I utilised the time during lockdown to conduct some heavy renovation work which included hollow coring and overseeding, which germinated really well largely thanks to nutrients sustained in the soil from the previous application of Multigreen®, alongside a treatment of H-Cote™ Mini which I put down in early March.” The lockdown also didn’t stop the invaluable technical support from Headland. “I was sent a kit to take my own soil samples which Headland then analysed to make sure everything was still on track. There were a couple of times where WhatsApp came in handy too, with Alex able to identify some issues we were having with Brown Patch via video call when he wasn’t able to visit the site.”

With golf and football firmly on his CV, Carel is also now undertaking some work at Melton Mowbray Cricket Club. “Each surface brings its own unique challenges, not to mention the added complications that COVID has presented, but we’re nothing if not versatile, and with enthusiasm and the right advice I relish those challenges!”

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.