Kubota appoints HRN Tractors

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Kubota appoints HRN Tractors: Kubota (UK) Ltd is pleased to announce that HRN Tractors Ltd is to become a Kubota full-line dealer in Scotland across its six depots, with effect from today (17 September 2020).

While HRN Tractors will represent Kubota construction equipment for all of Scotland, its agricultural products will be available for depots north of Perth, with groundcare and professional turf products for the region north of Dundee.

Kubota appoints HRN Tractors

Kubota appoints HRN Tractors

“This appointment reinforces Kubota’s commitment to its customers and the market,” explains David Hart, managing director of Kubota (UK). “As a full-line dealer, HRN Tractors will be in a strong position to make the future investments required in facilities, technology and staff, to actively support our customers across agricultural, groundcare and construction sectors.”

HRN Tractors was established by the Barclay family in 1980, and is a well-known and respected name throughout the farming community. In addition to its extensive dealership activities, the family also farms across 2,000 acres of combinable crops and is home to the pedigree Harestone herd. With its head office at Insch, HRN Tractors has depots at Turriff, Kinloss, Muir of Ord, Caithness and Balbeggie.

“HRN is delighted to have received the Kubota franchise,” says Hamish Bruce, dealer principal of HRN Tractors. “It supplies us with a wide range of agricultural, construction and groundcare products to sell to our growing customer base. We believe that Kubota has massive potential for market growth in Scotland, and that HRN and Kubota have a very bright future together.”

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First impressions count with the Quadraplay

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First impressions count with the Quadraplay: Nigel Mortimore, Head Groundsman at Topsham Rugby Football Club, is a strong believer in first impressions – and his SISIS Quadraplay is helping him to create a pitch that opposition teams will long remember.   

A retired Physical Education teacher, Nigel has been maintaining the pitches at Topsham Rugby Football Club for the past seven years. The site, which includes two full size rugby pitches and two smaller pitches for the junior teams, can often see more than 600 people in attendance on a matchday.

First impressions count with the Quadraplay

First impressions count with the Quadraplay

When Nigel first started the role, he had little experience in groundsmanship, so he was therefore keen to get up to speed as soon as possible.

“I live local to here, I enjoyed playing rugby and I’ve always had an interest in fields and sports pitches but going from playing on one to looking after one was a steep learning curve,” he said.

“I joined the RFU’s Rugby Groundsmen Connected scheme, which along with Devon RFU, has been invaluable in gaining advice and support. I also got in contact with the groundsman at Exeter University and I worked alongside him and his team to see how they maintain their pitches. The previous groundsman at Topsham, John Evans, was also a great help.”

After learning the fundamental skills of groundsmanship, Nigel’s attention soon turned towards new maintenance machinery. The SISIS Quadraplay had previously caught his eye and an evening with Keith Kent helped him make the final decision.

“Keith Kent came here to Topsham to host a Groundsmen Connected seminar. He brought a range of SISIS equipment with him and that was when I first saw the Quadraplay in action – I immediately knew that this machine was what we needed.

“The club’s committee attended that evening and the final decision was made there and then. Those committee members bought into what benefits the Quadraplay could offer after seeing how it could be used and how much it could help us.”

The SISIS Quadraplay multiple-purpose, single-pass maintenance incorporates a mounted frame for up to four implements such as grooming rakes, spikers, slitters, rollers and brushes. The implements can be fitted to the mainframe in any order and can be independently adjusted to achieve the desired effect. Compact, robust, versatile and with the ability to carry out up to four operations simultaneously – the Quadraplay makes life a lot easier for many groundsmen.

“We purchased the Quadraplay to improve the conditions of the fields and it has done exactly that,” said Nigel.

“It is used pretty much every day depending on conditions. If the surface is nice and damp, we will go out and slit it and we will do that in different directions on various days. Slitting the pitches has really helped with the drainage here. Prior to having the Quadraplay we were forced to cancel games when we had torrential rain but now, we don’t have that problem.

First impressions count with the Quadraplay

First impressions count with the Quadraplay

“The brush puts a lovely stripe on the pitch which is important for matchday presentation. The tines are also brilliant, and we tend to tine it and brush it particularly at the end of the season. This helps to take off the peaks and put them into the troughs for a consistent playing surface.

“Having the ability to carry out four tasks with the Quadraplay is extremely beneficial,” continued Nigel. “The adjustment is very easy, and it is incredibly simple to connect it to the back of our tractor. I also like the fact that there is no PTO on it so there are no risks of oil spillages. It is easy to maintain, well-built and it is just a fantastic piece of kit.”

Nigel believes that the machine has signalled major improvements to the pitches. He also claims that it is not just the home team that these improvements have had an impact on.

“The quality of surface has improved no end. The players are getting a good footing on it and that in turn improves the game of rugby – the better the surface the better the play. A lot of the Topsham players have commented on how much they feel it has improved.

“I’ve got a real thing about first impressions especially when you go to play a game at an away ground. If you were to get off a coach on a matchday and you see a fantastic looking pitch which has been dressed, striped and ready for play then you know you will be facing a good team. I think our pitch, thanks to the SISIS Quadraplay, now puts opposition teams on the backfoot straight away.”

For further information or a no obligation demonstration, please contact SISIS on 01332 824 777 or visit www.sisis.com

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

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New 25L and 60L package sizes from Aspen Fuel

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New 25L and 60L package sizes from Aspen Fuel: To meet the ever-growing demand from commercial customers, Aspen Fuel have announced the introduction of two new package sizes to their range of 2-stroke and 4-stroke Alkylate Petrol.

In addition to the standard 5L and 200L units, new for 2020 are 25L and 60L options. These new sizes give users the flexibility to specify their fuel quantity by the container, pallet or drum that best suits their usage, storage and transportation requirements.

New 25L and 60L package sizes from Aspen Fuel

New 25L and 60L package sizes from Aspen Fuel

Being virtually free from sulphur, benzene and other harmful substances found in regular pump fuel, hazardous emissions from equipment running on Aspen Alkylate Petrol are minimal – improving the working conditions for the operator and significantly reducing the harmful impact your machinery makes on the environment.

The new size options are also matched with new bulk-order pricing, details of which can be found on the Aspen website. For added convenience bulk orders can be delivered to site in 48 hours, or alternatively, collection is available from Aspen dealerships nationwide.

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Robotic line marking – the future is here!

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Robotic line marking- the future is here!: Faster, lighter and cost effective, the TinyLineMarker (TLM) Sport, is Rigby Taylor’s latest line marking robot introduction for the autonomous, initial marking and over-marking of sports pitches.

Perfect for clubs and organisations that have single site use, or for sites with just a few pitches, it is a smart investment for training grounds, sports clubs, schools and district/borough councils.

Small in size but BIG on features

Robotic line marking- the future is here!

Robotic line marking- the future is here!

Using the latest robotic technology and in-built GPS-RTK receiver and antenna, the TLM Sport’s modern, sleek design moves easily over the grass surfaces providing precision line markings to mm levels of accuracy. There are 50 sports pitch-marking templates available and the robot is easily controlled by a single operator using the supplied Samsung tablet. Once the lines have been marked the markings are never lost as once the operation has been completed, the location and markings are simply stored and can be retrieved and replicated at any time. The robot can continuously mark for 3-4 hours on a single battery charge (an upgraded battery is available providing longer spraying time) and built in detect and protect ultrasonic sensors are supplied as standard.

The TLM Sport is also super-efficient. Once the robot is positioned on the pitch surface to be marked it can be left to get on with its work, freeing up the operator to carry out additional tasks such as mowing, aeration, spraying, spreading, etc. As an example, using just 3 litres of Impact paint, the complete initial marking (no stringing required!) of a standard sized football pitch can be undertaken in just 20 minutes, including those pitches with fixed posts.

Robotic line marking - the future is here!

Robotic line marking – the future is here!

It is also eco-friendly. As CO2 emissions and water conservation become increasingly important, its battery powered, low energy consumption, no fuel or emissions and, with its Impact ready to use paint, no added water, the TLM Sport is the eco-smart choice.

From the launch by Rigby Taylor’s of its first robotic line marker, the company leads the industry in the line marking robotic revolution and The TinyLineMarker Sport is the ideal partner with its big brother the TinyLineMarker Pro which has been so successful for contractors and those clubs and organisations that have multiple pitches.

See the Tiny Linemarker Sport Robot Line Marker in action here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhCQQUaVr38&feature=youtu.be

For further information, or to book a demonstration, contact a Rigby Taylor area manager or Freephone 0800 424 919, 0r email: sales@rigbytaylor.com

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Foamstream kills coronavirus in under 10 seconds

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Foamstream kills coronavirus in under 10 seconds: Independent lab tests show Weedingtech’s chemical-free foam kills coronavirus in under 10 seconds.

Award-winning British technology used by local authorities around the world to kill weeds and algae without chemicals could prove a vital tool in the fight against coronavirus, research has shown.

Foamstream kills coronavirus in under 10 seconds

Foamstream kills coronavirus in under 10 seconds

The Foamstream technology, designed by Weedingtech, was originally invented as a herbicide-free way to control weeds, moss and algae in public spaces, including parks and city streets; but independent lab tests confirm it can quickly kill Covid-19 particles in under 10 seconds.

The Foamstream ‘wand’ emits near-boiling hot water, blended with natural plant oils and sugars including wheat, maize, potatoes, rapeseed and coconut oil on surfaces.

Independent laboratory research by BluTest, one of the United Kingdom’s leading laboratories and an internationally recognised expert in virus testing, showed that Foamstream killed 99.99% of all coronavirus particles within seconds and without recourse to chemicals that might harm the environment or the public. This makes it one of the fastest-acting treatments for killing Covid-19 particles.

Leo de Montaignac, CEO at Weedingtech, said: “We began exploring other uses for the technology beyond weed control last year, including the elimination of viruses – something which is now more crucial than ever. As lockdown restrictions relax and children return to school and people enjoy public outdoor places again, it is vital they are safe. Foamstream can help by destroying coronavirus particles, preventing their transmission, and giving peace of mind to millions across the UK and many more around the world.”

He added: “The applications of this are enormous. It can be used in sports stadiums, bus shelters, school playgrounds and parks. It can help make children’s play areas safe, as well as park seating, outdoor gyms, theme parks, beach front seating, station platforms and bus and tram stations.”

Until now, no other outdoor sanitisation technology has met all necessary criteria to be considered a viable solution in eliminating coronavirus. Foamstream is significantly faster and easier to use than most current manual sanitisation practices, like disinfectants. Furthermore, it’s approved for organic use and non-toxic, meaning it can be used in the majority of outdoor settings.

Given these breakthrough lab results, Foamstream will work with local municipalities and other landowners to help decontaminate public places so they are safer for people to use and enjoy.

Dr. Sandy Primrose MBE, UK renowned microbiologist, said: “To date, deep-cleaning processes have typically involved various chemicals and presented several logistical challenges, particularly with larger spaces such as train stations, but Foamstream scales up the process and offers an infinitely more effective and safe solution.”

How does it work? Coronavirus particles begin to break down when subjected to heat upwards of 56°C / 133°F and the higher the temperature the faster the kill rate. Foamstream flows from the lance at 98°C / 208°F. The heat in the hot water is trapped on the virus by a biodegradable foam blanket, stopping the heat from escaping to the atmosphere. The wet heat destroys the lipid envelope that surrounds the virus making it non-infectious.

Given that Foamstream is chemical-free, there’s no need to cordon off treatment areas prior to, during, or after treatment, as the product is safe for people, animals and delicate ecosystems. In addition, it can be used on flat and vertical surfaces too, making it highly effective, versatile, and user-friendly.

Foamstream systems are already in use for controlling vegetation across the world in cities including New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, Miami, Munich, Barcelona, Budapest, Manchester, Dublin, London, Auckland, Hong Kong and Montevideo. Global distribution is already established (typically through Toro and John Deere distributors) on five continents, making Foamstream technology easily accessible to all.

For further detail on Weedingtech and Foamstream, Please visit: https://www.weedingtech.com/why-foamstream/

You can also see more about how Foamstream works, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4o1ROoBfGxY&feature=youtu.be

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