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It’s J Premier Wicket time and again

June 13, 2023/in News, Press Release/by Louise Challiss

It’s J Premier Wicket time and again: When it comes to a cricket pitch, there’s not much that Richie Woodmason, owner of Willow Turf Care, doesn’t know about them – whether it’s playing on them or maintaining them! One thing he is certain of, is that when he needs a grass seed that is going […]

Even more choice from Makita

June 13, 2023/in News, Press Release/by Rebecca Harborne

Even more choice from Makita: Leading power tool manufacturer, Makita has expanded its range of 18V LXT cordless garden maintenance machines further with new product launches. The new additions include an 18V LXT blower, a range of 18V LXT hedge trimmers and an 18V LXT 350mm rear handle chainsaw. The versatile DUB187 Brushless LXT Blower, […]

It’s J Premier Wicket time and again

June 13, 2023/in News, Press Release/by Louise Challiss

Even more choice from Makita

June 13, 2023/in News, Press Release/by Rebecca Harborne

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

It’s J Premier Wicket time and again

June 13, 2023/in News, Press Release/by Louise Challiss

It’s J Premier Wicket time and again: When it comes to a cricket pitch, there’s not much that Richie Woodmason, owner of Willow Turf Care, doesn’t know about them – whether it’s playing on them or maintaining them!

One thing he is certain of, is that when he needs a grass seed that is going to germinate quickly and deliver hard-wearing results capable of withstanding the demands of the modern season, he turns to Johnsons Sports Seed. Following his own extensive research, it’s Johnsons J Premier Wicket that ticks all the boxes for Richie, seeing it employed on 41 of the 42 renovations he completed last season.

It’s J Premier Wicket time and again

After moving to Australia to play cricket, Richie became involved in the grounds maintenance at the Perth club, swiftly taking on the role of Head Groundsman. On his return to the UK, he then adopted a similar role at his home club before a return trip to Oz saw him gain further experience of management in warmer climes. Back again, and positions at Gloucestershire Country Cricket Club and Trent Bridge were held, alongside the establishment of Willow Turf Care – conducting end of season renovations for facilities in and around the Gloucestershire area.

It was during his time at Trent Bridge that Richie took it upon himself to conduct some trials to establish the germination of various mixtures and assess the performance of various cultivars. He explains, “When we were conducting repairs, I’d line up four or five different mixtures and then look at things like the speed of germination, coverage and plant strength, and found that in our attempts to get a wicket back in six or eight weeks, that J Premier Wicket repeatedly outperformed the others.”

This knowledge has served Richie well, since he went full time with Willow Turf Care in March 2021. “I was armed with my go-to grass seed and found that, as new clients came on board, they were happy to take my recommendation. I’m now Head Groundsman at seven clubs and use J Premier Wicket at all of these, along with the numerous other sites at which I’m contracted. It continues to offer brilliant wear tolerance, disease resistance and coped well with the challenges of the hot and dry weather last summer.”

It’s J Premier Wicket time and again

J Premier Wicket is formulated from four top-rated perennial rye cultivars that deliver proven, reliable performance and outstanding camera appeal. “We used it on all of our 42 square renovations except one last year, with the other one also using seed from another DLF brand, and couldn’t fault the results.” He adds, “Time is becoming the most important commodity due to the expectations on county club grounds staff. This means that finding something that works well, and works quickly, is crucial. For me, the J Premier Wicket mix backed up with fantastic technical support from DLF’s Ian Barnett and priced as it is, makes it unrivalled.”

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Even more choice from Makita

June 13, 2023/in News, Press Release/by Rebecca Harborne

Even more choice from Makita: Leading power tool manufacturer, Makita has expanded its range of 18V LXT cordless garden maintenance machines further with new product launches. The new additions include an 18V LXT blower, a range of 18V LXT hedge trimmers and an 18V LXT 350mm rear handle chainsaw.

The versatile DUB187 Brushless LXT Blower, which features both blower and vacuum functions, has a variable speed trigger control plus a cruise control for ease of operation. In blower mode the DUB187 produces a maximum air volume of 4.2 m3 /min with an air velocity of up to 64m/sec. As a vacuum to pick up leaves and garden debris, the DUB187 has a maximum air volume of 6.1 m3 /min, benefits from a 25 litre collection bag and features a metal shredder blade on the fan for mulching. For easy and comfortable use, the DUB187 also features top and rear handles as well as a shoulder strap and two casters on the blower/vacuum nozzle for ease of movement.

Even more choice from Makita

Makita has also launched four new 18V LXT hedge trimmers. The DUH507 and DUH607 LXT hedge trimmers have 500mm and 600mm blade lengths respectively. The machines deliver an output of 250 watts, a blade speed of 2700 strokes per minute and have a 15mm maximum cutting capacity.

Also added to the range is the DUH506 and DUH606 Brushless LXT hedge trimmers that similarly have 500mm and 600mm blade lengths. These machines have an output of 320 watts with a blade speed of 4000 strokes per minute and a 20mm maximum cutting capacity. The brushless motors in the DUH506 and DUH606 deliver improved performance and runtimes compared with equivalent machines with conventional brushed motors.

All the new hedge trimmers are designed to be lightweight, including an aluminium guide bar, to reduce user fatigue as well as a redesigned front switch for easier operation. The new machines also all have optional chip receivers, and safety features such an electric brake, whilst the DUH506 and DUH606 also feature an anti-restart function.

In addition, to help professionals achieve maximum productivity, the DUB187 blower and the new hedge trimmers are all compatible with the Makita PDC01 portable power supply. This backpack battery unit can be fitted with up to four LXT batteries to provide extended run times for a wide range of Makita 18V and Twin 18V (36V) LXT machines via a connection adaptor.

Finally, Makita has also added a new rear handle chainsaw to its line-up. The DUC357 Brushless LXT 350mm Chainsaw achieves a high level of torque using a gear reduction mechanism making it ideal for more demanding applications.

Kevin Brannigan, Marketing Manager at Makita commented: “We are continually developing our range of cordless garden and grounds maintenance machines to provide professionals with a choice of products to suit their needs. This latest wave of new product launches broadens these options further with lightweight and easy to handle, but highly effective solutions.”

To find out more about Makita and its range of products visit: www.makitauk.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.

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

It’s J Premier Wicket time and again

Even more choice from Makita

It’s J Premier Wicket time and again

Even more choice from Makita

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

It’s J Premier Wicket time and again

It’s J Premier Wicket time and again: When it comes to a cricket pitch, there’s not much that Richie Woodmason, owner of Willow Turf Care, doesn’t know about them – whether it’s playing on them or maintaining them!

Even more choice from Makita

Even more choice from Makita: Leading power tool manufacturer, Makita has expanded its range of 18V LXT cordless garden maintenance machines further with new product launches. The new additions include an 18V LXT blower, a range of 18V LXT hedge trimmers and an 18V LXT 350mm rear handle chainsaw.

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