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Vermorel knapsacks put grounds team in comfort zone

July 27, 2022/in News, Press Release/by Greg Rhodes

Vermorel knapsacks put grounds team in comfort zone: Head groundsman Jason O’Keele and his six-strong Epsom College team are all dab hands with knapsack sprayers. “Everyone has their PA6 certificate so they can use them whenever we need to weed and feed,” says Jason. The team manage an 85-acre estate, 12 hectares devoted to […]

Game-changing Pellenc suits Hard Graft

July 26, 2022/in News, Press Release/by Lucy Nicholls

Game-changing Pellenc suits Hard Graft: Hard Graft Garden Services has labelled the Pellenc brand as a “game-changer” after using the battery-powered products for over a year now. Hard Graft Garden Services is a family-run business based in Longniddry, East Lothian. It was established by Neil Stuart over 30 years ago and is now being run […]

Vermorel knapsacks put grounds team in comfort zone

July 27, 2022/in News, Press Release/by Greg Rhodes

Game-changing Pellenc suits Hard Graft

July 26, 2022/in News, Press Release/by Lucy Nicholls

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Vermorel knapsacks put grounds team in comfort zone

July 27, 2022/in News, Press Release/by Greg Rhodes

Vermorel knapsacks put grounds team in comfort zone: Head groundsman Jason O’Keele and his six-strong Epsom College team are all dab hands with knapsack sprayers.

“Everyone has their PA6 certificate so they can use them whenever we need to weed and feed,” says Jason.

Vermorel knapsacks put grounds team in comfort zone

The team manage an 85-acre estate, 12 hectares devoted to sport, including five cricket squares, 12 turf pitches, two synthetics and plenty of planted-up borders lining college staff and pupil accommodation at the 1,200-head co-educational independent school, so there’s plenty of opportunity for them to hone their spray skills.

Part of Commercial Groundscare Services’ team of professionals who tend school sports facilities throughout Surrey, the Epsom College contingent are based permanently on site.

“Being here full time means we can really take pride in looking after what are fantastic facilities,” Jason says. And as pupil numbers rise under the College’s expansion programme, so does the sporting calendar.

“We can have as many as 10 cricket fixtures here on a Saturday for example,” he adds, “while local and league football clubs also train here.”

That all means the pressure’s on to deliver perfectly manicured grounds that reflect the prestige and prowess of the College academically and across a sporting spectrum that includes, football, rugby, hockey, tennis and athletics.

“I like to give team members different jobs to tackle as that creates more interest for them, rather than doing the same thing all the time,” explains Jason, whose allegiance to Hozelock Exel knapsack brands dates back some years.

“Our Cooper Pegler professional sprayer has always run without any trouble but I wanted a couple more knapsacks so that we could speed up the efficiency of our spraying programme,” he says.

“I trialled the 16l capacity Pro Comfort 2000 sprayer in the Berthoud Vermorel range, liked it, and have just bought another one. What impressed me were the chest and back strap supports. Ergonomically designed, they make spraying comfortable, and that’s important if you are out there for a day non stop.

“Also helpful is the zip bag of spare nozzles and accessories and the extendable lance, which lets us reach into corners and the back of borders.”

Jason keeps the weed and feed programmes separate, using each Vermorel knapsack for discrete duties. “In spring and summer we’re out every fortnight for a couple of days, applying liquid iron across the ornamental lawns with one of the knapsacks while using a mix of systemic herbicide and liquid nitrogen with the other.

“Growth retardant applied to banks reduces the need for strimming, and we can use it in the same knapsack as that for feed.”

Winter sees the team applying moss and algae treatment liquid monthly to the two synthetic pitches. “They thrive over the colder weather so we need to tackle growth regularly as playing surfaces can become slippery.”

Jason knows the value of regular maintenance in keeping knapsacks primed. “We run pre-start checks before every outing and in the two years since I bought the first Vermorel knapsack, I haven’t replaced anything.

“They are certainly robust and the piston and pump operation really works well, delivering a consistent, continuous spray.”

Variety is the spice of life they say and Jason puts theory into practice. “Everybody takes turns in spraying as they are all trained up to use knapsacks, complete with white suits, wellies and appropriate PPE kit.

“It helps keep everyone engaged, which means we have the best chance of delivering the finest results across the grounds.”

Each of the three premium grade knapsacks – Vermorel 1800, Pro Comfort 2000 and top-range 3000 Electric – come with ergonomically contoured, sturdy backframe as standard.

Safety harnesses provide rising levels of support progressing through the line – from padded shoulder straps on the `1800`, to padded shoulder, waist and chest strapping on the `2000` and fully specified `3000`.

All Vermorel knapsacks are easy to use and dismantle for servicing and repair. They are also suitable for applying sanitisers and disinfectants and are available with a host of spares and accessories such as spray shields, seal and nozzle kits and multi-nozzle spray booms to give operators even greater flexibility.

www.cooper-pegler.com

www.berthoud.fr/en/

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Game-changing Pellenc suits Hard Graft

July 26, 2022/in News, Press Release/by Lucy Nicholls

Game-changing Pellenc suits Hard Graft: Hard Graft Garden Services has labelled the Pellenc brand as a “game-changer” after using the battery-powered products for over a year now.

Hard Graft Garden Services is a family-run business based in Longniddry, East Lothian. It was established by Neil Stuart over 30 years ago and is now being run by the next generation of Team Stuart – sons Fraser, Sam and Lewis.

Game-changing Pellenc suits Hard Graft

Lewis, who is responsible for sourcing all the equipment for the company, revealed the reasons behind wanting to utilise battery-powered technology.

“We decided to invest in the future,” he said. “There were many reasons for switching to battery-powered equipment such as reduced costs and less maintenance; it is more user-friendly and quieter too. Since Covid, many of our customers are working from home so we don’t want to disturb them while we are working in their gardens.”

Lewis admits that he didn’t get off to the best of starts with battery-powered technology. That was until he discovered Pellenc.

“The Pellenc equipment is far superior to other manufacturers we have used – it is commercial grade equipment which has been built to last. It is all fully waterproof, and we use it in all conditions; even in winter we don’t have any issues with the Pellenc battery. In the past we’ve had so many problems with other manufacturers when the temperature starts to drop.

“Reliability was key for us. Based on my past experience I was expecting lots of little niggly things to go wrong but they just haven’t with the Pellenc equipment. It has resulted in a lot less headaches and it means we can just focus on the work ahead.”

Over recent years, Pellenc has gained market recognition by offering a unique range of ‘zero emission’ battery-powered tools, thanks to the development of Lithium-ion ultra-high-performance batteries.

The extensive Pellenc product range features an impressive portfolio – from chainsaws, pole saws and hedge cutters to grass strimmers, brushcutters, blowers and mowers; many of which have been helping the team at Hard Graft, as Lewis explained.

“Our first purchases were the Excelion bruschcutter and the 1500 battery – and we were blown away. The power delivery was incredible, and we were impressed with how slender it was. We have the comfort harness for the battery, and it is like wearing a rucksack.

“Then we got the Airion blower, and I knew straight away that it was going to be a godsend for us. It gives you the same power as petrol units, but you don’t get that screaming noise that you get from the engines. It is particularly useful in autumn time when we are shifting a lot of dead leaves. The switch for jumping between power settings is beneficial and so is the cruise control.

“The features I like best about the Rasion mower are the twin blade system and the way the chute is designed. The wide chute makes all the difference, and the grass just fires straight into the bag. We also like the way it folds for storage. Plus, it is really light and only takes one person to lift it into our van, whereas our petrol mowers are a two-man lift.

“The handbrake on the mower is brilliant especially when we are working on slopes or if the bag is full and we need to stop to empty it. We also love how you can cipher through the blade speed all the way up to 5,000 rpm. Ideally, we want the blade speed as high as possible especially when we are cutting wet grass. You can’t do this with a lot of other battery-powered mowers on the market – typically you’ll get one blade speed, and it is nowhere near the speed of the Pellenc. The boost function on the throttle really comes in handy too.

“On all of the equipment there are so many little features which you don’t think you need but once you have them you can’t imagine life without them. We’ve had the Pellenc equipment for over a year and it has exceeded our expectations.”

Lewis was also quick to praise Agrovista Amenity who he believes has been integral to his overall Pelllenc experience.

“Dealer support is very important, and Allan Wright from Agrovista Amenity has been first-class from the start,” he said. “Allan told me he had some equipment which was going to blow my mind, and he wasn’t wrong.”

Pellenc is distributed exclusively in the UK by Etesia UK.

For further information, please contact Etesia UK on 01295 680120 or visit www.pellencuk.com

You can watch a video of Lewis by clicking – https://youtu.be/RJ4LyErufnc

You can also follow Pellenc on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @PellencUK 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.

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

Vermorel knapsacks put grounds team in comfort zone

Game-changing Pellenc suits Hard Graft

Vermorel knapsacks put grounds team in comfort zone

Game-changing Pellenc suits Hard Graft

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Vermorel knapsacks put grounds team in comfort zone

Vermorel knapsacks put grounds team in comfort zone: Head groundsman Jason O’Keele and his six-strong Epsom College team are all dab hands with knapsack sprayers.

Game-changing Pellenc suits Hard Graft

Game-changing Pellenc suits Hard Graft: Hard Graft Garden Services has labelled the Pellenc brand as a “game-changer” after using the battery-powered products for over a year now.

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