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Is a fine finish from a cylinder mower down to luck?

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Is a fine finish from a cylinder mower down to luck?: Bedknives and cylinders are on par when it comes to creating a fine finish – both are equally important, and for the best results possible genuine, precision engineered parts from Toro means there’s no luck involved – a pristine finish is a sure thing.

As cutting season fast approaches, Reesink Turfcare is reminding customers why the proper set-up procedures with the proper parts is so essential in a cylinder mower’s performance.

Is a fine finish from a cylinder mower down to luck?

Is a fine finish from a cylinder mower down to luck?

Cylinder mowers are precision machines and require precision engineered parts to achieve a pristine finish, as Michael Hampton, parts manager at Reesink Turfcare, explains: “The cylinder, frame and bedknife are the three main structural members in a cylinder cutting unit. For the mower to cut with a scissor-like shearing action, the bedknife and cylinder blades need to be sharp, matched and in close relationship with each other, and the bedknife sharpened to be flat and square so the sharp edge touches the cylinder blades across their entire length.

“If the bedknife is not perfectly flat, it is impossible to get the bedknife to touch the entire length of the cylinder. This is an essential part of the construction, making cylinder mowers precision cutting tools. Adjust any part of the construction process with, for example, ‘will-fit’ parts and the fit, form and function can be affected to leave a less attractive and less consistent after-cut appearance.”

It’s not luck that keeps turf looking fresh, rather bedknives made of high carbon steel that can retain that important edge for longer and Toro bedknives are superior in both durability and longevity meaning greenkeepers can get reliable cuts for longer without the need for frequent adjustment or replacement.

Only Toro cylinders are available in 5, 7, 8, 11, and 14 configurations to fit all mowers including the popular Greensmaster and Reelmaster ranges, and with 24-hour delivery across the UK, or 72 hours delivery from US factories at no extra cost, Reesink can ensure minimum downtime and maximum productivity.

There’s nothing lucky about achieving a superior quality of cut, it’s down to Toro and that’s a fact.

To continue the conversation, get in touch via reesinkturfcare.co.uk, by phone on 01480 226800 or by email at info@reesinkturfcare.co.uk.

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The Scots Turf Show a success

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The Scots Turf Show a success: The 1st of March 2023 was the date everything changed for Turf Professionals in Scotland. The first Scottish turf event for almost 15 years, opened its doors at Hamilton Park Racecourse, and the visitors began to pour in an hour before official registration had even opened.

Connecting the industry

The trial show was devised by 17 of the industry’s most influential companies, to give something back to the Scottish turf community and to connect with the Industry, by providing a local turf event, accessible to a vast swathe of groundsmen and greenkeepers from all areas of sport, that had never had the opportunity to attend a local industry event.

The Scots Turf Show a success

The Scots Turf Show a success

David Roxburgh – Head Groundsman – Rangers Football Club

“Something needed to happen here in Scotland, I think it’s been great. The fantastic turnout here hasn’t surprised me because I think Scotland has been desperate for something like this. It needs a big show, and I think this could possibly be the forerunner of something great.”

The number of registered visitors had risen above the target of200with 287 attending on the day.

The itinerary of early morning bacon rolls, and coffee was a welcome diversion while the visitors signed in and was followed by an introduction to the idea behind the show by Alan Thomson of AllGrass and Richard Heywood of Campey Turf Care Systems. The guests were immediately engaged with two 20 minute speakers, Gary Smith senior agronomist from the STRI, quickly followed by Joe Shaw from SIS Pitches, before heading out into the spring sunshine for the outdoor exhibition area.

After a couple of hours of interaction with the exhibitors, the group enjoyed a lunch in the hospitality suite overlooking the magnificent race track at Hamilton Park. Then it was back to the marquee for two more short seminars, one from Kelly Marie Clarke agronomist from Origin and finally an introduction to Hamilton Park itself by Ashley Moon, Managing Director of Hamilton Racecourse who said, “We are delighted to welcome the Scots Turf Show to Hamilton Racecourse and work alongside such excellent partners”.

It is important to the companies behind this event to gauge the response of the visitors going forward, with a view to expanding the event significantly next year.

Barry McCulloch – Course Manager Caldwell Golf Club commented “It’s something that I’ve been looking forward to for quite some time and hoping that it did happen. It’s been good to come along and support the event. The venue they have picked is probably one of the best areas in Scotland because it’s very easily accessible, you can come from all over the country. You just have to look at the numbers that showed up today to see why it’s a great venue. 50% of my workforce has never been to a turf show, so that is another reason we came along today. It’s good for the younger guys to come and see some of the machinery and get a different perspective of things.”

Jim Dawson – Head Groundsman – BT Murrayfield

We would usually have to travel to events down South to see machinery or even have a chat with other groundsmen. So, today has been good for networking. I’ve met a lot of people here, from football to rugby, golf and horse racing.

I think this could take off. We are all very positive about the event, and I’m very happy for them to be talking about expanding it. I like having the option to attend the seminars, then getting to see some of the machinery in action and meeting the reps as well.”

Alan Thomson from AllGrass is absolutely delighted with the response on the day. As one of the main drivers he explains “From a concept back in 2019 over a McDonald’s Coffee to seeing the reality of such a fantastic event. Don’t get me wrong we are not reinventing the wheel here but simply putting it on a different path and a path that can continue to build excitement for the Scottish and beyond markets. ‘Connecting the Industry’ this is something that Richard and I believe we can do and hopefully with the many ideas for the future we can achieve this.”

So, The Scots Turf Show appears to have been an overwhelming success and looks like it may be here to stay.

Save the date – 6th March 2024

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A glimpse into the future at Dennis and SISIS Seminar

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A glimpse into the future at Dennis and SISIS Seminar: Dennis and SISIS recently hosted their popular cricket pitch maintenance seminar where 200 delegates had the opportunity to enhance their understanding of future hopes, needs and goals.

Hosted at St Albans School Woollam Trust, the seminar was designed to help attendees plan and adapt their maintenance programmes in an ever-changing environment. It brought together an audience consisting of cricket groundspersons representing grass roots, contractors, schools, local clubs, and international test venues.

A glimpse into the future at Dennis and SISIS Seminar

A glimpse into the future at Dennis and SISIS Seminar

Following an introduction by Howardson Group Area Sales Manager Robert Jack, Met Office Presenter Aidan McGivern produced a theoretical weather forecast for 2050 and revealed what conditions we could expect to see in the UK if global greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise. By showing what the weather could look like by 2050 at certain times of year, Aidan helped delegates relate to how different their experiences might be under a changing climate.

In the next section of the seminar Tony Hanson (Environmental Solutions International), Andrew House (Environment Agency), and George Warren (Anglian Water) utilised their wealth of experience to offer invaluable advice on how to reduce the impact of water restrictions on sports surfaces.

Turf Consultant Alex Vickers then delivered a presentation on the topic of rootzones in a changing climate. As ever, Alex entertained the audience while explaining this important subject in a relatable way.

Christian Spring, Principal Scientist at the STRI (Sports Turf Research Institute), was up next to explore the potential pests and diseases groundspersons can expect to encounter in the future.

The halfway point provided delegates with a complimentary lunch and a chance to speak to seminar sponsors – Cricketworld.com, Stuart Canvas, SIS Pitches, DLF and MM Seeds, RT Machinery, Boughton Loam, Grounds Training, Mansfield Sand, Origin Amenity Solutions, Turf Tank, White Horse Contractors and Turf Matters.

As the audience settled back down, Dr Iain James, Head of Facilities Services for the ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board), took to the stage to discuss what sustainability means for grass roots clubs. Karl McDermott, Head Groundsperson at Lords, and Vic Demain, Head Groundsperson at Durham CCC, then proceeded to investigate the difference in cricket pitch preparations between the north and south.

The day concluded with a Q&A session in which attendees could ask the expert speakers for advice about their own projects or any issues that they may have.

Commenting on the seminar, Nick Lockhart, Cricket Professional/Head of Grounds at Felsted School said: “It was informative, thought-provoking, and of great interest. It has given me a lot of things to think about for the future, in terms of climate change, irrigation and pest control. There is no doubt that this seminar will have helped a lot of people today.”

As well as soaking up the education, Andy Moody from Moody Grounds Maintenance felt it was a great networking opportunity. “Over the years I have been to a few of these Dennis and SISIS events and I always encourage the people that work for me to come along as well. Sometimes we can be very lonesome people in the grounds maintenance industry, so days like this are a great opportunity to meet other likeminded people.”

There was one presentation, which struck a chord with Christian Brain, Head of Grounds at Cheltenham College: “The speakers were brilliant and there were some really good topics which gave us a look into the future to find out what is coming our way. Looking at water issues going forward was particularly beneficial for me. The site we’re on doesn’t have a great deal of irrigation, so that is a real concern. Therefore, looking at what we can potentially do going forward to try and solve those issues, was a real highlight for me.”

Turf Consultant Keith Kent said: “I’ve come to the seminar today because I have always found the Dennis and SISIS events to be so good. I’m working at Loughborough University at the moment and I’m carrying out some cricket pitch maintenance, which is something I have never done before after spending my entire career in football and rugby. There have been some entertaining and stimulating speeches today and it has been well worth the journey.”

A vide of the day can be viewed – https://youtu.be/QggZT7aXl-o

Further information about the range of maintenance products available can be found by visiting www.dennisuk.com / www.sisis.com.

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

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Well-Being and Recruitment Day a success

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Well-Being and Recruitment Day a success: On Tuesday 28th February 2023, Carnoustie Golf Links and The Rookery played host to its very first Recruitment Open Day, in parallel with a Health and Well-Being Open Day – another first of its kind at the Links.

Between 11am and 3pm residents from the local area were welcomed to Links House to explore the recruitment opportunities available at the Links, including roles in Guest Relations, Merchandise, Golf Operations and Restaurant Waiting Staff. The informal day was designed to give everyone a chance to meet some of the senior management team, explore the facilities and learn more about the roles.

Well-Being and Recruitment Day a success

Well-Being and Recruitment Day a success

Furthermore, over 32 local mental health and well-being services and charities were on site in The Rookery to share a wealth of information with everyone in attendance.

The day was deemed highly successful with over 130 guests in attendance. This event is one of the many outreach initiatives that Carnoustie Golf Links run. The most notable being its Community Benefits Programme which has donated over £250k+ to local good causes to date.

Services & Charities that attended on the day:

Alzheimer Scotland;
Andy’s Man Club;
Angus Health and Social Care Partnership;
Angus Independent Advocacy;
Angus Voice;
ANGUSalive;
Carnoustie Medical Group Patient Representative Group (provisional);
Change Mental Health;
Citizens Advice Bureau;
Communities Team (Carnoustie, Monifieth & Sidlaw) Angus Council;
Community Action Team Angus; Scottish Fire and Rescue Service;
Cruse Scotland Bereavement Support;
Department for Work and Pensions;
Dundee & Angus College;
Flourishing Well;
Golf Memories/Cycle Without Age;
Hear Me;
Macmillan (ANGUSalive);
Manna Project, Carnoustie Baptist Church;
Mental Health & Wellbeing and Substance Use, Public Health Directorate NHA Tayside;
Nature Prescribing;
New Solutions;
Penumbra;
Police Scotland;
REACH Across;
Re-Engage;
Royal British Legion Scotland;
Skills Team, Angus Council;
Skilz;
Suicide Prevention / MH &WB;
Tayside Council on Alcohol;
Voluntary Action Angus;

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

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Make a difficult job easy with myTurf Pro

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Make a difficult job easy with myTurf Pro: With economic uncertainty as it is, it’s never been more important to consider more than just the equipment’s purchase price. Now, with Toro’s myTurf Pro, working out the cost component of a club’s assets has never been easier.

myTurf Pro is a powerful, easy-to-use software application that tracks and manages all a club’s assets, regardless of brand. With access to real-time data, it’s possible to improve staff efficiency, lengthen the life of equipment and reduce overall maintenance costs across the entire range of equipment and assets.

Make a difficult job easy with myTurf Pro

Make a difficult job easy with myTurf Pro

Total Cost of Ownership is a vital part of the decision-making process when looking to invest in a new equipment, but certainly never before has the concept had such weight, as Jon Cole, divisional business manager – turfcare at Reesink Turfcare, UK distributor of Toro equipment, explains: “The cost of living crisis impacts businesses as much as consumers so it’s never been more important to consider more than just the purchase price of a club’s equipment. The net purchase or financed value is important, but often no more than 35 percent as a cost component of the equipment’s operating life.

“It’s equally important to look for value with features that enhance performance, productivity, reliability, downtime, durability and longevity for residual value.”

With robust record keeping it’s possible to balance investment, component costs and residual value, but with Toro technology in the form of the web-based asset management system, myTurf Pro, there’s no limit to what can be tracked, from equipment, irrigation, vehicles, attachments, hand tools and more, across one or more locations – and it’s so quick.

A decade in the making, the level of informational detail myTurf Pro provides is unrivalled by any other asset management system. Order parts, schedule service activities, track inventory, monitor fleet health and labour expenses or generate reports that demonstrate operational access, 24/7.

Customisable tools deliver interactive alerts, automated and proactive notifications, labour management and expense tracking, and instant access to service documentation and operational reports.

Jon continues: “myTurf Pro was designed to make our customer’s difficult job easier. It puts the optimisation, efficiency and effectiveness of the operation at the course managers’ fingertips and allows customers to track the total cost of ownership, depreciation, maintenance and operating expenses for the real value of machinery for its expected lifetime.”

And all of that is backed up by Toro NSN technical and customer support, by phone, email or chat, and up-to-date reference materials. It is available through Reesink Turfcare with flexible finance deals with deferred start dates, subsidised rates or those that can be aligned to peak income months to help manage cashflow. It only takes a conversation. Make contact online at via reesinkturfcare.co.uk, by phone on 01480 226800 or by email at info@reesinkturfcare.co.uk.

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