Tag Archive for: Best

Kubota best in all events

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Kubota best in all events: With 200 acres of grass to care for and a packed programme of events ranging from Truckfest to the International Antiques Fair and the Festival of Motorcycling, East of England Arena and Events Centre needs reliable, productive machinery.

After a round of demonstrations aimed at updating their fleet, the grounds team has chosen a Kubota M5112 tractor, RTV-X1110 utility vehicle and ZD1211 zero turn mower, supplied by dealer Irelands Farm Machinery.

Kubota best in all events

Kubota best in all events

The main tasks for the 110hp M5112 are mowing the large expanses of grass used for exhibition space and parking, plus general haulage, head of maintenance Dean Wyers explains.

“We have also purchased a 4.6m Spearhead Multicut mower from Irelands, and the combination gives us the output we need to keep the extensive grass areas tidy. The Kubota tractor handles the mower really well, and it’s very comfortable to drive, with great visibility.”

Next on the shopping list was a ride-on mower, essential for cutting tighter areas.

“We had a front mower before but were interested in a zero turn to work around the many lamp posts, stand pipes and electricity boxes on the site. The ZD1211 is a huge improvement, so much quicker, but with a very good quality cut,” he comments. “It’s also durable enough to cope with the debris that can be hidden in the grass after an event and very easy to check and clean with its flip up deck.”

To get around the huge site and move tools and materials, the 24hp RTV-X 1110 has proved a great choice. Mr Wyers points out.

“It’s very good to drive and comfortable due to its all-round suspension – I’ve already clocked up some miles in it, and it’s proving economical on fuel. We do a lot of towing for which it gives plenty of power, and it can also be fitted with a specialist sprayer which we find very useful for weed control around fencelines.”

The RTV has a hydraulic tipping bed as standard, which he suggests will be handy for moving materials such as soil for ground repairs in the show season. The East of England Arena and Events Centre has specified a full cab with heater, for protection from the elements.

“We demonstrated one with a ROPS, but it is a very open site so we do appreciate the cab,” he comments. “It’s very roomy and easy to access.”

An onsite workshop means that most of the machinery maintenance is kept in-house, and Mr Wyers praises the ease of service access on all three machines, while Irelands are close at hand for back-up and parts should they be needed.

“The Kubota machines are robust and well made,” he says. “Reliability really is key for us as we can often have just two days turnaround to get the site looking pristine for the next event, and we’re confident that they will provide this.”

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Lantra and Hozelock-Exel to promote best practice

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Lantra and Hozelock-Exel to promote best practice: A new initiative between leading land-based training body Lantra and sprayer specialists Hozelock-Exel aims to raise operator awareness of the mechanics of knapsack sprayers to improve performance and longevity of equipment.

Raising operator awareness of the importance of sprayer maintenance is a key priority for both Lantra and Hozelock-Exel in what is a drive to reverse the throwaway culture endemic in the industry.

Lantra and Hozelock-Exel to promote best practice

Lantra and Hozelock-Exel to promote best practice

Units available to trainers include the Berthoud 16l capacity Vermorel 2000 Comfort, the 20l Cooper Pegler CP3 Evolution and giant telescopic lances, particularly helpful for arb applications.

David Fisher, Lantra Head of Industry Partnerships, says: “It’s only by working closely with industry experts, including manufacturers like Hozelock, that Lantra is able keep in touch with current industry requirements and trends and tailor our training appropriately.

“Our Instructors, who are key in ensuring relevant industry comment is fed into our development process, are particularly impressed with the Hozelock cutaway units that help demonstrate functionality so comprehensively, and discussions have also highlighted an opportunity for potentially including a maintenance module to some of sprayer courses – a great example of effective partnership in practice”

Continuing the theme, Hozelock UK National Account Manager Allan Wainwright said: “Sprayer lifetimes can be considerably extended by operators ensuring they complete checks regularly, especially before storing sprayers for winter and preparing them for work in spring.

“Contractors should avoid viewing professional sprayers as items disposable as soon as there’s a hitch. The more operators know about how sprayers work, the more likely they are to be able to diagnose and rectify any functionality issues.”

Hozelock-Exel is committed to a programme of product support for trainers and instructors nationwide to extend knowledge of knapsack and compression sprayers.

Lantra instructor Doug Price commented: “As a freelance instructor, constantly moving from place to place, I can feel a bit isolated. But the background support I receive by being part of the Lantra team makes me feel less of a `lone wolf`.

“Their industry links are invaluable,” he added, “and this latest initiative with Hozelock-Exel is a prime example of the backing Lantra provide and the mutual respect both have for each other’s brand.”

Allan concluded: “I believe that Lantra’s network of fully qualified trainers will be able to inject know-how of sprayer function in a way that will allow students to engage more completely with what are vital products in the groundscare sector.”

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Toro deemed best again

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Toro deemed best again: The Roehampton Club in South West London has chosen, in an extensive and thorough look at the market, to continue its long-term relationship with Toro and distributor Reesink Turfcare with another five-year full-fleet exclusivity agreement.

The tender process started over two years ago as the venue, ranked as one of the top multi sports clubs in the country, trialled a wide range of machinery in all weather conditions.

Toro deemed best again

Toro deemed best again

Course and Grounds Manager Peter Bradburn explains the process: “Our long-standing relationship with Toro is an important factor in the process of choosing a machinery partner, but not a deciding one. What’s most important is that we get the best machines for all our turf-based facilities.

“We have a golf course, ten grass tennis courts, four croquet lawns and extensive gardens to consider in our decision-making, which is why it’s so important that we conduct rigorous trials and demos with a range of brands.

“The analysis took place over two years and included the summers of 2020 and 2021. This meant the decision was not pressurised and could involve the whole team. Fortuitously, this gave us one wet and one dry summer with the machines. The May, June and July of this year had more rainfall than the winter of the previous year, which is the total reverse of what you’d expect going into a summer, and to put the machines through their paces in such extreme conditions was a great test.”

Peter had numerous factors to consider: quality, adaptability, service expectations and price – and it wasn’t just his decision either, it included the opinions of the 20-strong grounds team too.

“Forefront in every decision we make is what is best for our members. Are we spending their money wisely and will they be pleased with the results? It’s also important to know if the fleet will deliver what is best for the team too. Lastly will CEO Marc Newey and the Board sign it off as best value for the club? So, it’s not just one person’s decision, yet it was a unanimous one – Toro was deemed the perfect choice for the maintenance of all our surfaces and for its superior functionality once more. And the deal all-in was best suited for us when it came to price and servicing support as well.”

When the new machinery arrives in early 2022, it will be a fleet to reflect the club’s environmental stance, says Peter: “We’re very conscious of climate change and are endeavouring to reduce our CO2 emissions.  With that in mind, new choices involved in this deal are the Greensmaster 3360 hybrid riding greensmowers, plus three electric STAR EV utility and people carriers from distributor Reesink. And there was no doubt that the Flex 1021 pedestrian mowers would be included again – they’ve been key to our greens conditioning and the close cutting of the Reelmaster 3575-D mowers have been involved in improving the fairways for years now.”

While it is a continuing relationship with Toro, rewarding high performing staff and introducing fresh talent is key to make the most of the new fleet. Peter explains: “In the autumn, we promoted David Howe to Head Greenkeeper to succeeed Ashley Allpress. David has proved himself as Ash’s understudy and Jamie Wright comes in as the new deputy head greenkeeper to support David and start the cycle again. Like most aspiring course managers, Jamie has done his journeyman training in the USA with an enviable year at Pebble Beach and his formative years at Sunningdale. The gardens team has been revitalised with the arrival of Sam Cumber, who was part of the crew who won Gold for Richmond-upon-Thames through the Britain in Bloom horticultural competition three years concurrently.”

All of these changes spearhead neatly in time for the Ladies’ Gold Challenge Cup. Returning after a COVID-enforced break, the event – which is older than the Masters – opens the Spring golfing calendar at the club, with tennis and croquet championships to follow.

Peter concludes by saying: “While it was not a foregone conclusion that Toro would be the machinery partner we committed to, the continuation of our history, even as personnel change, reflects a strong partnership between the two companies taking us to 15 years of working together.”

To talk to someone about how the Toro range would suit your course, call 01480 226800.

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Knapsack sprayer best practice

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Knapsack sprayer best practice: A new initiative between leading land-based training body Lantra and sprayer specialists Hozelock-Exel aims to raise operator awareness of the mechanics of knapsack sprayers to improve performance and longevity of equipment.

Raising operator awareness of the importance of sprayer maintenance is a key priority for both Lantra and Hozelock-Exel in what is a drive to reverse the throwaway culture endemic in the industry.

Knapsack sprayer best practice

Knapsack sprayer best practice

Units available to trainers include the Berthoud 16l capacity Vermorel 2000 Comfort, the 20l Cooper Pegler CP3 Evolution and giant telescopic lances, particularly helpful for arb applications.

Robert Tabor, Chief Operating Officer for Lantra Awards, stressed the importance of maintenance to the effectiveness of spraying and sprayer lifetimes: “It’s only by working closely with industry experts, including manufactures like Hozelock, that we’re able keep in touch with current industry requirements and trends and tailor our training appropriately.

“Our Instructors are key in ensuring relevant industry comment is fed into our development process.  Discussions between our Instructor, Doug Price, and Allan of Hozelock, have highlighted an opportunity for potentially including a maintenance module to some of sprayer courses – a great example of effective partnership in practice”

Continuing the theme, Hozelock UK National Account Manager Allan Wainwright said: “Sprayer lifetimes can be considerably extended by operators ensuring they complete checks regularly, especially before storing sprayers for winter and preparing them for work in spring.

“Contractors should avoid viewing professional sprayers as items disposable as soon as there’s a hitch. The more operators know about how sprayers work, the more likely they are to be able to diagnose and rectify any functionality issues.”

Hozelock-Exel is committed to a programme of product support for trainers and instructors nationwide to extend knowledge of knapsack and compression sprayers.

Lantra instructor Doug Price commented: “As a freelance instructor, constantly moving from place to place, I can feel a bit isolated. But the background support I receive by being part of the Lantra team makes me feel less of a `lone wolf`.

“Their industry links are invaluable,” he added, “and this latest initiative with Hozelock-Exel is a prime example of the backing Lantra provide and the mutual respect both have for each other’s brand.

“As an instructor, I’m excited with the link-up and am only too happy to promote such reliable and effective knapsack sprayers.I look forward to christening mine soon.”

Allan concluded: “I believe that Lantra’s network of fully qualified trainers will be able to inject know-how of sprayer function in a way that will allow students to engage more completely with what are vital products in the groundscare sector.”

www.lantra.co.uk

www.cooper-pegler.com

www.berthoud.fr/en/

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The best machines for scrubland maintenance

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The best machines for scrubland maintenance: Scrublands are an extremely valuable habitat to many species, with the small patches of nettles and brambles, and the more densely packed young trees and gorse bushes, offering food and shelter.

Technically described as a ‘successional habitat’, scrub is temporary and transitions from one type of habitat to another. Despite this transitory nature, though, scrubs do require an element of maintenance to keep the area under control.

The best machines for scrubland maintenance

The best machines for scrubland maintenance

Preparing for scrubland maintenance

Before any scrubland maintenance can be done, preparation is essential for maintaining the area effectively and safely. A site survey should be conducted to ascertain what wildlife is present in the scrubland, allowing those carrying out the work to be mindful of these habitats. It’s also important to keep a variety of old and young scrub, to ensure variety and diversity is provided, making it appealing to a wider range of species.

When managing scrublands, it’s also important to maintain a direct link to surrounding habitats as this allows species to explore the landscape. Invasive species such as Japanese knotweed and rhododendron should also be controlled, as they have very little value for wildlife and will happily take over the site if allowed, causing more problems in the future.

Using a brushcutter on scrubland

There are a range of techniques that can be employed to control scrub when necessary, the most popular, of course, being the use of a brushcutter. These powerful machines are ideal for cutting through overgrown bushes and fields and for clearing through dense scrub. Billy Goat’s range of brushcutters have heavy-duty spindles, strong engines and ergonomic controls which make them easy to use in even the harshest environments, with a different model available for a variety of requirements.

The BC2600HEBB BC Series Pivoting Deck brushcutter has been engineered to glide over uneven terrain, like scrub, as its pivoting brush deck hugs the ground for a closer cut. Its improved traction also keeps the weight of the machine firmly on its extra wide tyres, helping to make user manoeuvrability as easy as possible. The machine also boasts a Tuff Torq™ variable hydrostatic transmission that features a fully automatic Enhanced Tractions Control (ETC), offering a superior traction in wet or uneven conditions and can cut saplings and brush at a rate of an acre per hour.

For those looking for a fixed deck, Billy Goat’s BC2600ICM BC Series Fixed Deck brushcutter is a great option as it provides excellent stability in deep vegetation. Powered by a Honda engine, the mechanical transaxle – which features three speeds forward and one reverse – is ideal for clearing meadows and fields or cutting paths and trails wherever dense brush and weeds present a clean-up challenge. The heavy-duty blade spindle is reinforced on four sides, so it can tackle even the toughest cutting conditions, including thick bushes, grass and weeds over 180cm tall, and saplings up to 5cm diameter.

For larger scrubland areas, the BCR3626BVECE 4WD Outback Rider is the ultimate brushcutter as it has been designed with a low centre of gravity, combined with a four-wheel drive system that enables it to tackle those hard-to-reach places that traditional machines are unable to reach. The spacious platform also provides sufficient space and operator comfort whilst the heavy-duty mower deck is equipped with swing-back cutter blades that swing away when accidental contact is made with solid objects. As well as protecting wildlife, these features also help protect the mower deck and cutter blades from accidental damage.

Whether it’s low level or extensive scrubland maintenance, Billy Goat has a range of brush cutters that make managing scrublands safe and easy.

Billy Goat products are available nationwide through Henton & Chattell’s dealer network. For more information and to see videos demonstrating their performance visit www.billygoat.co.uk.

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Coombe Wood GC the ‘best in decades’

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Coombe Wood GC the ‘best in decades’: Coombe Wood Golf Club in Kingston Upon Thames is reaping the benefits of a tailored turf management programme from ICL and a dedicated greenkeeping team – according to Course Manager Laurence Fennemore.

“I knew the course needed a lot of work when I joined, but I saw it as an opportunity,” said Laurence. “It was a chance to test myself and put my name on the map. It helps having a great team around me too.”

Coombe Wood GC the ‘best in decades’

Coombe Wood GC the ‘best in decades’

Laurence always wanted to be a Greenkeeper – ever since embarking on work experience at a local golf club at the age of 15. He has been an apprentice, a deputy and now he finds himself in the top seat at Coombe Wood Golf Club – which he admitted is not without its challenges.

“It is like managing two different courses,” he said. The top half of the course consists of 10 very gravelly holes and the lower half, holes 11-18, is on clay which hold a lot of water. As soon as I came here in 2019, we had a very wet winter, and the lower half of the course wasn’t open at all.

“I found that the grass had died off on the fairways and had been overrun with weeds and there was quite a lot of disease on the greens.”

Laurence explained it was at this point that he got in touch with ICL.

“My old Course Manager worked with an ICL turf management programme, and I saw the successful results from that first hand. With this in mind I got in contact with ICL to see how they could help me out.”

Matt Nutter, ICL Technical Area Sales Manager, worked with Laurence to put a specific programme together for a full season that was within his budget. “We needed to focus on the greens and fairways and take into consideration that it is a very wet site, without any irrigation,” said Matt. “The aim was to apply some controlled release granular fertilisers as base feeds; get some good growth and give the golfers a course that they could use.”

Starting with the greens, the programme first saw Laurence apply Greenmaster Pro-Lite Turf Tonic 8-0-0 – a micro-granular fertiliser before going onto a fortnightly tank-mix consisting of Greenmaster Liquid CalMag, Vitalnova Stressbuster, Primo Maxx II plant growth regulator and Syngenta’s Ryder turf pigment. As part of the programme, Laurence also relies on monthly applications of Vitalnova SeaMax liquid seaweed extract and H2Pro TriSmart wetting agent.

“The greens have seen a big improvement and there is a lot more grass coverage,” said Laurence. “Primo Maxx II is controlling the growth and we are not taking large amounts of clippings off every time we cut; we have a nice tighter sward, and Ryder has really helped visually – it gives the turf a fantastic green colour.”

Matt was in agreement and added that he feels that the tank-mix has been integral to the results on the greens: “This mix is so consistent,” he said. “You don’t get a massive flush of growth and you don’t see the colour dipping off – you get the full 14 days out of it until it is ready for the next application.”

When it came to the fairways, Laurence applies Sportsmaster CRF Mini fertiliser and monthly applications of H2Pro AquaSmart wetting agent.

“The plan was to get moisture in the ground and to make the most of the wet in the spring,” he said. “AquaSmart at 10L/ha every four weeks from March until June really helped to keep enough water in the ground when the dry spells came in August and September. As a result, we didn’t lose any grass coverage.”

Without any irrigation, Laurence was forced to apply AquaSmart when it rained and that meant that he had to be flexible.

Coombe Wood GC the ‘best in decades’

Coombe Wood GC the ‘best in decades’

“We had the plans and everything in place but if it didn’t rain on the day I wanted to apply AquaSmart, then I needed to apply it as close to that day, within the four week window, as possible. This often meant coming in on my days off, but it was worth it because we have a nice even growth now and the moisture meter readings are proving that we have a high percentage of water being retained in the fairways.”

Buoyed by the successful results, Matt is now devising a new programme with some additions and tweaks. In the meantime, Laurence is not the only one to be impressed at Coombe Wood.

“The members are very happy with many commenting that it is the best it has been in decades,” said Laurence. “It is reassuring to have ICL and Matt on-board – I am always asking for suggestions and he is happy to talk it through and give me his opinion.

“It’s great to be able to bounce ideas off one another and the fact that I can have a tailored maintenance programme to suit my budget is invaluable.

“I would also like to add that my team have worked incredibly hard to turn the course around. Some of their practices have really maximised the results of the ICL programme.”

Please contact ICL on 01473 237100 or visit www.icl-sf.co.uk or www.icl-sf.ie if you are in Ireland.

For more news and insightful views, you can follow ICL on Twitter @ICL_Turf

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Only the best will do for Woodlawn

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Only the best will do for Woodlawn: Woodlawn – a garden and lawn maintenance company in Northern Ireland, insist on providing the best service to their customers, and it is for this reason that it has invested in a brand-new fleet of Etesia pedestrian mowers. 

Formed in 2014 by Aaron Brownlee and Allen Davey, Woodlawn provides a wide range of landscaping services to private and commercial customers around Carrickfergus, Whitehead, Ballycarry, Jordanstown and surrounding areas in Northern Ireland.

Only the best will do for Woodlawn

Only the best will do for Woodlawn

Over recent years the company has seen incredible growth year-on-year – which can be attributed to the professionalism and high standard of work carried out by the Woodlawn team.

Owners Aaron and Allen, ever the perfectionists, admit to keeping a close eye on the turf machinery market to monitor any technological advancements. However, they claim that it was a chance demonstration which made it incredibly difficult to ignore the Etesia brand.

“RD Mechanical, an Etesia dealer in Northern Ireland, contacted us and said they had lots of exciting new equipment in stock,” said Aaron. “We were asked if we wanted to have a demonstration and that was when we first came across the Etesia Hydro 80 ride-on mower.

It was the one machine which really stood out and it was then that we realised just how good Etesia technology was.”

“After starting with the Hydro 80, we then went on to explore other Etesia mowers,” added Allen. “We concluded that Etesia was the way forward. Ultimately, we want to provide the absolute best service for our customers and that means that we have to use the very best equipment – that is why we have decided to switch all of our equipment over to Etesia.”

After reporting great results from the Hydro 80, Aaron and Allen decided to invest in a new fleet of Etesia pedestrian mowers consisting of four PRO 46 PHTS3’s and the BIOCUT 53 ME53C – the ultimate mulching mower which ensures a quick, clean and environmentally-friendly cut.

The PHTS3 is a single speed self-propelled mower which follows the same concept of the ground-breaking PRO46 range of pedestrian mowers which were first launched in the early 1990’s. The PHTS3 features an Xenoy cutting deck for increased strength, shear washer crank protection, individual height of cut adjuster, a new 22mm handlebar design, the latest Honda GCV170 engine and is complete with an 80-litre grass box and a rear deflector as standard.

The mower provides outstanding collection performance, even if the grass is long and wet – something that Etesia has prided itself on over the past 30 years. One main feature of the PHTS3 is the ‘one cut’ principle. This means the grass is only cut once before being sent to the grass box. The benefits of this are reduced power consumption from fast deck material ejection and secondly, as it is not multi-chopped, the grass does not stick to the cutting deck in the same way as multi-cut grass does – preventing unwanted blockages.

During peak season, the team at Woodlawn could be carrying out anywhere between 30-50 cuts per day with the Etesia mowers – and Aaron and Allen believe that the mowers give them a certain peace of mind.

“We are using these machines every single day for hours on end and we know that they will never let us down – they really are an all-round mower,” said Aaron. “They are versatile, robust, and for me, the best feature is that you can cut and collect in all weather – even in damp conditions.”

“The weight to power ratio is incredible,” added Allen. “They are so easy to manoeuvre and we lift them in and out of vans, down steps, up steps, on and off trailers all the time – they are just so lightweight but also offer performance of the highest quality.

“We feel that we made the right decision in switching our fleet over to these mowers – Etesia is definitely the way forward.”

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

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

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ISEKI’s best year yet

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ISEKI’s best year yet: In what has been a turbulent year worldwide with the COVID-19 pandemic, ISEKI UK has been full steam ahead developing the dealer network further and with exciting new products released recently, plus more planned for 2021, things are certainly looking exciting for the compact tractor and mower manufacturer. 

Among some of the developments is the further increase of dealerships, two of these being; Gammies operating out of their Forfar depot in Angus Scotland, and Chandlers covering Befordshire up to North Lincolnshire.  Alongside these businesses Glyn Lloyd & Sons in Wales, Youngs Machinery also in Scotland at Kilmarnock and FISCO Farm & Garden Machinery, who’s depot is based in Wakefield, also joined the ISEKI dealer family.

ISEKI's best year yet

ISEKI’s best year yet

Commenting on the announcement David Withers Managing Director of ISEKI UK said; “we are really excited to have all these new dealers on board with us to help continue to grow our market share. All dealerships have a great following in their area’s and we expect to see significant growth from our partnerships together”.

The change has also delighted Les Gammie who shared; “we have been selling similar products for many years with a wide range of customer’s so we are really looking forward to working with ISEKI to build on this further.  In the short time we have been with ISEKI we have been really pleased with the focus on our core market, the build quality and innovative features of the products are clearly superior to all the other products on the market”.

Further down the British Isles, the large established agricultural and vehicle dealer with seven depots, Chandlers Farm Equipment has also joined the ISEKI family.  Commenting on the recent appointment Gavin Pell, managing director said; “Chandlers are very pleased to have been appointed Iseki dealers. This excellent quality range of compact tractors, and diesel powered ride-on mowers will complement our professional groundscare range, and be supplied by our team of Groundscare Specialists from Belton, Horncastle, Spilsby, Holbeach, Barnack, Lutterworth, Shefford & Southam. We look forward to working with the team at Iseki to support our customers with this excellent range. Our Groundscare Sales Manager – Les Butters will be stocking the full range of Iseki products across our depots, along with running demonstration equipment which will be available to see on your farm, site, garden, sports field or parkland – with a machine suitable for every application”.

2020 has certainly thrown some unexpected changes to the way we do business this year and one thing that proved hugely successful was the demonstration videos produced during the first lockdown, dealers were reporting many sales direct off the back of these with customers finding all the information invaluable when searching for new machinery.  Commenting further David Withers said; “due to more people working from home and spending more time at their properties customers were looking for quality built machinery to assist in these tasks, the sales of our sub compact tractor TXGS24 with all its attachments has proved incredibly popular, this alongside the renowned SXG range of cut and collect mowers has made for a busy year.

“Contractors and business have also been looking at more reliable and efficient ways of mowing, our range of SF outfront mowers has been further developed this year, offering not only the rotary cut but teaming up with Muething we can now offer the ultimate combination of flail cutting and superior collection, or scarify and collect.

“With a raft of new machines being launched in 2021 ISEKI is looking forward to an exciting and once again rather different year.”

For further information on the full ISEKI range of Mowers and Tractors please visit www.iseki.co.uk or call 01473 599266.

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Husqvarna Rider receives Best in Test

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Husqvarna Rider receives Best in Test: Husqvarna Rider 214TC has received ‘Best in Test’ status in Price Runner UK’s latest ride-on test.

Following a test in which nine models were examined across factors such as: mowing performance, manoeuvrability, comfort & user-friendliness, the Husqvarna’s Rider 214TC  was found to be the best performing mower.

Husqvarna Rider receives Best in Test

It was praised by an independent panel of testers with the feedback stating that the Husqvarna mower was “a very high performance model for large areas with lots of obstacles”. The Rider 214TC stood out for its flexibility, with a range of front-mounted accessories, such as a snow shovel, brush and aerator all able to be attached to the mower.

Price Runner UK went on to further to say the model was “king of the ride-on lawn mowers, which gets maximum points in everything we give it to do.”

On the Rider 214TC’s exemplar score, Husqvarna UK Category Manager – Lawn, Andrew Lees said: “We are extremely pleased to receive such a prestigious award, the Husqvarna R 214TC is one of our best-selling models and the award reinforces why. The R 214TC shares the same Husqvarna Rider DNA as found on all rider models from the 200 Series, designed for domestic use up to the Commercial specification 500 Series models. This means that no matter which model our customers choose they will benefit from the same great features and benefits as highlighted in the test. The Husqvarna Rider range allows customers to cut more in less time whilst still providing an enjoyable and intuitive driving experience.”

For the full test results visit: https://www.pricerunner.com/test/ride-on-lawn-mower

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Stanley Park Voted UK’s Best Park

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Stanley Park Voted UK’s Best Park: Fields in Trust’s search to find the nation’s favourite park has declared Stanley Park in Blackpool as the UK’s Best Park 2019 following a public vote.

The UK’s Best Park is organised by green space charity Fields in Trust who, for over 90 years, have legally protected parks and green spaces ensuring they will always be available for future generations to enjoy. A record 364 nominations were received for the UK’s Best Park 2019. Those nominations were supported by visitors, communities, Friends of Parks groups, and local authority landowners. An unprecedented total of 36,832 votes were cast for parks and green spaces across the UK.

Stanley Park Voted UK’s Best Park

Stanley Park in Blackpool topped the poll, in its nomination it was described as “… a beautiful, tranquil place away from the hustle and bustle of the Blackpool seafront”. The “great volunteers and staff who keep it in tip top condition” were also recognised in the online nomination.

Stanley Park triumphed over the other Home Nation winners shortlisted for UK’s best park:

  • Antrim Castle Gardens, Antrim, Northern Ireland
  • Cyfarthfa Park, Merthyr Tydfil, Wales.
  • Pittencrieff Park Dunfermline, Scotland.

In addition, 73 parks and green spaces have achieved “Much Loved” status, having been placed in the top 20% of all UK’s Best Park 2019 nominations throughout the UK. The “Much Loved” status recognises the support of local people who regularly use and love these parks and green spaces.

The UK’s Best Park Award recognises the role that parks play in our communities, supporting mental and physical health and providing a space for communities to connect. Recently Fields in Trust published the Green Space Index a new barometer of parks provision which revealed that over 2.6 million people across Great Britain live more than ten-minutes’ walk from a park or green space. With public sector cuts leading to pressure on parks and green spaces, there is the risk that a lack of legal protection could lead to more spaces being sold off or developed.

The charity is concerned that many parks and green spaces are under threat and are at risk of being lost to development or a cycle of decline and disappearance.

Fields in Trust Chief Executive, Helen Griffiths said: “We received a record number of 364 nominations for local parks and green spaces across the UK – each one setting out what is special about their own green space. Public support has been unprecedented with 36,800 votes cast demonstrating that people really do love their local park. Congratulations to Stanley Park, and to the dedicated volunteer friends’ group and Blackpool council that maintain and support the UK’s Best Park 2019.

Parks are important places where we all go to play, enjoy sport, relax in natural surroundings and connect with our neighbours. Fields in Trust is committed to protecting these vital parts of the UK’s community infrastructure for future generations to enjoy.”

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