Tag Archive for: easy

Mowing Made Easy

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Mowing Made Easy: Maintaining the expansive grounds of Repton School requires precision, efficiency, and innovation.

For Andrew Butler, Head of Grounds and Gardens, and his team, the introduction of the Etesia Hydro 80 ride-on mower has not only streamlined operations but also revolutionised the way they manage the school’s green spaces.

Mowing Made Easy

Mowing Made Easy

Repton School, nestled in the serene surroundings of Derbyshire, boasts extensive grounds that demand meticulous care. From ornamental gardens to sprawling lawns surrounding boarding houses, every corner of the campus requires attention. However, with limited time and resources, the grounds and gardens team found themselves struggling to keep up with the demands of manual mowing using pedestrian mowers.

Andrew explains, “There is a lot of mowing carried out around the boarding house where the team were previously using pedestrian mowers. I felt it was just taking too long, and then other jobs were getting neglected because of it. It just felt like the gardening team were out mowing all the time, and less time was being spent on the actual gardening.”

Introducing the Etesia Hydro 80, a compact yet powerful ride-on mower designed to tackle both long and short grass with ease. Featuring a hydrostatic drive and a robust 15hp twin-cylinder Kawasaki engine, the Hydro 80 offers unparalleled efficiency and output. Its specially contoured deck ensures clippings are collected without clogging, even in wet conditions, while anti-scalp rollers maintain a pristine finish on uneven terrain.

Andrew recounts the transformation brought about by the Hydro 80, stating, “Now instead of spending all week mowing, it literally takes just a couple of days. This means that we can concentrate on the gardens instead such as getting more colour into various areas. The time management is significantly better.”

One of the Hydro 80’s most impressive features is its ability to navigate tight spaces with ease. Andrew notes, “The reason we were using pedestrian mowers is because there was always the problem of getting a ride-on mower in and out of gates, so we thought about taking various gates out to make the job easier, but then we came across the Etesia Hydro 80. It allows us to get into areas where previously we had to use pedestrian mowers. These areas, which previously would have taken an hour or two, are now taking just 15-20 minutes.

“Its ability to cut and collect in the rain is amazing,” continues Andrew. “Even in the heavy rain the Hydro 80 is going out and cutting, so again it improves our efficiency.”

Beyond its efficiency, the Hydro 80’s durability and manoeuvrability have earned high praise from Andrew and his team. “I like the durability of it, how quick it is, how easy it is to manoeuvre it, and how it can get through longer grass with no problem at all,” Andrew remarks.

As Repton School continues to uphold its reputation for excellence, the Etesia Hydro 80 stands as a testament to the power of innovation in grounds management, ensuring that the campus remains a source of pride and inspiration for all who visit.

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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Easy transportation with Makita’s DCU601

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Easy transportation with Makita’s DCU601: Power tool manufacturer Makita has added a new battery powered wheelbarrow to its extensive LXT outdoor power equipment range. The DCU601 is equipped with an electric lift for even easier loading and unloading.

The DCU601’s electric lift can only be operated on flat ground, where it can elevate from 475mm to 1,020mm in approximately 30 seconds, allowing for the easy transfer of materials to and from vehicles. It has an increased maximum load capacity of 300kg on flat ground (0 – 3 degrees) and 180kg on slopes up to 12 degrees. It has three speed settings of 1.5, 3.5 and 5.0km/h, plus a reverse setting with a speed of 1.0 Km/h.

Easy transportation with Makita's DCU601

Easy transportation with Makita’s DCU601

The machine is powered by two 18V LXT Li-ion batteries, but up to four can be used in series for a longer run time of up to 100 minutes. The machine will automatically switch to the second pair once the first two batteries have depleted.

The DCU601’s rear wheel axle is designed to tilt, to enable the front (driving) wheels to stably touch the ground for reliable driving even on bumpy road surfaces. The guard rails keep materials secure when transported and can be easily lowered below the flat frame by lifting and sliding them, allowing for easy loading and unloading by dragging rather than lifting materials.

Its soft start feature and electric, electromagnetic and hand lever-operated mechanical brakes provide full control over its operation, making the DCU601 incredibly easy to manoeuvre. The wheelbarrow also has a swivel lock feature, providing control over the direction of the machine, as well as its speed. Headlights, taillights, a warning beeper and a level gauge all add up to a safer operation.

Kevin Brannigan, Marketing Manager at Makita UK commented: “The DCU601 makes a fantastic addition to our growing range of battery powered wheelbarrows and outdoor power equipment. Its electric lift function has been designed to help users load and unload materials with ease, but also to make crossing building sites more efficient, saving time for more technical jobs in the process.”

Read more: www.makitauk.com

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Turfco – Turf management made easy

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Turfco – Turf management made easy: Turfco built the first mechanised topdresser in 1961 and continues as the first choice of professional turf managers worldwide. Turfco designs and manufactures products that help do jobs more efficiently and effectively in topdressing, seeding, debris blowing, application and renovation. We work with you, and deliver the equipment and services you need to be successful.

We’re driven by a passion for improving the health and playability of your turf, and this unwavering commitment has yielded a continuous series of breakthroughs; that’s quality innovations rewarded by 16 patents.

Turfco – Turf management made easy

Turfco – Turf management made easy

In the UK we are primarily known for our high-quality range of trailed and truck-mounted WideSpin 1550 series top dressers, powerful Torrent 2 debris blowers and our TriWave overseeders. We also manufacture the CR-15, a combined material handler and top dresser for fairway maintenance, the Mete-R-Matic range of drop-style top dressers and pedestrian edgers and turf cutters.

To see how productivity can beautify your course, come and see us on in Hall 6 stand 608

www.turfco.com

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Autumn renovations made easy

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Autumn renovations made easy: Autumn renovations are par for the course and Reesink Turfcare provides the chance to get ahead in the game with Toro and AgriMetal bringing the perfect solution with state-of-the-art aeration and leaf clearance equipment.

Renovation is an essential part of course maintenance; repairing damage from the summer, bolstering surfaces for the winter and keeping the course clear of leaves and debris is a demanding job, but it can be made easier with the right machinery.

Autumn renovations made easy

Autumn renovations made easy

Here’s where Reesink Turfcare steps in with a selection of machinery from some of the brands it distributes, as David Timms, national accounts manager, explains: “Autumn is crucial for repairing the damage done during summer, preparing the course so it can get through the winter without too much damage and is ready to go in the spring. We have what greenkeeping teams need to do that.”

Aeration work will be key. Relieving some of the compaction in the top surface and removing thatch, allowing the land to drain better and encouraging seed germination and grass growth, and as David says: “the best partner for that work is the Toro ProCore 648s, also widely known to be the most efficient pedestrian aerator on the market.”

It’s not only a fast worker with a 122cm aeration swath that lets it aerate up to 18 greens in seven hours, but its unique design with the wheel located in front of the aeration heads means operators can make pass after pass without running over cores or freshly aerated turf, preventing damage and making cleanup easier.

With aeration work taken care of, it’s vital to make sure falling leaves don’t undo all the good work. As the old grass recovers from summer and the seeded areas begin to get their roots down, don’t risk leaves smothering the grass, allowing moss to take over and thatch to form, as well as creating the perfect micro-environment that is conducive to disease occurrence.

Toro’s ProLine H800 is productivity and efficiency personified. It clears leaves and other organic debris from the tees, greens and fairways quickly into a 810 Litre capacity system in one pass. Meanwhile Toro’s Pro Force debris blower clears grass clippings, leaves, chaff, and other debris from fairways, clubhouse grounds, fence lines, paths, and other paved areas farther and faster — in little time.

AgriMetal’s lightweight PTO driven blowers are a great option for shifting large quantities of debris. There are three attachments of varying horsepower that can be attached to the back of a tractor and can work in the worst of conditions without marking or compacting the turf. All models benefit from the lighter weight impeller increasing air flow output whilst reducing load on their drive belts. Quieter, more powerful and kinder to the tractor.

David concludes: “Getting the turf in the best possible position now ready for spring is the best time spent this season. And with the right equipment there’s no reason for this to be difficult, stressful or time-consuming.”

To learn more about how Toro and AgriMetal can help you to get ahead of the game with your renovation plans this autumn, visit the website reesinkturfcare.co.uk, call 01480 226800 or email info@reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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TurfKeeper keeps things easy at Warrington GC

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TurfKeeper keeps things easy at Warrington GC: The TurfKeeper platform from Origin Amenity Solutions (OAS) has been praised for delivering new efficiencies to task allocation and stock management for the team at Warrington Golf Club.

The more that Course Manager Ben Goodchild explores the cloud-based software, the more time-savings he finds – with holidays, consumables and labour-hours now all logged in double-quick time and reports available at the touch of a button.

TurfKeeper keeps things easy at Warrington GC

TurfKeeper keeps things easy at Warrington GC

Ben has held the role of Course Manager for the last three years and heads up the maintenance of the 18-hole James Braid designed site alongside a team of seven greenkeepers, technicians and mechanics. “I originally saw TurfKeeper demonstrated at an event in the States” he explains, “so on my return, I spoke with Kevin Scarce of OAS and we quickly introduced in here at Warrington GC as a great way to allocate the jobs. We have a large TV on which we can project TurfKeeper so during our morning meeting we can all easily see and discuss the tasks for the day and week ahead.”

“While this in itself was a much more efficient way of working, it was clear that there was so much more we could potentially do with the software. It’s certainly one of those tools where the more you put in, the more you get out so we’re now managing items like staff absence, orders, stock, machinery and budgets all through this one TurfKeeper platform.”

Driven by a desire for better information and knowledge to inform future decision making, TurfKeeper is the leading online software system to monitor and control all key areas of day-to-day operations. An integral part of turf operations around the world, new modules are being introduced regularly to reflect changing requirements and full data and reports are quickly and easily available to download – something Ben has found particularly useful.

“One of the functions which has proved to be very enlightening is the greens report, which gives me a breakdown of labour hours spent on different course jobs such as divoting the fairways or looking after the bunkers” he explains. “When you go to greens meetings and the condition of the bunkers is brought up, I can show them the numbers which is critical in justifying why something is looking a certain way, or what is needed to raise the standard.”

Ben concludes, “What would have previously been documented in hundreds of ExCel spreadsheets is now all safely in one place not just for the team to access, but the General Manager also has all of the information they want on the budget at their fingertips. When much of our job is getting more challenging, TurfKeeper is one tool that keeps things easy!”

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