Tag Archive for: Echo

Wildwood Machinery partners with ECHO

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Wildwood Machinery partners with ECHO: Winchester-based Wildwood Machinery continues to expand their product portfolio as they announce a deal to sell ECHO Robotics solutions across southern England.

ECHO Robotics produce professional-grade robot mowers for golf, football and other sports and turf maintenance organisations.

Wildwood Machinery partners with ECHO

Wildwood Machinery partners with ECHO

“We have set out to ensure that Wildwood offers all of the most innovative groundcare equipment,” says managing director James Bastian. “By doing that, we guarantee we can solve almost any challenge that our clients present to us. These include elite sports organisations, Local Authorities, National Trust properties and more.”

“Robotics and autonomous machinery are very much the buzzwords right now in the groundcare industry. Our partnership with ECHO, and previously announced partnerships with the likes of Raymo and Rovimo, ensure that our clients have access to state-of-the-art equipment, and the opportunity to increase efficiency, sustainability and consistency.”

Sam Daybell of ECHO Robotics commented: “Wildwood has rapidly built a reputation for exceptional service, expert product knowledge, and an impressive portfolio of prestigious clients throughout southern England. What makes them a standout partner is how closely they mirror our vision at ECHO Robotics — ensuring that our technology is introduced to the marketplace in the right way. Their consultative approach, technical understanding, and customer-first mindset help ensure the technology is not only embraced but also reaches its full potential. Ultimately, this delivers the best possible experience for the end user.”

ECHO Robotics’ range includes golf-ball collecting robots and robot turf mowers that can strip-mow with accuracy within centimetres.

Advanced automation, emissions-free operation.

The automated range features quiet operation, advanced automation, remote command and performance monitoring, emissions-free operation, and 85% reduction in energy costs compared to traditional mowers.

ECHO’s tablet and smartphone applications give remote commands, GPS location and geo-referencing notifications, plus real-time status and performance monitoring, which means you can control your fleet from anywhere in the world.

A more sustainable way to manage turf and landscapes.

As staffing shortages continue to impact businesses across the UK, maintaining high-quality green spaces has become an increasing challenge. ECHO Robotics is stepping in to bridge this gap with industry-leading autonomous commercial mowers — offering a smarter, more sustainable way to manage turf and landscapes without placing further strain on limited workforce resources.

From golf courses and sports clubs to business parks and educational campuses, many organisations are finding it harder than ever to dedicate the manpower needed for regular grounds maintenance. With teams already stretched, making meaningful improvements to green spaces can feel out of reach. That’s where ECHO Robotics and Wildwood Machinery come in.

“ECHO’s robotic mowers provide a practical and immediate solution to a widespread problem,” said James Bastian. “They not only maintain turf to an exceptionally high standard but also free up valuable staff time to focus on other critical tasks. The result is better overall site presentation, increased efficiency, and a future-proof approach to groundcare.”

Sam Daybell added, “ECHO Robotics’ growing network of UK partners, including trusted providers such as Wildwood Machinery, ensures that this technology is delivered and supported the right way — empowering clients to fully embrace automation and unlock the full potential of their outdoor spaces.”

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Six Echo TM-2050’s transform the task of winter presentation

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Six Echo TM-2050’s transform the task of winter presentation: It’s not just the greenkeepers that are impressed with the fleet of six Echo TM-2050 robotic mowers installed by GroundTech at Hartsbourne Country Club, the members are too!

Less than a month after their delivery, players and staff alike have recognised the transformation in presentation of some of the club’s perimeter areas which previously proved near-impossible to maintain in challenging winter conditions.

Six Echo TM-2050’s transform the task of winter presentation

Six Echo TM-2050’s transform the task of winter presentation

Like many heavy clay soil courses, this 27-hole club in South Hertfordshire can often lay wet during prolonged periods of rainfall, creating problems in getting machinery out to regularly cut the rough and fairways. General Manager Terry Mulford-Lawlor explains that the knock-on impact extends well beyond the winter, “Both presentation and playability suffers and then, come the spring, the grass is so long and dense that it takes a lot of hard work to get them back to where we want them to be.”

“The proposition that the Echo robotic mowers could be cutting consistently whatever the weather was of great interest.”

Terry was assisted in his search by Marcus Glover and Sam Baker from GroundTech, along with Sam Daybell from Echo who paired the club with six TM-2050 robots with solar array and portable battery chargers. The largest of the Echo range the TM-2050 offers the pinnacle of productivity, capable of mowing areas of up to 75,000m2 while simultaneously providing precise mulching of material for an immaculate finish.

“It’s no exaggeration to say that these mowers have been a gamechanger for us. The intention was that they’d be used only for the rough. However, the GroundTech team mapped all of our fairways and with the results so outstanding we’d be mad not to use them everywhere.” Terry adds, “The work these Robots are doing has already freed up our skilled team of ten greenkeepers to then focus their efforts elsewhere,  hand-cutting areas such as aprons which we’ve not previously had the resources to do and focussing on the technical and agronomic aspects of course management that will take our offering to the next level.”

“Members have been quick to comment that the rough has never looked better, but what’s more they just love watching the robots at work – we’ve even been asked if it’s possible to name and sponsor them!”

Terry concludes, “The process from start to finish has been smooth, personalised and professional. GroundTech supported us and went the extra mile to ensure we had the right set-up and infrastructure to get the most out of our machines. They didn’t over-emphasise what the mowers were capable of, but then they didn’t really need to! We already see this is the future for us.”

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‘Top notch’ says super at Echo Valley

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‘Top notch’ says super at Echo Valley: The Echo Valley Country Club has just completed installing the Capillary Bunkers liner on all of its 27 holes, and head superintendent Ryan Lux says he is delighted with the results.

Echo Valley was founded in the 1960s, and its initial eighteen holes were designed by architect Larry Packard. More recently, North Carolina-based architect Rick Robbins added the Ridge nine. But, according to Lux, the time had come to pay some attention to the course’s bunkers.

‘Top notch’ says super at Echo Valley

‘Top notch’ says super at Echo Valley

“Before we started this project, we had 76 bunkers on the property and maybe five per cent of them drained properly,” says. “It wasn’t the actual drainage tile – that was working fine – but layers of sand and silt were preventing the water getting into the drains in the first place. I had done some digging in our older bunkers, and the layering of silt, contamination and other stuff was obvious. Our labour costs were excrutiatingly high and it would take eight or nine guys three days to get the course back into condition after a significant weather event.”

Lux and the club management concluded that a bunker renovation, and the installation of a modern liner system, was needed, and after a review of the market, selected the Capillary Bunkers liner technology. “We figured our best bet was to do something that would last, and we really liked the ten year warranty that Capillary Bunkers offers – it gave us a lot of confidence in the technology,” he says. “Through talking with other people, we found that there were very few problems that people had had with it. We wanted it to be top-notch. We were going with the best sand we could find and we didn’t want contamination.”

The first nine holes, the Vale, was completed in October 2021. The second nine, the newer Ridge, started construction late this April and was done by mid-July. On the final nine, the Creek, Lux and his team decided to rebuild the bunkers completely; the work began in July and finished in October.

“Since doing the work, the improvement is huge, and obvious,” he says. “Before, the washing we were getting was just terrible. The worst weather we have had since has been three inches of rain in about nineteen house, and what I have seen is that we’re not repairing bunkers any more. Now, one guy can go out and it’s a half hour job to fix the bunkers. The liner system will pay itself over the life of the ten year guarantee, easily.”

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FGM Claymore to distribute Echo and Shindaiwa

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FGM Claymore to distribute Echo and Shindaiwa: FGM Claymore have announced that it will now be the distributor of the popular Echo and Shindaiwa brands commencing on the 1st January 2022 for the UK market.

“We are delighted with this appointment which will further strengthen our position in the UK market. We have a long history of importing and distributing 2-stroke hand-held product and our aim is to build the Echo and Shindaiwa brands to significant levels through a network of independent servicing dealers.” Explains Paul Butterly, Managing Director, FGM Claymore.

FGM Claymore to distribute Echo and Shindaiwa

FGM Claymore to distribute Echo and Shindaiwa

The company will be launching a new 40V range of consumer products including lawnmowers and hand-held products which will be available Spring 2022. As well as providing the range of X Series “best in class” products with emission compliant petrol products and its 56V battery, both for use in the professional market.

In addition, the company have announced that Neil Turner will be joining the team as its new Sales Director to focus on their existing dealer network and new appointments in the coming months.

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ECHO glove promotion

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ECHO glove promotion: Chainsaw gloves are not only an essential piece of PPE equipment, but they are also functional clothing that can help you maintain grip on the saw for maximum control and precision.

For a limited time offer (and whilst stocks last), ECHO are giving away a pair of professional-grade, high-performance chainsaw gloves (SRP £46.04 inc VAT) with every new ECHO chainsaw purchased*.

ECHO glove promotion

ECHO glove promotion

ECHO chainsaw gloves offer the perfect balance of cut resistance (on the left glove) and flexibility. Their unique design allows your skin to breath, maintaining your grip and position whilst operating a chainsaw. Tough and durable, they offer Class 1, type A rated protection whilst being comfortable enough to wear all-day. These gloves are approved to EN 381 Class 1 (20m/s) standard and offer a protective surface of 110 mm wide and 120 mm high at the highest point (without the fingers).

When you purchase a new ECHO Chainsaw between 21 June 2021 and 31 August 2021, you can claim a pair of ECHO chainsaw gloves free – whilst stocks last. Terms and conditions apply*

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