Tag Archive for: Expands

GMA expands online training

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GMA expands online training: Today, the Grounds Management Association (GMA) is announcing the latest addition to its online training with its new course, Level 3 – Winter Pitches ‘Advanced Turf Culture’ for experienced volunteers and professionals.

The new online course is ideal for experienced volunteers and grounds team members, and will help participants understand the advanced technical aspects of turf maintenance, and how they form an integral part of a detailed maintenance programme. The course will also support participants in getting the most from their playing surfaces in terms of quality standards and carrying capacity.

GMA expands online training

GMA expands online training

Upon successful completion, participants will have improved their knowledge of winter pitch care management by taking modules that cover soil nutrient testing, grass cultivars and evaluation, control of threats to turf health, health and safety, and the influence of drainage, soil type and compaction, all of which will impact on the carrying capacity of pitches. In addition, the course addresses key skills such as planning winter maintenance programmes and managing surfaces in order to optimise carrying capacity.

Level 3 – Winter Pitches ‘Advanced Turf Culture’ takes approximately 6 hours to complete and consists of 7 informative lessons with content produced by the GMA’s specialist technical and learning team. It is priced at £150 for non-members, but with GMA members receiving discounts of 30%, the course can be available for just £110.

Jason Booth, Chief Operations Officer, said: “Our online learning has been a huge success, and we’re really pleased to be launching this course not long after reaching the milestone of 1000 sign-ups to online training since we first launched it back in May 2020. We’re determined to ensure that grounds staff at all levels have the opportunity to learn and develop their skills, despite the challenges that national restrictions and lockdowns create. With high rainfall and snow ahead of us, launching Level 3 – Winter Pitches ‘Advanced Turf Culture’ now was the clear next step to our online offerings.”

“Following our Level 1 and Level 2 online training courses that cover the basics of grounds maintenance and management, we believe that those who already have some experience also have the opportunity to improve. It also offers inexperienced grounds staff the chance to improve their skills and capabilities through online modules that support their development.”

The GMA will continue to develop and introduce new online training courses for a range of sports as the seasons and weather change throughout the year.

To upskill your knowledge through the GMA’s training courses, or for more information on bespoke training sessions, visit www.thegma.org.uk/learning or email learning@thegma.org.uk

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Inverallan expands Pellenc fleet

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Inverallan expands Pellenc fleet: Inverallan Landscapes has taken one step further in its quest to become fossil fuel free by expanding its Pellenc portfolio with the purchase of two Rasion Easy self-propelled mowers and a set of Airion blowers.

Step by step, Inverallan Landscapes, a gardening and grounds maintenance contracting business in Stirling, is changing the way it does business. By integrating battery-operated equipment and reducing its carbon footprint, it hopes to offer customers a completely ‘clean’ service – according to managing director John Maxwell.

Inverallan expands Pellenc fleet

Inverallan expands Pellenc fleet

“We want to be the first landscape contractors that operate battery-only, so during the past three years we have been upgrading our tools and equipment to the equivalent battery models, as well as installing solar panels at our business unit,” he said.

The company first became acquainted with Pellenc equipment back in 2018 after purchasing a set of Helion 2 Compact hedge trimmers – the lightest battery-powered hedge trimmer on the market. After reporting excellent results, it continued to invest in Pellenc equipment and two years later, Inverallan Landscapes now boasts an impressive portfolio which includes chainsaws, blowers, hedge cutters, pole saws, road sweepers, grass strimmers and mowers.

The company’s most recent Pellenc additions were prompted after it was awarded a new contract in which a dedicated maintenance team would be working for a large housing association with over 1000 properties.

According to John, the zero-emission approach made total sense.

“To my knowledge this may well be the first maintenance team in Scotland to be 100% environmentally friendly so we are making huge strides. Not only will they solely be using the Pellenc equipment to maintain the houses and grounds, but they will also be using a brand-new Nissan E-NV200 electric powered van.

“It ticks every box – from the machinery point of view, the operator’s point of view and also from the residents’ point of view. There are just so many benefits from using the Pellenc equipment.”

Light, odourless, noise-free, with no starting problems and enough power to enable professional users to work for a full day on a single charge, it’s no wonder more and more professional users are turning to Pellenc. It is an attractive alternative to those who have, for a number of years, been relying on fuel-based machinery.

Not only will users see a huge amount of savings by eliminating the necessity of purchasing fuel but by using the Pellenc equipment, they will be contributing to protecting the environment by reducing the consumption of fossil fuels and noise pollution.

“The team much prefer using the Pellenc equipment compared to the two-stroke products,” John continued. “It is far more lightweight, so they are less fatigued while working, there are no fumes and the equipment is so quiet. You particularly notice the benefits in those long, hot summer days.

“You also don’t have the issue of maintenance or parts going wrong in comparison to traditional two or four stroke equipment – such as spark plugs, air filters or oil changes. With the Pellenc equipment you just push a button and off you go.”

John saved particular praise for Rasion mower, claiming that it has enhanced the team’s grass cutting operations: “It’s a brilliant machine and it has more advantages than a traditional petrol mower. Firstly, it is so much lighter and from our point of view up here in Scotland, with the amount of rain we have, the ground can quite often be saturated. If you go onto that ground with a petrol mower, you are adding a lot of weight and you find yourself sinking into the ground. With the Rasion mower we have been able to get onto those saturated grounds and we have been able to tend to grass that we might not have previously been able to cut.”

“The other benefit is that it is wider than most petrol mowers, so we find ourselves cutting faster and covering more ground in a shorter amount of time.”

Inverallan Landscapes purchased the equipment from Agrovista Amenity in Stirling, and Allan Wright, amenity specialist for Agrovista, said: “It’s great to see that Inverallan Landscapes is revolutionising its approach to service provision through the introduction of battery-operated equipment.

“With Pellenc tools, there’s no compromise on performance, and users benefit from long-term cost savings, reduced noise and operator vibration.

“All Pellenc tools come with a three-year commercial warranty and batteries benefit from the new improved four-year commercial warranty. I believe the future is in the use of battery equipment and the new technological developments from Pellenc are certainly leading the way.”

Pellenc is exclusively distributed in the UK and Ireland by Etesia UK.

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

You can also follow Pellenc on Twitter and Instagram @PellencUK for much more news, reviews and insightful views.

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Ventrac dealer network expands

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Ventrac dealer network expands: Agwood Ltd, based at Swingfield, near Dover in Kent, is the latest turf machinery dealership to join the Ventrac dealer network in the UK.

Agwood was formed by Ian Wood back in 1978. An independent company, they pride themselves on their record of exemplary customer service demonstrated by their recognition as BAGMA Approved Testers for Trailer Brakes, PUWER and LOLER Approved Installers of Tracker and Cesar Datatag and NSTS Sprayer Testers.

Ventrac dealer network expands

Ventrac dealer network expands

Commenting on the appointment, Phil Bush said,

“Since Rupert Price launched his business three years ago, the Ventrac product has really taken off in the UK. It’s a very well-made piece of equipment, yet easy to work on. It’s also very versatile because of the numerous attachments that can be mounted on it. Rupert has done a tremendous amount of groundwork in the past three years and it’s certainly paying off as our industry recognises the potential of the multi-purpose machine. We are delighted to add this remarkable brand to our product portfolio that already includes Massey Ferguson’s range of tractors, harvesting and groundcare equipment, along with Lemken, Opico and Suzuki ATVs.

Rupert Price, Managing Director of Price Turfcare, the UK and Ireland distributor of the Ventrac 4500 compact tractor, added,

“We’ve are steadily building our dealer network and only taking on reputable dealers who we believe will add value to the brand. We require our dealers to be pro-active, focussed on the product and capable of providing exceptional customer back-up and support. Agwoods’ exemplify these requirements and we’re delighted to welcome them to the Ventrac family.”

Price Turfcare’s current dealers are:

Fairways (GM) Ltd; Nairn Brown; Lairds Grass Machinery; Davies Tractors; John Osman Groundcare; Russell Group’s Groundcare Division; Sharrocks; Cheshire Turf Machinery; Fentons of Bourne; RT Machinery; Upson Mowers; Agwood Ltd; TH White Groundcare; and Devon Garden Machinery.

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Robertson fencing expands with Doosan

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Robertson fencing expands with Doosan: Robertson Fencing Ltd is an agricultural/forestry contracting company, based in Pitlochry in Highland Perthshire in Scotland. The company works with forestry companies, land managers and highland estates combining its diverse range of services to deliver projects safely and to a high standard.

Woodland creation and establishment works are Robertson Fencing’s speciality, applying a collaborative approach to fencing and forestry ground preparation operations, increasing efficiency and collaboration, whilst reducing supervision and on site management.

Robertson fencing expands with Doosan

Robertson fencing expands with Doosan

In the last three years, Robertson Fencing has taken delivery of eight new Doosan excavators from Balgownie, the local Authorised Doosan Dealer, based at Inverurie in Aberdeenshire. The new Doosan excavators include two DX160LC-5 HT 16 tonne high track crawler excavators, five DX140LC-5 14 tonne crawler excavators and a DX63-3 6 tonne mini-excavator. The arrival of the new Doosan excavators, doubling the fleet of crawler excavators, has helped Robertson Fencing to continue to expand to meet the demands of the buoyant forestry sector and ambitious woodland creation targets in Scotland.

Excellence All Round

Managing Director, Rab Robertson, said: “The first Doosan machine we purchased was a DX140LC-5 recommended by David Moir at Balgownie and the excellent performance of this machine convinced us to purchase the rest of the Doosan machines. In doing so, we have not only switched our favoured brand to Doosan, we have changed from a dealer that was 25 minutes away to one that is two hours away, but Balgownie more than makes up for it in terms of support for our business – I have never seen quality service and back-up like that offered by Balgownie – it is amazing!”

The high performance of the DX140LC-5 crawler excavator includes a 5% increase in engine power and 4% greater torque over the previous version of this machine. In addition, traction has been boosted with an increase in drawbar pull of about 18% and front lifting capacity has been increased on average by 10% and side capacities are 12.5% higher. Complementing these figures, the fuel consumption in the DX140LC-5 has been lowered by 3% compared to the previous generation excavator.

The continuing expansion into the forestry ground preparation sector at Robertson Fencing provides a perfect fit to complement the company’s established fencing operations, to provide customers with a truly turnkey choice when appointing contractors for forestry establishment projects.

Rab Robertson added: “Our operators have been impressed by the comfort and reliability of all of the Doosan excavators. The new Doosan High Track excavators offer a specialised design for the forestry industry with a high ground clearance and a bigger, stronger undercarriage. They have been outstanding in our work in restock mounding for clients like Forestry and Land Scotland, RTS Forestry, Tilhill and Scottish Woodlands.”

The DX160LC-5 HT excavator combines the upper structure from the DX140LC-5 with a heavier-duty 18 tonne class high track undercarriage, increasing the ground clearance from 410 mm in the DX140LC-5 to an impressive 615 mm. In its standard configuration, the digging depth of the DX160LC-5 HT is 5355 mm, the digging height is 8940 mm and the digging reach is 8080 mm.

Doosan also offers the larger DX180LC-5 HT High Track model, which is an enhanced version of the company’s DX180LC-5 excavator, incorporating a reinforced structure and a carefully re-engineered, high performance braking system, offering the same ground clearance of 615 mm as the DX160LC-5 HT, compared to 460 mm in the standard DX180LC-5.

The Doosan High Track models are designed to meet the needs of customers requiring a combination of higher ground clearance, a reinforced track frame and a strong traction system with reinforced upper rollers for work in harsh environments and on projects where larger travelling distances are involved. The High Track models are particularly suited for constructing roadways, mounding, earthmoving and other duties in the forestry industry, where the higher ground clearance, durable travelling system and the traction force allow them to move with ease over rough terrain, negotiate obstacles such as fallen tree trunks and to pull trailers loaded with wood.

The DX160LC-5 HT and DX180LC-5 HT are powered by the Perkins 1204F engine, which combines reduced fuel consumption with the power and torque of larger engines with a smaller displacement. The Perkins 1204F engine provides an output of 81.6 kW (109 HP) and 94.9 kW (127 HP) at 2000 rpm, respectively, in the DX160LC-5 HT and DX180LC-5 HT.

Doosan Dealer for the North of Scotland

Balgownie is responsible for sales and servicing of the Doosan crawler, wheeled and mini/midi excavator, wheel loader and articulated dump truck ranges in Perthshire and Kinross-shire, Aberdeenshire, Morayshire, Angus, Fife, the Highlands and the Scottish islands.

Customers like Robertson Fencing benefit from a superb on-site service network, covering everything from emergency repairs to routine maintenance. Balgownie‘s factory-trained engineers have many years of hands-on experience of repairs and servicing of plant and machinery.

As well as covering existing contracts, Balgownie provides flexible service agreements, depending on the requirements of the customer. The company offers service and warranty work on all existing Doosan machines in its area, backed by a full selection of genuine accessories and parts. Balgownie also holds a stock of new and used Doosan branded machines, to respond quickly to customers’ needs.

For more on Doosan construction equipment, visit the website: www.doosanequipment.eu

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John Deere expands fairway line-up

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John Deere expands fairway line-up: John Deere has announced two new additions to the economical 6000A Series fairway mower line-up, which will be previewed at BTME 2020 in Harrogate from January 21-23.

Sharing technologies with the award-winning A Model mower range, the 6080A and 6500A E-Cut hybrid electric fairway mowers feature high-performance electric reel drive, which greatly reduces the number of potential hydraulic leak points to ensure maximum productivity and performance. In addition to their economical price, these new mowers can be operated at lower engine speeds, which further reduces operating costs by decreasing fuel consumption.

John Deere expands fairway line-up

“We’re excited to bring the E-Cut hybrid mowing system to the 6000A Series fairway mowers,” says John Deere’s European turf sales & marketing manager Carlos Aragones. “Powerful and full of premium features at an economical price, the 6080A and 6500A combine our proven E-Cut hybrid electric technology with the popular 6000A Series model design.”

John Deere was first to market with its electric reel drive system in 2005 on the 2500E triplex greens mower, and this was added to the fairway mower range in 2009 with the 7500 and 8000 E-Cut hybrid models. By removing all hydraulics from the reel circuit, the risk of hydraulic leaks has been reduced by over 90 per cent. In addition, the hybrid system is powered exclusively by an alternator, which offers consistent performance without additional batteries to maintain.

Equipped with a powerful 24.7hp (18.4kW) diesel engine, the 6080A and 6500A E-Cut hybrid mowers feature a three-wheel smooth tyre configuration on a durable chassis, with premium performance and comfort features for all-day mowing. Width of cut is 80in (2m) on the 6080A and 100in (2.5m) on the 6500A, with 18 and 22in (46 and 56cm) QA5 cutting units respectively.

These new models include the proven eHydro transmission and LoadMatch as standard, which maintains a high quality cut even when working on slopes. A mowing speed of 8mph (13kph) on both models allows operators to be more productive by covering larger areas in less time.

Another advanced technology feature adopted from the existing A Model range is the innovative, password-protected TechControl display. This gives turf managers and technicians complete control over cut quality and performance by enabling them to input commands such as mowing speed, transport speed and service times, while also capturing on-board service diagnostics.

Cut quality on the new John Deere 6080A and 6500A E-Cut hybrid electric fairway mowers is further enhanced with rear-attaching yokes on the cutting units and standard hydraulic down pressure, which can tackle even the toughest mowing conditions. Additionally, the hybrid reel drive system allows more power to be available for the standard GRIP all-wheel drive traction system, to further improve performance on slopes.

Other operator friendly features include internal hydraulic wet disk brakes, which eliminate linkage adjustments and grease points in the brake system, and a comfortable operator station with CommandArm-mounted controls that move with the seat.

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