Tag Archive for: fit

FSI B21 a great fit for JB Tree Services

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FSI B21 a great fit for JB Tree Services: An FSI B21 stump grinder is proving that compact certainly does not mean a compromise in efficiency and performance for Joe Baker of JB Tree Services.

With the majority of jobs coming from residential customers in and around Trowbridge, his recently  purchased FSI B21 gives him the manoeuvrability to tackle stumps in tight and restricted spaces as well as providing full control over his work schedule compared to the trepidation of relying on hire machines.

FSI B21 a great fit for JB Tree Services

FSI B21 a great fit for JB Tree Services

After working as a tree surgeon for Bath Council for six years, Joe started working for himself full-time in 2021. Commercial and council work for Trowbridge Town Council remains a key part of his offering, but he explains that the majority of demand for him and his team of two comes from residential customers. “These sorts of customers are looking for a ‘one stop shop’ – if they’re having a tree removed, they also want the stump dealt with on the same day.”

“I started off hiring a stump grinder as and when I needed one, but found they’d turn up used and abused, nearly always blunt. The time was definitely right to invest in our own machine that would be well maintained and available whenever we needed it.” While no stranger to stump grinders, Joe had no prior experience of an FSI, but admits it took little convincing that the brand was the perfect solution! “We had the slightly bigger FSI B31 on demonstration from GA Groundcare Ltd and the first thing we noticed was the outstanding build quality. The whole team had the opportunity to use it and all agreed that of all the various makes and models they’d used, in operation, this was by far the best.”

Peace of mind

Decision made, the pedestrian FSI B21 stump grinder joined the machinery fleet in August 2024. “There’s a lot to like about this machine, with a lot of features bringing newfound efficiency to stump removal.” He explains, “Firstly, the 14hp engine delivers impressive power. The turntable feature is brilliant in terms of operator comfort, the safety bar allows us to disengage the cutter wheel for safe and unhindered movement around the stump. The hill-hold system which is unique to FSI is another gamechanger – blocking any forward wheel motion and allowing us to pull the machine backwards to easily navigate ramps, steps and uneven terrain.”

“The peace of mind of being able to fell a tree in the morning and having the FSI B21 to hand to grind the stump in the afternoon is brilliant, seeing the machine in high demand since we’ve had it. The back-up from GA Groundcare has also been excellent. We can’t fault the machine or the service we’ve had from start to finish.”

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Fit and forget with DuraPost® VISTA composite panels

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Fit and forget with DuraPost® VISTA composite panels: Birkdale, the UK’s leading supplier of fencing and gate accessories, is launching a new composite fence panel range: DuraPost® VISTA. Designed to provide both beauty and durability at an affordable price, the panels can be used for boundary fencing or to create sleek garden features.

DuraPost® VISTA panels have an attractive timber-look design. Incredibly easy to install, they are lightweight and feature a tongue in groove design, that makes the process simple and hassle-free to undertake on site. The panels also integrate seamlessly with the DuraPost® galvanised steel fence post system and post infills to ensure installers can turn to Birkdale for a complete fencing solution.

Fit and forget with DuraPost® VISTA composite panels

Fit and forget with DuraPost® VISTA composite panels

Once in-situ, the weather resistant panels will perform for the long-term. Made from a recyclable and sustainable wood-plastic composite (WPC), the panels have minimal environmental impact. They are also UV stabilised and will not rot, warp or splinter, retaining their integrity for each season, without the need for any annual treatment to protect and preserve their finish. As such, they are backed by a 15-year guarantee.

Finally, the panels are available in three different colourways – exclusive to this particular DuraPost® range – Oyster, Teak and Graphite, which ensures there is a solution to complement any existing architectural features.

John Abernethie, CEO at Birkdale, commented: “We are delighted to be expanding our DuraPost® composite panel range even further. The aim is to provide homeowners, installers and commercial contractors alike with a cost-effective fencing option that they can trust will perform for the long-term.”

For more information about Birkdale’s DuraPost® VISTA composite panels, visit: https://www.birkdalesales.com/

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Volunteers help get Wembley pitch match fit

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Volunteers help get Wembley pitch match fit: Two volunteer groundskeepers were given the experience of a lifetime by helping prepare the world-famous Wembley pitch ahead of the Lionesses’ game against the Netherlands.

The Premier League, The FA and Government’s Football Foundation ran a competition as part of the Get Your Pitch Match Fit campaign that celebrates the importance of grass pitches and the groundskeepers who maintain them for the grassroots game.

Volunteers help get Wembley pitch match fit

Volunteers help get Wembley pitch match fit

Trevor Chenery and Tony Hesketh are volunteer groundskeepers at Halesworth Town Juniors FC in Suffolk and Acton Ealing Whistlers AFC in West London respectively. Between them, the Clubs have received over £129k in grant funding from the Foundation to get their pitches looking and playing their best.

Wembley Stadium’s Grounds Manager, Karl Standley, was on hand to offer expert advice, show them what’s involved in getting the hallowed turf match ready and help them put the finishing touches on England’s most prestigious pitch.

Trevor said: “Every football fan dreams of stepping out onto the Wembley pitch, so to be able to do that has been a dream come true.

“Groundskeeping is a real labour of love and today I’ve seen that it’s exactly the same for the top groundskeepers in the country. There’s so much I’ve learnt that’ll help me take my own pitch to the next level.

“I’d like to thank the Football Foundation for all the advice and funding I have received so far by using PitchPower and of course for the incredible opportunity today.”

The pair were selected at random from users of PitchPower – the Football Foundation’s free web app for inspecting and improving grass pitches.

Through PitchPower, anyone responsible for a grass pitch can inspect their pitches and receive bespoke advice from experts at the Grounds Management Association on how to improve them. After receiving these recommendations, PitchPower users have the opportunity to apply for grants of up to £12,800 per pitch through the Foundation to put them into action.

Tony said: “Before using PitchPower, we regularly had to call off games because our pitches just couldn’t handle any form of bad weather.

“Now, not only are our fixtures able to go ahead as planned, but our players actually enjoy the games more because they get to play on quality playing surfaces. That transformation wouldn’t have been possible without PitchPower and the funding we received from the Football Foundation.

“Today has been great and I hope to take some of Karl’s advice back to our pitches at Acton Ealing Whistlers AFC to ensure all our players can enjoy their football!”

Karl Standley, Wembley Grounds Manager and Football Foundation Supporter, said: “Having a quality playing surface is vital, whether you’re playing in the World Cup final or Sunday League with your friends.

“The grassroots game couldn’t function without volunteer groundskeepers giving up their time for clubs across the country and I’m proud to help the Football Foundation shine a spotlight on the vital role they play.

“Thanks to the support of the Premier League, The FA and Government, the Foundation will be investing £21 million a year to get grass pitches across the country looking and playing their best.

“I’d encourage anyone responsible for a grass pitch to keep an eye out on the Foundation’s social channels for tips and tricks on how to maintain their grass pitches and sign up to PitchPower to start their grass pitch transformation journey.”

To help more people enjoy all the benefits of grassroots sport, the Foundation has set the target of reaching 20,000 ‘good’ quality grass pitches across the country by 2030.

For more information, head over to the Foundation’s website:

https://footballfoundation.org.uk/get-your-pitch-match-fit

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Helly Hansen the perfect fit for West Lancashire GC

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Helly Hansen the perfect fit for West Lancashire GC: A range of Helly Hansen workwear clothing supplied by Agrovista Amenity has been well received by the greenkeeping team at The West Lancashire Golf Club in Liverpool.

Helly Hansen workwear, available from Agrovista Amenity, has been specially designed by a team of experts to be of the highest quality workwear and outdoor clothing available.

Helly Hansen the perfect fit for West Lancashire GC

Helly Hansen the perfect fit for West Lancashire GC

Their ongoing product development means they are always on the cutting edge of outdoor clothing technology, meaning you can rest assured the outdoor wear you’re looking at is superb value and allows the team to work productively year round, in challenging weather conditions.

Stuart Hogg, Course Manager at The West Lancashire Golf Club, believes that nothing compares to the quality of the clothing.

“We’ve always had Helly Hansen workwear clothing,” he said. “They are good quality and reliable for the weather we encounter here. The team have enjoyed wearing the gilets and the soft-shell jackets over the years, and they have lasted the time which means that we are not always buying these items every year.

Helly Hansen the perfect fit for West Lancashire GC

Helly Hansen the perfect fit for West Lancashire GC

“This year we have started using Helly Hansen trousers and shorts which have gone down really well with the team. To have all the staff feeling comfortable while they are working is great – the cost becomes insignificant.

“I have eight members of staff – all of whom want different features, and each do a variety of jobs from mechanics to bunker raking. For them to all be happy means that I will keep on going back to this range.”

From base layers to boots, a complete range of high quality Helly Hansen clothing is available from Agrovista Amenity. The clothing can also be personalised with logos, names and sponsors.

The new Agrovista workwear catalogue can be viewed by clicking here.

For more information about Agrovista UK, visit www.agrovista.co.uk/amenity

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Two Ventracs at the True Fit

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Two Ventracs at the True Fit: Over the past couple of years, the True Fit Golf Centre at Cuerdley near Warrington has purchased two Ventrac all-terrain compact tractors and a selection of attachments to maintain the 18-hole Fiddlers Ferry golf course and 22-bay driving range. All of the equipment was purchased through their local dealer, Cheshire Turf Machinery.

The True Fit Golf Centre was originally formed in 1985 as a golf club assembly business by engineer Mark Overton, before he added a 9-hole golf course, which quickly turned into 18-holes of golf when a local farmer sold him some adjoining land.

Two Ventracs at the True Fit

Two Ventracs at the True Fit

The small course maintenance team were using an eclectic mix of mowing equipment before the engineer in Mark Overton decided there must be a more cost-effect way to manage the 5,500-yard course.

“I followed Ventrac on YouTube long before I decided to have a demo, as it appealed to my engineering instincts”, he said. “I liked the fact that you have a single power unit and multiple attachments to do various jobs around the course. We purchased our first unit back in 2020 and it quickly became apparent that we needed another one. We were considering the purchase of a new fairway mower from a major brand, but for the £80,000 purchase price we can have a Ventrac with a selection of attachments that do more than just on task. It just made sound commercial sense.”

Ian Millington is the principal operator of the machine and said,

“We have the two tractor units and added more attachments over time, so we now have a Contour deck, which we set at 35mm for the semi-rough and the triple Reel mower, which is set at 14mm for the fairways. This unit cuts as well, if not better, than some of the major brands. The Tough Cut deck is used on overgrown areas, and the Trencher is used for creating drainage bands, as we are situated very close to the river Mersey and it can be wet at times. Our final attachment is the Power Rake which we use for reinstating gravel pathways or preparing new areas when we need to break up the soil. It really has added to the overall presentation and playability of the course; even the golfers have made favourable comments!”

Mark Overton added, “We are a Pay-and-Play course with many regulars using our seasonal pass, creating a membership feel. All greens and tees have been built to USGA specifications and it has been designed to suit all levels of golfer from the beginner right through to the regular enthusiast. We’re not a long course by any calculation, but the Ventrac is the ideal solution for cost-effective course maintenance.

“Covering over 120 acres, the course has many water features and can be quite wet due to our proximity to the river as Ian alluded to earlier. Now, with the Trencher, we have the flexibility to install drainage when we want to and are not reliant on contractors. And we can get the machine out when it’s wet due to its incredibly low ground pressure. It’s robust, very well built and, as we have proved, it’s not just a machine for high-end clubs. Yes, we definitely like it.”

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