Tag Archive for: Fleet

Toro UTV Fleet Increased

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Toro UTV Fleet Increased: John O’Gaunt Golf Club in Sandy, Bedfordshire, has recently purchased two Toro Workman utility vehicles, which has increased the club’s UTV fleet to seven. These hard-working vehicles have racked up in excess of 16,000 hours of work between them demonstrating outstanding value and longevity.

 

Nigel Broadwith, course manager, runs machines that are up to 18 years old with no problems. “I think we are proving at John O’Gaunt that you can get more out of your Toro machines than perhaps you think you can and that you don’t have to always buy new to get results,” he says.

Toro UTV Fleet Increased

“Our oldest Workman is the 3300D from 1999, that machine has done an impressive 4132 hours of work over 18 years. Of our more recent machines we have a HDX-D from 2015 which has put in an equally impressive 1652 hours in two years.”

Most of the UTVs Nigel purchases are second-hand, with the latest two purchased as they came out of a five-year lease deal, which means they represent great value for the club. In fact, purchasing the machines this way meant Nigel could buy two second-hand Workman utility vehicles for the price of one new one.

“Even new the Workman UTVs present good value, but purchasing our utility vehicles this way is cost-effective and means we can put the rest of the budget into our turfcare machinery, plus fuel consumption is excellent. A Workman is a workhorse and puts in the hours. We use ours for diveting tees, topping up bunkers with sand, turf and tree work and transportation; we even have one whose body we have removed and replaced with a topdresser for that sole use.”

But that’s not all. The club’s Workman vehicles are nothing if not versatile, stepping in when needed with all sorts of jobs as Nigel explains: “The machines comfortably seat two men and in the rare times when we have issues with player’s golf trollies we’ve been more than happy to pick up members and transport them around the course in the Workmans. They are quick, quiet and still look good.

“I think it’s important to consider all the options available when it comes to creating your fleet. Toro proves itself to be capable of lasting and still being up for the job, even when the machines are up to 18 years old. That’s why I think Toro make the best utility vehicles in the industry.”

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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Galway Bay’s New John Deere Fleet

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Galway Bay’s New John Deere Fleet: Designed by Christy O’Connor Jnr, a former Ryder Cup golfer, Galway Bay Golf Resort at Renville near Oranmore is not a links course, but is described as ‘parkland by the sea’, with the stunning backdrop of Galway Bay and the rugged curves of the Atlantic coastline always in sight.

Earlier this year this championship course hosted the Carey Cup, a tournament that pitched Ireland’s best amateurs from the Golfing Union of Ireland (GUI) against some of those from the USA, representing the Metropolitan Golf Association of New York (MGA).

Galway Bay's New John Deere Fleet

The resort has also recently been recognised both on and off the course with two awards, one for Best Customer Experience Golf Course in Ireland at the 2017 IGTOA Awards run by the Ireland Golf Tour Operator Association, and Best Golf Club Restaurant in Connacht at the YesChef Awards.

Course superintendent Damien Coleman, who is the current president of the GCSAI (Golf Course Superintendents Association of Ireland), gained further special recognition for the club last year when he was one of three European greenkeepers selected by the R&A to join the team of 46 worldwide volunteers that worked at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.

“The Olympics was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and a great experience both for me and for the club, even though I was gone for three weeks at the height of the summer,” says Damien, who has worked at Galway Bay since 2008. “The director of the club Ronan Killeen was still very happy for me to go however, especially as it brought the course a lot of positive media attention.”

With the club approaching its 25th anniversary in 2018, it decided that its ageing John Deere course maintenance equipment fleet needed replacing. Many of the machines had been acquired over 10 years ago in the club’s first substantial deal with local dealer Mid West Mowers at Glasson, near Athlone in Co Westmeath, and Damien Coleman was happy to negotiate a new package with the same dealer.

“We’ve been dealing with Ger Conway of Mid West Mowers for a long time, so we’re very familiar with John Deere equipment and the service we can expect in this area,” says Damien. “Ronan Killeen quickly accepted that the existing fleet was getting too old, and so didn’t need much convincing that it needed replacing.

“At around the same time we were impressed by a John Deere regional presentation on financing new golf course equipment purchases so the idea gained some traction, and we eventually settled on a Bank of Ireland financed package deal in spring of this year, basically replacing like with like in the fleet. All the main machines needed upgrading to take advantage of the latest technology and warranty benefits, plus we had a preference for the selected machines over what else was available on the market.”

The new package included two John Deere 7500A PrecisionCut fairway mowers, a 2653B PrecisionCut tees & surrounds mower, three TX Turf Gator utility vehicles, a 2030A Pro Gator and a 3045R compact tractor equipped with an H165 front loader.

“We’ve always had John Deere tractors, as they’re very reliable and long lasting, and they’ve certainly stood the test of time on this course – we have a 5415 utility tractor and a 3720 compact from the original deal, and they’re still going strong. Earlier this year I also attended a machinery demonstration at Dromoland Castle Golf Club in Co Clare, where I saw the new A Model mowers working for the first time, and on the back of that we decided to include the 7500A fairway mowers in the deal,” adds Damien.

“I was particularly impressed with what this mower’s smart technology can do, using the programmable TechControl display. We always set it to suit the conditions, especially in the summertime when the grass is quite heavy and we like the operators to slow down a little, to give a consistent finish.

“Our equipment manager Jonathan Stace also keeps all the kit in very good order. We maintain a small stock of parts at the course, but if we need anything, we know we can order it today and have it delivered tomorrow – the John Deere and Mid West Mowers parts service is excellent in that respect.”

For more information, visit: www.johndeere.co.uk

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Luscombe Plant Hire Double Up On Their GreenMech Fleet

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Luscombe Plant Hire double up on their GreenMech fleet to meet demand: Luscombe Plant Hire, based in Ulverston, Cumbria, stock a wide range of site machinery and tools available for daily, weekly, or long-term hire. After noticing that their GreenMech Arborist 130 woodchipper was hardly ever in the yard, owner Simon Luscombe decided to add a second one to his hire fleet to meet the consistent demand.

Simon and wife Beverly, along with their son Dan, started Luscombe Plant Hire in 2001 and this year they were proudly awarded the “Outstanding Single Depot Hire Company” at the EHN Passionate Hirer Awards. “We have a full range of tools and machinery from a wallpaper stripper right up to 8-tonne excavators as well as an onsite shop selling fittings, workwear and smaller tools” explains Simon. “The arborist side of things is quite a large part of our business, so being able to offer good quality, reliable chippers that work well is very important for us.”

Luscombe Plant Hire Double Up On Their GreenMech Fleet

They first came across the machines at the annual Executive Hire Show. After initially purchasing just one, the client base of tree surgeons, land owners and grounds managers meant the demand was more than they could supply so they added a second unit. “Since we’ve switched over to the GreenMech chippers, we’ve not had one bad report on them – our customers seem much more satisfied. They go out on hire for anywhere between one day to one month and everyone who hires them, say they’re really good machines to use. There has been no down-time due to breakdowns which, when you’ve got a packed hire schedule, is crucial.”

The Arborist 130 is a simple-to-use, cost effective, compact road tow chipper, featuring a generous 970mm x 790mm in-feed hopper, which aids bushy brash reduction, coupled with a 150cm x 230cm letterbox-style throat. The 23hp Honda petrol engine is protected with a steel bonnet, helping to reduce the noise level. It comes with a hand brake, overrun braking system and GreenMech’s patented Disc-Blade technology as standard.

For more information, visit: http://www.greenmech.co.uk/

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