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Dennis FT510 is a breeze at Prees

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Dennis FT510 is a breeze at Prees: Duncan Austin, Head Groundsman at Prees Cricket and Recreation Club in Shropshire, needed to upgrade the Club’s trusty old Dennis FT510 cylinder mower – and there was only one machine he had in mind.

Duncan Austin has been working at Prees Cricket and Recreation Club for the past six years. He is responsible for maintaining three grass football pitches, two artificial football pitches, a cricket square and two bowling greens.

Dennis FT510 is a breeze at Prees

Dennis FT510 is a breeze at Prees

For the bowling greens, Duncan has long relied on the Dennis FT510 cylinder mower.

“I had a Dennis FT510 which was well over 20 years old,” he said. “Unfortunately, it was coming to the end of its days and the cost of repairing it was similar to the price of buying a brand new one. I didn’t even need to look at other brands of mowers. The FT510 was so good, I was adamant that I wanted another one. The treasurer backed me, and we went ahead and bought one.”

The Dennis FT510 has become the ‘must have’ piece of turf maintenance machinery at bowling clubs around the country and it’s easy to see why. With a 51cm working width, the FT510 provides its user with comfort, flexibility and excellent performance. A true sense of control is obtained through the unique roller clutch drive for a smooth take-up and a variable clip rate helping to create the desired finish.

Available with five-bladed and ten-bladed cutting cylinders the machine can be matched to any situation and the interchangeable cassettes can be changed without the requirement of any tools. The range of 11 different heads mean that one machine can be used for several key maintenance tasks including scarifying, verticutting or brushing.

Duncan explained how he uses the Dennis FT510 on a regular basis to maintain the greens.

“I cut the greens with it 2-3 times a week depending on what games are on and it provides a perfect finish every time. In the winter we normally leave the greens at a length of 10mm, but we maintain them at 5mm during the season. I will also verticut with the FT510 every three weeks and try to rotate that with a sarel roll or a brush.

“The interchangeable cassettes on the FT510 are the best feature – they are so quick and simple to change,” continued Duncan. “If I need a new bottom blade or need it sharpened, I have only got to take the cassette with me rather than take the whole machine.

“Another good feature about the Dennis FT510 is the click height adjuster – it is a very user-friendly mower. I wouldn’t want any other machine for our greens.”

For further information or a no obligation demonstration, please contact Dennis 01332 824 777 or visit www.dennisuk.com

For more news, reviews and insightful views, you can follow Dennis on Twitter and Instagram @DennisMowers and like the company’s Facebook page – www.facebook.com/DennisMowersUK. You can also view the latest Dennis videos by visiting www.youtube.com/DennisMowers

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Prevention is better than cure

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Prevention is better than cure: There will be enough to do this summer with El Niño on its way, so don’t let water quality be another problem to deal with, especially when prevention is so much easier than cure, says Otterbine, a leading water management specialist.

Thanks to the warming effects of the climate phenomenon El Niño, when temperatures in the Pacific Ocean rise or fall beyond the norm and influence weather patterns across the globe, the UK can expect the summer of 2023 to exceed that of 2022 and turn out to be the fifth or sixth hottest on record.

Prevention is better than cure

Prevention is better than cure

And with the sun comes dangers for lakes and ponds. Left unattended, water can quickly deteriorate creating problems such as algae, aquatic weeds and odours, and while the repercussions are laborious and costly to fix, preventing them isn’t.

It all comes down to aeration, as Simon Powell, Otterbine business development manager at Reesink Hydro-Scapes explains: “Higher levels of sunlight and heat, generated by summer sun, can lead to excess nutrients in water bodies. When combined with low oxygen levels and limited circulation, the natural ecosystem tips out of balance, causing algae, weeds, odours and sludge to build up, which can even kill off aquatic life.

“Once a water body reaches this point the costs of trying to restore it increase dramatically. As well as often being more expensive to implement, reactive solutions tend to be less friendly to the environment too.”

The easy, sustainable solution is to add air with a surface and subsurface aerating system and Otterbine has some of the best in the business, confirms Simon: “Otterbine’s range of products has some of the highest oxygen transfer and pumping rates in the industry, adding as much as 3.3lbs or 1.5kg of oxygen per horsepower hour into the water and pumping over 920GPM or 199m3/hr per horsepower.”

With that kind of power and efficiency behind them, plus an average lifespan of 15 years, acting now in preparation for an El Niño summer means no more water worries whatever the weather for the foreseeable future.

Simon concludes: “In a world of ever-changing weather patterns, Otterbine provides an element of control. Being able to combine Otterbine’s range of quality products which are built to last and keep water clean, clear and healthy, with Reesink Hydro-Scapes’s warranties ranging from three to five years, means a water management solution that’s guaranteed to last, removing a significant potential problem from the to-do list for years to come.”

To learn more about the Otterbine range of aerators and fountains, contact Reesink Hydro-Scapes on 01480 226800, email info@reesinkturfcare.co.uk or visit reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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Investment in training is investment in machinery longevity

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Investment in training is investment in machinery longevity: One of the greatest investments a customer can make in machinery is to invest in training according to Reesink Turfcare. And now there’s a new Electric Powered course meaning that no matter the power source, customers can get the best from their machinery.

Quality machinery is one of the biggest investments a club will make and needs to be safeguarded with proper training. A well-trained and attentive operating team will impact on running costs by catching things early and dealing with them at the most cost-effective point.

Investment in training is investment in machinery longevity

Investment in training is investment in machinery longevity

When it comes to mowers, Reesink offers three relevant training courses: Turfcare Mechanics to include cutting technology, the Safe Use of Ride-On Mowers and Reesink’s brand new Electric Powered Training.

Lee Rowbotham, service and training manager at Reesink UK, explains that having well-trained operators and mechanics can make machines go even further in both performance and longevity: “Reesink training provides customers with the confidence to operate and take care of their own machines so that operations can continue to run smoothly no matter what. It’s about investing in people as much as it is the machines themselves, but ultimately the two are always linked.”

With the rapid development of electric and hybrid technology, it’s important that skills and knowledge in those areas progresses at an equivalent rate so that technicians and dealers can better serve their customers and the Toro product. Hence the introduction of the new course.

Lee explains: “The Electric Powered Training course covers calibration and troubleshooting in Toro electric machinery, understanding how the electric system works and how each electrical component fits into the system. It is aimed at end users who currently have electric Toro products in their fleet.”

For diesel and petrol machines, Reesink’s Turfcare Mechanics course aims to instil confidence in troubleshooting, routine servicing and setting cutting units to manufacturers specification and can bring significant savings when it comes to machinery downtime. Lee says: “It’s surprising how the areas of maintenance that generate service time or bills such as lack of greasing, contaminated fuel or oil and blocked radiators or oil coolers are relatively easily avoided.

“The training Reesink provides teaches operators and mechanics how to keep their machines in a constant state of good condition so they can do a better job on the golf course all year round.”

The Turfcare Mechanics course, designed for dedicated workshop mechanics, also covers understanding Fault Codes and Level 1 Hydraulics and Electrics fundamentals to incorporate on board machinery diagnostics, Lee says: “This course allows clubs to take effective care of their groundscare machinery, meaning machines need less time in the workshop and can spend more time on the job.”

It’s not just in-depth maintenance knowledge that Reesink’s training provides, the Safe Use of Ride-On Mowers course ensures operators are well trained on equipment and find it easy and intuitive to use. This course is ideal for new starters, giving a practical and thorough overview of operating, checking and maintaining ride-on mowing equipment.

Reesink’s training doesn’t stop at mowers; also on offer is Reesink’s Professional Sprayer Operational and Calibration training for Toro sprayers.

Course material and assessment are included in the fees, and manufacturer backed certification is provided at the end. Each of Reesink’s courses range from one to two days of training and can be conducted on an individual basis or in small groups.

Find out more about these courses to help keep machinery performing to the best of its ability to deliver the very best playing surfaces by calling 01480 226800 or going online at reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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MM grass seed is a winner for Worcester

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MM grass seed is a winner for Worcester: Worcester College, one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England, is benefiting from using a range of MM grass seed.

Founded in 1714, Worcester College is steeped in history and continues to educate and house around 600 students. The College’s 26 acres of stunning grounds feature plenty of lawns alongside a lake, an orchard, and sports fields. Students at Worcester are the only ones in the University to benefit from on-site sports pitches and excel at football, cricket, and hockey.

MM grass seed is a winner for Worcester

MM grass seed is a winner for Worcester

Simon Bagnall, Head of Gardens and Grounds, has been working at the College for 19 years, and has been using the MM brand of grass seed throughout his whole tenure.

“I have been using it for as long as I can remember because of the quality of the seed – it is reliable, it performs and it has never let us down,” he said.

MM is one of the most respected brands in the UK amenity industry, with over 40 years of experience and knowledge. The extensive product portfolio is second to none with performance proven mixtures that are used at many leading venues in the UK and Europe.

There are two mixtures within the MM portfolio that Simon and his team rely on, as he explains.

“We use MM50 and MM21 across all our sports fields and utility lawns. We normally oversow with the mixtures during our renovation period and then will apply them through the year if we need to do any repairs.

“Another benefit of using these MM seed mixtures is the speed with which they germinate. We have quite a short window between renovations and when the students come back so to be able to get some grass growing quickly is a huge bonus for us.”

MM50 is one of the UK’s biggest selling grass mixtures. The hard-wearing ryegrass mix is very fine leaved, has high shoot density, is tolerant to close mowing down to 4-5mm and produces a great colour all year round. It also has quick recovery from damage and play.

MM21 produces a dense, fine and attractive sward and is a great mix for lawns and landscaping with low ryegrass.

Josh Hall, Deputy Head of Gardens and Grounds, further explained how the team uses the MM mixtures.

“We use MM21 on the main lawn because it is shaded by mature trees and there is a lack of light. The rye and fescue in the mixture work well together to give us good coverage in what could otherwise be a problematic area. The MM21 is normally applied in March or April so that it is growing nicely over the spring and summer.

“The MM50 is basically used everywhere else, especially on our sports pitches, and it is our go-to product. Our pitches take a real hammering with the number of games we have and to have some grass at the end of a season is important to us. We get that with MM50 – it is very hard-wearing. In fact, you don’t expect something to be so fine to do such a hardwearing job, but it does. It also produces a fantastic colour.”

With Worcester being an Oxford University college, it has a certain reputation to uphold. The demand is high and that in turn can put pressure on Simon and his team. With this in mind, Simon sees the value in working with key suppliers like MM.

“We get a brilliant service and Matt Gresty (MM Sales and Marketing Manager) is always available to speak to if I need advice. He sees us regularly, helps us out a lot and I can’t speak highly enough of him.

“I will always recommend the MM range of grass seed and I would encourage people to come and have a look at our lawns and pitches so they can see the results for themselves.”

For further information, please contact MM Sports Seed on 01386 791102 or visit the company’s website www.mm-seeds.co.uk.

You can also follow the company on Twitter: @MM_Seed.

To find out more about Worcester College visit their website: www.worc.ox.ac.uk

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Mansfield Sand’s MM35 is ‘pure’ brilliant

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Mansfield Sand’s MM35 is ‘pure’ brilliant: When Stuart Broom, Head Greenkeeper at Honiton Golf Club, was looking for a pure sand for top-dressing, he identified Mansfield Sand’s MM35 Golf as the ideal product.

Honiton Golf Club, in Devon, is a short 18-hole parkland course which is 850 ft above sea level and boasts some spectacular views. Stuart has been working at the Club since March 2015 and was appointed as the Head Greenkeeper in September 2019. Throughout his time at Honiton, Stuart has overseen some big changes and is now pleased with the direction the course is heading.

Mansfield Sand’s MM35 is ‘pure’ brilliant

Mansfield Sand’s MM35 is ‘pure’ brilliant

“I would say that we are work in progress, but we have come a very long way in the past few years,” he said. “The club is doing really well, we have a lot of new members, and the goal is to keep improving course conditions every year.”

Stuart and his five members of staff work hard to make improvements wherever they can, and as soon as one is identified, the team is quick to act.

“Last year it became apparent that our members didn’t like the soil aspect of the traditional 70/30 dressing we were applying,” he said. “We wanted to go down the pure sand route instead, so I did a lot of research looking at all the different pure sands which might be compatible with our old dressing. The product which was most compatible and the one that stood out by far was Mansfield Sand’s MM35 Golf. Not only did it work in terms of particle size distribution, but the pH was also what we were looking for.”

Mansfield’s MM35 Golf pure silica sand is ideal for top dressing greens because it brings a number of benefits such as improved recovery, firmness, smoothness and an improved rootzone. MM35 Golf also makes for a great bunker sand as it has fantastic playing characteristics as well as being aesthetically attractive.

Sourced directly from the company’s Two Oaks Quarry in Mansfield, the Mansil Silica products are predominantly used in the construction and maintenance of a wide range of sports surfaces – from winter sports pitches, golf courses, bowling greens and all amenity turf areas.

“One of the main reasons for choosing MM35 was the pH level – which is 6.6,” continued Stuart. “The pH was just too high on all the other competitive products we looked at. In fact, the next nearest match was 7.3.

“MM35 is a great product to work with; we can get the dressing down early in the morning, give it an hour or so to dry, and we can then brush it in before the golfers arrive. We can tell that the MM35 has signalled an improvement because members don’t really know that we’ve done it now, whereas before there was always a bit of debris laying around.

“It is our go-to product for regular light top dressings through the season and we also use it for our renovations in September. MM35 is mainly used on greens but because it has worked so well, we have started using it on the approaches as well.”

Stuart estimates that he will apply approximately 120 tonnes of the MM35 Golf over the course of the year and claims that ordering the product could not be a smoother process.

“From start to finish it is great. Delivery is always on time and well organised and Sharon Morris (Sales Manager for Mansfield Sand) has been superb from a customer point of view.”

For more information visit www.mansfield-sand.co.uk

You can also follow the company on Twitter – @MansfieldSand and Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/MansfieldSandSportSurfaces/

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