Tag Archive for: ISEKI

ISEKI mower collects the leaves at Wellingborough

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ISEKI mower collects the leaves at Wellingborough: After demonstrating a variety of different ride-on mowers, Steve Mackey, Head Greenkeeper at Wellingborough Golf Club, found the one he was looking for in the ISEKI SXG323+. 

“We don’t have ties to any company, and we never will,” said the straight-talking Steve. “We simply buy what does the job and the ISEKI mower does the job for us.”

ISEKI mower collects the leaves at Wellingborough

ISEKI mower collects the leaves at Wellingborough

Steve is the man in charge of the 18-hole, par 72 rolling parkland course situated at the 18th century Harrowden Hall in the heart of Northamptonshire. The course, which hosts several premier PGA & county golf events, is positioned amongst five acres of beautifully maintained gardens and woodlands. It is partly for this reason that Steve was looking for a new ride-on mower.

“With it being a parkland course and with a vast number of trees, we get a lot of fallen leaves on the formal gardens and on the course,” he said. “Therefore, we needed a mower that could collect them quickly and efficiently through the season. In addition, we needed it for other work on the course such as collecting debris from scarifying tees, approaches, and general other tasks.”

“We demonstrated several different machines and found that the ISEKI ride-on mower was the best operator-wise for everybody that works here. It did a better job than its competitors and quite simply it was the best out of the lot.”

The ISEKI SXG Range is the ultimate in cut and collection mowers and the newly designed SXG323 + offers power, performance, and unsurpassed productivity. A 48” (1.22M) mower deck with wider overlapping provides a superior quality of cut while the large capacity, high torque 1123cc diesel engine is powerful and fuel efficient.

The new ergonomic design, increased leg room and dial-in height of cut adjustment all provide excellent operator comfort and the automotive-style instrument panel gives clear information, including a fuel gauge. Furthermore, the SXG323+ performs exceptionally even in the wet conditions, allowing you to work without the weather restricting you.

“Whether it be dry or wet, it does a good job every single time,” said Steve. “It is so comfortable, straight-forward to use and it is easy to change the height of cut with the dial rather than messing about with pins. This machine has no gimmicks and I like that.

“The high tip is very handy because we can collect leaves or debris and then put them straight into a trailer. It saves a lot of transport and time.

“We’ve not had one single issue with it, and never had any blockages,” he continued. “We do all our own maintenance and servicing, and it is easy with this machine – every component it very much accessible.

“Ultimately this ISEKI ride-on mower is well-built, bullet proof and it performs – and that is what I look for in machinery.”

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Bourne to ride ISEKI world record attempt

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Bourne to ride ISEKI world record attempt: Working on ride-on mowers is part of the job for Colin North, owner of Bourne to Garden, a grounds maintenance business based in Kent, UK.

However, it wasn’t until a friend mentioned the current world record attempt for the fastest journey from Lands End to John O’Groats on a ride-on mower that he suddenly thought what a great challenge it would be to try and beat this whilst raising money for charity, after all he has plenty of experience driving them all day!

Bourne to ride ISEKI world record attempt

Bourne to ride ISEKI world record attempt

Colin explains further; “We are aiming to beat the current world record of 5 days, 8 hours and 36 minutes, completed by Andy Maxfield on the 30 July 2017.  We will be driving an ISEKI SF5 ride-on mower that has been kindly donated and supported by ISEKI UK, aiming for up to 20 hours driving each day.  All this, whilst most importantly for us, raising money for three charities that are close to our heart’s; Motor Neurone Disease Association, Kenward Trust who help those struggling with alcohol or drug addiction and The Masonic Charitable Foundation, with the target to raise £30,000 to be split equally between each of the charities.”

Starting off at Lands End on Monday 27th June they will be avoiding the motorways and traveling through the counties listed below in order to reach their final destination of John O’Groats, whilst hopefully beating the current World Record:

World Record attempt route:

  • Cornwall
  • Devon
  • Somerset
  • Gloucestershire
  • Worcestershire
  • Shropshire
  • Cheshire
  • Merseyside
  • Lancashire
  • Cumbria
  • Dumfriesshire
  • Lanarkshire
  • West Lothian
  • Stirlingshire
  • Perthshire
  • Inverness-shire
  • Ross & Cromarty
  • Sutherland
  • Caithness

“We can’t wait to get started, there is a lot of preparation involved and we could not have done this without the support of ISEKI UK who will be travelling with us all the way too.  We look forward to seeing people out on route, don’t forget to give us a beep and a wave!  Between ourselves and ISEKI UK we will be doing regular updates on social media, interviews on TV and local radio coverage throughout the journey so please keep a listen out for us.”

David Withers from ISEKI UK adds; “It is great that a customer of ours has chosen one of our mowers to attempt this world record!  We are so excited to support them on this challenge and look forward to supporting them throughout the journey then being with them at John O’Groats at the end of the race to celebrate their achievement!”

As part of the world record attempt stipulations, independent witness signatures and photos are required along the way, so keep a look out on ISEKI’s social media for details of where they will be on route and follow the tracker.   Encouragement along the journey and coming out to wave them past will no doubt be appreciated to help keep the morale high on what will be an extremely long, testing and tiring journey.

Details of how to donate can be found at www.bournetogarden.com.

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Cosmic ISEKI stars at Portrack House

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Cosmic ISEKI stars at Portrack House: A range of ISEKI machines are helping to maintain the Garden of Cosmic Speculation – an incredible 30-acre sculpture garden located at Portrack House, near Dumfries in South West Scotland.

Forty major areas, gardens, bridges, landforms, sculptures, terraces, fences and architectural works, the Garden of Cosmic Speculation is a sight to behold. The masterpiece features landscape work based on the Big Bang, geometric fractals, twisting DNA helixes, and black holes.

Cosmic ISEKI stars at Portrack House

Cosmic ISEKI stars at Portrack House

Groundcare Manager at Portrack House, Ben Wakefield, admits that he is fortunate to work at such a magical site, but it is safe to say he has his work cut out. In maintaining the vast area, Ben claims he needs every machine to be a ‘workhorse’ and it is for this reason that there was only one brand he considered when he needed a new tractor.

“We already had a ride-on mower and a tractor from ISEKI, and we wanted to extend our fleet,” said Ben. “The machinery we have had from ISEKI in the past has covered all the bases. We have found them to be reliable, trustworthy, strong and they have taken literally everything we have thrown at them… and even a little bit more.”

Ben recently added the ISEKI TXGS24 compact tractor to his fleet. Used in a huge range of applications where a small multi-use sub compact tractor is required, the TXGS24 is the ultimate compact multi-purpose tractor.  With 3-point linkage, mid and rear PTOs, optional mower decks and front loader the uses for the TXGS24 tractor are limitless.

“We use it for everything,” said Ben. “It has the digger bucket on it, so we use it for excavating and landscaping purposes. It also has a trailer attachment, so we use it a lot for collecting grass and leaves. We can run the PTO’s and systems off one tractor and can unload into a trailer attached to another tractor. It is our general-purpose machine – basically if we can attach something to it, then we can use it.”

Ben also has the ISEKI TXG237 compact tractor, the previous model, to assist him, as well as the ISEKI SXG323 ride-on mower. The SXG Range is the ultimate in cut and collection mowers, with the ability to perform exceptionally even in the wet conditions. Its large capacity, low revving 1123cc, 19hp, engine creates very little vibration and wear and tear on the engine itself, whilst also being very fuel efficient and powerful.

“We predominantly use this mower on all our flat areas, around our mounds, and riverbanks,” said Ben. “It is a very good bit of machinery, and it has a leaf collector and a grass collector on the back which certainly makes life a lot easier.”

To make disposing of grass cuttings easy, the SXG323 has a hydraulically operated high or low tip collection system which can lift up to a height of 1.97m – something Ben is particularly impressed with.

“The high tipper is very useful because it allows us to drop grass off in certain areas that may not be accessible by reversing trailers in,” he continued. “It is easy to pile it up, is a lot neater, and it saves multiple people leaf blowing or collecting it by hand.

“The adjustment in cutting height is a very good feature. There is also the hydraulic lifting which lifts the deck up and down, so when you are going over bumpy or rough terrain, you can easily adjust the height so that you get a nice and even cut the whole way through.”

While Ben and his team are surrounded by a garden inspired by modern cosmology, he admits that he has his very own set of stars.

“Quite simply, ISEKI has a range of machinery that caters exactly for what we need. We enjoy using them and they are comfortable and safe to use. I would recommend these machines to absolutely anyone.”

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ISEKI IQ scores highly

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ISEKI IQ scores highly: Daniel Spencer, Head Greenkeeper at Letchworth Golf Club, has praised the reliable ISEKI TG6507 for its performance and versatility, adding that the IQ gearbox was a big factor in his decision to purchase the unique compact tractor.

Located on the edge of England’s first ever Garden City, Letchworth Golf Club is set in beautiful undulating countryside, which is well renowned for its firm fast greens and tight tree lined fairways. The 18-hole parkland course was extended and updated in 2003 to its present form and length, and it is an on-going improvement process, guided by renowned course architects, arborists, and ecologists.

ISEKI IQ scores highly

ISEKI IQ scores highly

Head Greenkeeper Daniel Spencer inevitably plays an integral role in shaping the future of the club. First and foremost, though, Daniel’s priority is keeping the course in impeccable condition and to achieve this, it is essential that he has the right tools for the job.

“The time had come to replace our old tractor,” said Daniel when discussing equipment. “We needed something reliable which would allow us to combine our existing implements such as the aerator, the leaf collector, and the blower. We looked at a lot of options and decided that the ISEKI TG6507 would be the best fit for us.”

Ideal for high specification aeration and turf maintenance on sports turf, the TG is the most advanced tractor in the ISEKI range with 40-67hp engines.

Features of the ISEKI TG range of tractors include:

  • Water- cooled 3-cylinder and 4-cylinder diesel engines with displacement of up to 2,434L
  • Engine performance from 40 – 67 HP
  • Hydrostat with electro servo control
  • IQ models with innovative IQ dual-clutch gearbox
  • Intuitive operating controls
  • Spacious cabin with excellent all-round view and driver comfort
  • Loader joystick and valve fitted as standard
  • Supplied with two double-acting auxiliary valves

“One of the main reasons, we went for this tractor was because of the IQ gearbox, which gives us a larger selection of gears,” continued Daniel. “The auto PTO is a huge benefit because when we get to the end of a run, when spiking for example, the PTO shuts off by itself, we turn the tractor around, lower the spiker back down and the PTO restarts again.

“In addition, the lift capacity is a great feature – being able to lift over 1.5 tonnes is huge for us.”

As Daniel says, users of the TG6507 benefit from the innovative dual-clutch IQ gearbox, combining the ultimate comfortable automatic operation with the advantages of manual gear changes. Specific to the IQ range of TG tractors the Headland management controls are also perfect when working with turf maintenance implements. The PTO Stop/Start function allows you to stop the PTO when the link arms are raised for ease of operation. PTO Stop in reverse lifts the arms to a pre-set height if reverse gear is selected to prevent any damage to implements. These are fully adjustable.

Also impressing Daniel is the TG6507’s superior lift capacity of up to 1600kg, offering users the opportunity to run implements without the need to increase the size or horsepower of the tractor.

Daniel further explained how the ISEKI tractor fits into his maintenance programme.

“Most of the time the tractor has the spiker on it, certainly at this time of year because we are frequently spiking tees, fairways, greens, and approaches. We spike a lot in the summer too and when we hire a scarifier, this will also be attached to the tractor. In autumn we have the leaf collector on there, as well as being able to swap over quickly to the blower when we need it.

“Reliability wise, the tractor has been brilliant. It has done everything we wanted it to, and I would highly recommend it.”

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ISEKI hits the mark for Exeter Rugby Club

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ISEKI hits the mark for Exeter Rugby Club: Max Sandford has been working at Exeter Rugby Club for over 11 years with full responsibility as the Head Groundsman for the last four years. 

Working as part of a team of three with one first year apprentice they carefully maintain the premiership rugby pitch, alongside the two Desso rugby training pitches, the grounds and car parks. With over 100 players training three to four times a week it can be quite the challenge with the small team to keep everything in top condition.

ISEKI hits the mark for Exeter Rugby Club

ISEKI hits the mark for Exeter Rugby Club

Following the recent multi-million pound investment and a new East Stand built, the stadium now has capacity for over 15,000 fans and with the new hotel development it offers the opportunity to hold numerous events throughout the year.

When the pitches were built a couple of years ago the consultant helped specify the equipment required, this included a 35hp tractor, Wiedenmann Spiker, sprayer and zero turn mower.  Since moving up from a championship to a premiership side there comes an increase in expectations, so 18 months on the club needed to upsize their equipment to cope with the increase in demand.

Commenting on the equipment Max explained; “In order to cope with the larger aerators required we needed a larger tractor so we went out to the market to obtain three demonstrations and quotes.  This is where we came across the ISEKI TG6507IQ.  Scott Struthers, from our local dealer MST Group in Tiverton, brought this machine to us so we could test it out on our site.  Its high lift capacity of 1,580kg, tight turning circle, auto pick up hitch and of course the highly specified cab made our decision easy.”

“Another brilliant feature of the TG6507 IQ is the headland management system that can be set to automatically disengage the PTO on lifting and re-engage when lowering, making turning at the end of runs so simple.  This makes such a difference when aerating large areas and numerous runs. All these features and then, most importantly, the comfortable air con cab means the staff have no problems working with this machine for long periods of time!”

The TG6507 IQ was supplied by Scott Struthers at MST Group, based in Tiverton, Devon.   Max added; “We have been working with MST for a number of years, the back-up and servicing from them is faultless, they have a good, experienced workshop team ensuring our machines are kept in top condition and very competitive pricing.  With this excellent service it meant the purchase of our ISEKI TG6507 IQ was an obvious choice.”

“The TG6507 IQ is a top quality, well-built, sturdy tractor with many high specifications that make our lives so much easier when maintaining the pitches and other areas around the club.  I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend ISEKI.”

Watch the video here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irP8kI8HlM4

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