Tag Archive for: Machinery

MHM machinery ready for HVO fuel

/in , /by

MHM machinery ready for HVO fuel: The MHM Group have confirmed that all their diesel powered machinery, principally generators and lighting towers are now fully compatible with HVO fuel.

For rental firms and contractors which are not familiar with HVO fuel, it is a renewable diesel alternative based on vegetable oils, grease and similar residue. Using HVO fuel can reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 90% when likened with fossil-fuel diesel. For every 1,000 litres of diesel burned produces 3.6 tonnes of greenhouse gas CO2, compared to just 195kg GHG CO2 for every 1,000 litres of HVO burned. In addition, HVO is FAME (Fatty Acid Methyl Ester) free fuel and is wholly compatible, and approved to use, as an alternative replacement fuel to traditional fossil-fuel diesel.  Using HVO fuel can significantly reduce a user’s carbon footprint.

MHM machinery ready for HVO fuel

MHM machinery ready for HVO fuel

HVO fuel can be safely stored for up to ten years, whereas regular diesel, even under ideal conditions, can only be stored between six and twelve months. Therefore, using HVO can reduce the possibility of fuel contamination, breakdowns and fuel testing. Tests have indicated that HVO fuel provides better starting, cleaner combustion and consequently less chance of waxing and water retention in extreme temperatures.

MHM have placed just one stipulation on the use of HVO fuel. All HVO fuel used in MHM equipment must adhere to BS EN 15940:2016. If a re-hirer or purchaser of an MHM generator or lighting tower uses a lower grade fuel this could have a negative impact on the engine’s warranty. MHM recommend HVO from the fuel specialist, Crown Oil. Crown Oil HVO fuel is available for delivery across the UK usually within 48 hours of order.

Commenting on this latest approach to reducing the carbon footprint within the rental markets, the MHM Group managing director, Mat Llewellyn said, “We are moving forward with plans to ensure that our rehire fleet becomes entirely emission-free. Using HVO is significant a part of this process, however we are continuing to invest heavily in other renewables such as solar and battery hybrid machines.”

“Many of the major UK infrastructure projects are promoting the use of HVO and several fleet operators working on these projects have already switched to HVO,” added Mat.

The MHM ReHire service is only available to UK and Ireland hire organisations.

The MHM Group was incorporated in 2010 and supplies their range of equipment throughout the UK and Ireland via its’ nationwide three depot network. The company has three distinct divisions; MHM New Equipment Sales, MHM Used Equipment Sales and MHM Rehire. Each division supplies power generation, solar-hybrid-generators, fluid storage, lighting towers, and product related accessories to the UK and Irish rental markets. The MHM Group head office is based in Port Talbot, South Wales.

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

STIHL cordless machinery the right fit

/in , /by

STIHL cordless machinery the right fit: RFT Services has switched its entire groundscare and arborist machinery fleet to STIHL cordless tools, a move that has not only enhanced the maintenance programme of the entire grounds team, but also offered significant environmental benefits.

RFT Services is part of the Flagship Group and provides facilities and grounds maintenance to over 31,000 homes and 800 communal garden areas across the East of England. To ensure the grounds maintenance programme runs efficiently as possible, it is vital that the team utilise the most reliable, robust and best performing equipment available to meet the needs of any application all year round, even in the toughest weather conditions.

The responsibility of overseeing the 27 strong groundscare and arborist team is led by ope

STIHL cordless machinery the right fit

STIHL cordless machinery the right fit

rations manager Glen Ray, who has been working at RFT Services for more than three years. With the team having used STIHL petrol machines for a number of years, and after a trial period with their local dealer GDC Ltd, Glen decided to switch to a machinery fleet made up entirely of STIHL cordless tools, and it wasn’t long until the maintenance team were realising the benefits battery technology has to offer.

Glen said: “Our business is built upon delivering great service to our customers and that means ensuring more than 800 communal areas are maintained to the highest standard. For us to achieve this, it’s imperative that we have to implement a rigorous maintenance programme to ensure gardens and parklands are in the best possible condition all year round for tenants to enjoy.

“Although petrol and diesel engine powered equipment is and will continue to be very popular, I was intrigued by the advancement in battery technology and the benefits this could bring to my maintenance team, especially from a noise-sensitive operation point of view.

“Previously, one of the difficulties we had as a team was that we only had certain time frames in which to carry out regular grounds maintenance tasks due to the noise level of petrol tools during operation. When operating landscaping and arborist machinery in residential areas, it’s important to conduct this work when it will cause minimum disruption. Add to this that petrol machines are generally more expensive to run and maintain, I was very intrigued by battery technology and how this could potentially enhance our maintenance operations.

“After speaking to GDC Ltd, the team trialled a number of cordless tools, including the STIHL FSA 130R Brush cutter, BGA 100 Blower, HLA 85 Long reach Hedge Trimmer, HTA 85 Pole Saw, HLA 65 Hedge trimmer AR 3000 Battery and fast charger overall and the general consensus was that they were very impressed with not only how quiet the tools were during operation, so much so that they didn’t need to wear ear protection, but also their performance, which was on par with petrol equivalents.

“In addition to performance, the battery tools also bring environmental benefits, which is a big plus. The team doesn’t need to store costly fuel on site and all we have to do is simply replace the battery if it runs out which is very rare, helping to keep machine downtime to a minimum.  We are a community driven business, so it’s great that the battery technology allows us to be more sustainable in our maintenance practices.

“Since then, we haven’t looked back when it comes to battery tools and have invested in a STIHL cordless machinery fleet that includes pole pruners, hedge trimmers, brushcutters, blowers, mower, and chainsaws to name a few.

“The quiet operation of the cordless tools, as well as being able to handle the toughest jobs, has enabled my team to carry out maintenance tasks at any point during the day, which has ensured we can implement a strict maintenance regime that meets the highest standards. Reliability is also a key consideration to avoid costly downtime, and the tools need to be comfortable and simple to operate so my team can carry out their work efficiently. That’s exactly why we chose STIHL equipment.

“As with grounds maintenance teams, we pride ourselves on the work we carry out and strive to do this to the highest standard. The use of battery technology and the reliability of the machinery from STIHL has helped push our maintenance programme onto the next level and we look forward to carrying on our proud tradition of providing tenants with communal areas they can enjoy and relax in.”

For more information on STIHL’s extensive range of professional battery powered tools, please visit www.stihl.co.uk.

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Machinery at the touch of a button

/in /by

Machinery at the touch of a button: We live in an age where we can carry out any amount of business from a laptop, tablet, even a phone. Where once we had to engage the services of an advisor or expert we can now do what we need do from the comfort of our own sofa, or from the layby of a busy road. 

Our fine industry has long been regarded as traditional – loving the personal touch of a sales rep we’ve know for years and the strangely comforting pleasure derived from kicking a tyre or two – but it is not adverse to dabbling with the modern age.

Machinery at the touch of a button

Thanks to a new company we too have the option to purchase high quality used machinery by the touch of a button.

Grass Plant has been set up by Martin Guy, a sports and amenity turf industry entrepreneur of over 30 years standing, to enable machinery dealers to offer their used machinery to end users and potential customers in a similar manner to that of Auto Trader, in the domestic vehicle market.

“Grass Plant has come about following my work with another of my companies – Martin Guy Developments. I’ve operated and owned golf courses for many years so contracting has been a big part of the business,” said Martin.

“With contracting comes a lot of equipment and at any one time we can be holding in in excess of £1.5 million worth of machinery because of the nature of work that we do.”

Having such a stock of machinery means that Martin spends a lot of time with machinery sales people and he began to realise that as an end user, and someone who buys and sells himself he saw the benefits of an on-line trading platform for used machinery.

“Grass Plant was formed as a company four years ago with this concept in mind but the website to enable it to work didn’t come to fruition until the start of this year. I wanted to make sure that the website was completely correct and fit for purpose but now it is set, it is evolving and moving and people are beginning to subscribe to it.”

The business model does work on a subscription basis. If a dealer has a number of machines to sell he will be given a flat rate for them to be advertised on the site and the dealer can put whatever they like onto the site and remove or refresh at will.

“The end user then can see what is available and have a choice of what machine they are looking for. There might be a three old version of the machine with a lot of hours on the clock they want of a five year old version with fewer, so the potential customer can see what is their best fit,” explained Martin, adding that 99% of his current clients are main machinery dealers.

“They are selling new and buying it back and need an outlet for what comes back in. It’s not uncommon for a mainline dealer to be sitting on £1 million worth of used stock.”

With the current uncertainty in the economy well maintained used machinery is particularly attractive while the concept of machinery packages being leased to clubs ensures that there is a ready supply of machines, well maintained, after three or five years which the dealer then has to move on.

Martin, through Martin Guy Developments, currently maintains six golf courses, 23 football pitches and five cricket grounds so the company is also a first hand end user of an array of machinery.

“As Grass Plant develops we are going to start reviewing equipment as well. We will be giving full warts and all trials so potential purchasers can see what us, an a contractor, feels about the machine,” revealed Martin.

With everything now in place and the website tried and tested, Saltex will be the opportunity for Grass Plant to raise general awareness within the industry.

“Our on-line digital figures are going up and up, doubling and trebling month on month and our social media profile is growing to. Saltex will be important to us, as will BTME while January, February and March are the key months for machinery purchase.”

Our industry may well be traditional but thanks to Grass Plant it does not stop us from enjoying the benefits of the 21st century!

Machinery Imports’ Clive Carter Departs

/in , , /by

Machinery Imports’ Clive Carter Departs: Machinery Imports General Manager, Clive Carter, bid a fond farewell to his team this month, as he departed the business after 13 years.

Making a significant contribution to the business during his ‘bakers dozen’ tenure, Clive started with the Ferris and Wright brands whilst working at IPU Group, before transferring to the T H WHITE Group when the distribution of the brands was taken over in 2016.

Machinery Imports' Clive Carter Departs

Over the past 3 years as General Manager at Machinery Imports, Clive has steered the team through both the booming and more challenging seasons, sharing his extensive knowledge and experience of the industry, and offering a relentless wit that has kept the team laughing no matter what.

Head of Machinery Imports, Bill Johnston, commented “Clive will be missed by all of the Machinery Imports team, we wish him the very best of luck and are confident he will make a success of all his future endeavours.”

“In departing the business, Clive leaves it in a strong position, with a positive year behind us so far in 2019 and extensive plans for further growth over the coming months and years.”

Whilst Clive is no longer a member of the organisation, he remains a highly respected and well liked ‘unofficial team member’, with the team arranging a fitting send off for him last week. At the event Clive was presented with an engraved statuette of a Spitfire fighter aircraft amongst other gifts – a thoughtful souvenir relating to one of Clive’s many interests.

Bill concludes, “with an ever expanding and high-quality dealer network, a team of experienced and hard-working colleagues in Machinery Imports, and superior quality machinery brands, we continue to strive forward.”

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Machinery Dealer UK’s Youngest

/in , , /by

Machinery Dealer UK’s Youngest: Luke Mortimer, the owner of Ace Machines Limited in Milton Keynes, is the youngest member of the Cub Cadet dealer network in the UK.

Aged just 21, Luke has bought the dealership, formerly known as RGC Engineers.

Machinery Dealer UK's Youngest

He is no newcomer to the world of garden machinery and started his journey, aged 17, when he established his own business, ‘Mort’s Garden Machinery’. The company ran successfully for two years until Luke became aware of a long-established business owner looking to retire.

Luke approached the owner of RGC Engineers and agreed terms. The deal went through in December of last year and now Luke owns the company, with four members of staff by his side.   The dealership, now renamed Ace Machines, is part of Cub Cadet’s 200-plus UK dealer network.

“When I became self-employed at 17, I could take the gamble and jump into the unknown as I still lived at home. An increasing number of young people are now starting their own businesses instead of heading towards standard employment – it’s more aspirational,” said Luke. “As I’m so young, people immediately judge me on my age and think my knowledge isn’t what it should be, yet once they get talking to me, they soon realise how wrong first impressions are. I don’t think of it as an insult, it’s just that the industry is dominated by older people, it’s a barrier I’m having to break through.”

In the three short months Luke has owned his dealership, he has hired two members of staff to run his office and a further two to assist him in the workshop.

“Having a major brand like Cub Cadet is a significant benefit to the business,” he said. “They have been really good to me in my short time here. They haven’t been fazed by my age and have taken me and my business at face value, which is so encouraging. A trusting brand like them is what dealerships need, especially if they are just getting into the industry. I would say they have really helped with the success of my firm.”

Speaking on where he sees the gardening machinery industry heading, Luke added: “Over the next few years, I see the industry shifting towards robotics as millennials take more of an interest in gardening, opening up a new market.  Cub Cadet’s recent robotics training day has been invaluable. It was so in-depth and informative, and I now feel well equipped to sell this new technology to customers.”

Phil Noble, sales and technical manager for Cub Cadet, said: “It’s great to hear Luke’s story and to see how well he is getting on. It just goes to show that this industry has limitless opportunities available to all. Working with our dealers is one of the core principles for Cub Cadet, it’s a two-way partnership. If both parties work together effectively the benefits can be seen for each side. I look forward to continue working with Luke and his team.”

For more information please visit www.cubcadet.co.uk

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.