Tag Archive for: Maintenance

Water feature specialists reveal autumn maintenance steps

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Water feature specialists reveal autumn maintenance steps: Waterscapes Ltd shares critical seasonal care guidelines as UK landscapes face debris and temperature challenges.

As autumn conditions intensify across the UK, water feature specialists are sharing essential maintenance steps to prevent costly winter damage and protect landscape infrastructure investments. The combination of falling leaves, dropping temperatures, and changing water chemistry creates unique challenges that demand immediate attention from facilities managers and landscape contractors.

Water feature specialists reveal autumn maintenance steps

Water feature specialists reveal autumn maintenance steps

“Autumn represents a critical transition period for water features,” said Ed Harwood, Maintenance Contracts Manager of water feature specialists Waterscapes Ltd. “Left unmanaged, this season’s combination of organic debris and cooling water can trigger equipment failures, structural damage, and costly water quality issues that become apparent too late to prevent.”

The guidance comes as property managers prepare outdoor spaces for winter, when inadequate seasonal maintenance can compromise valuable landscape amenities and lead to expensive emergency repairs.

Critical Autumn Challenges

According to Waterscapes, leaf fall presents the most immediate challenge for water features. Decomposing organic matter affects water quality, clogs filtration systems, and can damage pumps if left unmanaged. Physical barriers such as netting provide essential protection, but require regular inspection and clearing during peak leaf fall periods.

“Even small amounts of debris create problems when they settle and break down,” explains Ed. “Professional maintenance schedules typically increase frequency during autumn, with some features requiring attention several times weekly to prevent filtration system damage.”

About Waterscapes Ltd
Waterscapes Ltd specialises in irrigation and bespoke water feature solutions for complex landscapes. The company provides technically reliable, sustainability-led water management systems for landscape architects, urban designers, and infrastructure teams across the UK.

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Lowe Maintenance becomes ECHO Affiliated Training Centre

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Lowe Maintenance becomes ECHO Affiliated Training Centre: FGM Claymore, the official distributor of ECHO tools in the UK, is proud to announce that Lowe Maintenance, a respected chainsaw and machinery training provider based in North Yorkshire, has become an ECHO Affiliated Training Centre. 

As an affiliated training centre, Lowe Maintenance will incorporate ECHO equipment into their courses, providing students with the opportunity to learn using industry-leading tools that are trusted by professionals worldwide. Lowe Maintenance’s expertise in delivering professional training in forestry, arboriculture, and land-based machinery aligns perfectly with ECHO’s commitment to reliability, performance, and user safety.

Lowe Maintenance becomes ECHO Affiliated Training Centre

Lowe Maintenance becomes ECHO Affiliated Training Centre

“We are delighted to welcome Lowe Maintenance as an ECHO Affiliated Training Centre,” said Paul Butterly, Managing Director of FGM Claymore. “This partnership reflects ECHO’s continued investment in the UK market and our commitment to equipping users with top tier tools throughout their training.”

“Becoming an ECHO Affiliated Training Centre is a fantastic opportunity for us and our students,” said Demelza Lowe, of Lowe Maintenance. “We’re proud to align with a brand that shares our dedication to safety, quality, and professional standards. Using ECHO equipment in our courses means our learners get to train with reliable, high-performance tools that prepare them for real world challenges.”

This collaboration will ensure that learners receive practical training with the latest equipment, enhancing their skills and confidence for future careers in the industry.

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Arborist 130 makes light work of woodland maintenance

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Arborist 130 makes light work of woodland maintenance: It’s well documented that time is a precious commodity for every greenkeeping team. At Bungay & Waveney Valley Golf Club it’s no different, with woodland maintenance one of the biggest pulls on Tony Moore and his team during the autumn and winter months.

That all changed however with the delivery of their GreenMech Arborist 130 woodchipper in November 2024, which has not only slashed the time it takes to thin-out and raise lower branches, it’s also significantly reduced the amount of traffic moving around the course.

Arborist 130 makes light work of woodland maintenance

Arborist 130 makes light work of woodland maintenance

Affectionately named the ‘Hidden Jewel of Suffolk’, the course is nestled in the picturesque Waveney Valley and is lined with a mixture of mature oak, birch and pine trees which need attention in the winter months to improve airflow and ensure good lines of sight. “Some years we’ll do more work than others, but either way, any tree work ties up multiple people who end up killing time while someone runs backwards and forwards with branches in a trailer” explains Head Greenkeeper Tony.

“I got in touch with GreenMech’s Neal Hussey who coordinated with our local dealer TNS to bring us a couple of chippers in on demonstration. We were really impressed with the capacity of the Arborist 130, the fact that it’s very easy to use and, importantly, the price.”

Delivered in November, the Arborist 130 was put straight to work. He continues, “Neal came back to get the team trained up on how to use the chipper, but it’s pretty foolproof so we were up and running with it really quickly. With the chipper, we now have less hands on the job and are having to make significantly fewer trips with the trailer which reduces our fuel consumption and is better for the course when the ground conditions are softer.”

The Arborist 130 is an ideal fit for golf courses, landscapers and contractors looking for a low-maintenance, high-output 6” machine. Equipped with a number of GreenMech’s unique features including a wide infeed chute, no-stress in-feed system and disc-blade chipping technology, the chipper is a robust, capable addition to any machinery fleet.

“We can get the machine exactly where we need it which means we can achieve more in less time, and free up labour for other tasks around the course. It’s been a gamechanger for us” he concludes.

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Ballybunion GC Enhances Turf Maintenance with Foley

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Ballybunion GC Enhances Turf Maintenance with Foley: Ballybunion Golf Club, located on the north-west coast of County Kerry, Ireland and steeped in history since its founding in 1893, is widely celebrated for its breathtaking coastal views and challenging yet rewarding links.

Over the years, the club has become a symbol of golfing perfection, attracting players from around the globe to experience its world-class courses. Continuing its tradition of excellence, Ballybunion recently acquired state-of-the-art Foley grinders, comprising a Accu-Pro 633 Accu-touch 3 control cylinder grinder with rear tail lift and an Accu Pro 673 bedknife grinder, to further elevate its turf maintenance standards.

Ballybunion GC Enhances Turf Maintenance with Foley

Ballybunion GC Enhances Turf Maintenance with Foley

The decision to invest in Foley grinders was driven by Ballybunion’s unwavering dedication to delivering immaculate playing conditions. With such a large fleet size in regular use, the advanced automated relief and spin options offered by Foley grinders ensure that the reel’s edges remain sharp for longer, improving efficiency and playability.

Speaking on the importance of this investment, Course Manager John Bambury remarked, “At Ballybunion, we pride ourselves on maintaining some of the finest greens in the world. Our new Foley grinders allow us to achieve a level of precision and consistency that aligns perfectly with our commitment to excellence.”

Ian Robson, Managing Director of ProSportUK Ltd, distributor for Foley Company in the UK and Ireland stated. “We are delighted to have placed two of the latest Foley grinders into a prestigious club such as Ballybunion. We have had a relationship with the greens team at Ballybunion for many years after supplying and supporting the previous Neary grinders, and will continue to offer them assistance, whenever required going forward.

Ease of use and robust training were vital considerations in choosing Foley grinders. The intuitive design of the equipment provides Ballybunion’s maintenance team with the tools to keep the workflow going, while the thorough training ensures that team members can maximize the potential of this innovative technology.

The exceptional back-up service provided by Prosport UK and the Foley Company has been a key factor in this successful upgrade. According to John, “The support and service we’ve received have been outstanding. Being able to rely on Prosport UK and Foley Company helps us maintain the highest standards in turf management”

Foley Company is the world leader in professional reel and bed-knife grinders and delivers the most economical solution for all your spin and relief grinding needs. Designed for optimum operator safety and ease of use.

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Consider chipper maintenance this nesting season

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Consider chipper maintenance this nesting season: After a busy winters work, operating in all weathers and ground conditions, nesting season provides the ideal opportunity to consider giving your woodchipper some well-needed TLC!

GreenMech offer operators some top tips on simple, routine maintenance to consider conducting over the summer months to prevent costly repairs and downtime.

Consider chipper maintenance this nesting season

Consider chipper maintenance this nesting season

Looking firstly at towed woodchippers. If you’ve been working in dusty environments, check and clean radiators and filters to ensure water-cooled engines retain adequate airflow to perform effectively. If your engine is air-cooled, the engine inspection panels and any debris should be removed to prevent any ‘hot spotting’ of the cylinders. Like a vehicle, fluid levels should be monitored to maintain the operational integrity of your chipper. If the radiator has a header tank, check the level in the radiator and change the fluids/filters as instructed in the machine manual.

Grease the chipper as per the manufacturer’s instructions and inspect all safety features such as the control bar and cut-out switches to ensure these are working as intended. Sharpen the blades to avoid the transfer of shock loads into the bearings – a good edge on the shear bar/anvil is also needed for efficient chipping. As obvious as it may seem, give the chipper a wash down! Keeping your investment clean will help to prevent degradation of the paint from residual dirt and salt.

While inspecting your towed chipper, don’t forget the trailer. Ensure the brakes, lights, floor, ramps, securing points and tyres (including the jockey wheel) are all in good, road-legal condition.

For tracked woodchippers, all of the above tips also apply. In addition, ensure that the tracks are in good order, with no visible signs of damage and that tracking components and controls are operating as intended. Next, double check the toolbox – if you needed to refit a lost track as per the manufacturer’s instructions, would you have the right tools to do so? Finally, check the condition of any additional accessories, particularly winches which should be equipped with quality rope in good condition.

Those operating a tractor mounted/powered woodchipper will note that many of the pointers already listed will be applicable to both the chipper and the tractor. In this scenario, you’ll also want to ensure that the correct specification PTO shaft is fitted, in good order and with the correct guarding. Some have a ‘slip clutch’ which will need to be set at the correct torque settings. Others may need a ‘shear bolt lobe’, so check you have some spare bolts in the toolbox.

Check the hydraulic hoses are correctly fitted and that the in-cab controls are working as they should. If a 12v supply is needed to run the ‘No Stress’ device or beacon, ensure that the correct light cable is refitted if the tractor is intended for highway use. Finally, grease as required – not forgetting the UJ spiders and plastic guards covering the shaft.

More details can be found within GreenMech operator manuals or by speaking to your local approved dealer. To find your nearest GreenMech expert, visit www.greenmech.co.uk 

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