Tag Archive for: Park

New Stiga park front mower

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New Stiga park front mower: The new sixth generation of Park front mowers from STIGA are the most innovative, powerful, practical and consumer friendly ever introduced and have evolved from the 45-year history of the brand.

They are designed for maintaining large areas, from private houses with extensive lawns, through to professional or commercial use.  The accessories that are available ensure the machines are all-rounders, fit for a range of jobs.

New Stiga park front mower

New Stiga park front mower

Machines in the range are largely petrol powered, with one battery option, and many have been modernised and upgraded for 2021.  Whilst some models are powered by Honda or Briggs & Stratton, the majority are powered by the very latest STIGA engines and marketed as ‘Powered by STIGA’.

“This new range is a distillation of all those years of experience and establishes completely new high standards for front mowers.  We have incorporated the latest technical innovations allied to a very strong emphasis on delivering a smoother and safer ride for the user” says Gary Tully, Sales and Marketing Director of STIGA UK Limited.

New innovations for 2021 include:

  • A greatly improved driving experience with a strong emphasis on comfort and safety.  This includes ergonomically designed seating, a new more comfortable drive pedal and a reconfigured steering column;
  • Power steering and electric PTO are standard on all models and electric height of cut adjustment on machines with electric cutter decks;
  • A total aesthetic redesign ensures a modern style for the new Park range which reflects user demands and achieves improved technical performance, including enhanced air flow that reduces oil temperature by up to 10%;
  • Greater traction on uphill cutting with a 35% improvement in transmission performance on the 4 x 4 models;
  • Drive belts are made from Aramid, a chloroprene compound providing increased durability and strength;
  • Blue Tooth connectivity, via a dedicated App, that can link directly to dealers to organise servicing on selected models, as well as a digital display showing running time, next service due date etc;
  • Park models are compatible with STIGA’s patented QuickFlip deck technology;
  • Improved LED headlights on many models;
  • A hard steel rear bumper;
  • An external, easily accessible fuel cap so no more having to lift the bonnet to refill.
  • In total there are nine redesigned Park machines in the range.
  • Retail prices range from £3938 (including VAT) for the Park 320P & 95cm cutting deck to £14,128 (including VAT) for the Park PRO 740 IOX & 110cm cutting deck.

The Park 640 PWX reflects all of the key new features of the redesigned range.  It has a new high-back seat with arm rests available as an optional extra.  An ergonomic side dashboard keeps everything to hand: electromagnetic PTO and electric height of cut adjustment makes operations easier and more comfortable.

With unmatched 50:50 articulation, this machine allows the operator to turn around obstacles or run alongside walls and fences without looking back, as the rear part of the machine always directly follows the path of the front.

Powered by the Stiga ST 600 Twin engine that provides almost 20hp (gross), with Tuff Torq all-wheel drive, the Park 640 PWX has the power to accomplish any task.  It has a three-year standard warranty.   It is fitted with high-beam headlights making it easier to use in low light conditions.

The Park 345 PWX, the Park PRO 540 1X and the Park PRO 740 IOX are powered by Honda.  Three further machines in the range use Briggs & Stratton engines.  The e-Park 220 is powered by a 48V Lithium-ion battery.

With a wide range of accessories available these machines are adaptable for all four seasons.  From a combi-cart, an edge cutter that trims edges and paths, a fertiliser spreader, flail mower, sweeper and even a snow plough, there is so much more to these mowers than just perfecting grass cutting.  Visit Stiga.com/UK to see the large range of accessories available.

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Jacobsen helps Hamilton Park race ahead

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Jacobsen helps Hamilton Park race ahead: Track Manager, Darren Bissett, says Hamilton Park’s turf will be more than ready for the start of their flat racing season scheduled to begin in May.

“Course maintenance wise, we are on schedule with the first cut of both the track and the lawns due within the next week, assuming conditions prevail,” said Darren.

Jacobsen helps Hamilton Park race ahead

Jacobsen helps Hamilton Park race ahead

Darren joined the team at Hamilton Park from Ayr Racecourse exactly 12 months ago, and his first year in the job could hardly have been more unexpected.
In June 2020, a delayed and shortened fixture list got underway, with eleven race meetings successfully staged behind closed doors by the time the season concluded at the end of September.

One huge positive for 2020 was that local grounds care dealer, Fairways GM, delivered two new Jacobsen mowers – the HR500 Rotary Mower for the track and the TR320 for Hamilton Park’s extensive fine turf areas.

“The machines were ordered by my predecessor after several very positive recommendations. They’ve worked fantastically, and I’m genuinely very impressed at how effective they are. The HR500 has great width at 3.5 metres which allows us to cut the whole track with just five circuits in around 2.5 hours. It makes quick work and leaves a very clean cut. The room that you get in the cab is exceptional; really spacious, so it’s great for the operator. Also, once you are finished, it’s incredibly easy to maintain.

“In March, we will probably only cut the track once a week until it gets a bit warmer and soil temperatures rise, however, come May we’ll have increased that to at least twice a week. Over the summer months cutting increases to three or four times a week as the fertilisation programme takes effect.

“During the racing season, we like to cut the day before a fixture and then again 48 hours afterwards. Height of the cut is set at 6cm for the next month or so, and when racing starts, we’ll allow it to grow a bit longer before cutting it to around 9cm. Changing the height of cut on the decks takes around half an hour, and it’s a case of moving just ten pins, so it’s very straightforward.

“Away from the track, our lawns are a great backdrop for weddings and events as well as racedays, and hopefully, this summer they will see a lot more visitors. Because it’s been a bit milder these past few weeks, the lawns are starting to grow. The TR320 delivers an exceptionally fine, effective cut, and it is so good at striping the lawns and leaving a professional finish – everything is really level. We cut the track and the lawns on the same day, so there will be times when we are cutting lawns four times a week throughout the summer.

“Last year, sadly, we were unable to welcome racegoers and event guests alike, and so we’re working hard to ensure the grounds will be at their spectacular best for when we can open our gates to the public once more.”

Rob Hogarth, Fairways GM’s Area Sales Manager, said: “The HR500 can cut all day long. Robust and smooth, it has built in consistency delivered via a feature called Automated Assist Drive, so no matter the conditions, the finish remains clean and sharp. The big cab that Darren likes gives the operator a superior view of what’s going on out-front; controls are positioned exactly where they are required, so you can also be extremely precise. The TR320 is good in tight spaces and challenging terrain. It’s a wizard at stripes, so it is great at keeping locations pristine and interesting, a nice touch for important wedding photography.”

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Lypiatt Park credits Husqvarna Automower

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Lypiatt Park credits Husqvarna Automower: Based in Gloucestershire near Stroud, Lypiatt Park is a stately home which boasts historic buildings dating back to the 14th century. Surrounded by ten acres of formal gardens, the private estate is maintained by Husqvarna Automower® robotic lawnmowers.

Homeowner of Lypiatt Park and internationally renowned artist, Daniel Chadwick, credits his four Husqvarna 550 Automower® for keeping the estate’s lawns in immaculate condition all year round.

Lypiatt Park credits Husqvarna Automower

Lypiatt Park credits Husqvarna Automower

Daniel first invested in Automower® using Husqvarna dealer, Tallis Amos Group, after finding the cost of maintaining his ten acres of greenspace with manual lawnmowers to be expensive, costing hundreds of pounds per week. With Automower®, the groundsmen of Lypiatt Park have saved hours of time and have been freed up to focus on more important and beneficial tasks around the grounds of the estate.

Daniel discussed the benefits: “There have been many advantages of Automower®, some that I wasn’t even expecting. I have sensitive hearing and can find the sound of regular lawnmowers extremely intrusive, especially here on the estate where they were often used twice a day.

“The differences we’ve experienced between our previous lawnmowers and our four Automower® 550 models are astounding. Automower® works on the grounds extremely quietly, quickly and efficiently, without the need for human interference which is brilliant.”

The lawns of Lypiatt Park feature a variety of complex shapes, but thanks to the GPS tracked Husqvarna Automower® 550 models, the robotic lawnmowers are able to manoeuvre accurately and efficiently around the entire formal garden area with ease, navigating narrow passages, obstacles and handling slopes of up to 45%. Furthermore, as a result of the mower’s lightweight features, no visible track marks are left, ensuring a carpet-like appearance.

Featuring GPS theft tracking via a PC/Tablet, as well as a high-pitch alarm which starts when moved and can only be deactivated with the mower’s unique pin code, extra security is provided with the Automower® models.

Lypiatt Park credits Husqvarna Automower

Lypiatt Park credits Husqvarna Automower

Daniel commented on his move to Automower®: “After an initial consultation, Tallis Amos Group installed our first mower, and provided technical support throughout and after. The set-up process ran very smoothly, and within just a few weeks our lawns looked better than ever. After seeing the results of our first Automower®, we were confident in investing in three more to cover all lawns surrounding Lypiatt Park.

“Each robotic mower has its own specific zone to cover, and they are able to work night and day if we wished. Even though there’s a wide mix of obstacles on our lawns, they don’t seem to bother Automower® at all. Thanks to their on-board sensors which detect potential objects, Automower® steers itself to avoid collision.”

As an artist, Daniel has a passion for design and applauds Automower®, stating: “As a designer inventor and artist, I really appreciate the design of the Automower®, it’s perfectly optimised. It’s the right weight, it does precisely what they say it will do, it is totally reliable, easy to maintain and is very well made. Every couple of months I might have to change or rotate the blades – which is a very simple operation, but apart from that, we just let them get on with their job and rarely have to do anything with them. The machines really are fantastic.”

For more information on Husqvarna Automower®, visit: https://www.husqvarna.com/uk/products/robotic-lawn-mowers/

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Yorkshire Wildlife Park invest in Ventrac

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Yorkshire Wildlife Park invest in Ventrac: The Yorkshire Wildlife Park, situated in the village of Branton, close to the A1 near Doncaster, is the latest organisation to purchase a Ventrac 4500 compact tractor to help maintain its 150-acre walkthrough safari experience.

Delivered by the Rotherham depot of local dealer, Russells Groundscare, the package includes the tractor unit in its 8-wheel configuration and two mowing units: a Tough Cut deck and MU rotary deck.

Yorkshire Wildlife Park invest in Ventrac

Yorkshire Wildlife Park invest in Ventrac

Commenting on the purchase, Director Neville Williams said,
“Lockdown has been a torrid time for us; we’ve suffered a multi-million-pound loss, so we weren’t really contemplating any significant capital expenditure. However, we had issues with our mowing equipment and our mechanic suggested we contact Russells to see what was available.

“Glen Sawyer from Russells came over with a Ventrac demo machine and it performed extremely well, but we didn’t think we could justify the cost. However, Glen was able to organise a flexible lease-purchase arrangement together with a mutual partnership agreement, and that facilitated the purchase. They also loaned us a Power Rake, which was superb at reinstating the pathways and we will be looking to purchase the Trencher attachment in the future.

“As you would expect, we have huge areas of grass to maintain and much of it is on sloping ground around the car parks, picnic areas and in the animal enclosures. We previously had to employ a contractor for these sloped areas, but with the Ventrac we can now do this in-house. The cost effectiveness of this new machine was certainly a factor in our purchasing decision. For example, in the lion enclosure it used to take four men, three days to complete, but now with the Ventrac it is two men in half a day. That’s a very impressive saving in man-days; 12 days reduced down to a single day!

“This year we will be opening an expansion which will double the size of the park and this will include the creation of lakes, reserves and diverse habitats, so the Park can become home to more animals and springboard our efforts to help at-risk species. The Ventrac will play an important part in maintaining this extension to our facilities.”

About Yorkshire Wildlife Park

The Yorkshire Wildlife Park (YWP) was opened in 2009 and currently occupies about 150 acres (60 ha) of the site. The Park is home to number of endangered species including Amur tigers, Amur leopards, Red panda, Giant otters and England’s only Polar bears. The expansive reserves and space for visitors creates a walkthrough safari experience.

In 2021 a further 150-acre expansion will open with more ground-breaking animal reserves and new species for the Park, as well as enhanced visitor facilities. Lakes, reserves and diverse habitats will be introduced in the expansion, so the Park can become home to more animals and springboard efforts to help at-risk species. Landscaped walkways and dynamic viewing areas will provide visitors with an amazing experience.

YWP work with the studbook keepers of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria who coordinate the breeding programmes and animal moves throughout Europe. This will decide which new species will be introduced, allowing the Park to continue their conservation efforts and protect a range of endangered animals.

The park’s popularity has grown over the years, starting in 2009 with only 66,000 visitors; it now hosts in excess of 750,000 visitors a year.

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Park grass-cutting to re-start

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Park grass-cutting to re-start: Grass-cutting in Angus parks, cemeteries and open spaces is to resume next week.

The authority said the move was aimed at helping the area’s residents get their daily exercise locally.

But a reminder over outdoor area closures already in place and a warning for people to stick to lockdown rules have also been issued by the council.

A spokesperson said that from Monday, essential maintenance including grass cutting using single operator tractor and ride-on mower machinery would take place.

“The use of single operator vehicles will allow our staff to work safely whilst maintaining rules on social distancing,” the spokesperson added.

“If you are accessing your local green spaces, follow the national guidance and do not allow children or teenagers to use play areas, skate parks and fitness equipment or gather socially, other than in family groups.

“These facilities remain closed until further notice.”

“Only parks and green spaces close to your home should be used for exercising. “Please avoid driving to parks and carry any litter home with you.”

Angus communities vice-convener, Councillor Tommy Stewart said, “It is important that our parks teams continue to maintain our grass areas and open spaces, during this time.

“This will allow people to get their daily exercise safely, in their local area.

“Accessing green spaces has significant benefits for physical and mental wellbeing, which is vital during these very difficult times.

“However, the advice remains that you should not travel by car to our parks and open spaces. Stay local and only with members of your own household,” added the Montrose Independent.

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