Tag Archive for: Performance

Redexim Verti-Drain® Powers Performance

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Redexim Verti-Drain® Powers Performance: With a demanding sports schedule and a heavy clay soil profile, aeration at Bedford School is not a luxury – it’s a necessity. That’s why Head Groundsman George Mills wasted no time in bringing in a Redexim Verti-Drain® 2519 when he joined the team just over a year ago.

“The pitches hadn’t been aerated a great deal over recent years,” George explains. “There was an old machine on site, but it was out of action. On this type of ground, with the usage our pitches get, that just wasn’t sustainable.”

Redexim Verti-Drain® Powers Performance

Redexim Verti-Drain® Powers Performance

The Verti-Drain 2519 has quickly become one of the most relied-upon machines in the school’s fleet. It’s now in near-constant use throughout the winter season – from October through to March – helping to relieve compaction, encourage drainage, and support healthier root growth across the school’s extensive grounds.

“It’s an absolutely essential part of our maintenance programme,” George says. “The biggest difference is how much ground we can now cover in such a short space of time. With the 2519’s speed, in theory we could aerate the entire site in under a week. Of course, in practice we’ve got plenty of other work going on, but that capability makes a huge difference to us.”

Built for performance without compromising on manoeuvrability, the Verti-Drain 2519 is ideally suited to sensitive areas such as sports pitches, tees, and greens. Despite its compact design, it offers deep aeration down to 10 inches (25 cm) and can be run on lower horsepower tractors – an advantage George is keen to highlight.

“We’re using it on a 66hp tractor,” he says. “It’s 1.8m wide and it works so efficiently on that size of tractor. It doesn’t struggle – even when we’re going in 9 inches deep with ¾-inch tines. It flies through it.”

What also sets the Verti-Drain 2519 apart is its working speed. “With the larger tines, we run at around 3.2 km/h, and with the smaller ones around 2.8 km/h,” George explains. “That might not sound fast, but for us it’s huge. It means we can get onto pitches in the morning and have them fully aerated, marked and ready to play on in the afternoon – it’s even helped save fixtures.”

The build quality and user experience have also impressed. “It’s really solid and smooth to use,” George continues. “There’s no bouncing around like you’d expect with some machines. You drop it into the ground, and you barely feel it – it’s like going through butter.”

The machine also accepts a wide variety of tine options, giving George the flexibility to adapt throughout the season. “We mix up the size of the tines and the depth we’re going, to get different results each time. The adjustment side is simple and it’s all easy to manage, which helps when you’re trying to move quickly between jobs.”

At Bedford School, the demands on the grounds are intense. Rugby is played six days a week, with pitches often hosting both prep school and senior matches on the same day. On such a high-use site, aeration is not just part of the routine – it’s at the core of everything the grounds team does.

For George, turf care is more than a profession – it’s in his blood. “I grew up doing this with my dad and my brother,” he says. “It’s all we’ve ever known. I rolled my first cricket wicket when I was eight and I’ve been working in turf ever since.”

That experience means he knows quality when he sees it – and for George, the Redexim Verti-Drain 2519 delivers on every level. “It’s a seriously impressive bit of kit,” he concludes.

“We’re pushing it hard, and it just gets the job done. You want to be confident that you’re making the right investment – and with this, we absolutely have. The whole grounds team are seeing and enjoying the benefits of the machine as well.”

For more information, visit https://www.redexim.com/uk/

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Dennis ES-510 Delivers Electric Performance

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Dennis ES-510 Delivers Electric Performance: Keswick’s two flagship parks – Hope Park and Fitz Park – nestled in the heart of the Lake District in Cumbria, are setting the standard for sustainable grounds maintenance thanks to the exceptional performance of three Dennis ES-510 battery-powered mowers.

The move to electric machinery was spearheaded by Christine Fawcett, Parks Manager at Keswick Town Council, following the council’s bold step to declare a climate emergency. “Keswick Town Council and Keswick Parks declared a climate emergency six years ago,” Christine explains. “So obviously things had to change with fossil fuelled maintenance machinery, and we started looking for battery alternatives.”

Dennis ES-510 Delivers Electric Performance

Dennis ES-510 Delivers Electric Performance

The parks team had been long-time users of the petrol-powered Dennis FT510, known for its reliability and versatility – particularly its interchangeable cassette system. When Dennis introduced the battery-powered ES-510, which retained compatibility with the same range of cassettes, the transition was a natural progression.

“We’d built up a full suite of cassettes over the years,” says Christine. “From scarifiers to brushes, verticutter, sorrel roller and cutting cassettes – we rely on all of them throughout the year to deliver high standards of turf care. When the ES-510 came out, it looked like the perfect time to make the change to battery. And because the cassettes were compatible, we didn’t need to start from scratch.”

In fact, Keswick’s parks team became the first users in the UK to adopt an electric Dennis machine three years ago and now operate three ES-510s across both Hope and Fitz Parks.

Hope Park is a popular destination for visitors, featuring a nine-hole pitch and putt course and a large putting green. Fitz Park, affectionately known as the ‘people’s park’, is home to a bowling green, five grass tennis courts, an 18-hole putting course, and serves as the base for local sports clubs including Keswick Football Club, the bowling and tennis clubs, athletics, and cricket. Both parks are owned by charitable trusts and maintained by a dedicated in-house team overseen by Christine.

One ES-510 can handle a significant workload in a single day – cutting the bowling green, two grass-court tennis courts, and nine holes on the pitch and putt – with the battery lasting comfortably through the day. “It gets charged overnight and it’s ready to go again the next day,” says Christine.

The machines play a crucial role in Keswick’s fine turf maintenance regime. Christine explains: “We start the season with light verticutting and brushing to clean the surfaces and remove debris. Once the season starts, we usually verticut every three weeks or so, depending on the weather. Cutting typically happens twice a week, usually on a Monday and Thursday. At the end of the season, we scarify the greens and tennis courts before overseeding in late September.”

For the team, the switch to battery has brought many advantages. “We really like the flexibility – you can adjust the walking pace, set the cylinder speed depending on the task, and even keep track of how far you’ve walked in a day,” Christine adds. “It makes the job easier and more tailored to the person using it.”

Now in their third season, the Dennis ES-510s are proving their worth across Keswick’s green spaces – helping the town meet its sustainability goals without compromising on quality. “The ES-510s have helped us maintain our sports surfaces to a high standard while reducing our environmental impact – and that’s something we’re really proud of.”

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 X 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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Makita’s new tabless XGT delivers improved performance

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Makita’s new tabless XGT delivers improved performance: Makita has launched an innovative new battery for its 40VMax XGT range of high-performance tools.

The 4.0Ah BL4040F battery is the first Makita battery to include cutting-edge tabless technology, which allows more efficient power delivery, better runtimes, and cooler running. As the latest Makita F-Type battery, it is engineered for performance on the very highest demand applications.

Makita's new tabless XGT delivers improved performance

Makita’s new tabless XGT delivers improved performance

The tabless lithium-ion cells in the new BL4040F eliminates the bottleneck caused by current concentration by connecting the entire end of the electrode to the end of the cell, instead of connecting to tabs at each end.

With a larger connection area inside the cell, heat generation is minimised. This means that even under high load, the cell temperature is reduced compared to standard designs, which has a positive effect on the overall service life of the battery. A further benefit is that the battery can be charged immediately after intense use, with no need for a cooling phase, meaning shorter overall charging times. The tabless 4.0Ah BL4040F battery delivers up to 36% longer runtimes and operates 32% cooler compared to the standard 4.0Ah BL4040.

Like all Makita F-Type batteries, the BL4040F is a high-output battery designed for enhanced performance and better runtimes on higher drain tools such as chainsaws, breakers and demolition hammers. The new 4.0Ah BL4040F delivers the same 2.1kw maximum output as the 5.0Ah BL4050F. This means customers now have the choice of the larger, higher capacity 5.0Ah battery or the smaller, lighter 4.0Ah battery to achieve the high output that demanding tasks require. In fact, the BL4040F is 34% more compact and 28% lighter than the BL4050F.

As with all Makita’s XGT 40VMax batteries, the BL4040F is built for the toughest environments with an impact resistant and shock absorbing casing to protect the battery cells, as well as a triple layer structure to protect against water and dust ingress. XGT batteries also feature Makita’s digital communication system that connects the tool and battery to actively protect against overload, over-discharge and overheating.

The XGT range has over 125 40VMax and 80VMax (2x 40VMax) products including drills, impact drivers and wrenches, angle grinders, nailers, dust extractors, and circular, mitre and reciprocating saws. There is also a wide range of XGT garden and grounds maintenance machines including mowers, chain saws, blowers, brush cutters, hedge trimmers and earth augers.

Kevin Brannigan, Marketing Manager at Makita said: “The new tabless BL4040F is specifically designed for the most demanding applications and will deliver superior performance and runtimes as well as the long service life that customers expect from Makita products. The launch of this cutting edge, next generation battery is just the latest part of our ongoing drive to ensure professionals have the high-performance products they need.”

To find out more about our tabless batteries and the XGT range visit www.makitauk.com/tabless-technology

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Improved Golf Course Performance Solutions from METOS UK

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Improved Golf Course Performance Solutions from METOS UK: METOS UK introduces a new turf management and business performance solution for golf courses at BTME on 21-23 January 2025.

David Whattoff, Managing Director of METOS UK, says: “We’re delighted to bring a new end-to-end solution to golf courses looking to improve course management and profitability.

Improved Golf Course Performance Solutions from METOS UK

Improved Golf Course Performance Solutions from METOS UK

“With market-leading course management software Punctus, combined with a new GIS mapping tool, our Pessl environmental sensors, and the ability to integrate advanced robotic solutions such as Kress mowers, course owners and managers will now have the tools at their fingertips to enhance course playability and improve their bottom line,” David explains.

Punctus is now available to UK golf courses exclusively through METOS UK. Combined, these solutions bring compound improvements in turf care, course management, sustainability, and business profitability, through improving turf health and maintenance efficiency; reducing chemical usage and environmental impact; remotely monitoring and optimising irrigation and energy use; effectively managing people and machinery; and enhancing data-driven decision-making across the business.

“As the market leader in cloud-based greenkeeping software in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, Punctus brings it’s 20 years of experience to UK course managers, alongside a range of hardware solutions from Pessl that work together to give a bigger picture of course health and business performance.” says David.

“The benefits are extensive, with data helping to inform decisions on water usage, fertilisation, and overall course management through real-time environmental monitoring, customisable alerts for irrigation or maintenance tasks, and integration with precision equipment such as environmental sensors and robotic mowers,” David explains.

“We’re already seeing the benefits where courses are investing in remote sensors for turf management, including soil moisture monitoring at depth, which provides a more accurate picture of drainage across different soil types and green constructions than traditional irrigation sensors,” says David.

Integrated Pessl sensors provide real-time environmental and soil moisture data that can be tracked over time, and a new GIS mapping tool provides a visual representation of drainage and water use across the course, which can help improve course management, irrigation planning, and improvements.

Course owners and managers can learn more about Punctus and the customisable management solutions available, by visiting the METOS UK stand 174, in Hall 1.

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Johnsons delivers tried and trusted performance

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Johnsons delivers tried and trusted performance: A programme of Johnsons J Fairway has been praised by the team at Woodbridge Golf Club, after delivering tried and trusted performance for more than a decade.

Such is the consistency and quality of results from the 100% fescue blend on the fairways, Course Manager Paul Lawrence is now employing another 100% fescue mix from the Johnsons Sports Seed range on the clubs 27 greens as they seek to improve drought and disease tolerance.

Johnsons delivers tried and trusted performance

Johnsons delivers tried and trusted performance

Woodbridge Golf Club boasts a 9 and 18-hole course, well renowned for its exciting play and stunning heathland surroundings. When Paul joined the club in November 2014, Johnsons J Fairway was already extensively used across the fairways and, ten years later, remains the only mixture that suits their conditions. “It would be remiss not to keep an eye on new mixtures, but we continue to find that nothing performs like J Fairway year-in, year-out” says Paul.

He continues, “It gives us fantastic, hard-wearing surfaces and has demonstrated outstanding tolerance to drought over the years.” Paul emphasises that this was particularly evident during the summers of 2018 and, more recently, 2022. “Despite the extreme drought, as soon as the rain returned the fairways came back in a flash which is testament to its recovery, and the deep rooting nature of fine fescues. It can also be sown late into the year and it’ll establish and germinate as soon as conditions are right.”

Johnsons J Fairway blends five top-ranking fescue cultivars to deliver sustainable fairways with improved sward quality and reduced management cost. Ideal for heathland and parkland courses, J Fairway has high visual merit and shoot density, along with industry-leading tolerance to drought and turf diseases including Fusarium.

“Because of how well this mix performs, we are now in a position of not having to conduct much in the way of overseeding – more just monitoring and spot-treating certain ‘bottleneck’ areas.”

In attempts to replicate the resilient results on the greens, Paul has recently embarked on an overseeding programme with Johnsons J Fescue on the back of advice of DLF’s Craig Spooner and local distributor Aitkens. “We’d like to achieve a bent/fescue composition which, moving forwards, will put us in a better position to withstand environmental pressures and lower our inputs of water and fertiliser. We’re overseeding twice a year and are already seeing fantastic results!”

For more information on all the high-performance mixtures available across the Johnsons golf and sports turf seed range, visit www.johnsonssportsseed.co.uk

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